The Kindle always seemed like a great idea. In fact, it's so good, Oprah went ahead and gave it her shining endorsement. To Amazon's dismay, perhaps, sales of the Kindle (and the Kindle 2) remained moderate at best.
In a move designed to encourage people to buy the device, Amazon just rolled out a Kindle app for the iPhone. Free for download at the App Store, the software lets iPhone owners read Kindle books right on their handsets. According to Amazon, the company is hoping that people who use the Kindle app will see its value and eventually buy an actual Kindle.
The app works much like the Kindle, allowing people to read books, add bookmarks, put highlights and write comments on the downloaded reading materials. It's actually a pretty nice implementation, made a bit more difficult only by the iPhone's considerably smaller screen. Now, if Apple's next iPhone iteration will actually feature something like Toshiba TG01's 4.1-inch screen or HTC's upcoming 4.8-inch phone, we're talking a whole new ballgame.
While the actual reader functions are in place, the Kindle Store facility isn't available directly from the app. Instead, users will need to visit the Amazon interface via a regular browser (either on a PC or on the handset) to purchase and download Kindle books. For iPhone owners who already own a Kindle, the app comes with a syncing capability, which would allow both devices to store the same items locally.
This app will definitely widen Amazon's portable reading reach, potentially generating Kindle book sales from various countries where it wasn't previously possible. More importantly for Apple, this adds one more compelling reason to get an iPhone.
Photo Credit: AppShopper
I have the Kindle and it is a wonderful device. However I don’t know why I would install the app to read ebooks if I already have a device specifically for that purpose.