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Kindle alternatives
Amazon Kindle enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines. It provides over 1 million books in the Kindle Store. Amazon Whispersync automatically syncs your last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across devices (including Kindle), so you can pick up your book where you left off on another device. Provides apps for Android, iOS, Blackberry, Windows Phone, Mac, PC and the family of ereading devices The best Kindle alternatives are: Nook, Kobo, Audible
Here are the latest news about Kindle:
20.11.24. Amazon unveiled new USB Manager for Send to Kindle for Mac
Amazon has discreetly unveiled new capabilities for Send to Kindle for Mac. This official software package enables Macintosh users to effortlessly send PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF, HTM, HTML, PNG, GIF, JPG, JPEG, BMP and EPUB files to the various Kindle 2024 models and the Kindle Scribe. There is additional functionality today, with a completely new update. It has just added support for USB file transfers and the required drivers. The USB Manager feature functions with Intel and Mac M1-M3 computers running MacOS 12. Amazon probably prepared this support documentation before the new M4 Mac Mini, iMac and other systems were revealed last week. I am confident the new Send to Kindle for Mac will accommodate M4; if you manage to get it to work, please share your thoughts below. So Mac users will no longer need to install unreliable third-party programs or drivers simply to use the USB feature to send digital content to the Kindle from a Mac system. It seems Amazon is finally providing Mac users with some focus.
2024. Amazon removed Kindle Flashcards
Amazon has begun sending out emails notifying customers about their plan to discontinue the Flashcards feature on Kindles. The Flashcards feature allows you to review words that you’ve looked up in the dictionary and mark them as mastered. However, the Vocabulary Builder feature will remain, so you can still review looked up words, just not using flashcards. Amazon already started removing the Flashcards feature from Kindle apps and they intend to do away with Flashcards entirely in November of 2024. Users can request the flashcards associated with their account from this page at Amazon and continue using them on their own devices, but all flashcards will be deleted from Amazon’s servers later this year, so you need to download them soon.
2024. Kindle allows to read books on Peloton bikes
Amazon has partnered with Peloton to allow users read books while exercising on home-bikes and treadmills. To access the Kindle library you need to log into Amazon account directly on the bike screen and navigate to the Entertainment tab at the bottom. The integration provides a rather weird reading experience. You can turn pages with a tap, adjust font size, quickly navigate between chapters create bookmarks to continue reading from where you left off and turn on full-screen display. This new Kindle feature is currently available exclusively in Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom.
2023. Kindle Scribe annotations are now viewable on Kindle app
In a move that might be described as “an improvement so handy you’ll wonder why it wasn’t always like this,” annotations scribbled with the Kindle Scribe have finally taken up residence in the Kindle app on iOS devices. While the earlier upgrade allowing Notebooks from the Scribe to grace the iOS app already caused much polite nodding, the newly added ability to peek at in-book annotations feels like discovering an unexpected cup of tea in a bleak corner of the galaxy. Now, Kindle users can whimsically peruse their handwritten notes and highlights on a phone or tablet, delightfully unencumbered by the actual Kindle Scribe itself. For those waiting with baited breath on Android, fear not: your syncing salvation is set to arrive in that most definitively vague time known as “early 2024.”
2023. Kindle personal documents will be delivered in KFX Format
Amazon is now in the process of converting user-uploaded Kindle personal documents into the newer KFX format when they are downloaded on Kindle apps and Kindle e-readers. Until recently, only the Kindle Scribe supported personal documents in the KFX format. However, Amazon has now begun extending this support to other devices and applications, including the Kindle for Android and Kindle for iOS apps. Furthermore, Kindle e-readers that are compatible with the KFX format, such as the Kindle Paperwhite 3 and newer models, are now receiving personal documents in the KFX format as well. Previously, Amazon used to send older formats like AZW3 and MOBI to Kindle devices and apps when users sent personal documents through email or used the Send to Kindle webpage or app. The introduction of the ability to download personal documents in KFX format brings added support for improved typesetting and includes several extra features such as multi-page view and alignment settings. Essentially, personal documents and e-books obtained from sources other than Amazon and added to your Kindle library are now being treated more similarly to official Kindle e-books.
2023. Amazon released new Kindle app for Mac
In a move that could only be described as the digital equivalent of sprucing up the galactic Hitchhiker's Guide itself, Amazon has introduced a sparkling new Kindle reading app for Mac users. The previous version, now dubbed “Kindle Classic,” has been retired with a knowing sigh, replaced by a sleek and positively gleaming Kindle app that could charm even the surliest Vogon. With a design seemingly cloned directly from its iOS counterpart, the new app flaunts an interstellar lineup of features: endless scrolling (for those who find page numbers unnervingly finite), a reading ruler to keep your gaze as focused as a hyperspatial drive, and a galaxy of font options that would make any typographer misty-eyed. Users can now immerse themselves in full-screen reading, page-turn animations, and a cornucopia of new themes, with an X-Ray feature that reveals the secrets lurking between the lines. As users boldly enter the app, they’ll find themselves greeted by a library more visually vibrant than Milliways, displaying cover art from every e-book they own (or have sampled with reckless abandon). It’s a paradise for the organized mind, too, with options to view books in grid or list form, sort by collections, or filter by read/unread, documents, and Newsstand materials. But be warned, dear space travelers: audiobooks are still a strange, mythological creature in this Kindle cosmos, with no player in sight for Mac users... yet.
2023. Kindle for PC update is required to download newer eBooks
Amazon is now requiring Kindle for PC and Mac users to install an update in order to download and read any new Kindle ebooks released as of January 3rd, 2023. The reason the Kindle for PC and Mac apps need to be updated is because newer ebooks can now only be downloaded in Amazon’s KFX format, rather than the older Kindle formats. This isn’t encouraging news for ebook buyers and some see it as just another way for Amazon to exert control over content purchased from them. Changing formats and tightening DRM measures is likely to become standard practice in the ebook industry moving forward. Twenty years from now, how will ebooks be handled in these regards? With digital media, things are always evolving. Just because you can download your purchased ebooks today doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do so in ten or twenty years.
2022. Send to Kindle app for PC and Mac now supports EPUB
Amazon has finally refreshed its Send to Kindle apps for Windows and Mac computers to include support for sending EPUB files to Kindle e-readers and Kindle reading apps. They don’t actually transmit the EPUB file directly to Kindles; instead, it is converted to Kindle format during the process and only DRM-free EPUBs are supported, of course. Amazon introduced support for emailing EPUBs in April and their iOS and Android Kindle apps have supported sending EPUBs since August. Now, the PC and Mac apps also support sending EPUBs.
