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Users getting their Kindle account locked out due to returned purchases is a harsh reminder that digital rights management (DRM) will never really let consumers own anything.

I have always had a hard time understanding why people become blind fanboys of a gadget (iPhone, Kindle, etc.), even if something better and more reliable is present on the market. For fair balance, it must be pointed out that a lot of these bestselling contraptions are fairly foolproof, but that transparency also comes at the price of not fully knowing what goes on under the surface (read: closed source, proprietary devices) or behind the scenes (as in confusing, restrictive user licenses/agreements). Some Amazon users have found out that even if they have paid for and have not returned their books, alleged abuse of the book return system later may make their previous purchases inaccessible.

For starters, this level of control over purchased goods, even if electronic only, should disturb consumers. Imagine if after returning too many books to Barnes & Noble, the store decided not only to ban your from buying more books, but their agents also came to your house and repossessed your prior purchases. In essence, that is exactly what Amazon's actions amount to.

This may be time to explore alternatives, such as the Sony Reader (smaller size, works anywhere in the world, no network coverage required, touch screen, free access to 500,000 Google Book Search titles, easy file transfer via USB cable or multiple memory card formats, support for text files, open ebook format, Adobe files with Reflow... no I am not making a sale, just showing a little light to fanboys lost in the dark), the iRex iLiad 2nd Edition (WiFi connection, write-on screen, support for PDF / HTML / TXT / JPG / BMP/ PNG / PRC files, USB, MMC or CF expandability).