Owners of old Kindle e-readers will no longer be able to buy new books directly from their device from August.
This is the first time that Amazon has completely cut off access to its marketplace for certain users of its reader since the launch of the first generation in 2007.
A promotional code to get a newer Kindle
The e-commerce giant specifies that the models concerned are the Kindle International (2e generation), the Kindle DX International, the Kindle Keyboard as well as the Kindles of 4e and 5e generations. Owners of these readers will no longer be able to browse, buy or borrow books directly from these devices.
On the other hand, it will still be possible to make purchases from the Amazon website and send them to one of the models concerned. The existing e-book library will also still be accessible on the device. The company has started sending emails to users who own one of these e-readers and hopes to catch up by offering them a promotional code entitling them to a 30% discount on a new Kindle as well as $40 credit in the Kindle Store.
Technical problem or stunt?
If Amazon has not given an explanation for its decision, the specialized site GoodEreader hypothesizes a problem with the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol and an inability to update it on older models.
” This is partly because they only support TLS 1.0 and 1.1, and due to the age of the hardware, they won’t have the necessary permissions to make in-store purchases. That’s why Amazon can’t just release a firmware update to fix the problem. “Explains the media, specifying that this is not the official version of Amazon. Likewise, this decision may simply be the result of Amazon wanting to push its customers to get newer e-readers…
Still, it’s important to note that the lack of modern TLS standards on older Kindles is one of the reasons they lost access to the full version of Wikipedia, as the site recently stopped supporting older Kindles. TLS standards.
On the same subject :
After smartphones, it’s the turn of e-readers to try folding and color screens
Sources: Android Police, GoodEreader
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