Alternative to Kindle store and/or Kindle?

[Angilion]

I'm an old fashioned weirdo who thinks that I should have control over the ebook reader I paid for and the books I paid for and that how often I read and how quickly I read and when I read is my business.

With Kindle, that's only possible if you never allow your Kindle to connect to the net.

So for years I've bought books on the Kindle store using my PC, downloaded them to my PC and transferred them to my Kindle with a USB cable. A bit cumbersome, but completely functional.

Amazon is removing that functionality in a couple of days. They're doing it from their end, so there's no workaround. The ability to transfer books bought from the Kindle store to a PC will cease to exist.

So I need an alternative. Either a different bookshop that allows me to download books I've paid for to my PC so I can transfer them to my Kindle or a different "ecosystem" entirely, with a different ebook reader.

Cost isn't an issue. I read a lot and I've spent thousands on books from the Kindle store already. Spending a few hundred on another ebook reader is neither here nor there. I like my Kindle (paperwhite model from a few years back), but I'm not limiting myself to it if there's an alternative that's better for my use.

 

[lunar]

I am confused. Why not download the ebook from Amazon on a mobile phone.

 

[OspreyO]

I am confused. Why not download the ebook from Amazon on a mobile phone.

I assume the objective is to be able to read your kindle books on a device that's not locked to Amazon. So if Amazon turns off the service you can still read your books.

 

[Angilion]

I am confused. Why not download the ebook from Amazon on a mobile phone.

My mobile phone is a very old Nexus 5 running Ubuntu Touch. I use it as a phone, not as my critical connection to every aspect of my life. As I said, I'm an old fashioned weirdo. It would be crap for reading an ebook on anyway.

I assume the objective is to be able to read your kindle books on a device that's not locked to Amazon. So if Amazon turns off the service you can still read your books.

The objective is as I stated in the first line. I don't want Amazon (or any other company) to be able to remotely edit or delete books I've bought. I don't want Amazon (or any other company) to remotely change settings on an ebook reader I've bought. I don't want Amazon (or any other company) to remotely change the UI on an ebook reader I've bought. I don't want Amazon (or any other company) to monitor when I read anything, where I am when reading it, how often I turn a page, etc, etc. As I said, I'm very old fashioned. I know it's now routine to have businesses controlling and watching. I understand that. I want less of it.

So what I want is what I asked for: "Either a different bookshop that allows me to download books I've paid for to my PC so I can transfer them to my Kindle or a different "ecosystem" entirely, with a different ebook reader."

 

[lunar]

In which case, there is only one option and probably the best; buy paper copies of books.

 

[Cromulent]

If you use Calibre you can remove the DRM and thus solve the issue.

 

[Kainz]

Either get a paperback, or get the Kobo reader which can handle all popular formats.

Thanks to the amazon news, I stripped out the DRM on my kindle books and converted them to the EPub format, which I will eventually dump onto a kobo reader.

 

[OspreyO]

If you use Calibre you can remove the DRM and thus solve the issue.

Only works if you can download the books and open then in calibre. Amazon is removing the download function on the 26th I think.

 

[OspreyO]

Tbh since you buy books on Amazon why do anything.

 

[Kenai]

If you use Calibre you can remove the DRM and thus solve the issue.

This is more than likely exactly why Amazon are removing the functionality to download the books to a PC in the first place

 

[Richie]

I went with a Kobo reader when I got it about 2 months ago. It is my first E-Reader and, TBH, I went with it over Kindle specifically because of Amazon's policies including their walled garden approach and even having form for deleting purchased books from people's libraries etc.

 

[Defy Belief]

A library card

 

[Cromulent]

A library card

It is pretty cool you can rent ebooks and audiobooks from the library.

 

[Richie]

It is pretty cool you can rent ebooks and audiobooks from the library.

Kobo do this natively if your public library supports OverDrive (seems tons do support it). I have never tried it but, apparently, you sign up to your library and borrow e-books that way

 

[Cromulent]

Kobo do this natively if your public library supports OverDrive (seems tons do support it). I have never tried it but, apparently, you sign up to your library and borrow e-books that way

Yeah, my sister told me about it. I haven't actually done it myself yet because I have a bit of a backlog of books to read but I'll certainly be doing it in the future.

 

[OspreyO]

I like the kobos better than the kindle.

I'm only using the Kindle because the kids got them and I borrow one that isn't used.

 

[welshdragon]

I went with a Kobo reader when I got it about 2 months ago. It is my first E-Reader and, TBH, I went with it over Kindle specifically because of Amazon's policies including their walled garden approach and even having form for deleting purchased books from people's libraries etc.

@Richie hi mate hows the experience with the Kobo? I am due to get a new e-reader and kobo caught my eye.

 

[Richie]

@Richie hi mate hows the experience with the Kobo? I am due to get a new e-reader and kobo caught my eye.

Been really enjoying it. I haven't done any "advanced" stuff like side-loading etc as I just buy my books from the Kobo store but the device and experience has been great. Note - I don't have anything to compare it to as this is my first e-reader but would recommend Kobo stuff.

 

[fez]

Just jailbreak that badboy. I have no issue with a little piracy on media that you have paid for as well. In my eyes thats simply retrieving something you have paid for and own.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Can you still dowload books using the actual Kindle PC app, or has that gone, too?