Thursday, February 28, 2013

Library, What Library?

Kindle Opening Screenshot
While e-books have their place in my world, I still try to avoid them as much as possible.  If there is another option, I stay away from the e-book version of a book.  I always have, and I don't expect that to change until the DRM (Digital Rights Management) e-book crippler goes away.  (Having all e-books sold in a standard format that is playable on all e-book readers would also be a giant step forward.)

So, here's reason number 88 (but who's counting?) that e-books don't exactly rock my world.  According to multiple sources, Amazon's recent update to the Kindle operating system (at least as downloaded from the Apple app store) made it impossible for reading devices to register with the Amazon servers.  The result?  Would you believe that owners' entire libraries were deleted and could not be accessed?  Well, believe it.

Amazon has found the bug causing the problem and a new update is available now - but it is up to unfortunate users to download their libraries again...one book at a time.  No harm done, according to Amazon.  Nothing happening here, please move on.

Somehow, I can't imagine Barnes & Noble coming to my house and removing all the books on my shelves that I purchased over the years from their various brick and mortar stores - and then telling me it was all a big mistake and I can drive over to their warehouse to pick them up again.  No, e-books are destined to be number two in my life for a long, long time...as in always.

2 comments:

  1. You do recognize that this is a specific Kindle problem and not a general eBook one, yes? I will not have this problem with my Sony Reader, nor will a Kobo (as far as I know), and possibly other brands as well. That Amazon is bad at eBooks is well known, but I get the impression that you carry this anger (perhaps justified) towards ALL eBooks, and not the main culprit...

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  2. I do realize that this specific incident is Kindle-only, Biblibio. My dissatisfaction with e-books in general, is more an anger at publishers and they way they price things, especially considering what one gets for one's money. I do read e-books on occasion (four this year, so far) but it's mostly classics that I don't want to keep around the house, much preferring to store them electronically.

    Amazon is the chief culprit when it comes to retailers, no doubt about that. I agree with you. But they are the 800-pound gorilla making the rules, and that bothers me.

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