First there was the Kindle, then there was the Kindle iPhone application. Now Amazon is releasing the Kindle for PC, an application you can download for free and buy e-books with to read on your screen or, should you have a Kindle, sync to that so you're on the same "page" wherever you're reading.
I spend enough time staring at screens of various sizes, I don't buy most of my books and the ones I buy are often less than Amazon's going price. Also, while I own a PC laptop, it currently won't start, so I have no way to download this. Still, I think it's an intriguing idea. I had a very negative experience with public library e-books, but I think Amazon can do it better.
As a program designed to bring in new users, in the way that iTunes warms people up to the idea of owning a Mac, it could be very good for Amazon, but the demand for e-books is not like the demand for legal music and TV shows. A commenter at Engadget points out that this could turn any cheap netbook into a faux-Kindle which, based on this reviewer's report, might be more durable and pick up better wireless than the Kindle itself. (Distressingly, she also writes that the case weighs the same as a hardcover... portability fail!) According to CrunchGear, Barnes & Noble has had a PC e-reader for a while, and hey, look at that -- not only does it work for Mac, you get 6 free books when you download it. It makes one wonder, why isn't B&N further ahead?
3 days ago
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