Amazon Announces “Kindle for the Web” [Amazon Kindle for the Web Brings Ebook Samples to the Web Browser]

Posted on TFTS by Robert Nelson on Tuesday, 28. September 2010 under: Devices, Net Resources, PCs, Notebooks, Netbooks & Tablets

Amazon has once again expanded in terms of the Kindle. This latest announcement is called “Kindle for the Web” and just as you would likely imagine, it means that you can now access Kindle ebooks directly from the browser.

And before anyone thinks that being able to do this will render the PC and Mac apps for Kindle useless, the Kindle for the Web initiative is (at least now) only offering ebook samples. In other words, you are not going to be reading a complete Kindle ebook in your web browser. Though I would not be surprised to see that come sometime in the future. But I digress.

In terms of Kindle for the Web, this allows for samples, which as anyone who has taken advantage of a book sample will let you know, it is usually just enough to either make you want more or turn you away forever. That said, the nice part with this is you can now browse Amazon in your regular desktop web browser to find and sample a book. And then, assuming you like what you have read, you can then purchase and have it sent to your device. Bottom line here, this removes the step of having to send the sample to your device and then go back and make a purchase.

Of course it sounds nice for those reading and looking to make a purchase, however there is more to the Kindle for the Web program. Other aspects include social network sharing in the form of Facebook, Twitter and email integration.

But perhaps a little more interesting, the book samples can also be embed into a blog or website and those who own the site will then be able to earn referral fees if anyone purchases the book after clicking though the sample they posted. And yes, that is done as you have likely guessed, by way of the Amazon Associates Program.

Lastly, other details of the book samples include the ability to change the font size and line spacing as well as adjusting the background color.

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