Amazon Releases Kindle for Mac Application

[AdrianWerner]

Smart move for Amazon. In the end I doubt Kindle device will become the "iPod of reading" (no device has potential to be one it seems), but Amazon is bookstore first and I think in the end what they really want is not iPod of reading, but to be the iTunes of books and I think they will likely achieve that, especially since they will spread to all platforms they can (I expect them to even support other e-ink devices down the road). I don't see any company being able to beat them as ebook store.
In a way I think the Kindle devices are more of trojan horses, aimed at convincing people to give ebooks a chance

 

[applesupergeek]

Awesome! This will let me experience the world of e-books without shelling out the $$$ for the kindle itself.

yeah right, you 'd probably be the single person in the globe who has actually sat a on a computer or a laptop and read a 200+ pages book.

This is rubbish news, kindle reader for ipad will be a good option, but a "reader" on a mac is bollocks, macs are not meant for book reading, you ll have to be a pretty hardcore individual to be able to do that.

 

[Michael CM1]

I just got the Kindle Mac software and bought 3 books using it. This is the first time dabbling with the Kindle service. I do not own Kindle hardware.

Pretty nice book selection. The Mac Kindle software is not feature complete yet, but it seems to do the job.

The iPhone app got me hooked. I'm honestly still on the fence about iBooks vs. Kindle because I have already invested maybe $80 into Kindle books. Before that app, I hadn't really read many books in the past DECADE outside of the Lord of the Rings novels, the Harry Potter series and The Da Vinci Code. I have finished the first book I bought via Kindle app and am into about 4 or 5 others.

I think eventually I'll buy an iPad so I can read on the go, but I may stick with the Kindle store based on my first impression of this app and how much I like the iPhone app. I just hope Amazon can make a pretty, shiny app like iBooks for the iPad because Stevo made it look nice.

 

[cilliano]

yeah right, you 'd probably be the single person in the globe who has actually sat a on a computer or a laptop and read a 200+ pages book.

This is rubbish news, kindle reader for ipad will be a good option, but a "reader" on a mac is bollocks, macs are not meant for book reading, you ll have to be a pretty hardcore individual to be able to do that.

As a person who writes a lot of essays for college, this will be a big help. You often just need to read a chapter from an academic text.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I got fairly excited about this one. I use this app for my iPhone (which is why I think lock rotation can be done within the iPhone OS), and it's pretty great. I'll have to try this on my netbook.

 

[mward333]

Awesome! This will let me experience the world of e-books without shelling out the $$$ for the kindle itself.

I think that many users will agree with DoNoHarm's opinion. I agree too.

I'm a professor, and when I'm traveling for research purposes, it is really a pain to haul around a ton of thick research-oriented books. It is a blessing to have some of the texts that I need on my Macbook.

For one of my favorite texts, the print version was released in book form by Cambridge University Press, but the authors legally retained the electronic rights to the book from Cambridge, and they make it available for download free on their webpages. The pdf is the EXACT same version of the book in every single way (I've made extensive comparisons). This is a $100 book to buy (I own two copies), but I believe that having a free electronic copy of the Macbook is extremely useful. I'm willing to read books on my Macbook!

I applaud all efforts to make texts widely available in electronic format. Save the trees!

Here are the links to the book and its free electronic copy, by the way:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0521898064/

http://algo.inria.fr/flajolet/Publications/AnaCombi/

Just my two cents......

 

[AdrianWerner]

yeah right, you 'd probably be the single person in the globe who has actually sat a on a computer or a laptop and read a 200+ pages book.

This is rubbish news, kindle reader for ipad will be a good option, but a "reader" on a mac is bollocks, macs are not meant for book reading, you ll have to be a pretty hardcore individual to be able to do that.

It's not like reading on iPad will be all that different from reading on your Macbook

 

[dmjossel]

yeah right, you 'd probably be the single person in the globe who has actually sat a on a computer or a laptop and read a 200+ pages book.

This is rubbish news, kindle reader for ipad will be a good option, but a "reader" on a mac is bollocks, macs are not meant for book reading, you ll have to be a pretty hardcore individual to be able to do that.

Lots of people do that, all over the world, every day-- usually to avoid paying anything for the book.

 

[sishaw]

My first reaction was "wow apple allowed this?" and then I remembered that it was a mac app, at least apple can't block/censor/monopolise mac os x programs... yet! :-s

There's been a Kindle iPhone app for a long time. Why wouldn't Apple allow it?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

It's not like reading on iPad will be all that different from reading on your Macbook

Actually, it will be a lot different. What you are saying is something like the ride on a Ford F150 isn't much different from that on a Lexus LS. The reading experience on a reader is vastly different from reading on a computer. Add in multi-touch and the degree of separation just increases.

 

[Alan King]

Kindle killed?

So now, what's the point of owning a Kindle, exactly?

 

[SactoGuy18]

This is actually a GREAT move by Amazon.

