Saturday, August 14, 2010

Kindle for PC updated with long-awaited feature and a new look


The Kindle for PC app has been quietly updated.  Some have chosen the option to have it updated automatically when they open the program and an update is available.

  I like to choose the time, but then I didn't get a notice that there was an update waiting to be 'noticed.'

I read about it when @MikeCane tweeted it the other day in his inimitable way.
See below:


So, I went to my Kindle for PC program, still showing a bright, plain white background, chose the menu's install-update option, and got what Cane described.



 Even better, when I clicked on the Menu to read about Future Improvements, I saw what I'd been waiting for:

' Here are some new features we have recently added to Kindle for PC.
  Download the new version to enjoy these new features.

  * Search
Search for words or phrases within the book you’re reading
  * Improved look and feel
Enjoy brighter graphics and a slick new look '

They list the following for possible future improvements:
' Below are some features we are thinking about bringing to Kindle for PC in the near future:

  * Two-page reading mode
View two pages at the same time
  * Built-in dictionary
Seamlessly look up the definitions of English words without interrupting your reading
  * Library management
A new way to manage and organize your content '

I'd never noticed that, on the main page, we have choices to sort by Most Recent, Title, and Author as we can on the Kindle.

I also see that my newspaper subscriptions are showing up.  Were those shown before?  Never saw these either, in my previous listings. Updated:  These were single issues and even then, though they were in my archives, they can't be read on this app.

Dictionary
As for the future dictionary -- until they're ready, be sure to take a look at WordWeb - it's free and it's useful for more than just the Kindle app.

TIP - To make sure that syncing works better between the Kindle for PC app and your Kindle and other devices, click on "Home" at top-left of the app after you've finished reading, before you close the program.  That gives a better chance of recording your last-page read and having it picked up by the Amazon servers while you're on the Net.

HELP page for Kindle for PC
There's a lot of good info at the Kindle for PC Help page.


Kindle 3   (UK: Kindle 3),   DX Graphite

Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
  Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

Send to Kindle


(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
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4 comments:

  1. Andrys, I don't know if you noticed, but the background on the updated Kindle for PC changes with time...faint stars develop in the sky as evening falls and the boy's reader glows later into the night.

    ~Shady

    ReplyDelete
  2. ~Shady,
    I remember writing about this happening with Kindle for iPad when it came out but did not realize it was true for the latest update of Kindle for PC.

    Thanks much for pointing that out. Will include that in an update.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I now see the oxford dictionary in the Kindle for PC.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous,
    Anonymous,
    Yes, see the Kindle for PC updated blog entry here for more details. One of them was the dictionary support.

    That and Search had been the two features I'd wanted most.

    ReplyDelete

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