Well that explains why I havent been able to get a newspaper to work...This app is now useless for me and coming off my phone
Come on no newspapers!
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Amazon Releases Free 'Kindle for iPhone' Application
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Well that explains why I havent been able to get a newspaper to work...This app is now useless for me and coming off my phone
Come on no newspapers!
Almost the same for me, unless I can get a few ebooks I already have on it then it is totally and utterly useless.
I think your anger is undeserved.Well that explains why I havent been able to get a newspaper to work...This app is now useless for me and coming off my phone
Come on no newspapers!
Think about it: Kindle books are basically just text files, tagged internally with "locations" so that the Kindle can track your progress as you read a book. There's no special formatting beyond bolding and italicizing words or characters.
A newspaper or magazine, however, is laid out in a columnar format which is more complicated. Since the iPhone does not have the requisite screen resolution (only 320 pixels wide, compared to the Kindle's 600), documents that require a specific layout would not work without extra work "simplifying" them on Amazon's end.
Kindle as a platform, not a device
I haven't used the application yet (will do later when I get back home), but there are a couple of things of importance about this release that I would like to point out:
1.- By Amazon releasing this software on the iPhone, they are converting the Kindle into platform more than just the device. this is important as you most likely have Amazon releasing this App for more devices (other cell phones, other e-readers?, PCs, etc). If you don't the Kindle device, you will still have access to their platform on the device of your liking. What Amazon wants is to sell books to as wide an audience as possible. This is the second step (the first was the Kindle device itself)
I've been reading that newspapers and magazines are not working on the iPhone. While this is an issue, it is only temporary as publishers will most likely push Amazon to correct this and have access to a wider audience.
2.- Hearst Publishing was reported to be developing their own reading device to compete against Amazon and keep some of the profits from the book sales. This move from Amazon puts it way ahead of them and others (you hear me Sony reader?) in the same way that Apple did when they introduced the iPhone.
First, was the revolutionary device (iPhone in June 2007), then the pervasive ecosystem (App Store, in July 2008). Now everybody in the mobile industry is running to catch up. Once you start buying from within the ecosystem (App Store, Kindle store) you are attached to it. And the more you buy, the more attached and dependent you are.
This is a very good business move.
I mention, I haven't used the software yet, and I may have my own quibbles of usability with it. But good thing about software, it can always improve. But having access to 240,000 books so easily makes it a very tempting offer to refuse.
I haven't used the application yet (will do later when I get back home), but there are a couple of things of importance about this release that I would like to point out:
1.- By Amazon releasing this software on the iPhone, they are converting the Kindle into platform more than just the device. this is important as you most likely have Amazon releasing this App for more devices (other cell phones, other e-readers?, PCs, etc). If you don't the Kindle device, you will still have access to their platform on the device of your liking. What Amazon wants is to sell books to as wide an audience as possible. This is the second step (the first was the Kindle device itself)
I've been reading that newspapers and magazines are not working on the iPhone. While this is an issue, it is only temporary as publishers will most likely push Amazon to correct this and have access to a wider audience.
2.- Hearst Publishing was reported to be developing their own reading device to compete against Amazon and keep some of the profits from the book sales. This move from Amazon puts it way ahead of them and others (you hear me Sony reader?) in the same way that Apple did when they introduced the iPhone.
First, was the revolutionary device (iPhone in June 2007), then the pervasive ecosystem (App Store, in July 2008). Now everybody in the mobile industry is running to catch up. Once you start buying from within the ecosystem (App Store, Kindle store) you are attached to it. And the more you buy, the more attached and dependent you are.
This is a very good business move.
I mention, I haven't used the software yet, and I may have my own quibbles of usability with it. But good thing about software, it can always improve. But having access to 240,000 books so easily makes it a very tempting offer to refuse.
Ahhh! Figured it out!
In the FAQ, they mention that there are problems with special characters in your sign-in and/or password. Well, I don't have any of those... but I do have a hyphen in my name (and hence, account name), so on a hunch I removed that from my account settings via my Mac, deleted the half-registered iPod touch from my devices on Amazon, and logged out.
And now the Kindle app magically works. Boo to Amazon for discriminating against those of us who are hyphenated
Nice FREE App
This just adds another benefit to owning an iPhone. It has consolidated my:
Cell Phone
iPod
PDA
Camera
Internet
...and now
Book Reader
all into ONE device. Simply amazing!!! Not all are perfect and have room for improvement but being able to carry one device that takes care of all media needs is just amazing.
I have added the new app and purchased my first audio book. It was easy and painless set up. I already had an amazon account and just needed to register my iPhone to the account.