Thanks to MacOS X displaying screen fonts with very impressive quality on almost every Mac model, you can actually read an ebook downloaded from the Amazon Kindle store on a Mac with very little eye fatigue.

 

[Verschoren]

Anyone got an idea where the books are saved?

I went to ~/Library/Application Support/Amazon/Kindle For Mac
but there's no books to be found, only the cover and some preference files..


Sadly no fullscreen or turn page 90degrees option..

edit:
~/Documents/MyKindleContent

problem solved.

 

[koach]

Having the iBook store as a seperate app is not a good idea. Apple should have their books as a categrory in iTunes. This way it would also work on the Mac and would kill this Amazon app.

Who said it wouldn't work that way? All we know is that iBooks is a separate app on the iPad. I suspect iBooks will become a part of iTunes on the pc and mac. Similar to how the iPod, app store, and iTunes store are all separate Apps on the iPhone, but all of those are a part of iTunes on the pc and mac

 

[emulator]

So now, what's the point of owning a Kindle, exactly?

To read you "books" anywhere? The point of this app is only what cilliano said above: to browse or read small amount of a particular chapter. It's most probably not meant to read a full "book" anyway.

 

[AdrianWerner]

Actually, it will be a lot different. What you are saying is something like the ride on a Ford F150 isn't much different from that on a Lexus LS. The reading experience on a reader is vastly different from reading on a computer. Add in multi-touch and the degree of separation just increases.

you analogy would be good if I would be comparing reading on Kindle to reading on Macbook, but I'm not.

iPad has the same screen (heck..worse actualy) as Macbooks do, they're all LCDs, reading on them is pretty much the same.
Using your analogy..it will be the difference between a ride in Lexus LS with standard seats, vs riding on Lexus LS with a comfier version of the seats

 

[Master Chief]

Actually, it will be a lot different. What you are saying is something like the ride on a Ford F150 isn't much different from that on a Lexus LS. The reading experience on a reader is vastly different from reading on a computer. Add in multi-touch and the degree of separation just increases.

First. The iPad is not a "reader" and adding in multi-touch doesn't add anything useful. Not to mention that the MacBook has multi-touch, more memory, larger storage [hard disk] and runs a full version of OS X and not a stripped down copy of it. Granted. It is more expansive, but it can do so much more.

Also. Try to run Aperture or anything useful for production on the iPad, which of course won't work. It can't even print. In short if you want to do anything serious with the iPad, then you need at least a MacBook to go along with it so no wonder why certain people won't buy the iPad... simply because they have no need for it.

Yes. I will get one. In fact at least four for our family, but we won't be using it for work and the kids won't be using it for school simply because non of their books is available for it, and it will take a lot of time before this will change. If ever. Making the iPad another gadget. Nothing more.

 

[ScottishDuck]

Actually, it will be a lot different. What you are saying is something like the ride on a Ford F150 isn't much different from that on a Lexus LS. The reading experience on a reader is vastly different from reading on a computer. Add in multi-touch and the degree of separation just increases.

It's still going to strain the hell out of your eyes. It's amazing that people magically forget why ebook readers use e-ink as soon as the iPad appeared.

 

[AdrianWerner]

So now, what's the point of owning a Kindle, exactly?

superb novel reading experience. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind reading on lcd screens all that much, I've read countless books even on old palmtops, I used weird tablets (like Simpad, that was nice back in the day) and read ton of novels on laptops, but whenever faced with decision to read on lcd or on paper, the obvious choice is always paper.
E-ink is limited technology, but for what it does...displaying novels, it's just amazing. It is actualy viable altrernative to paper.
Reading on lcd can still be great, especially if those screens are in tablets form factor, so I'm sure iPad will make a good reading device, but if you're a novel maniac that eats them at rate of at least one per week week, then e-ink device is a great choice.

I hope PixelQ-like tech will keep advancing, so one day we will be able to combine comfort of Kindle, with an usability of multipurpose tablet

 

[gwynne]

It's still going to strain the hell out of your eyes. It's amazing that people magically forget why ebook readers use e-ink as soon as the iPad appeared.

I've seen this put out there a lot, and then I think "yeah, I'm glad I own an actual e-ink device".

But then I think, "wait, I stare at an LCD screen all day anyway".

Is reading an ebook actually going to be harder on your eyes than staring at the web all day already is? The 'hard on your eyes' argument seems like it makes sense intuitively, until you think about it (and how may hours you spend at your computer, which for some of us is a lot). (There is also some talk of inverse settings/contrast/accessibility settings, etc, but obviously none of us know how effective those will actually be.)