2022. Amazon's Send to Kindle for EPUB is now live
Amazon announced a few months ago that Send to Kindle will now support EPUB files. The service is now operational and you can use the Send to Kindle apps for PC or Mac, the Chrome Extension, Kindle for Android and email. This marks the first time Amazon has supported the EPUB format for delivery to your Kindle account. However, when using the Send to Kindle service, the EPUB files are converted to the AZW3 format before being sent to your device. This ensures that your book will have proper typography and allow access to features like X-Ray, dictionaries and Wordwise.
2022. Kindle Store is no longer available on older Kindles
The Kindle store is no longer accessible on older Kindles, including the Kindle DX, Kindle 2, Kindle 3 (also known as Kindle Keyboard), Kindle 4 and Kindle 5. Essentially, if your Kindle lacks a touchscreen, it will no longer be able to access the Kindle store. This change occurred last year for some models like the first-generation Kindle when 3G towers were decommissioned. Now, the store will also be disabled on older non-touchscreen WiFi models, such as the once-popular Kindle 3. While you can no longer shop directly from these Kindles, you can still send and read eBooks on them as before. It’s disappointing to see older devices lose functionality, but given that the 5th generation Kindle is now ten years old, it's not unexpected that Amazon has decided not to maintain a non-touchscreen store for these decade-old devices.
2022. You can no longer buy Kindle Books on Android
Amazon has disabled the option to purchase ebooks in the Kindle app for Android. When attempting to buy digital books, a new screen appears, informing customers that in order to comply with Google's policy changes, ebook purchases are no longer supported. This is due to Google's new requirement that all apps use their own billing system and take a 30% commission on each transaction. Given that Amazon is the largest ebook retailer globally, the commission paid to Google would be substantial. Amazon is the latest company to halt digital transactions on Android; in recent weeks, Audible and Barnes & Noble have stopped selling audiobooks and ebooks in their apps.
2022. Amazon adds EPUB and drops MOBI support on Send to Kindle apps
Last week, Amazon permitted Kindle users to send ePub files to Kindles via email. While it’s positive to see Amazon finally adding support for DRM-free ePub files to the Kindle Personal Documents Service, they also announced they will be discontinuing support for the older MOBI format. Books in MOBI format lack some of the newer features, such as custom fonts and font boldness control. However, one advantage of sideloaded MOBI books is that book covers were displayed, whereas other sideloaded formats only show a generic cover. To clarify, they aren’t eliminating support for the MOBI format on Kindles. You will still be able to read MOBI files that you’ve added to your Kindle, but you will no longer be able to wirelessly send MOBI files to Kindles using Amazon Kindle Personal Documents Service.
2021. Kindle for PC discontinues support for Windows 7
In a move that could only be described as the sort of inevitability that sneaks up on you while you’re busy arguing about what “support” really means, Amazon has declared Windows 7 as passé for its Kindle PC app. Should you be one of the few gallant souls still clinging to a Windows 7-powered contraption, be warned: your Kindle app will soon be as update-free as an ancient alien artifact—functional but suspiciously untrustworthy. As the gears of progress grind ever onward, it’s only a matter of time before the whole shebang ceases to let you buy or read ebooks entirely. Officially, Kindle for PC now nods approvingly only at Windows 10, 8.1, and 8, but the tea leaves seem to suggest that even Windows 8 is staring at a calendar with existential dread. Why the curtain call for Windows 7? Well, it seems Windows 11 and its Android-friendly Kindle app have swanned onto the stage with a feature set so shiny that even the Kindle Cloud Reader feels insecure. Amazon figures most users will embrace this brave new world via Windows 11 on their computers, tablets, or slates, leaving Windows 7 to join the dinosaurs—or, more accurately, the Betamax.
2021. Amazon will no longer be providing free access to Kindle magazines
In a decision that might make you wonder if the universe's infinite improbability drive has been meddling with corporate policies, Amazon has announced that free access to Kindle magazines for paper edition subscribers will now be a thing of the past—unless, of course, the subscription in question was made through Amazon itself (because, naturally, it’s always best to keep things within the mothership). Fear not, though, for this twist in the space-time continuum doesn’t alter the sacred status of your subscription with the publisher. Should you wish to continue enjoying the thrill of pixels over paper, the illustrious Kindle Newsstand stands ready to assist. And here’s the good news: any magazine editions already lounging comfortably on your Kindle will remain blissfully unaffected by this cosmic upheaval.
2020. Kindle makes it easier to borrow ebooks from Prime Reading
Kindle readers now permit borrowing ebooks from Kindle Unlimited, Prime Reading and the public library directly from your home screen. This feature is part of the 5.13.3 firmware update released today and is compatible with most devices going back to the Kindle Voyage. To view recommendations for popular titles from Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading, you need to have Home Screen View activated. You can toggle this feature on or off in the settings menu. Additionally, Amazon has relocated the Kindle user guide from your library shelf to the help menu, which will help free up some space. The update also includes several performance improvements, bug fixes and other general enhancements.
2020. Kindle for Android now allows permanently delete ebooks
Amazon has introduced the capability to delete Kindle books directly from your Android smartphone and tablet. This feature lets you completely remove ebooks you no longer wish to keep on your device, or samples you downloaded years ago. Simply visit your library, long press on the cover art and you will receive a confirmation prompt to remove it or not. The update also enables you to filter your books by Family Library titles and sync your reading across devices in both Page Flip View and Continuous Scrolling.
2020. Amazon discontinues Kindle Owners Lending Library
Amazon has just phased out the Lending Library and is now directing users to Kindle Unlimited or Prime Reading instead. Amazon introduced the Kindle Lending Library in 2011. This was a service where Prime members could borrow one free book each month. Once a book was borrowed, it could be re-downloaded for free at any time in the future. Books included in the free lending library had a “Prime” logo next to them and a “Borrow for free” button below the traditional “Buy” button. There was no expiration date for the books and it was very popular. In 2016, Amazon launched Prime Reading, which effectively replaced the Kindle Lending Library and Amazon stopped promoting it on their website or through press releases.