I have mainly been listening to audio books using the iPod but titles are still limited. Being able to purchase and sneak in a few chapters here and there is amazing and simply convenient. My first book is People of the Thunder...I love this series of Historical Fiction. The only audio book so far was People of the Raven.
The other advantage is for parents and the educational value. Put a few childrens books on the phone to hold a childs interest during waiting periods. Think of the short term entertainment/educational value let alone a little more quality time with mom and dad if it is a learning book.
Two Downsides to the current app:
1) Cannot view/hold in landscape mode and scroll the pages in an upward swipe. It would be more comfortable to hold/view in landscape if you get to that chapter that just won't let you put it down.
2) Must leave the app to download books. It is just easier to shop for books on the computer and buy then just sync when ready then it is to use safari and have to pinch and tap and type and ahhhhh forget it just use the computer to purchase books until they have an ordering section on the app.
Does not seem to adversely affect battery life. Read 3 chapters with no change in power with brightness set to just above half. Used free memory to check percentage.
Overall, an outstanding app and I highly recommend downloading it, especially while its FREE. That should answer Kindle purchase question...if purchase of Kindle goes down or declines due to the app...what do you think Amazon will do to the app? How about...$10...$20 or more, will more then make up for any loss to the free app, and it will happen. Again, get it while its free, it won't stay forever!
Get it and Enjoy
This just adds another benefit to owning an iPhone. It has consolidated my:
Cell Phone
iPod
PDA
Camera
Internet
...and now
Book Reader
all into ONE device. Simply amazing!!! Not all are perfect and have room for improvement but being able to carry one device that takes care of all media needs is just amazing.
I have added the new app and purchased my first audio book. It was easy and painless set up. I already had an amazon account and just needed to register my iPhone to the account.
I have mainly been listening to audio books using the iPod but titles are still limited. Being able to purchase and sneak in a few chapters here and there is amazing and simply convenient. My first book is People of the Thunder...I love this series of Historical Fiction. The only audio book so far was People of the Raven.
The other advantage is for parents and the educational value. Put a few childrens books on the phone to hold a childs interest during waiting periods. Think of the short term entertainment/educational value let alone a little more quality time with mom and dad if it is a learning book.
Two Downsides to the current app:
1) Cannot view/hold in landscape mode and scroll the pages in an upward swipe. It would be more comfortable to hold/view in landscape if you get to that chapter that just won't let you put it down.
2) Must leave the app to download books. It is just easier to shop for books on the computer and buy then just sync when ready then it is to use safari and have to pinch and tap and type and ahhhhh forget it just use the computer to purchase books until they have an ordering section on the app.
Does not seem to adversely affect battery life. Read 3 chapters with no change in power with brightness set to just above half. Used free memory to check percentage.
Overall, an outstanding app and I highly recommend downloading it, especially while its FREE. That should answer Kindle purchase question...if purchase of Kindle goes down or declines due to the app...what do you think Amazon will do to the app? How about...$10...$20 or more, will more then make up for any loss to the free app, and it will happen. Again, get it while its free, it won't stay forever!
Get it and Enjoy
Well, my Kindle is here! And what a good-looking device it is too. A little early to talk about functionality as it's only just started to charge, but I'll post back later once I've set it up.
Wait- What? I don't know where you are getting your data, but amazon has refused to release data. Based on parts orders, some analysts believe upwards of 500,000 were sold. I wouldn't call that down in the dumps for a reading device, since it has such a narrow market.
You can purchase books via Amazon mobile...
So it wouldn't surprise me if the next update allowed you to purchase Kindle books...
So it wouldn't surprise me if the next update allowed you to purchase Kindle books...
I got it working in Canada!
If anyone is wondering I managed to download the kindle app and buy kindle books from my browser even though I'm in Canada and don't have a US credit card or address.
First, I bought an amazon.com gift certificate using my Canadian credit card but on the amazon.com site (not .ca). I then used this gift card on a separate brand new amazon account with no address or credit card attached. I then purchased a kindle book using my gift card balance, entered the amazon.com account info in the kindle app and my book showed up instantly! Works great.
If you don't want to do all this and instead wait for an official Canadian store you can still download the kindle app and read a bunch of sample chapters on the kindle app since those aren't geographically limited.
All this is assuming you've done these same kind of workarounds to download apps from the US App Store in iTunes.
If anyone is wondering I managed to download the kindle app and buy kindle books from my browser even though I'm in Canada and don't have a US credit card or address.
