Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows
Home > Type > News > Amazon Kindle for the iPad

Amazon Kindle for the iPad

Mar. 22, 2010 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

Amazon is providing an early look at its Kindle application for the iPad, though it won't be available when Apple's new tablet device arrives April 3. I'm looking forward to testing this app--and the dedicated New York Times app for the iPad--to determine whether my newspaper (and book) reading habits are about to change. (I've been reading the New York Times on the Kindle ever single day, dating back to the day the first gen device arrived.) What I'm seeing here looks great, and I'm happy to see that the gratuitous page-flipping silliness is optional.

    

Here's the word from Amazon:

Experience the Beautiful User Interface

  • Get the best reading experience available on your tablet computer including the iPad. No Kindle required
    Tailored to the size, look, and feel of your tablet computer
  • Customize background color and font size to ease eye strain
  • Adjust screen brightness from within the app to make reading easier
  • Page turn animation replicates the look of turning a page in a book. Or choose Basic Reading Mode for a simpler and unadorned reading experience

Read Kindle Books on Your Tablet Computer Including the iPad

  • Amazon's Whispersync technology automatically synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights with Kindle and Kindle-compatible devices PC, Mac, iPhone, and BlackBerry
  • Customers can start reading on one device and, on another, pick up where they left off
  • Already have a Kindle? Access your Kindle books even if you don't have your Kindle with you
  • Create bookmarks, notes, and highlights, and view the annotations you created on your Kindle

Shop for Books in the Kindle Store

  • Search and browse more than 450,000 Kindle books, including 101 of 112 New York Times Best Sellers. If you are a non-U.S. customer, book availability may vary
  • Get free book samples--read the first chapter for free before you decide to buy
  • Books you purchase can also be read on a Kindle and Kindle-compatible devices

