Kindle for PC Review « A Byte of Ozz

Kindle for PC Review

21Nov09

Amazon has recently released a piece of software that allows users to read books made for the Kindle on their Windows-based PC. The Kindle, Amazon’s e-book reader, retails for $259 USD. And the Kindle DX, which features a larger screen, retails for a whopping $489 USD. This new piece of software allows you to read books made for the Kindle, without having to actually buy the device.

While I’ve had a fairly positive experience with the software, here’s a few things that I didn’t like about it and hope will be available at some point:

Kindle for PC doesn’t currently support newspapers, magazines, and blogs, which are only available to people who own a Kindle or Kindle DX.

No Mac or Linux support. While a Mac version will be available soon, no version for Linux is planned.

The user interface needs a fair amount of work. Even though the software has a nice, clean UI, users should be able to choose their own color scheme. If this is eventually implemented, hopefully it will be done in a way where it doesn’t distract from the reading experience.

The software can sync with the Kindle/Kindle DX, so all of the books you have on there will be downloaded into Kindle for PC. In addition, when someone stops reading somewhere in an e-book on a Kindle or Kindle DX, they can pick up where they left off in Kindle for PC, as it automatically syncs the last page read.

The official download page for the software can be found here. The link also provides information on upcoming Kindle for PC features, like being able to create notes and annotations.

So all in all, Kindle for PC is a fair piece of software. Remember that Kindle for PC is only in beta at the moment, so it isn’t finished yet. If you have a feature request or have found a bug, there’s a feedback button in the main menu.

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