At the beginning of April, a notice went out to owners of older Kindle models that their devices would no longer be supported. As an owner of a 3rd generation Kindle Keyboard that would soon be deprecated, it made me think about how long I’ve had the device, and how amazing it is that after 15 years, it’s still working and in pretty good shape.
I purchased my Kindle Keyboard in 2011, while working at Office Depot. I had recently gotten into reading ebooks during my break and lunch, and thought that having a dedicated reading device would be a good thing to have. I loved how easy it was to buy a book and just start reading, and I went through all of the World of Warcraft novels that I could get at the time, as well as some other reading.
As with many single-use devices, I didn’t use it a ton over the following years, but that had less to do with the device and more with my reading and purchasing habits. I used it more once I learned about Overdrive’s integration with Kindle, which made it easy for me to borrow a book and then read it on a device that wasn’t demanding my attention. I started reading through a couple different series, either buying or borrowing depending on what it was. Through it all, the Kindle worked exactly as it had back in 2011, albeit with maybe less battery life and a few more spots in the e-ink screen where the cells had burst.
I don’t remember exactly when Amazon first tried to kill these devices. An update notice went out that the Kindle store would no longer be supported, and that if you didn’t install the latest update, then you wouldn’t be able to send books to it either, and that there was a limited window for making the update. Having a device that clearly still worked perfectly get deprecated was, unfortunately, par for the course, but I got the update and continued using it for library books (which thankfully still worked).
Then, in 2021, I noticed another issue while I was reading Project Hail Mary. I had borrowed the book from the library, but when my loan ended, the book remained on my device. Whatever system Overdrive (now Libby) had been using to ensure that library books were deleted had stopped working.
Now, it’s done for good. I won’t be able to send books to my Kindle at all, except for sideloading. The screen had more spots that won’t clear, the battery is weaker but still functional, but the device as a whole still works exactly as it should. Except for the parts that Amazon has taken away.
A lot has changed since I initially purchased it 15 years ago. We know now better than ever that Amazon is not an ethical company, and that the hold it has on sales in general (and books specifically) has caused real-world harm to small retailers. New online stores, such as Bookshop.org, have popped up to help independent book stores profit from the sale of ebooks. Other companies selling e-readers have built fantastic devices too, such as Kobo or Boox.
I’ve changed a lot too. I bought my Kindle at my first job, before finishing college and before knowing what I wanted to do or who I really am. It still bears my old name, and some of the books that I purchased in the mid-2010’s. I have memories of reading on it in places that I would rather not remember any more. Among all of the technology that I have used as an adult, my Kindle has been the only thing that hasn’t changed. Fifteen years is a long time for technology; most phones only last 2 or 3, a laptop might get 5. With so many things growing and changing around and within me, it was nice to have something I could always come back to.
But now it’s time to let it go. I’ve been shedding a lot of things from my past recently, searching for the hidden emotional anchors that are holding me back from who I want to become next. I hadn’t planned on shedding my Kindle, but Amazon made that easier to do than I expected.
I’ve already purchased its replacement, a Kobo Clara, which I hope will carry me into my next decade of reading. I love the integration that it has with Overdrive, so I don’t even have to use my phone to borrow from the library, and the ease of sideloading books is really nice as well as the integrated Kobo store. I also really appreciate their partnership with iFixit so that if anything does go wrong, I should be able to keep it running.
Because if there’s one thing that the Kindle got right, it was made to endure. And endure it did, far longer than what Amazon thought it should.
So long, and thanks for all the books.
