My beloved Kindle is about to be deprived of its direct access to the Amazon store, as the company begins to phase out its support of the venerable device.
“While you can continue reading on your device, as of August 17, 2022, store functionality will no longer be available,” the email announcement said. “This change only affects certain devices introduced 10+ years ago (listed below). As of August 17, you’ll no longer be able to browse, buy, or borrow books directly from these Kindle devices … You can still access your existing library from your Kindle, deliver newly purchased or borrowed books to it, or download books from your ‘Archived Items.’” For now.
The Kindle has been the most durable and long-lasting of all the electronic devices I have acquired in recent years. I much prefer its “e-ink” display to the LCD lights. It feels more like reading a book compared with other iterations of the Kindle app.
But someone has decided it has served its purpose long enough, and it soon will be put out to pasture. I, the vinyl aficionado, will continue to use the comfortable old tech as long as I can. I’m content with my Quicken 2013 software and my iPhone 7s, too. If they continue to do their jobs efficiently, why do I need a shiny new version?