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Amazon Launches a Web-Based iPad Kindle Reader

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Apr 12, 2001
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Amazon has quietly launched a new web app called "Kindle Cloud Reader" that allows Chrome and Safari users to access their Kindle eBooks through their browsers. The Cloud Reader also supports the iPad version of Safari, giving Amazon a workaround to Apple's new subscription rules requiring any in-app sales to go through Apple's purchasing system.




As noted by TechCrunch, the new system is already live at http://read.amazon.com and works quite well on the iPad:
The iPad version is especially good because the store is fully optimized for the device. And you can easily switch back and forth between the store and your own library. It feels like a native app, but it's not.
Click to expand...
The web app even supports local storage so that you can read your Kindle books even without a web connection.

Apple has been at odds with many content providers after implementing their new subscription rules preventing native iOS app publishers from selling content outside of Apple's own in-app system. Amazon complied with the rules by removing the Kindle Store button from their native application, but for the iPad now has this web-based option that does directly integrate with their sales system.

Article Link: Amazon Launches a Web-Based iPad Kindle Reader
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/10/amazon-launches-a-web-based-ipad-kindle-reader/
  • Like
Reactions: Chuckeee
That's quite cool, I guess, but can't people just download the app? Why wouldn't an iPhone user simply go to the app store?

EDIT: Perhaps the app isn't available in their country?

Looks really nice, but doesn't work for me. I've only got this book on my iPhone, I know I can have it on more than two devices.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
caching

hmmm, can you cache a book locally on the app? if not nobody can read on a plane....
 
Seems like a pretty brilliant use of the latest HTML5 technologies (especially with the off-line functionality). The obvious benefit, as mentioned, would be getting around Apple's "give us 30% of the price for in-app purchases" rule; but it would seem to have other advantages as well. If Apple chose to dramatically change the API in a future release of iOS - or if Google did the same with Android, for that matter - Amazon wouldn't have to break a sweat. Kindle users would continue to have full access to their books on the iPad with no extra effort or feverish overtime work by their programers to update. It's not as if Apple or Google can remove HTML5 functionality without repercussions...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chuckeee
Stuff like this shows how useful HTML5 can be. I'm pleased to see things like this myself, great work from Amazon.

Looking forward to see more things like this powered by HTML5.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

Crucial is offline functionality; easy to Be testet. If that works its pritty cool and gives back some competition.
 
ChazUK said:
Stuff like this shows how useful HTML5 can be. I'm pleased to see things like this myself, great work from Amazon.

Looking forward to see more things like this powered by HTML5.
Click to expand...
Since it's HTML5, it's a bit like Amazon beat Apple at their own game with this. :D

And it really does serve Apple right for the terms they enacted. It's also a good move should Apple decide to become even more anti-competitive with their App Store terms.
 
Fight fire with fire.

Nice work Amazon. It even utilizes the swipe left and right to move pages. If you use it with icab, or place it on your homescreen in Safari, you can go fullscreen, basically emulating the app.
 
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antic said:
Tried on iPad with ios5. Keeps crashing Safari. No full screen option.
Click to expand...


I found the crashing stopped after the syncing was finished(took a few minutes on 3g)

Full screen is accomplished after making a homescreen shortcut
 
antic said:
Tried on iPad with ios5. Keeps crashing Safari. No full screen option.
Click to expand...

In order to use the app in full screen mode you need to add Kindle Cloud Reader to the Home Screen.
However it does crash a lot on iOS5.
 
Westside guy said:
Seems like a pretty brilliant use of the latest HTML5 technologies (especially with the off-line functionality). The obvious benefit, as mentioned, would be getting around Apple's "give us 30% of the price for in-app purchases" rule; but it would seem to have other advantages as well. If Apple chose to dramatically change the API in a future release of iOS - or if Google did the same with Android, for that matter - Amazon wouldn't have to break a sweat. Kindle users would continue to have full access to their books on the iPad with no extra effort or feverish overtime work by their programers to update. It's not as if Apple or Google can remove HTML5 functionality without repercussions...
Click to expand...

That would bhe a hoot, given Apple's view that HTML5 would be the death of flash.

I wonder though, if everyone buys there books like this, will Apple throw Kindle App out of the App store out of spite?

It's entertaining all this tit-for-tat.
 
wackymacky said:
That would bhe a hoot, given Apple's view that HTML5 would be the death of flash.

I wonder though, if everyone buys there books like this, will Apple throw Kindle App out of the App store out of spite?

It's entertaining all this tit-for-tat.
Click to expand...


No, because this is where antitrust laws would kick in. You can't delete a compliant app just based on spite.
 
This is brilliant you have 2 companies trying to out do each other and so they end up pushing each other for the better. Cant wait to see what this Amazon tablet brings and then how Apple responds.
 
Looks very good.

Good to see people like the Financial Times and now Amazon taking advantage of HTML5's caching features for a proper offline experience.
 
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