Amazon Kindle removes download feature of purchased books: Difference between revisions

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 Other users have resorted to jailbreaking their devices to ensure continued access to previous features. This can be done using tools such as [https://kindlemodding.org/jailbreaking/WinterBreak/ WinterBreak], which allow users to run custom applications like  [https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Installation-on-Kindle-devices KOReader], a unified eBook reader that supports PDF, DjVu, EPUB, FB2, and many other formats—on Cervantes, Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook, and Android devices.
-== Effect on Original Kindle Devices (Kindle 1 & Kindle 2) ==
+==Effect on Original Kindle Devices (Kindle 1 & Kindle 2)==
 The '''Amazon Kindle 1 (2007)''' and '''Kindle 2 (2009)''' relied on '''EVDO and 3G networks''' for wireless book downloads via Amazon’s '''Whispernet''' service.<ref>https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Amazon_Kindle_1</ref><ref>https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Amazon_Kindle_2</ref> However, with the global shutdown of '''3G networks''' by mobile carriers, these early Kindle models are no longer able to download books wirelessly in most regions.
 '''If books cannot be purchased from the Kindle store and downloaded, there is no way to get them onto these devices.'''
-* Users will '''no longer be able to download Kindle books to a computer''' for manual transfer to their device via USB.
+*Users will '''no longer be able to download Kindle books to a computer''' for manual transfer to their device via USB.
-* Books already '''downloaded before this date''' can still be transferred manually.
+*Books already '''downloaded before this date''' can still be transferred manually.
-* Any new purchases will require a '''WiFi-enabled Kindle''' or access to '''Amazon’s Kindle apps''' to read.
+*Any new purchases will require a '''WiFi-enabled Kindle''' or access to '''Amazon’s Kindle apps''' to read.
-* '''This effectively bricks older Kindles for the use case of reading newly purchased books.'''
+*'''This effectively bricks older Kindles for the use case of reading newly purchased books.'''
-==== Remaining Functionality ====
+====Remaining Functionality====
-* The Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 still support '''USB file transfers''' for '''non-Amazon''' content, including:
+*The Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 still support '''USB file transfers''' for '''non-Amazon''' content, including:
-** DRM-free MOBI, PRC, and TXT files.
+**DRM-free MOBI, PRC, and TXT files.
-** Converted EPUB files using tools like '''Calibre'''.
+**Converted EPUB files using tools like '''Calibre'''.
-** Public domain books from sites such as '''Project Gutenberg'''.
+**Public domain books from sites such as '''Project Gutenberg'''.
-* Users who backed up their Kindle books before the '''February 26, 2025''' cutoff can still manually transfer them via USB.
+*Users who backed up their Kindle books before the '''February 26, 2025''' cutoff can still manually transfer them via USB.
-==== What this means for old Kindle users ====
+====What this means for old Kindle users====
 With the '''loss of Whispernet access''' due to '''3G shutdowns''' and the upcoming removal of '''USB transfers for Amazon-purchased books''', the '''Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 will no longer be able to receive new Kindle Store purchases''' unless a workaround is found. Owners of these devices may need to rely on '''third-party eBook sources''' and '''manual file transfers''' to continue using them.
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 The changes included numerous alterations to the original text, such as:
-* Replacing "fat" with "enormous" in describing Augustus Gloop
+*Replacing "fat" with "enormous" in describing Augustus Gloop
-* Removing Miss Trunchbull's "great horsey face" description to just "face"
+*Removing Miss Trunchbull's "great horsey face" description to just "face"
-* Changing "You must be mad, woman" to "you must be out of your mind"
+*Changing "You must be mad, woman" to "you must be out of your mind"
-* Modifying character occupations (e.g., changing a woman "working as a cashier" to "working as a top scientist")
+*Modifying character occupations (e.g., changing a woman "working as a cashier" to "working as a top scientist")
-* Removing references to certain authors (e.g., replacing Joseph Conrad with Jane Austen in Matilda)<ref>https://www.thetimes.com/article/sensitivity-readers-are-twits-to-mess-with-the-magic-of-roald-dahl-zxk928mdz</ref>
+*Removing references to certain authors (e.g., replacing Joseph Conrad with Jane Austen in Matilda)<ref>https://www.thetimes.com/article/sensitivity-readers-are-twits-to-mess-with-the-magic-of-roald-dahl-zxk928mdz</ref>
 More changes:
-* **Gender-neutral language** – ''Cloud-Men'' in ''James and the Giant Peach'' were renamed **"Cloud-People."**
+*'''Gender-neutral language''' – ''Cloud-Men'' in ''James and the Giant Peach'' were renamed "'''Cloud-People'''."