First, I bought an amazon.com gift certificate using my Canadian credit card but on the amazon.com site (not .ca). I then used this gift card on a separate brand new amazon account with no address or credit card attached. I then purchased a kindle book using my gift card balance, entered the amazon.com account info in the kindle app and my book showed up instantly! Works great.
If you don't want to do all this and instead wait for an official Canadian store you can still download the kindle app and read a bunch of sample chapters on the kindle app since those aren't geographically limited.
All this is assuming you've done these same kind of workarounds to download apps from the US App Store in iTunes.
Killer App
The automatic, wireless download from Amazon is amazingly painless - the iTunes and App Store downloads should work this way. The free samples of every book is a very nice feature. Looks like another killer app for the iPhone is born.
The automatic, wireless download from Amazon is amazingly painless - the iTunes and App Store downloads should work this way. The free samples of every book is a very nice feature. Looks like another killer app for the iPhone is born.
It would work just like a web page. I see no reason to block them. I look at wide web pages all the time with no issues.
No Subscriptions on iPhone
Didn't scroll through all 190 posts, but the word from Amazon is that subscriptions to newspapers and magazines are not available on the iPhone. I ran into the same message when trying to download the WSJ. I suggested to them that they need to return some message when an iPhone only user tries to buy a subscription instead of just making it look like they aren't registered.
Didn't scroll through all 190 posts, but the word from Amazon is that subscriptions to newspapers and magazines are not available on the iPhone. I ran into the same message when trying to download the WSJ. I suggested to them that they need to return some message when an iPhone only user tries to buy a subscription instead of just making it look like they aren't registered.
I've been playing around a bit with the Kindle app. If you are jailbroken, you can add in files to the app's Documents folder, and once you start the app up it finds them and shows them. Both .prc and .mobi files work, such as the free ones by Cory Doctorow (craphound.com), though the metadata is not all there compared to the ones I've downloaded off amazon. So I've just been playing with an app I found called calibre, which as well as allowing you to convert between formats and change metadata (author etc), lets you change the cover image too.
Well that explains why I havent been able to get a newspaper to work...This app is now useless for me and coming off my phone
Come on no newspapers!
As Seth Meyers would say on Weekend Update, really?
You're complaining about not being able to pay for newspapers when you can visit most of their Web sites for free? Really?
You're complaining about a free app? Really?
I'll say. I got a few free books last night to try it out. They're laid out a LOT better than the books on Stanza. I'll eventually try a paid book, but I'm hesitant to get one that I can only use on my phone for $10. Perhaps a good complement would be a Kindle reader for your computer.
3 Billion books sold in USA alone per year.
FTA: "The Book Industry Study Group, a nonprofit trade association, said Friday that the number of books sold in the U.S. climbed by 3.8%, to 3.1 billion."
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/may/20/entertainment/et-booksales20
Besides - both Apple and Amazon are world-wide retailers.
FTA: "The Book Industry Study Group, a nonprofit trade association, said Friday that the number of books sold in the U.S. climbed by 3.8%, to 3.1 billion."
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/may/20/entertainment/et-booksales20
Besides - both Apple and Amazon are world-wide retailers.
Well, I'm sure they have more marketing information than Jobs revealed in his little quip there, but I don't think that people who read 2 books a year would want to buy a $400 device to do so. We would really need to see how many people read enough to make it worthwhile to buy, although I bet there are people who would buy it because they like the idea of themselves reading enough to need a Kindle. I also think that people who read less would tend to have less money, so Kindle might be viable in that sense.
Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but I just don't have the time at the moment to read through all 8 pages of this thread, so here goes...
Is the only way to advance pages by swiping? Gets tiring after a while. I feel like I'm going to end up with carpal tunnel syndrome just from turning the pages! But I tried tapping everywhere, and can't find any way to turn pages by tapping. I really hope I'm missing something, because there's no way I'm swiping through any book of any significant length!
Is the only way to advance pages by swiping? Gets tiring after a while. I feel like I'm going to end up with carpal tunnel syndrome just from turning the pages! But I tried tapping everywhere, and can't find any way to turn pages by tapping. I really hope I'm missing something, because there's no way I'm swiping through any book of any significant length!
Is it always obvious that a service doesn't work outside your own country though? If it isn't, and the vendor doesn't make it obvious in any press release etc., then aren't you expecting a bit much from MR?
This inability and the inability to invert colors (white text on black background) make this a useless app. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the app and have found many books on Amazon I would love to purchase. But, ease of reading is very important to me. For version 1.0, it looks great, but really need tweaking. So far, for me, Stanza is hands-down the best ebook reader on the App Store. If Amazon makes these changes, I'll use their app and will give them a lot of my money.