From pressured software program updates that preserve breaking issues to abruptly eradicating the power to obtain bought ebooks, Amazon has completed quite a few issues to bother and irritate Kindle customers lately. Right here’s a abstract of a few of their extra offensive actions:
Removing of D&T by way of USB for Kindles
That is the most recent factor Amazon has completed to tick off clients, and it’s inflicting such a ruckus that individuals who have by no means even used the Obtain and Switch choice, or who didn’t even have entry to it to start with because it’s just for house owners of Kindle ereaders, are threatening to cease shopping for Kindle ebooks and transfer to a special platform that also provides downloads of uncooked e-book recordsdata for backup and (potential) DRM elimination.
The Kindle Colorsoft’s Frontlight Scandal
Amazon launched their first Kindle with a coloration E Ink display final fall, and issues didn’t go properly. In reality it was a catastrophe. Regardless of Amazon claiming solely small variety of Colorsoft’s have been affected, it appeared like your complete first batch of gadgets had an challenge with a yellow band of sunshine on the backside of the display. Whereas issues seem like getting higher now, the Kindle Colorsoft stays the bottom rated Kindle ever, and a few persons are nonetheless afraid to purchase it due to the frontlight challenge.
To a lesser diploma, the most recent Kindle Paperwhite has obtained criticism about frontlight points as properly. A number of appear to have banding points too, however most complaints come from folks evaluating the frontlight to older Kindles and never liking the truth that it’s yellower in tone on the brand new mannequin.
Necessary Software program Updates on Kindles
Issues actually began going downhill when Amazon began forcing a brand new consumer interface onto older Kindles that individuals had been fortunately utilizing for a number of years with the unique interface. It brought on quite a lot of unnecessary confusion and frustration and there was no means to return to the outdated interface after a Kindle up to date.
All Kindle software program updates are pressured; clients don’t have any say within the matter. The one strategy to keep away from updates which might be consistently altering issues (and never all the time for the higher) is to completely preserve your Kindle disconnected from the web (or by jailbreaking it and disabling OTA updates).
Deleting Sideloaded eBooks
There’s a bug that’s been wiping out sideloaded ebooks on Kindles for a number of years, and Amazon merely refuses to repair it. It solely appears to occur if you sideload ebooks utilizing a pc (Ship-to-Kindle ebooks aren’t affected), after which flip WiFi on after maintaining your Kindle in airplane mode for an prolonged size of time (how lengthy, precisely, no one is aware of).
Killing Off the Kindle Voyage and Kindle Oasis
Lots of people favored the Kindle Oasis and Kindle Voyage, they usually have been the final Kindles to have web page buttons, however now Amazon has phased out their premium line of Kindles, together with devoted page-turn buttons.
Including DRM to eBooks Which are Purported to be DRM-free
Have you ever ever seen how sure ebooks on Amazon have a disclaimer that claims, “On the Writer’s request, this title is being offered with out Digital Rights Administration Software program (DRM) utilized.”
That’s merely not true. Amazon does apply DRM to these ebooks even when it says that, locking them into the Kindle platform in opposition to the request of publishers and authors.
Making it Extra Troublesome to Take away DRM
For years Amazon has actively been making it harder to take away the DRM from bought Kindle ebooks as a way to lock customers into the Kindle platform. Discontinuing D&T is simply the most recent motion.
Eradicating Retailer Entry on Older Kindles
A number of years again Amazon disabled the Kindle retailer on the primary few generations of Kindles that didn’t have touchscreens.
Releasing the Kindle Scribe with Unfinished Software program
When the Kindle Scribe was first launched in 2022, the notetaking software program was woefully insufficient, so it acquired rightfully crushed by early reviewers, which gave it a foul repute that also lingers to at the present time, regardless that Amazon has added quite a few new options because it first launched.
