Kindle is removing download and transfer option on Feb 26th

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

What Amazon Is Changing

  • The “Download & Transfer via USB” option on the Amazon website (to download bought Kindle books as files) is being removed.
  • You can still:
    • Transfer files from your computer to a Kindle over USB.
    • Use “Send to Kindle” (email/web) for non-Amazon EPUBs.
    • Download books directly to a Wi‑Fi/LTE-capable Kindle or via Kindle apps.
  • Many commenters note that this nuance is widely misunderstood elsewhere; people think all sideloading is being killed, which is incorrect.

Impact on Users and Devices

  • Major concern: loss of an easy, official way to:
    • Back up purchased books as files.
    • Strip DRM and read them on non-Kindle devices.
  • This particularly breaks:
    • Very old Kindles that have only 2G or obsolete Wi‑Fi and can no longer reach Amazon.
    • Workflows that depended on web downloads to feed Calibre/DRM-removal tools.
  • Some already see the web option as effectively broken: device-compatibility errors, 403s, or stricter DRM formats.

Lock‑In, DRM, and Piracy

  • Many see this as the final step to fully lock books into the Kindle ecosystem; if Amazon pulls or your account is closed, you lose access.
  • Several say they will stop buying Kindle ebooks, switching to:
    • DRM‑free EPUB/PDF where possible.
    • Libraries (Libby/Overdrive) and/or piracy when legal options are too restrictive.
  • Debate over whether piracy “causes” DRM or whether increasingly strict DRM itself drives people to pirate and strip DRM.
  • Frustration that even explicitly DRM‑free titles (e.g., some publishers) are now harder to extract from Amazon.

Alternatives and Ecosystems

  • Strong advocacy for Kobo, PocketBook, Tolino, Boox:
    • Better sideloading, Linux-based, mod-friendly, KOReader/Plato support, Overdrive/Libby integration, cloud storage hooks.
    • Physical buttons, more text/layout options, easier Calibre integration.
  • Counterpoints:
    • Kindle still wins on store size, prices, multi-device sync (including for emailed files), and sheer convenience.
    • Some regions have poor library/DRM‑free options, making Amazon’s ecosystem hard to replace.

Workarounds and Technical Responses

  • People rushed to bulk-download their libraries before the cutoff, often using a CLI tool that scrapes “Manage Your Content & Devices” with session cookies.
  • Heavy use (and frustration) of Calibre + DeDRM; newer DRM/format variants are harder or require old Kindle apps and specific devices.
  • Mention of universal Kindle jailbreaking (“WinterBreak”), mainly to install better readers (e.g., KOReader) and gain foldering and format support, but some prefer abandoning Kindle entirely rather than jailbreaking.