Weekly Thoughts #9
I’m pretty sure I’m not saying anything new by mentioning that Amazon effective from 26th of February, 2025 will remove the ability to download and transfer ebooks that are already purchased via usb. Meaning that the only way an individual can access their books is if that person owns a kindle or uses the kindle app on electronic devices. Now, if Amazon wants to alter, change or delete any of their books regardless of whether you already bought it or not, they can do it. My biggest problem is that I simply don’t own anything anymore, so I don’t understand why I should pay for the books individually, sometimes at quite high prices. As for new editions for example. Essentially, it became a subscription so it might as well be like one. Charge the reader for a fixed amount and let them read a collection of books.
What if…
This aside, what happens if the reader loses their access to their amazon account? Or Amazon decides to delete or edit the books on their platform? I was never a huge e-book reader but I do like to read electronically, especially if it’s books written in other languages besides English. For example, my mother tongue, Hungarian, Spanish or Japanese. It’s pretty expensive to buy books from Japan just to give you an example. But taking away the ability to download already purchased books is a pretty big backstep regarding the relationship between a customer and a brand. And let’s not dive into how terrifyingly Orwellian the whole thing is. There is an amazing video on YouTube by Plant Based Bride beautifully describing the impending doom that I feel.
My Transition from Kindle to Kobo
I wanted to transition even before this whole Amazon drama. Mainly, because Kobo Libra Colour just came out. It is colourful and I can annotate my books on the go, which I often do for the reviews. So it was really a no-brainer for me. It presented me with better usability for my investment. Now, the only thing that changed now, is that it made me want to do it faster.
I mean, to be fair. If you want to purchase ebooks from the Japanese Kobo store and you have your Rakuten ID you won’t be able to download the books on your pc either. Because Japan has a stricter policy regarding DRM, (Digital Rights Managament). So you have to use their app regardless.
If you are interested here is my main go-to place to buy ebooks in Japanese:
Book Walker – best for Ipad or phone as they don’t have an app for desktop reading but it has a lot of sales and free books to read.
Kobo.jp – best for Ipad/Phone and Desktop
I’m pretty sure there are many others but I have found these two working the best for me at the moment. However, I’m always looking for new ways to read. Also, I do order physical books from time to time. But it’s definitely hard to find a retailer that is not related to Amazon in some certain way.
As for transitioning to Kobo with my Kindle library. I have found a youtube video that helped me tremendously.
It’s How to Read Kindle Books on Kobo | Transfer Kindle Library to Kobo (Step-By-Step Tutorial) by Dylan Can Read.
He explains it and shows it beautifully and really simply. I highly recommend checking out his channel and especially this video. Before the 26th of February!
I do not have my Kobo e-reader yet, but as soon as I have it I will write a little summary about how I like it. What works for me, what doesn’t etc.
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