2020. Amazon lowers Kindle price to compete against Kobo Nia
The Kobo Nia is set to be released in a few days and Amazon is pulling out all the stops to persuade you to purchase the entry-level Kindle. They have recently reduced its price by $20, making it available for $69.99 USD. The Kobo Nia will be priced at $99 USD. The entry-level Kindle e-reader features a 6-inch E Ink Carta display with a resolution of 800×600 and 167 PPI. This is the first Kindle with a front-light display, which allows you to adjust the brightness using a slider. It has 4 white LED lights at the bottom of the bezel that cast light upwards, preventing glare in your eyes. The Kobo Nia boasts a 6-inch E INK Carta HD capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024×758 and 212 PPI and includes 5 white LED lights.
2020. Amazon discontinues the Kindle Cloud Reader
The Kindle Cloud Reader enabled users to read ebooks through all major web browsers on desktops, mobiles and tablets. Over the past week, Amazon has been removing features from it and it appears to be nearing discontinuation. The only books you can access are those that were previously downloaded; no new titles can be retrieved. Ebooks from some publishers with DRM can no longer be opened, even if they were downloaded before. A popup window appears, advising readers to download the Kindle app for iOS or Android. Amazon has also removed the option to read books offline; an active internet connection is now required to access your reading material.
2020. You can now read Kindle Books on the new Microsoft Edge Browser
Microsoft's updated Chromium-based Edge browser now includes Kindle Cloud Reader. This feature allows you to tailor your reading experience on Edge by adjusting the font type, font size, background color, or margins. You can also create and modify notes, bookmarks and more. Whispersync technology automatically synchronizes your most recent page read, notes and highlights across devices, enabling you to start reading in your browser and continue where you left off on your Kindle or any device with the Kindle app. If you encounter an unfamiliar word, you can translate it or look up its definition in a dictionary. You can purchase ebooks and explore the Kindle Store and read in either portrait or landscape mode, depending on whether you're using a tablet or a widescreen PC monitor.
2019. Kindle firmware update makes it easier to read ebooks
In a move that might well redefine the universe of e-reading (or at least the small, rectangular bit of it that belongs to Amazon), the Kindle Basic, Kindle Oasis, Kindle Voyage, and Kindle Paperwhite have been blessed—or perhaps nudged—into a higher plane of existence with firmware update 5.12.2. This update, it is said, will make the business of reading ebooks a good deal simpler, assuming you ever finish perusing the endless labyrinth of product recommendations first. It’s particularly splendid for those who compulsively hoard digital books, revel in Prime Membership’s peculiar perks, or delight in the infinite library of Kindle Unlimited. In short, it’s as if the Kindle devices have collectively decided to help you read more, browse more, and buy more, all while pretending to be helpful.
2019. Alexa now allows to send ebooks to Kindle
Amazon has recently introduced new functionality to add or remove audiobooks and ebooks on your Kindle e-reader using Alexa. If you have the Alexa app on your smartphone or a physical speaker, you can simply say “Alexa, manage my content.” Alexa will then present options such as adding an ebook or audiobook to your default device or removing them entirely from your account. This is the second time Amazon has added features for interacting with the Kindle. The first was in late 2016 when Alexa could begin reading your ebooks aloud on the Echo.
2019. Amazon updates the $90 Kindle with a front light
Amazon’s standard Kindle now comes with an adjustable front light and a capacitive touch 167 PPI display. This price includes Special Offers (i.e., the screen saver ads that Amazon has included for most of the product’s life). This model will sit below the more expensive Kindle Paperwhite, which offers a higher resolution (300 PPI) screen, a flush design and waterproofing, starting at $130. The top-of-the-line Oasis, on the other hand, starts at $230. The Kindle lineup will be receiving a simple new feature that marks books as read across all devices, along with additional recommendations based on reading habits. These features will be available on existing models via an over-the-air update.
2018. Amazon released Kindle Lite e-reading app
Amazon has introduced a streamlined e-reading app named Kindle Lite. It is just 2MB in size and is tailored for Android Go. It provides a similar range of features as the Kindle app, such as syncing your reading progress across devices with Whispersync, customized recommendations, night mode, navigating through the table of contents and adjusting font sizes. One of the advantages of Lite for markets with limited cellular connectivity or 2G networks is that it allows you to read books while they are being downloaded. This is beneficial if you have a large library stored in the cloud or if you've recently acquired a new title and want to start reading it immediately.
2017. Kindle app gets new design and deeper Goodreads integration
Amazon launched a new version of Kindle for iOS and Android, featuring a redesign, more extensive Goodreads integration and persistent search. Goodreads, the social reading platform Amazon acquired in 2013, has been gradually integrated into the Kindle mobile app, but now it has its own dedicated tab, bringing most of the standalone Goodreads app's features to the interface. This includes receiving friends' updates, adding connections, rating books and more. The user interface also undergoes a refresh. It has been brightened up with a new white background that transitions to a dark gradient toward the edges of the page, mimicking the aging effect seen in old books.
2016. Amazon launched Kindle Reading Fund to expand digital reading around the world
In a move that one could only describe as staggeringly benevolent, Amazon has unveiled the Kindle Reading Fund, a program that appears to have been concocted by someone with an uncharacteristically optimistic view of humanity’s potential for literacy. The plan, in essence, is to scatter Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, and an impressive array of e-books across the globe like digital seeds of knowledge, with the help of a motley assortment of schools, libraries, PTAs, hospitals, and other non-profit sorts. To cap it all off, Amazon has teamed up with Worldreader, a group dedicated to ensuring that even in the most underdeveloped corners of the planet, people can finally enjoy the thrilling experience of losing themselves in the works of authors who would, no doubt, be flabbergasted to find themselves so universally distributed.
2016. Kindle gets a thinner and lighter design and 2x RAM
Amazon’s newly updated entry-level Kindle has slimmed down and shed a bit of weight just in time for swimsuit season – 16 percent, to be precise, now down to 5.7 ounces. The latest model features double the RAM of its predecessor, increasing to 512MB, along with a few new features, including Export Notes, which allows you to send notes and highlights to yourself via email and Bluetooth audio, which provides access to the VoiceView content reader without requiring an adapter. There’s also a newly customized home screen and enhancements to the reader’s simplified Chinese support. The new Kindle is available in both black and white and sports a newly rounded back for a more comfortable grip. It’s priced the same as its predecessor, at $79 with WiFi and Special Offers and $99 without. It’s available for pre-order now, with shipping commencing in the next few weeks. The higher-end, front-lit PaperWhite is also, appropriately, available in white as well.
