I’ve carried a Kindle in my bag for over a decade. Through every hardware iteration, from the physical keyboard right up to the latest Paperwhite, a Kindle has been with me everywhere — be it on an airplane, a train ride, the doctor’s office, or my bedside. My all-time favorite ebook reader is, hands down, the Kindle Oasis. For years, I’ve defended the ecosystem because it was convenient and the screens were the gold standard for e-ink readers. But things have changed.In 2026, the Kindle isn’t really about books for Amazon. It’s about the ecosystem around them.Looking at the current state of my digital library in 2026, that long-standing loyalty to Amazon’s readers is no longer a thing. The recent announcement that Amazon is sunsetting older hardware was the final straw, and it’s changed the way I look at Kindles. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that it’s a wake-up call for anyone who values digital ownership.