Amazon offers free 'Kindle for PC' to the eBook masses

by Stevie Smith - Nov 11 2009, 10:05

If you're looking to get in on the action when it comes to electronic book reading, but don't fancy the hefty price tags that generally accompany existing eBook devices, then Kindle-maker Amazon has an extremely tempting alternative.

Indeed, while Amazon's own Kindle book reader carries a price of $259 USD, the online retailer has this week launched 'Kindle for PC', which arrives as a completely free software application that allows PC owners to enjoy Kindle books on their computers without requiring an actual Kindle reader.

Kindle for PC is open to PC-based book lovers in more than 100 countries and utilises Whispersync technology for the automatic saving and synchronisation of bookmarks and last page read across compatible devices (i.e., Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod Touch, and PC).

“Kindle for PC is the perfect companion application for customers who own a Kindle or Kindle DX,” commented Ian Freed, vice president of Amazon's Kindle business.

“Kindle for PC is also a great way for people around the world to access a huge selection from the Kindle Store and read the most popular books of today even if they don't yet have a Kindle,” he added.

Not merely a bare bones and 'content lite' iteration of the Kindle platform, Kindle for PC enables users to purchase, download and read hundreds of thousands of books via the Kindle Store (including 'try before you buy' samples), enjoy full colour pages for children's books, travel books and graphic novels, select between more than 10 zoom-friendly fonts, and even use finger gestures to turn on-screen pages.

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