For many devoted Kindle owners, the decision by Amazon to end support for older e-readers has been unsettling. Claudia Buonocore, who still relies on a 15-year-old Kindle Touch, described the prospect of giving it up as painful. "I've never felt the desire to have another device," said the 39-year-old Pittsburgh area resident. "It's a part of me, a lifesaver, I fall asleep with it almost every night."
Amazon last month said it would end support for e-readers released in 2012 and earlier, preventing users from downloading new books or receiving software updates after May 20. The announcement has prompted some users to look for ways to preserve their devices and content rather than upgrade.
Amazon will continue to support more recent Kindle models and has offered a 20% discount on recent models, priced from $110 to $680m, along with $20 in e-book credits. Still, the company’s offer has not assuaged all customers, many of whom are reluctant to abandon older hardware.
Among those trying to prolong the life of their older devices is Brian Oelberg, who has been filling his 2010-era Kindle Keyboard with titles since learning of Amazon's plan. He estimates he now has about 250 books on the device and said he intends to turn off the unit’s WiFi starting Wednesday to keep it safe from any software updates that might erase content. Oelberg, 64, of Chicago, said he tested newer Kindles at a Best Buy but found them unsatisfactory because they do not include physical page-turn buttons. "There’s no reason for Amazon to be doing this," he said, adding the buttons allow him to read outdoors in cold weather without removing gloves.
Fans of older Kindles praise the devices for long battery life and durable hardware, and they lament features of newer units such as the backlit screen on the $180 Kindle Paperwhite, which they say shortens battery endurance. The changes that prompt device phase-outs - including security concerns and the rising cost of supporting older software - are familiar in the tech industry, but they offer little comfort to users who rely on legacy hardware.
It was not possible to determine how many devices are affected by Amazon's decision. A company spokesperson said Amazon had supported the devices for 14 years or more and could not continue doing so indefinitely, noting that "Technology has come a long way in that time." The spokesperson also highlighted Amazon's continued support for newer models and the promotional incentives being offered to customers.
Amazon played a significant role in popularizing e-readers after introducing the first Kindle in 2007. Today, the company holds a dominant share of the e-reader market, commanding 72% according to Business Research Insights.
Online communities have responded with practical suggestions for maintaining the usefulness of older Kindles. Among the approaches discussed are "jailbreaking," which removes software restrictions to permit other software to be installed, and "sideloading," the process of adding books from a computer via USB.
Those who repair and resell older Kindles expect a business impact from the company's change in policy. Cathy Ryan, 59, of Vermont, who fixes older Kindles as a hobby and resells them on eBay, said she anticipates the move will hurt her operations. She owns five Kindles and still uses a second-generation device bought in 2009. "I suppose nothing lasts forever, but I am just really annoyed," she said.
Other users said they feel pressured to upgrade. Cathy DeMail, 69, from The Villages, Florida, said she suspects an ulterior motive behind the decision and is trying to load as many books as possible onto her device before support ends. "It's a shame I am getting railroaded into this," she said, adding that she will likely have to buy a newer touchscreen model. "I hate it, it's the principle of the thing that bothers me."
Context and consumer response
The announcement has produced a range of reactions, from resigned acceptance to outspoken frustration. Some long-term users emphasize the tactile benefits of older models, such as page-turn buttons and extended battery life, while others weigh the trade-offs of modern conveniences like backlighting and touchscreen controls. Repairers and resellers expect to see shifts in demand for used devices, and online communities continue to circulate technical workarounds for keeping legacy Kindles operational.