Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
Kindle is much more than a physical reader. Amazon has made Kindle reading applications available for FREE on most popular platforms.
Kindle this, Kindle that. It seems that every time that I turn around, someone's talking about Kindle. Even you're publishing books on Kindle. Good for you, but what about those of us that can't afford a Kindle, or just don't want one? Am I out of luck?
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OK, I totally made that question up, basing it on what I expect a lot of people to be saying as more and more publishers begin producing content on Kindle - either exclusively, or "exclusively-for-a-while."
Including myself.
You are most definitely not out of luck. Far from it.
And it's one of the reasons why I really like the Kindle publishing platform.
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Kindle without Kindle is FREE
I love my Kindle Fire and know many people who share that love. I also loved the previous editions of the Kindle as well.
The big deep dark secret to Kindle, however, is that you don't need a Kindle device to read Kindle books. All that you really need is an account with Amazon.com.
After that, aside from the cost of the books, everything else that you need is completely free.
What I'm talking about, of course, is the Kindle application:
If you have a PC, a Mac, an iPhone, an iPad, a Blackberry, or an Android-based phone or tablet, you can download the Kindle application for FREE.
Once installed, that application lets you read any Kindle-based publication that you like.
Multiple devices? No problem!
Most Kindle titles can be downloaded and read on multiple devices that are assigned to the same Amazon account. In my case, that means that I can:
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Read a book on my Kindle Fire
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Continue reading it on my Android-based phone while I'm out and about
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Continue reading it on my Windows PC when I need a break at my desk
"Continue reading"? Yep.
As long as the device that you're using has internet connectivity, the various devices on which you might be reading a Kindle book will keep themselves in sync. It's not uncommon for me to open up a book on my phone (an interesting phrase all by itself), only to have it say "looks like you've read up to this far on your Kindle Fire - want to just pick up there?"
Can't forget the cloud!
There's even a Kindle reader that works in many web browsers without even needing a separate application.
Visit http://read.amazon.com in Firefox, Chrome, or Safari (including Safari on the iPad), sign in with your Amazon account and you'll be able to read any of the Kindle books that you've purchased right there, in your browser.
Running Chrome is my approach to reading on my Ubuntu Linux boxes - it works great.
Doesn't buying mean that you download books?
You're buying a book, but unlike a physical book where you take one copy home, Amazon's approach is a little different.
Buying a book on Kindle is more like getting a perpetual license to read the book on any device that you own. The "master copy", if you will, of the book is always kept on Amazon's own server. Visit the "Manage my Kindle" page at Amazon and you'll find a list of all the books you've purchased along with a menu on each one that allows you to send it to whatever Kindle devices you have registered:
Naturally, you can also visit your online archive from any of your Kindle devices directly and select books that you've purchased to download as well.
Just another format
Kindle has become more than just a cool e-reader. Much like PDF, it's become a file format. With free Kindle readers on just about any platform that you might consider using to read books, there's just not much of a barrier to use Kindle for all sorts of reading needs.
Article C5112 - March 10, 2012 « »
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
March 13, 2012 10:12 PM
But I don't own any device aside from computer. Not quite the thing I want to be holding in my hands as I read in the car, waiting for my wife to come out of the store. And believe me, in the car is where I do the majority of my reading.
March 13, 2012 11:52 PM
Yes, I thought Kindle for PC was very nice, UNTIL, they attempted to force me to accept their new User Agreement, or whatever they are now calling it. I had purchased numerous books, and suddenly without prior notice, when I downloaded the new version of Kindle for PC, my books disappeared and I was no longer allowed access to books I had purchased UNLESS I agreed to, get this, allow them access to all my highlighting, personal notes, etc. in regard to said previously purchased books. I REFUSED, called Amazon to complain and ask for a refund of the books I could no longer read, but as of this date, 14 MAR 2012, to no avail. I'll buy my books in paper form from now on, and if it that important to me to read them digitally, I'll scan them into pdf format. If allowing Amazon access to your highlighting, AND PERSONAL NOTES you made in regard to books you paid for, is okay to you, then go for it, but it's not okay to me! Don't believe they are doing this, then do the research and READ their legal documents.
March 14, 2012 1:58 AM
@Liz
You can deregister the Kindle and re-register it. Here's the FAQ Page from Amazon which explains what to do.
March 14, 2012 4:52 AM
You must admit, though, that MOST ebooks are in epub-format, and MOST readers use epub, and that it is a very strange strategy to keep a diferent format for kindle, and to not enable kindle readers to read epubs. I consciously decided against a kindle after studying all the technical information. I would, however, like to buy ebooks from Amazon. It is not smart to sacrifice selling ebooks to me and all the other Non-kindles, just to sell the kindle machine. With the amount I am reading, they would earn more by selling me epubs!
June 15, 2012 9:18 PM
I use the Kindle app for Android on my
Nook Color, (booting from a microSD card
both CM7 & CM9 and 1.4 native in eMMC),
Android Tablet (Honeycomb) and phone
(Gingerbread) with .mobi / .prc (.mobi format
from my Palm) and Kindle Store ebooks.
I'd love for the apps to properly be aware that the newer devices call the internal eMMC user space /sdcard and the real card /sdcard/ext_sd/ so I wouldn't have to keep syncing the internal and external (kindle and nook ebook files).