2016. Kindle for PC allows to read children’s books and comic books
Amazon Kindle users can now access comic books and children's books on Kindle for PC. This is the first time you can do this without needing any Amazon hardware or their various smartphone apps. In 2014, Amazon acquired ComiXology, the largest digital distributor of comic books. Amazon has been gradually incorporating all their content into the Kindle store, including comics from major publishers like DC and Marvel. In addition to ComiXology, Amazon also collaborates directly with thousands of publishers around the world. If you have purchased any children's or comic books directly from Amazon, you can now read them on Kindle for PC or Kindle for Mac. If you already have these apps installed, you'll need to download the update.
2015. Kindle now allows to share book quotes via messengers
In a move that might please hitchhikers of the literary cosmos, Kindle users now have a fantastically simple way to zap their favorite bookish musings—be they quotes, highlights, or whole-hearted recommendations—straight to their friends via the mystical networks of mobile messaging. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, texting, and other such marvels of modernity are all on the table. This delightfully obvious upgrade means book clubbers can sidestep the galactic bureaucracy of public social posts, instead diving into deep and meaningful exchanges about their current page-turners, one discreet message at a time. It’s all perfectly personal—just a whisper to the friend most likely to love a particular tale. The new feature has hitched a ride to Kindle for Android already, with plans to expand across Kindle e-readers and other devices by year’s end. So long, and happy reading!
2015. Amazon introduced Kindle Bundle for Kids
In a bold move likely inspired by a desire to prevent kids from turning into app-obsessed zombies, Amazon has unveiled the discounted Kindle for Kids Bundle, cleverly designed to convince parents that e-readers are the gateway to educational enlightenment. This irresistible package includes a mercifully ad-free Kindle e-reader, a practically indestructible cover (because kids), and an extended warranty that laughs in the face of spills and drops. At a tantalizing $99—a full $39.98 cheaper than buying these marvels of modern engineering separately—Amazon promises a device that steadfastly refuses to support games or apps, stubbornly focusing on books alone. With 4 GB of storage capable of housing entire libraries and a battery life that stretches to a month (as long as Junior isn’t devouring books with Wi-Fi on), it’s practically begging to be stocked with one of the 250,000 titles Amazon sells—or better yet, some freebie e-books from your local library. Parents, take note: this is either the beginning of a literary revolution or a cunning ploy to get you hooked on Amazon’s ecosystem forever.
2015. Kindle Convert allows to turn your paper library into e-Books
If you’ve been holding on to those paper books because the notion of having to repurchase them all as Kindle titles is intimidating, Amazon has a new service for you: Kindle Convert, a program for Windows that transforms print books into digital versions fully compatible with Amazon’s Kindle software, including adjustable font, Whispersync for ensuring you’ll be able to return to the farthest read position on any device and backup in Amazon’s cloud for free, providing access across devices. The software costs $49. To get your books into digital format, you’ll have to actually scan them using a standard flatbed or other type of computer scanner, which means doing things two pages at a time at most. It’s also restricted to U.S. customers for now.
2014. Kindle app allows instantly upgrade text book to audiobook
Sometimes you want to read and sometimes you want to listen. Amazon Kindle apps now allow you to switch to the Audible version with a single tap, provided you’ve paid for the audio upgrade of the book you’re reading. The audio upgrades start at $0.99 per title, but can go up to around $3.99 or more for popular titles like “The Hunger Games.” Keep in mind that you’ve already bought the Kindle versions of these books, so it’s possible you’ll effectively be paying twice for the same content, although in most cases the Audible upgrade is considerably cheaper. It’s a clever way for Amazon to generate additional revenue from existing purchases, but it’s also genuinely useful for individuals with a mixed commute or busy schedules who want to continue “reading” even when they can’t physically do so.
2013. Amazon launches electronic literary magazine for Kindle
Amazon introduced an electronic magazine Day One, which will feature the work of one writer and one poet each week. An annual subscription is typically $19.99 but is available for $9.99 for “a limited time.” Issues will be delivered directly to your Kindle or Kindle app and “each issue of Day One includes a letter from the editor, along with occasional bonus content such as playlists, illustrations, or brief interviews with the authors.” Amazon aims to highlight the work of emerging authors and translate stories from across the globe into English. The first issue, released on Wednesday, included the short story "Sheila" by Rebecca Adams Wring and "Wrought," a poem by Zach Strait.
2013. Amazon launched new Kindle app with collections
Amazon has just rolled out a significant update to its Kindle for iOS app. The app is optimized for iOS 7 and features a completely new design, along with the Collections feature, which simplifies organizing books, documents and magazines. You can add a book to multiple collections — for instance, place *A Game of Thrones* in both “My Favorites” and “Fantasy Epics.” However, these collections are not synchronized with those created on your e-reader device. As always, the Kindle iOS app allows you to customize your reading screen, quickly highlight key sections and the X-Ray feature enables you to explore the “bones of the book” and learn more about significant characters, places and phrases with details from Shelfari.com and Wikipedia.
2013. Amazon wants to create used ebook marketplace
Amazon recently secured a patent to establish a marketplace where individuals can sell their used (read) ebooks. While ebooks don’t experience physical wear and tear, think of the resale process as more of a way to transfer your book licenses. Amazon’s method of reselling assumes that an Amazon book is downloaded to a new device while being deleted from the original owner’s bookshelf. Kindle users can currently “lend” ebooks, which then vanish from your device as your friend keeps the copy in their digital library. But why not earn from this? The only question is—will Amazon lose its profits if users opt to buy cheaper books from their friends instead of visiting the Kindle store?
2012. Windows 8 launch: with Kindle, and without Nook
Today, Windows 8 officially launched worldwide with its new Windows Store—the primary destination for Windows 8 apps (the sole source for Windows RT tablets). And guess what? There is no Nook app available yet, neither pre-installed in Windows nor in the Store. Remember that Microsoft partnered with Barnes & Noble to form a joint venture to manage the Nook ecosystem. They also promised to develop the Nook app for Windows 8 by its launch, but they did not deliver. Meanwhile, the main competitor, Amazon's Kindle app, is already available in the Windows Store. Like the Kindle apps on other platforms, it automatically synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights in each book. This means you can start reading a book on a Kindle e-reader and continue on a Windows 8 computer or tablet.
2012. Kindle e-Readers sales make no profit to Amazon
During his interview with the BBC, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos stated that the company sells Kindle e-readers and tablets at their production cost and doesn’t profit from their sales. "We aim to make money when people use our devices, not when they purchase them," he said. This is quite different from Apple’s business model, which has accumulated significant profits through high margins on its mobile products. For reference, the latest model Kindle Paperwhite starts at $119 for the Wi-Fi version, while the Kindle 5 is priced at $69. To be fair, Amazon generates revenue not only from selling books and media content through Kindle but also from advertising displayed during the Kindle’s sleep mode.
