will Kindle ever drop support for mobi files?

[cafepithecus]

I've had my Kindle since the summer of 2011, and have since collected about 350+ ebooks. Many of them were epub that I converted to mobi with Calibre. I wonder though, if Amazon will ever get greedy and drop mobi support? I know they own the mobi format, but what if they decide they are losing too much money by allowing DRM-free ebooks to be put on their devices? Then what?

I realize I could just go buy a different ereader and convert all my books back to epub, but I like the actual Kindle devices. How probable do you think it is that this could happen in the future?

[Linjeakel]

No-one knows for sure of course, but it seems highly unlikely to me. After so many generations of Kindle with .mobi support, I think they'd be alienating a huge number of their customers by doing that. IMO I think they'd lose more than they'd gain.

[geko29]

Highly unlikely.  The vast majority of .azw files are actually mobi format.  They'd have to re-encode their entire library.

[SusanCassidy]

And, not all books that Amazon sells have DRM, so they are essentially the same as a .mobi file, anyway.  I've often just changed the file extension (of non-DRMed books) to .mobi, so I can read them with Mobipocket Reader.

[The Hooded Claw]

Eventually they surely will, because of technical obsolescence, but it probably won't be for many years and may not be in the lifetime of many of us! My recommendation is not to worry about it.

[Luvmy4brats]

I seriously doubt it. Amazon owns Mobipocket. They bought it in 2005.

[Jeff]

Perhaps it could happen some time in the far distant future when Kindles display life-sized, 3D holograms and the current generations of 2D Kindles are no longer supported.  

In the mean time, the MIME type is the same for MOBI and AZW so to drop *.mobi a new MIME version would have to be created. Popular opinion is that we're stuck with MIME-Version 1.0 forever.

[kindlegrl81]

Not likely but even if they do someone will figure out quickly how to convert the .mobi files into whatever file format Amazon were to pick.

[MariaESchneider]

Since Amazon allows books to be uploaded without DRM, I doubt they would drop mobi over a few people converting and loading books on the side.  At some point a more robust format will likely become popular, but it won't be the rather large number of freebie books that I'm worried about losing.   

Things will surely change, but it will be a while and hopefully it will be because of advancing technology.

[mlewis78]

I've had my Kindle since the summer of 2011, and have since collected about 350+ ebooks. Many of them were epub that I converted to mobi with Calibre. I wonder though, if Amazon will ever get greedy and drop mobi support? I know they own the mobi format, but what if they decide they are losing too much money by allowing DRM-free ebooks to be put on their devices? Then what?

I realize I could just go buy a different ereader and convert all my books back to epub, but I like the actual Kindle devices. How probable do you think it is that this could happen in the future?

It would be very bad business for them to not allow DRM-free books on their devices.  A lot of people would not buy kindles if they did this.  No, I do not think they will do this.  I think that some day DRM should disappear, but it's for the publishers.  DRM on music files went away, at least on itunes and Amazon mp3s.

[Jan Strnad]

I don't get the feeling that Amazon cares about DRM, but that it's something the big publishers require. A lot of indie publishers don't use it at all. Amazon makes it easy to upload your book without it.