The Kindle brand has welcomed a new service to the family in the form of the Kindle Cloud Reader a HTML5-based reading application accessible from a web browser. Currently only a few browsers are supported namely Google Chrome and Safari on a PC, Mac or iPad. Being built with HTML5 is advantageous in that it theoretically allows Kindle Cloud Reader to run on any platform or OS that supports it.
Escaping Apple’s Net
The Kindle Cloud Reader allows users access to their Kindle library from a browser even when offline and is optimized for for iPad. The iPad optimization is interesting as many observers are noting that the cloud readers seems to be an ingenious workaround by Amazon to escape Apple’s now mandatory in-app payment policy that ensures they get their 30% cut of all earnings that pass through their ecosystem.
The steady migration of apps and services to the cloud continues as more and more services connected to the clouds. Soon all your music, photos, books and even your operating system itself will be in the clouds and getting access to your life would need an internet connection. Maybe the Chrome OS isn’t such a bad idea after all? Access the Kidle Cloud Reader at amazon.com/cloudreader. Press release below.
SEATTLE – August 10, 2011 – (NASDAQ: AMZN) – For over two years, Amazon has been offering a wide selection of free Kindle reading apps that enable customers to “Buy Once, Read Everywhere.” Customers can already read Kindle books on the largest number of the most popular devices and platforms, including Kindles, iPads, iPhones, iPod touches, PCs, Macs, Android phones and tablets, and BlackBerrys. Today, Amazon.com announced Kindle Cloud Reader, its latest Kindle reading application that leverages HTML5 and enables customers to read Kindle books instantly using only their web browser – online or offline – with no downloading or installation required. As with all Kindle apps, Kindle Cloud Reader automatically synchronizes your Kindle library, as well as your last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights for all of your Kindle books, no matter how you choose to read them. Kindle Cloud Reader with its integrated touch optimized Kindle Store is available starting today for Safari on iPad, Safari on desktop and Chrome at www.amazon.com/cloudreader.
“We are excited to take this leap forward in our ‘Buy Once, Read Everywhere’ mission and help customers access their library instantly from anywhere,” said Dorothy Nicholls, Director, Amazon Kindle. “We have written the application from the ground up in HTML5, so that customers can also access their content offline directly from their browser. The flexibility of HTML5 allows us to build one application that automatically adapts to the platform you’re using – from Chrome to iOS. To make it easy and seamless to discover new books, we’ve added an integrated, touch optimized store directly into Cloud Reader, allowing customers one click access to a vast selection of books.”
Features of Kindle Cloud Reader include:
– An immersive view of your entire Kindle library, with instant access to all of your books
– Start reading over 950,000 Kindle books instantly within your browser
– An embedded Kindle Store optimized for your web browser makes it seamless to discover new books and start reading them instantly
– New Kindle Store for iPad is built from the ground up for iPad’s touch interface
– Your current book is automatically made available for offline use, and you can choose to save a book for reading offline at any time
– Receive automatic software updates without the need to download new software
– Select any book to start reading, customize the page layout to your desired font size, text color, background color, and more
– View all of the notes, highlights, and bookmarks that you’ve made on other Kindle apps or on Kindle
– Sync your last page read across your Kindle and free Kindle apps so you can always pick up where you left offKindle Cloud Reader is available for Safari on iPad, Safari on desktop and Chrome starting today. Kindle Cloud Reader on the iPad is optimized for the size and unique touch interface of iPad. Without even leaving the app, customers can start shopping in the Kindle Store and will find a unique and immersive shopping experience built specifically for iPad’s Safari browser.
Kindle Cloud Reader will be available on additional web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, the BlackBerry PlayBook browser, and other mobile browsers, in the coming months.
Amazon.com customers can start reading their Kindle books immediately using Kindle Cloud Reader at www.amazon.com/cloudreader.
4 responses to “Amazon launches HTML5 Kindle Cloud Reader”
So what is the point in having an online Kindle? Wasn’t the point of the Kindle to be able to move around with ones favorite books compact in a mobile device that does not necessarily require the internet to access their virtual book collection?
the online Kindle allows persons with or without a Kindle to read books are have access to their kindle purchases on their iPads, netbooks, laptops, desktops, smartphone etc. You can download a book directly to any device and read it from there.
So its basically I can now read/download my Kindle books on any other portable device I may have e.g. iPad, smartphone etc….?
yes so you don’t have to have a physically Kindle device to read/buy Kindle books