-* **Removal of references to physical appearance** – The **"fat little brown mouse"** in ''The Witches'' became simply **"little brown mouse."**
+*'''Removal of references to physical appearance''' – The "'''fat little brown mouse'''" in ''The Witches'' became simply "'''little brown mouse'''."
-* **Sanitization of language** – ''The Witches'' originally stated: **"You must be mad, woman!"** This was softened to **"You must be out of your mind!"**
+*'''Sanitization of language''' – ''The Witches'' originally stated: **"You must be mad, woman!"** This was softened to "'''You must be out of your mind'''!"
-* **Cultural adjustments** – In ''Matilda'', a reference to **Rudyard Kipling** was replaced with **Jane Austen**. <ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/17/roald-dahl-books-rewritten-offensive-matilda-witches-twits/ The Telegraph - "The Hundreds of Changes Made to Suit a New ‘Sensitive’ Generation"]</ref>
+*'''Cultural adjustments''' – In ''Matilda'', a reference to '''Rudyard Kipling''' was replaced with '''Jane Austen'''. <ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/17/roald-dahl-books-rewritten-offensive-matilda-witches-twits/ The Telegraph - "The Hundreds of Changes Made to Suit a New ‘Sensitive’ Generation"]</ref>
 Clarissa Aykroyd, a children's publishing professional, described the automatic updates as feeling "Orwellian," saying she assumed users would be given the option on whether to download the original version or the newly sanitized versions given how significant the changes were. The forced updates led her to become "weary of ebooks."<ref name="times1" />
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 After lots of backlash, Puffin announced it would publish the classic collection of 17 Dahl texts alongside the edited versions. Puffin acknowledged "very real questions around how stories can be kept relevant for new generations" while giving readers "the choice to decide how they experience Roald Dahl's magical, marvelous stories."<ref name="times1" />
-=== Examples of Censorship ===
+===Roald Dahl Book Edits===
-=== Roald Dahl Book Edits ===
 In 2023, The Telegraph reported that **hundreds of changes** were made to Roald Dahl’s classic children's books, including ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'', ''Matilda'', and ''The Witches''.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/17/roald-dahl-books-rewritten-offensive-matilda-witches-twits/ The Telegraph - "The Hundreds of Changes Made to Suit a New ‘Sensitive’ Generation"]</ref> These edits were performed by the publisher Puffin in collaboration with a group called **Inclusive Minds**, with the stated goal of ensuring the books "can continue to be enjoyed by all today."
+===Debate Over Modern Censorship===
+These edits sparked debate over whether these changes were necessary updates or excessive censorship. Critics argue that altering the original language distorts an author's intent and removes historical context.
+This example of '''posthumous editing of literature''' demonstrates a broader trend of '''corporate-controlled content revision''' where publishers, rather than readers, decide what is deemed acceptable.
+==Issue Summary==
-=== Debate Over Modern Censorship ===
-These edits have sparked **widespread debate** over whether such changes are **necessary updates or excessive censorship**. Critics argue that altering the original language distorts an author's intent and removes historical context. Others support the revisions, claiming they make the books more accessible to modern audiences.
-This example of **posthumous editing of literature** reflects a broader trend of **corporate-controlled content revision**, where publishers, rather than readers, decide what is deemed acceptable.
-== See Also ==
-* [[Digital Content Control]]
-* [[Corporate Censorship]]
-* [[Ownership of Digital Goods]]
-==Issue Conclusion==
 This incident highlights the larger issue of content ownership and censorship:
-* Ability of publishers to modify purchased content without user consent.
+*Ability of publishers to modify purchased content without user consent.
-* Ability of publishers to remove purchased content without user consent
+*Ability of publishers to remove purchased content without user consent
-* e-book platforms can be used to retroactively alter literary works, erasing  historical context and the artist's original intent.
+*e-book platforms can be used to retroactively alter literary works, erasing  historical context and the artist's original intent.
-* Ability of content providers to disable perfectly functioning devices from being usable post-sale.
+*Ability of content providers to disable perfectly functioning devices from being usable post-sale.
+==See Also==
+*[[Digital Content Control]]
+*[[Corporate Censorship]]
+*[[Ownership of Digital Goods]]
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}