20.11.24. Amazon unveiled new USB Manager for Send to Kindle for Mac
Amazon has discreetly unveiled new capabilities for Send to Kindle for Mac. This official software package enables Macintosh users to effortlessly send PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF, HTM, HTML, PNG, GIF, JPG, JPEG, BMP and EPUB files to the various Kindle 2024 models and the Kindle Scribe. There is additional functionality today, with a completely new update. It has just added support for USB file transfers and the required drivers. The USB Manager feature functions with Intel and Mac M1-M3 computers running MacOS 12. Amazon probably prepared this support documentation before the new M4 Mac Mini, iMac and other systems were revealed last week. I am confident the new Send to Kindle for Mac will accommodate M4; if you manage to get it to work, please share your thoughts below. So Mac users will no longer need to install unreliable third-party programs or drivers simply to use the USB feature to send digital content to the Kindle from a Mac system. It seems Amazon is finally providing Mac users with some focus.
2024. Amazon removed Kindle Flashcards
Amazon has begun sending out emails notifying customers about their plan to discontinue the Flashcards feature on Kindles. The Flashcards feature allows you to review words that you’ve looked up in the dictionary and mark them as mastered. However, the Vocabulary Builder feature will remain, so you can still review looked up words, just not using flashcards. Amazon already started removing the Flashcards feature from Kindle apps and they intend to do away with Flashcards entirely in November of 2024. Users can request the flashcards associated with their account from this page at Amazon and continue using them on their own devices, but all flashcards will be deleted from Amazon’s servers later this year, so you need to download them soon.
2024. Kindle allows to read books on Peloton bikes
Amazon has partnered with Peloton to allow users read books while exercising on home-bikes and treadmills. To access the Kindle library you need to log into Amazon account directly on the bike screen and navigate to the Entertainment tab at the bottom. The integration provides a rather weird reading experience. You can turn pages with a tap, adjust font size, quickly navigate between chapters create bookmarks to continue reading from where you left off and turn on full-screen display. This new Kindle feature is currently available exclusively in Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom.
2023. Kindle Scribe annotations are now viewable on Kindle app
In a move that might be described as “an improvement so handy you’ll wonder why it wasn’t always like this,” annotations scribbled with the Kindle Scribe have finally taken up residence in the Kindle app on iOS devices. While the earlier upgrade allowing Notebooks from the Scribe to grace the iOS app already caused much polite nodding, the newly added ability to peek at in-book annotations feels like discovering an unexpected cup of tea in a bleak corner of the galaxy. Now, Kindle users can whimsically peruse their handwritten notes and highlights on a phone or tablet, delightfully unencumbered by the actual Kindle Scribe itself. For those waiting with baited breath on Android, fear not: your syncing salvation is set to arrive in that most definitively vague time known as “early 2024.”
2023. Kindle personal documents will be delivered in KFX Format
Amazon is now in the process of converting user-uploaded Kindle personal documents into the newer KFX format when they are downloaded on Kindle apps and Kindle e-readers. Until recently, only the Kindle Scribe supported personal documents in the KFX format. However, Amazon has now begun extending this support to other devices and applications, including the Kindle for Android and Kindle for iOS apps. Furthermore, Kindle e-readers that are compatible with the KFX format, such as the Kindle Paperwhite 3 and newer models, are now receiving personal documents in the KFX format as well. Previously, Amazon used to send older formats like AZW3 and MOBI to Kindle devices and apps when users sent personal documents through email or used the Send to Kindle webpage or app. The introduction of the ability to download personal documents in KFX format brings added support for improved typesetting and includes several extra features such as multi-page view and alignment settings. Essentially, personal documents and e-books obtained from sources other than Amazon and added to your Kindle library are now being treated more similarly to official Kindle e-books.
2023. Amazon released new Kindle app for Mac
In a move that could only be described as the digital equivalent of sprucing up the galactic Hitchhiker's Guide itself, Amazon has introduced a sparkling new Kindle reading app for Mac users. The previous version, now dubbed “Kindle Classic,” has been retired with a knowing sigh, replaced by a sleek and positively gleaming Kindle app that could charm even the surliest Vogon. With a design seemingly cloned directly from its iOS counterpart, the new app flaunts an interstellar lineup of features: endless scrolling (for those who find page numbers unnervingly finite), a reading ruler to keep your gaze as focused as a hyperspatial drive, and a galaxy of font options that would make any typographer misty-eyed. Users can now immerse themselves in full-screen reading, page-turn animations, and a cornucopia of new themes, with an X-Ray feature that reveals the secrets lurking between the lines. As users boldly enter the app, they’ll find themselves greeted by a library more visually vibrant than Milliways, displaying cover art from every e-book they own (or have sampled with reckless abandon). It’s a paradise for the organized mind, too, with options to view books in grid or list form, sort by collections, or filter by read/unread, documents, and Newsstand materials. But be warned, dear space travelers: audiobooks are still a strange, mythological creature in this Kindle cosmos, with no player in sight for Mac users... yet.
2023. Kindle for PC update is required to download newer eBooks
Amazon is now requiring Kindle for PC and Mac users to install an update in order to download and read any new Kindle ebooks released as of January 3rd, 2023. The reason the Kindle for PC and Mac apps need to be updated is because newer ebooks can now only be downloaded in Amazon’s KFX format, rather than the older Kindle formats. This isn’t encouraging news for ebook buyers and some see it as just another way for Amazon to exert control over content purchased from them. Changing formats and tightening DRM measures is likely to become standard practice in the ebook industry moving forward. Twenty years from now, how will ebooks be handled in these regards? With digital media, things are always evolving. Just because you can download your purchased ebooks today doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do so in ten or twenty years.
2022. Send to Kindle app for PC and Mac now supports EPUB
Amazon has finally refreshed its Send to Kindle apps for Windows and Mac computers to include support for sending EPUB files to Kindle e-readers and Kindle reading apps. They don’t actually transmit the EPUB file directly to Kindles; instead, it is converted to Kindle format during the process and only DRM-free EPUBs are supported, of course. Amazon introduced support for emailing EPUBs in April and their iOS and Android Kindle apps have supported sending EPUBs since August. Now, the PC and Mac apps also support sending EPUBs.