Discuss this Article 13

Ocean
on Mar 22, 2010
Gorgeous. I can't wait to get my hands on a iPad.
Ocean
on Mar 22, 2010
Oh, and that book about Henrietta Lacks is a very, very good read. I've got Open on hold at the public library (the digital version), but I'm in line behind like 12 other people.
chuckb84
on Mar 22, 2010
Amazon has clearly decided, correctly, that their core business is the blades, not the razors. Good for them. By making that decision, they'll make the ebook market competitive, because iPads are going to outnumber Kindles real soon now. Also, doesn't that ebook above look good in color?
tma
on Mar 22, 2010
I'm glad to see that Amazon has firmly decided on their business model. I definitely can get behind an Everywhere-Everydevice platform more easily than a data silo. My question, though, is this- Has Apple confirmed that it will approve this app? Technically, it looks like it's duplicating functionality that the iPad will already have; that's the standard excuse for rejection. Amazon has an MP3 store, but you don't see that on the iPhone. It'll be interesting to see how that pans out.
mikeybthepilot
on Mar 22, 2010
I look forward to using it on my HP Slate when that finally comes out!
MattJames
on Mar 22, 2010
@tma Technically, iBooks will be a download for the iPad (not included with the device) so it is not considered as duplicating functionality. As an example, Apple makes a remote app for the iPhone/Touch but users must download it. Others have made similar apps and have not been rejected. This could of course change as Apple has been building/built a reputation for such things.
Waethorn
on Mar 22, 2010
"Also, doesn't that ebook above look good in color?" It's the resolution that will be the biggest problem. If they're going to start doing the Mac-style font smoothing at 120dpi, it's going to cause a lot of eye strain. If the screenshot is accurate, I can see it's already very blurry and difficult to read. I think some LCD makers need to look squarely at the type of backlights they use on panels designed for tablet use. Using a warmer light (one with more red) is preferable to the bluish tint you get from cooler LED lights that produce brighter light. In fact, using a warmer light would produce the colour that is more akin to newsprint. LED's might be okay for multimedia, where you want vivid colour, but a lot of screen reading demands a different set of requirements. I've heard about these new Pixel Qi screens that will supposedly offer the ability to convert a 10" netbook to an e-paper style device for about $100. That sounds interesting, but I haven't heard about how the screen affects motion playback. I'd like to think that it doesn't affect website browsing that requires Flash. A netbook isn't designed for full-on multimedia, so major video playback isn't a concern, but you still wouldn't want web browsing to be affected by any possibility of a loss in refresh rate.
Spidubic
on Mar 22, 2010
I still think e-ink is going to be better long term for reading without eyestrain. They can say what they want but I can read for hours on my Kindle with no eyestrain but on a monitor I can only take so much and have to take a break.
anonymous
on Mar 22, 2010
This post was mentioned on Twitter by thurrott: Amazon Kindle for the iPad: Amazon is providing an early look at its Kindle application for the iPad, though it wo... http://bit.ly/975P7N
Waethorn
on Mar 22, 2010
@Spidubic: Technically, the Pixel Qi screen isn't e-ink. They call it "e-paper", but it's still a TFT LCD, just one that doesn't require a backlight, and the back has a type of reflective surface that doesn't wash out objects on the screen so direct sunlight isn't a problem (although the backlight is required for colour). They said that their goal is to just rethink LCD production with the existing tools and manufacturing processes that manufacturers already have so that LCD's will function properly in ambient light. There was a YouTube video for Pixel Qi screens playing full-motion video, so that's a definite plus over e-ink's pathetic refresh rate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m0RHQuP7IU e-ink is a completely different technology though, but the goals are the same. However, I think companies that invested money into e-ink are going to be wasting their money renewing contracts on it after Pixel Qi starts getting offered in mass production. Those that haven't yet, should consider going directly to Pixel Qi, since it doesn't cost them that much extra to develop new manufacturing techniques, since the processes compared to conventional LCD's are nearly identical.
Waethorn
on Mar 22, 2010
Here's something cool: Notion Ink's tablet using NVIDIA Tegra2 and Pixel Qi screen featuring 720p HD video playback: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLEtIOBdRIM&NR=1 They should've used a non-glare screen though. I wonder if it's possible to make a full-colour touch screen that feels squishy like the LCD screens of old.... Here's another vid, now with more reach-around: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPowc1yM0NQ I'd like to see a WP7S-style OS with Metro on this device. Certainly it's possible, since the Tegra uses ARM architecture.
dugbug
on Mar 22, 2010
@Waethorn, Thanks for the videos. I love e-ink and related technology. Unfortunately with all of the glare its hard to see how well the non-backlight image really is. If its better than the current gen of e-paper I would expect there will be a lot of redesigns gong on in the industry, but if it isn't I would put a premium on readability over motion. Hard to tell with those videos. I hope some camp somewhere comes up with a big epaper tech breakthrough.
Waethorn
on Mar 22, 2010
@dugbug: e-ink is legible in sunlight, but it depends on the reflectivity of the surface layer. As I mentioned, the Notion Ink Adam uses a glossy screen, which isn't suitable for the Pixel Qi screens market audience. If the surface layer is glossy, you'll still see a lot of bright reflections, which is evident in the video for the tablet. Matte surfaces would be better for the Pixel Qi. I don't know for sure if Pixel Qi will manufacturer their panels for matte or glossy though, but the Adam tablet also includes a touchscreen so a glossy glass screen may be required for that particular device. The videos on YouTube of the different netbooks with Pixel Qi appear to show matte surface screens though. Also, be aware that the camera used to take the videos doesn't seem to have a very good exposure range. It looks more like the exposure quality that you'd get from a portable video camera like a Flip (or what I like to call a "purse cam"). The video cam is clearly overexposing the picture. e-ink isn't that bad. The two big benefits from Pixel Qi's "e-paper" over conventional e-ink technologies is that Pixel Qi is still manufacturing a TFT LCD, so you get just as high of a refresh rate as a conventional LCD (60hz usually on notebook LCD's) so video is feasible, but is also convertible to an e-ink-like monochrome display that is easy on the eyes and legible in sunlight.

Please or Register to post comments.

Related Articles

IT/Dev Connections

Las Vegas
September 30th - October 4th

Paul ThurottYou'll have the opportunity to experience:
• 120 Technical
Sessions
• Networking with Peers
• Expert Speakers


Come See Paul Thurrott & Mary Jo Foley in Person!

Register Now

Office 365 InfoCenter

Get the latest insight and info from Paul

Read Now!

What I Use
Apr. 18, 2013
Article

What I Use: On the Road 20

Every so often, I publish an updated version of my “What I Use” document, which details the technology products and services I actually use day-to-day. Since I’m currently on my third business trip in five weeks, this is perhaps an ideal time to discuss the technology products I rely on when I travel and a few related points....More
Mar. 6, 2013
Article

What I Use: March 2013 33

Lots of changes since November, including a new PC-based home server running Windows 8, several new smart phones, new PCs and tablets, new cloud backup, Office 365 Home Premium and a nice doubling of my Internet speeds courtesy of Verizon FIOS....More
WinSuperSite.com
Related Penton Sites
Copyright © 2013 Penton Media, Inc