901am

New Media News Every Morning

Kindle for iPad Available Now, Looks Better than the Original Kindle Interface

By

Over at the Daily Bits, I was just discussing about how the iPad can possibly kill the Amazon Kindle, partly because of  the iPad’s rich, colorful display as against the Kindle’s boring grey e-ink display. You want another proof? How about checking the iPad App Store and searching for Kindle for iPad?

Yes folks, Amazon’s Kindle for iPad app is now part of the growing list of early iPad apps releases just in time for the release of the iPad tomorrow. And boy does it look’s awesome? Indeed! Just take a look at the sample screenshots provided on the app’s page on the iPad App Store.

Kindle for iPad features a rich, colorful, and vibrant main app page. Displaying book covers in full color against the old-familiar blue Kindle theme.

Feature-wise, it’s pretty much the same Kindle mobile app for the iPhone, BlackBerry, Mac and PC.

Additional features made specifically for the iPad include:

  • new beautiful interface, tailored to the size, look and feel of the iPad
  • new home library view with pinch, zoom, and scrolling support
  • new page turning animation
  • adjustable screen brightness

Kindle for iPad also supports Amazon’s Whispersync that automatically syncs your last page read , bookmark, notes, and highlights across all of your devices.  The app also lets you purchase e-books from the Kindle Bookstore which you can also use these e-books on your other Kindle apps.

Obviously, Kindle for App does not recommend the iBookstore so it’s either you use Kindle for iPad or the iBooks from getting your e-book fix on your iPad.

Originally posted on April 2, 2010 @ 8:43 pm

Amazon Preps Up Kindle for iPad, Will Apple Approve It?

By

If you were Steve Jobs running Apple which is about to release a magical and revolutionary product that has one of its features going up against the Amazon Kindle, will you allow the Kindle application on the iPad apps store? I mean knowing pretty well that this will compete with the iPads iBooks application?

Well, it seems Amazon is hoping that Apple will not mind this at all. After all, the Kindle for iPhone and recently Kindle for Mac were approved. But the thing is the iPad iBooks is not yet fully operational and full operation will commence only as soon as the iPad is released to consumers.  Publishers are expected to get into the iPad frenzy, making sure that their e-book catalogs make it through the iBooks app store.

Still, there’s no harm in trying. After all Amazon was clever enough to market its upcoming Kindle app  not as specific to the iPad but for other tablets as well. Hence calling its Kindle Apps for Tablet.

Kindle Apps for Tablet will have the same features as the other iteration of the Kindle app. Be it for the iPhone, BlackBerry, PC or Mac. Specific for Tablets are some enhancement in the user interface including:

  • 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

So there, will you be getting your e-books from the Kindle Store once you get your iPad or will you stick to the plan and get it from the iBooks app store instead?

Originally posted on March 22, 2010 @ 5:25 pm