2022. Amazon's Send to Kindle for EPUB is now live
Amazon announced a few months ago that Send to Kindle will now support EPUB files. The service is now operational and you can use the Send to Kindle apps for PC or Mac, the Chrome Extension, Kindle for Android and email. This marks the first time Amazon has supported the EPUB format for delivery to your Kindle account. However, when using the Send to Kindle service, the EPUB files are converted to the AZW3 format before being sent to your device. This ensures that your book will have proper typography and allow access to features like X-Ray, dictionaries and Wordwise.
2022. Kindle Store is no longer available on older Kindles
The Kindle store is no longer accessible on older Kindles, including the Kindle DX, Kindle 2, Kindle 3 (also known as Kindle Keyboard), Kindle 4 and Kindle 5. Essentially, if your Kindle lacks a touchscreen, it will no longer be able to access the Kindle store. This change occurred last year for some models like the first-generation Kindle when 3G towers were decommissioned. Now, the store will also be disabled on older non-touchscreen WiFi models, such as the once-popular Kindle 3. While you can no longer shop directly from these Kindles, you can still send and read eBooks on them as before. It’s disappointing to see older devices lose functionality, but given that the 5th generation Kindle is now ten years old, it's not unexpected that Amazon has decided not to maintain a non-touchscreen store for these decade-old devices.
2022. You can no longer buy Kindle Books on Android
Amazon has disabled the option to purchase ebooks in the Kindle app for Android. When attempting to buy digital books, a new screen appears, informing customers that in order to comply with Google's policy changes, ebook purchases are no longer supported. This is due to Google's new requirement that all apps use their own billing system and take a 30% commission on each transaction. Given that Amazon is the largest ebook retailer globally, the commission paid to Google would be substantial. Amazon is the latest company to halt digital transactions on Android; in recent weeks, Audible and Barnes & Noble have stopped selling audiobooks and ebooks in their apps.
2022. Amazon adds EPUB and drops MOBI support on Send to Kindle apps
Last week, Amazon permitted Kindle users to send ePub files to Kindles via email. While it’s positive to see Amazon finally adding support for DRM-free ePub files to the Kindle Personal Documents Service, they also announced they will be discontinuing support for the older MOBI format. Books in MOBI format lack some of the newer features, such as custom fonts and font boldness control. However, one advantage of sideloaded MOBI books is that book covers were displayed, whereas other sideloaded formats only show a generic cover. To clarify, they aren’t eliminating support for the MOBI format on Kindles. You will still be able to read MOBI files that you’ve added to your Kindle, but you will no longer be able to wirelessly send MOBI files to Kindles using Amazon Kindle Personal Documents Service.
2021. Kindle for PC discontinues support for Windows 7
In a move that could only be described as the sort of inevitability that sneaks up on you while you’re busy arguing about what “support” really means, Amazon has declared Windows 7 as passé for its Kindle PC app. Should you be one of the few gallant souls still clinging to a Windows 7-powered contraption, be warned: your Kindle app will soon be as update-free as an ancient alien artifact—functional but suspiciously untrustworthy. As the gears of progress grind ever onward, it’s only a matter of time before the whole shebang ceases to let you buy or read ebooks entirely. Officially, Kindle for PC now nods approvingly only at Windows 10, 8.1, and 8, but the tea leaves seem to suggest that even Windows 8 is staring at a calendar with existential dread. Why the curtain call for Windows 7? Well, it seems Windows 11 and its Android-friendly Kindle app have swanned onto the stage with a feature set so shiny that even the Kindle Cloud Reader feels insecure. Amazon figures most users will embrace this brave new world via Windows 11 on their computers, tablets, or slates, leaving Windows 7 to join the dinosaurs—or, more accurately, the Betamax.
2021. Amazon will no longer be providing free access to Kindle magazines
In a decision that might make you wonder if the universe's infinite improbability drive has been meddling with corporate policies, Amazon has announced that free access to Kindle magazines for paper edition subscribers will now be a thing of the past—unless, of course, the subscription in question was made through Amazon itself (because, naturally, it’s always best to keep things within the mothership). Fear not, though, for this twist in the space-time continuum doesn’t alter the sacred status of your subscription with the publisher. Should you wish to continue enjoying the thrill of pixels over paper, the illustrious Kindle Newsstand stands ready to assist. And here’s the good news: any magazine editions already lounging comfortably on your Kindle will remain blissfully unaffected by this cosmic upheaval.
2020. Kindle makes it easier to borrow ebooks from Prime Reading
Kindle readers now permit borrowing ebooks from Kindle Unlimited, Prime Reading and the public library directly from your home screen. This feature is part of the 5.13.3 firmware update released today and is compatible with most devices going back to the Kindle Voyage. To view recommendations for popular titles from Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading, you need to have Home Screen View activated. You can toggle this feature on or off in the settings menu. Additionally, Amazon has relocated the Kindle user guide from your library shelf to the help menu, which will help free up some space. The update also includes several performance improvements, bug fixes and other general enhancements.
2020. Kindle for Android now allows permanently delete ebooks
Amazon has introduced the capability to delete Kindle books directly from your Android smartphone and tablet. This feature lets you completely remove ebooks you no longer wish to keep on your device, or samples you downloaded years ago. Simply visit your library, long press on the cover art and you will receive a confirmation prompt to remove it or not. The update also enables you to filter your books by Family Library titles and sync your reading across devices in both Page Flip View and Continuous Scrolling.
2020. Amazon discontinues Kindle Owners Lending Library
Amazon has just phased out the Lending Library and is now directing users to Kindle Unlimited or Prime Reading instead. Amazon introduced the Kindle Lending Library in 2011. This was a service where Prime members could borrow one free book each month. Once a book was borrowed, it could be re-downloaded for free at any time in the future. Books included in the free lending library had a “Prime” logo next to them and a “Borrow for free” button below the traditional “Buy” button. There was no expiration date for the books and it was very popular. In 2016, Amazon launched Prime Reading, which effectively replaced the Kindle Lending Library and Amazon stopped promoting it on their website or through press releases.
2020. Amazon lowers Kindle price to compete against Kobo Nia
The Kobo Nia is set to be released in a few days and Amazon is pulling out all the stops to persuade you to purchase the entry-level Kindle. They have recently reduced its price by $20, making it available for $69.99 USD. The Kobo Nia will be priced at $99 USD. The entry-level Kindle e-reader features a 6-inch E Ink Carta display with a resolution of 800×600 and 167 PPI. This is the first Kindle with a front-light display, which allows you to adjust the brightness using a slider. It has 4 white LED lights at the bottom of the bezel that cast light upwards, preventing glare in your eyes. The Kobo Nia boasts a 6-inch E INK Carta HD capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024×758 and 212 PPI and includes 5 white LED lights.
