Today Amazon introduced a new HTML5 Kindle app designed for use with web browsers, which is optimized for the Apple iPad, and provides a workaround for Amazon to continue to offer Kindle shopping from within the app on the iPad.
A couple of weeks ago, Apple started enforcing a rule that requires anyone who offers in-app purchases to pay Apple 30 percent of the sale. So of course all the ebook apps got updated to remove any outgoing links and built-in stores to keep Apple from pulling their apps.
Kobo went on record saying that they would develop an HTML5 app for the Safari web browser to continue to allow customers to shop for ebooks and other digital content from within the ebook app, an approach that many app developers will likely take, but Amazon has beaten everyone to the punch by launching the Kindle Cloud Reader, what is effectively a huge middle finger to Apple and big thumbs-up to Kindle fans.
The Kindle Cloud Reader currently works with the Safari web browser for iPad, Mac, and PC, as well as the Chrome web browser. Amazon states that the Kindle Cloud Reader will be available on Internet Explorer, Firefox, the BlackBerry PlayBook browser, and other mobile browsers in the coming months. It doesn’t currently work with the iPhone’s web browser, but it probably won’t stay that way for long.
Obviously getting it to work with the Safari browser was the main priority with the recent changes to Apple’s policies. That’s probably what is giving the Kindle Cloud Reader somewhat of a rushed feel to it. It works well, but there are a number of features missing that the other Kindle apps offer. There’s no search feature and no onscreen functions for notes, highlights, or dictionary, although you can view notes and highlights. Plus it is a little slower to load. Other than that it is pretty much the same as the regular iPad Kindle app, with the obvious exception that it has the Kindle Store accessible from the homescreen.
In order to download the Kindle Cloud Reader to the iPad, you simply need to visit www.amazon.com/cloudreader with the Safari web browser and then login to your Amazon account. You will then be given the option to add an app icon to the iPad’s homescreen. The same applies for the Chrome and other Safari web browsers for computers too, except the part about adding an app icon to the homescreen. Instead you bookmark the page.
Even though the Kindle Cloud Reader is a web-based application, you can save your books for offline reading so you don’t have to worry about maintaining an internet connection all the time. The homescreen has two sections, one for the cloud, which shows all your books on Amazon, and one for downloaded titles.
Here’s a hands-on look at how the Kindle Cloud Reader works on the Apple iPad.
Kudos to Amazon for working around Jobs and company. Apple may ultimately shoot themselves in the foot with this policy. As web access gets faster more apps will become browser based and thus maybe the app store will be rendered useless?
i am just looking for a reader that i can carry around and read i don’t need all gadgets i was looking at amazons DX but the button for turning pages are on the right hand side i need either both or touch screen ( bum shoulder) i am going blind love to read and the amazon kindle 2 is starting to frustrate me with fonts ..yes they are bigger but you get one sentence at a time.no fun . any ideas for budget watchers here ???
As far as large ereaders go, there aren’t many options. Other than the Kindle DX there’s the PocketBook 902, but it certainly isn’t cheap. Perhaps Amazon is going to refresh the DX line in the next few weeks, it could really use it.
Since there are no transitions in the kindle cloud reader, could you try it with the nook touch, if it works there too? thanks!
That’s a good idea about the Nook, but there isn’t any browser support for it yet, just Chrome and Safari.
good to have another option for reading on Linux machines; using an old binary in wine was a less-than-premium user experience (though it worked fine).
Dear Nathan,
Another tablet, this one from Elonex, below $200, 7″ screen, that has Android 2.3 and google market installed … but no camera.
http://www.elonex.com/index.php/products/computing/etouch-tablet-702et-bl.html#anchor1
That’s actually a pretty nice looking tablet for the price, especially with the LED screen. Battery life is pretty pitiful, however. Only 3.5 hours. That’s the lowest I’ve seen on a tablet.
It looks like a competent original iPad rip-off. And yes, looks good for a “budget” tablet. Few weak spots though: not named maker of the 800Mhz cpu, 3.5 hours battery life (?!) and the b/g WiFi. I found that the abysmal wifi performance is the biggest issue with the budget tablets (especially when the “n” is missing from the specifications).
On the other hand, Acer just released the 7″ A100 narrowing down the market for so called “budget” tablets…
How do I delete an icon from my kindle cloud
You have to go to the your apps section in your Amazon account and delete the app permanently.