7 reasons Kindles are still a great buy, even without downloads

Maria Diaz/ZDNET Since I discovered that Amazon had plans to (and now has) discontinued the ability to download Kindle files to your computer, I've been writing a lot about the Kindle ecosystem. I talked about how to sideload ebook files onto your Kindle, how to convert formats so the Kindle can read them, where to get free ebooks, and even how to get deals so you can upgrade an old Kindle and save some cash. Also: Want free ebooks? These 10 sites offer thousands of options But readers keep asking me one question, and I have yet to answer it: Is it still okay to buy a Kindle? Some readers and commenters assert the answer is a hard no. Amazon controls its ecosystem, and supporting a service that can change the rules at any time means you no longer control your book collection. Other readers are less hard-line. They simply want to know if the Kindle experience is worthwhile and whether the new file lock-in should lock them out of buying a Kindle. After all, there are other options, ... Read full article.