Amazon offers a free cloud reader which allows you to store your Kindle library inside of your web browser. The cloud reader is built on HTML5 and has a lot of the UI features long time customers have come to expect from Amazon. The site currently runs on Apples Safari and Google chrome. The service can also be accessed easily from a Mac book pro as well. Since the service is based on cloud computing technology, there is nothing to download when you switch devices. There is a less amount in application luster when it comes to browser reading and the kindle cloud site doesn’t have the ability to support text searches, full screen reading or notes.
You are able to purchase things from the kindle store via the kindle cloud site. This move was made to combats Apples policy of 30% sales forfeiture from in app purchases. The application instead of having links, now offers a full mobile site that has all of the features of the full site. While the site isn’t perfect is does allow users to use and purchase new titles for their libraries without the hassle of installing software.
Since you only have two browser options, the kindle cloud reader offers a limited experience. Chrome and Safari which are both Webkit based browsers are the only ones supported. This leaves out almost eighty percent of the internet market. If you try to use the kindle cloud reader via IE, opera or Firefox, you will simply receive and error message stating “Your web browser isn’t supported yet. Download Chrome or Safari below.” The ability to sign into the site is grayed and unclick able so that’s the end of that.
Of the two browsers supported, regardless of the one you use you will be asked to run and extension that allows you to cache your books for offline readability. If you access it via Google Chrome, then your home screen will get a shiny new shortcut for the Cloud reader. Your will need to also expand your DB size any where from five to fifty MB. If your application is run from a mobile devise, this makes sense, but if you are using a desktop there is not much reason to opt for this.
When using the extension, you will be given to option Pin and Download the book by right clicking on a book cover. This will save the title for offline use. It ill be identifies as cashed by having a green indention on the title in the library list. If you do this in Safari, the cache is automatically started but the books are separately labeled until you request it.
Upon sign in, the library will sort itself to show your most resent added titles. This also points to the ones you most recently read. This is a default function and you can sort your books by authors, title, genre and a host of other custom choices.
Check out the Kindle Reader now.