My real concern with the iPad vs e-ink devices for ebooks is that I think it's going to be a little too bulky to read in bed, but I'm going to give it a shot.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

you analogy would be good if I would be comparing reading on Kindle to reading on Macbook, but I'm not.

iPad has the same screen (heck..worse actualy) as Macbooks do, they're all LCDs, reading on them is pretty much the same.
Using your analogy..it will be the difference between a ride in Lexus LS with standard seats, vs riding on Lexus LS with a comfier version of the seats

My analogy is correct. A F150 and a LS both can get you from point A to point B, they both have transmissions, motors, wheels, etc. However An F150 is designed for different tasks than a LS. A F150s suspension is tuned to carry heavy loads, so you feel every bump on the road. An LS's suspension is designed for a luxury sedan so it's plush but don't tow the boat with it.

Specifically, an laptop has keyboard intruding between the screen and the reader. That makes a difference. A laptop does not have a multitouch screen; you can't just flick the screen similar to how you'd turn the page in a real book. A laptop weights 4-5 lbs., making it awkward to read lying on a sofa or bed, or subway.

First. The iPad is not a "reader" and adding in multi-touch doesn't add anything useful. Not to mention that the MacBook has multi-touch, more memory, larger storage [hard disk] and runs a full version of OS X and not a stripped down copy of it. Granted. It is more expansive, but it can do so much more.

Also. Try to run Aperture or anything useful for production on the iPad...

The iPad has a reader application which is marketed as a major feature. Maybe in your world a reader can only do one thing, but surprise, there are phones now that do more than make calls and, hey, they are called...phones.

And running Aperture on the iPad? Huh? Where did that come from? This thread is about the Kindle app and the iPad. Way to bring in extraneous info into the conversation.

It's still going to strain the hell out of your eyes. It's amazing that people magically forget why ebook readers use e-ink as soon as the iPad appeared.

I've owned a Sony 505 reader since they came out, what 2, 2.5 years ago? E-ink is so over hyped. I love my Sony, but just the same I have no issues reading a chapter on my iPhone while waiting in line. Maybe for power readers the LCD screen is an issue, but its 2010, and not too many people have hours to kill reading a book.

 

[Scarpad]

I can tell you that I'm more likely to support a platform agnostic store like Amazon's than iTunes. With Amazon you have a wide range of devices that are supported now and you aren't tied down to any single companies device and store.

With Apple you are locked down with ibooks. Will ibooks even be available for the ipod touch or Mac or pc? If not you can only read your ibooks on the ipad. No ipad no books.

At least with Amazon if you decide you don't like the kindle you can opt out for a ipod touch, ipad(I'm assuming they are updating their software for this platform), pc and now mac. I expect amazon to continue supporting other popular platforms in the future as well.

The difference is Amazon is more interested in selling books than devices while Apple is more interested in selling devices than books. I think Amazon's philosophy is more consumer friendly. In the unlikely event that the iPad bombs, will there goes all your books. With amazon you keep your books.

I gotta think Apple will come up with a stripped down version of the ibooks app for the touch and phone, why would they tun around millions of possible sales from phone and touch users? It may not look as fancy as the ipad app, but it will read the books

 

[La Porta]

Intel-only.

Unbelievable. Intel computers started showing up over FOUR YEARS AGO. How long do companies need to keep supporting PPC for people to be happy?

 

[Scarpad]

My analogy is correct. A F150 and a LS both can get you from point A to point B, they both have transmissions, motors, wheels, etc. However An F150 is designed for different tasks than a LS. A F150s suspension is tuned to carry heavy loads, so you feel every bump on the road. An LS's suspension is designed for a luxury sedan so it's plush but don't tow the boat with it.

Specifically, an laptop has keyboard intruding between the screen and the reader. That makes a difference. A laptop does not have a multitouch screen; you can't just flick the screen similar to how you'd turn the page in a real book. A laptop weights 4-5 lbs., making it awkward to read lying on a sofa or bed, or subway.





The iPad has a reader application which is marketed as a major feature. Maybe in your world a reader can only do one thing, but surprise, there are phones now that do more than make calls and, hey, they are called...phones.

And running Aperture on the iPad? Huh? Where did that come from? This thread is about the Kindle app and the iPad. Way to bring in extraneous info into the conversation.



I've owned a Sony 505 reader since they came out, what 2, 2.5 years ago? E-ink is so over hyped. I love my Sony, but just the same I have no issues reading a chapter on my iPhone while waiting in line. Maybe for power readers the LCD screen is an issue, but its 2010, and not too many people have hours to kill reading a book.

I agree I have the prs 300 and its a nice reader, but I can just as much use the touch and have done so. The e-ink readers are not without their own issues like the flash from the refresh of the page, It does'nt bother me, but I could see how it could bother some. I read 3 or 4 chapters at a time, so LCD's don't bother me.

 

[JAT]

It's still going to strain the hell out of your eyes. It's amazing that people magically forget why ebook readers use e-ink as soon as the iPad appeared.

Because Kindle proponents don't know how to turn lights on & off? Seems so simple, most switches just go up for On and down for Off. But maybe I'm a super-genius since I'm able to use lights. Sorry if I'm talking down and being offensive, due to my superior light switch skills, I just can't tell sometimes.