2020. Amazon discontinues the Kindle Cloud Reader
The Kindle Cloud Reader enabled users to read ebooks through all major web browsers on desktops, mobiles and tablets. Over the past week, Amazon has been removing features from it and it appears to be nearing discontinuation. The only books you can access are those that were previously downloaded; no new titles can be retrieved. Ebooks from some publishers with DRM can no longer be opened, even if they were downloaded before. A popup window appears, advising readers to download the Kindle app for iOS or Android. Amazon has also removed the option to read books offline; an active internet connection is now required to access your reading material.
2020. You can now read Kindle Books on the new Microsoft Edge Browser
Microsoft's updated Chromium-based Edge browser now includes Kindle Cloud Reader. This feature allows you to tailor your reading experience on Edge by adjusting the font type, font size, background color, or margins. You can also create and modify notes, bookmarks and more. Whispersync technology automatically synchronizes your most recent page read, notes and highlights across devices, enabling you to start reading in your browser and continue where you left off on your Kindle or any device with the Kindle app. If you encounter an unfamiliar word, you can translate it or look up its definition in a dictionary. You can purchase ebooks and explore the Kindle Store and read in either portrait or landscape mode, depending on whether you're using a tablet or a widescreen PC monitor.
2019. Kindle firmware update makes it easier to read ebooks
In a move that might well redefine the universe of e-reading (or at least the small, rectangular bit of it that belongs to Amazon), the Kindle Basic, Kindle Oasis, Kindle Voyage, and Kindle Paperwhite have been blessed—or perhaps nudged—into a higher plane of existence with firmware update 5.12.2. This update, it is said, will make the business of reading ebooks a good deal simpler, assuming you ever finish perusing the endless labyrinth of product recommendations first. It’s particularly splendid for those who compulsively hoard digital books, revel in Prime Membership’s peculiar perks, or delight in the infinite library of Kindle Unlimited. In short, it’s as if the Kindle devices have collectively decided to help you read more, browse more, and buy more, all while pretending to be helpful.
2019. Alexa now allows to send ebooks to Kindle
Amazon has recently introduced new functionality to add or remove audiobooks and ebooks on your Kindle e-reader using Alexa. If you have the Alexa app on your smartphone or a physical speaker, you can simply say “Alexa, manage my content.” Alexa will then present options such as adding an ebook or audiobook to your default device or removing them entirely from your account. This is the second time Amazon has added features for interacting with the Kindle. The first was in late 2016 when Alexa could begin reading your ebooks aloud on the Echo.
2019. Amazon updates the $90 Kindle with a front light
Amazon’s standard Kindle now comes with an adjustable front light and a capacitive touch 167 PPI display. This price includes Special Offers (i.e., the screen saver ads that Amazon has included for most of the product’s life). This model will sit below the more expensive Kindle Paperwhite, which offers a higher resolution (300 PPI) screen, a flush design and waterproofing, starting at $130. The top-of-the-line Oasis, on the other hand, starts at $230. The Kindle lineup will be receiving a simple new feature that marks books as read across all devices, along with additional recommendations based on reading habits. These features will be available on existing models via an over-the-air update.
2018. Amazon released Kindle Lite e-reading app
Amazon has introduced a streamlined e-reading app named Kindle Lite. It is just 2MB in size and is tailored for Android Go. It provides a similar range of features as the Kindle app, such as syncing your reading progress across devices with Whispersync, customized recommendations, night mode, navigating through the table of contents and adjusting font sizes. One of the advantages of Lite for markets with limited cellular connectivity or 2G networks is that it allows you to read books while they are being downloaded. This is beneficial if you have a large library stored in the cloud or if you've recently acquired a new title and want to start reading it immediately.
2017. Kindle app gets new design and deeper Goodreads integration
Amazon launched a new version of Kindle for iOS and Android, featuring a redesign, more extensive Goodreads integration and persistent search. Goodreads, the social reading platform Amazon acquired in 2013, has been gradually integrated into the Kindle mobile app, but now it has its own dedicated tab, bringing most of the standalone Goodreads app's features to the interface. This includes receiving friends' updates, adding connections, rating books and more. The user interface also undergoes a refresh. It has been brightened up with a new white background that transitions to a dark gradient toward the edges of the page, mimicking the aging effect seen in old books.
2016. Amazon launched Kindle Reading Fund to expand digital reading around the world
In a move that one could only describe as staggeringly benevolent, Amazon has unveiled the Kindle Reading Fund, a program that appears to have been concocted by someone with an uncharacteristically optimistic view of humanity’s potential for literacy. The plan, in essence, is to scatter Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, and an impressive array of e-books across the globe like digital seeds of knowledge, with the help of a motley assortment of schools, libraries, PTAs, hospitals, and other non-profit sorts. To cap it all off, Amazon has teamed up with Worldreader, a group dedicated to ensuring that even in the most underdeveloped corners of the planet, people can finally enjoy the thrilling experience of losing themselves in the works of authors who would, no doubt, be flabbergasted to find themselves so universally distributed.
2016. Kindle gets a thinner and lighter design and 2x RAM
Amazon’s newly updated entry-level Kindle has slimmed down and shed a bit of weight just in time for swimsuit season – 16 percent, to be precise, now down to 5.7 ounces. The latest model features double the RAM of its predecessor, increasing to 512MB, along with a few new features, including Export Notes, which allows you to send notes and highlights to yourself via email and Bluetooth audio, which provides access to the VoiceView content reader without requiring an adapter. There’s also a newly customized home screen and enhancements to the reader’s simplified Chinese support. The new Kindle is available in both black and white and sports a newly rounded back for a more comfortable grip. It’s priced the same as its predecessor, at $79 with WiFi and Special Offers and $99 without. It’s available for pre-order now, with shipping commencing in the next few weeks. The higher-end, front-lit PaperWhite is also, appropriately, available in white as well.
2016. Kindle for PC allows to read children’s books and comic books
Amazon Kindle users can now access comic books and children's books on Kindle for PC. This is the first time you can do this without needing any Amazon hardware or their various smartphone apps. In 2014, Amazon acquired ComiXology, the largest digital distributor of comic books. Amazon has been gradually incorporating all their content into the Kindle store, including comics from major publishers like DC and Marvel. In addition to ComiXology, Amazon also collaborates directly with thousands of publishers around the world. If you have purchased any children's or comic books directly from Amazon, you can now read them on Kindle for PC or Kindle for Mac. If you already have these apps installed, you'll need to download the update.
2015. Kindle now allows to share book quotes via messengers
In a move that might please hitchhikers of the literary cosmos, Kindle users now have a fantastically simple way to zap their favorite bookish musings—be they quotes, highlights, or whole-hearted recommendations—straight to their friends via the mystical networks of mobile messaging. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, texting, and other such marvels of modernity are all on the table. This delightfully obvious upgrade means book clubbers can sidestep the galactic bureaucracy of public social posts, instead diving into deep and meaningful exchanges about their current page-turners, one discreet message at a time. It’s all perfectly personal—just a whisper to the friend most likely to love a particular tale. The new feature has hitched a ride to Kindle for Android already, with plans to expand across Kindle e-readers and other devices by year’s end. So long, and happy reading!
2015. Amazon introduced Kindle Bundle for Kids
In a bold move likely inspired by a desire to prevent kids from turning into app-obsessed zombies, Amazon has unveiled the discounted Kindle for Kids Bundle, cleverly designed to convince parents that e-readers are the gateway to educational enlightenment. This irresistible package includes a mercifully ad-free Kindle e-reader, a practically indestructible cover (because kids), and an extended warranty that laughs in the face of spills and drops. At a tantalizing $99—a full $39.98 cheaper than buying these marvels of modern engineering separately—Amazon promises a device that steadfastly refuses to support games or apps, stubbornly focusing on books alone. With 4 GB of storage capable of housing entire libraries and a battery life that stretches to a month (as long as Junior isn’t devouring books with Wi-Fi on), it’s practically begging to be stocked with one of the 250,000 titles Amazon sells—or better yet, some freebie e-books from your local library. Parents, take note: this is either the beginning of a literary revolution or a cunning ploy to get you hooked on Amazon’s ecosystem forever.
2015. Kindle Convert allows to turn your paper library into e-Books
If you’ve been holding on to those paper books because the notion of having to repurchase them all as Kindle titles is intimidating, Amazon has a new service for you: Kindle Convert, a program for Windows that transforms print books into digital versions fully compatible with Amazon’s Kindle software, including adjustable font, Whispersync for ensuring you’ll be able to return to the farthest read position on any device and backup in Amazon’s cloud for free, providing access across devices. The software costs $49. To get your books into digital format, you’ll have to actually scan them using a standard flatbed or other type of computer scanner, which means doing things two pages at a time at most. It’s also restricted to U.S. customers for now.
2014. Kindle app allows instantly upgrade text book to audiobook
Sometimes you want to read and sometimes you want to listen. Amazon Kindle apps now allow you to switch to the Audible version with a single tap, provided you’ve paid for the audio upgrade of the book you’re reading. The audio upgrades start at $0.99 per title, but can go up to around $3.99 or more for popular titles like “The Hunger Games.” Keep in mind that you’ve already bought the Kindle versions of these books, so it’s possible you’ll effectively be paying twice for the same content, although in most cases the Audible upgrade is considerably cheaper. It’s a clever way for Amazon to generate additional revenue from existing purchases, but it’s also genuinely useful for individuals with a mixed commute or busy schedules who want to continue “reading” even when they can’t physically do so.
2013. Amazon launches electronic literary magazine for Kindle
Amazon introduced an electronic magazine Day One, which will feature the work of one writer and one poet each week. An annual subscription is typically $19.99 but is available for $9.99 for “a limited time.” Issues will be delivered directly to your Kindle or Kindle app and “each issue of Day One includes a letter from the editor, along with occasional bonus content such as playlists, illustrations, or brief interviews with the authors.” Amazon aims to highlight the work of emerging authors and translate stories from across the globe into English. The first issue, released on Wednesday, included the short story "Sheila" by Rebecca Adams Wring and "Wrought," a poem by Zach Strait.
2013. Amazon launched new Kindle app with collections
Amazon has just rolled out a significant update to its Kindle for iOS app. The app is optimized for iOS 7 and features a completely new design, along with the Collections feature, which simplifies organizing books, documents and magazines. You can add a book to multiple collections — for instance, place *A Game of Thrones* in both “My Favorites” and “Fantasy Epics.” However, these collections are not synchronized with those created on your e-reader device. As always, the Kindle iOS app allows you to customize your reading screen, quickly highlight key sections and the X-Ray feature enables you to explore the “bones of the book” and learn more about significant characters, places and phrases with details from Shelfari.com and Wikipedia.
2013. Amazon wants to create used ebook marketplace
Amazon recently secured a patent to establish a marketplace where individuals can sell their used (read) ebooks. While ebooks don’t experience physical wear and tear, think of the resale process as more of a way to transfer your book licenses. Amazon’s method of reselling assumes that an Amazon book is downloaded to a new device while being deleted from the original owner’s bookshelf. Kindle users can currently “lend” ebooks, which then vanish from your device as your friend keeps the copy in their digital library. But why not earn from this? The only question is—will Amazon lose its profits if users opt to buy cheaper books from their friends instead of visiting the Kindle store?
2012. Windows 8 launch: with Kindle, and without Nook
Today, Windows 8 officially launched worldwide with its new Windows Store—the primary destination for Windows 8 apps (the sole source for Windows RT tablets). And guess what? There is no Nook app available yet, neither pre-installed in Windows nor in the Store. Remember that Microsoft partnered with Barnes & Noble to form a joint venture to manage the Nook ecosystem. They also promised to develop the Nook app for Windows 8 by its launch, but they did not deliver. Meanwhile, the main competitor, Amazon's Kindle app, is already available in the Windows Store. Like the Kindle apps on other platforms, it automatically synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights in each book. This means you can start reading a book on a Kindle e-reader and continue on a Windows 8 computer or tablet.
2012. Kindle e-Readers sales make no profit to Amazon
During his interview with the BBC, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos stated that the company sells Kindle e-readers and tablets at their production cost and doesn’t profit from their sales. "We aim to make money when people use our devices, not when they purchase them," he said. This is quite different from Apple’s business model, which has accumulated significant profits through high margins on its mobile products. For reference, the latest model Kindle Paperwhite starts at $119 for the Wi-Fi version, while the Kindle 5 is priced at $69. To be fair, Amazon generates revenue not only from selling books and media content through Kindle but also from advertising displayed during the Kindle’s sleep mode.
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