Kindle for Android is OUT!

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Gearhead

Boo. 'Still no option for text justification. I keep thinking Amazon will add this feature.

Ouch !

I really, really, don't need that app.

[Lo Zeno]

Originally Posted by alism

So does the Kindle for android app mean that you might soon be able to read kindle books on your nook without converting?

Maybe... on LCD screen. I doubt that you'll be able to read them on the eInk screen without hacking the kindle application.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by alism

So does the Kindle for android app mean that you might soon be able to read kindle books on your nook without converting?

Doesn't the Nook use Android 1.5? The Kindle app requires 1.6 minimum, not that it won't necessarily work, but...


I'm sure someone will be trying it and reporting in though.


It does work on the eDGe, but only on the LCD side, not on the eInk side.
http://www.entourageedge.com/forums/...id-released..&

[Olympus]

<hush hush mode>
no e-boundaries on the kindle versions of books for my android (yet) - so I can buy kindle versions (some @ extreme low prices like $0,99 instead of $13,49) although I do not live in that good US of A. (ie Dan Brown's Lost Symbol should not be sold outside of USA -
</hush hush mode>

[BenLee]

Any word on whether they plan on adding the audio/video support to the Android Kindle? Seems kind of unfair that the iPhone/iPad users get to rub that in the faces of Android users.

[thinkpad]

Originally Posted by Olympus

no e-boundaries on the kindle versions of books for my android (yet)

But with that app on your phone I'm betting they pretty quickly can find out that your not in the U.S and ask for proof of residency.

[haino]

Can Calibre be downloaded directly onto a MID or other device with the Android operating system?

[krischik]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

The archos are 1.6 now So that shoudn't be a problem.

But the AppsLib shop demands 1.5 (at least in there FAQ) - so the software can't be distributed on AppsLib. So get yourself Android market :-) .

Martin

[krischik]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I'm sure someone will be trying it and reporting in though.

There is nothing to try. The minimum version needed is part of the applications manifest. Android Market won't even display the application if you have a 1.5 device.

If you get the installation package elsewhere then the installer will refuse to install. The manifest is a pretty central part of the Android application management.

Originally Posted by haino

Can Calibre be downloaded directly onto a MID or other device with the Android operating system?

Theoretically yes - practically no. Even if you use the NDK to port calibre there is the problem of size. 200MB is not what you want to install on a mobile device. The problem with calibre is that it needs specific versions of QT and Python to work and usually bundles them as well. And Android comes without QT and Python so you definably have to bundle them.

Martin

PS I which there was a calibre version which comes without the bundled QT and Python. I got them both already and it is an enormous waste of hard-drive space. I tried to create one myself but I failed. The calibre build environment is so convoluted that I begin to think that it is in violation of the GPL.

[SpiderMatt]

I got a reply from Amazon when I asked about the crashing issue:

Hello,

I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Periodicals such as newspapers, magazines, blogs, and personal documents can currently only be delivered to a Kindle and cannot be viewed on the Kindle applications. However, most books available for reading on Amazon Kindle can also be read on the Kindle application.

You can read content you buy from the Kindle Store (such as books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs) on most Kindle devices or devices running a Kindle application registered to your Amazon.com account but not the other contents.

I'll let the Kindle team know that you're interested in the ability to receive subscriptions on your Kindle application. They're always looking for ways to improve our Kindle offerings and may be able to make this feature available in the future.

I hope this helps. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

It doesn't sound good. Seems like they have no intention of fixing the app to allow third-party files to be used. Even though it's not an official function on the iPod Touch, at least when it's jailbroken, any files uploaded to the Kindle books folder will open. I just automatically assumed that would be natively supported in an Android app. How disappointing.

[krischik]

Originally Posted by SpiderMatt

Seems like they have no intention of fixing the app to allow third-party files to be used.

What did you expect? Amazon does not even support the files bought by one of there own subsidiaries.

Originally Posted by SpiderMatt

Even though it's not an official function on the iPod Touch, at least when it's jailbroken, any files uploaded to the Kindle books folder will open.

It worked for me. A test Mobipocket file with DRM stripped (I live in Switzerland I am allowed to do that) opened without trouble.

Or what was your problem?

Something unrelated. I looked through the comments and ratings and after initial enthusiasm they are dropping.

Especially the German comments criticize DRM and the lack of German language book.

Could it be that USA citizen are more acceptant to DRM?

Martin

[SpiderMatt]

Originally Posted by krischik

What did you expect? Amazon does not even support the files bought by one of there own subsidiaries.



It worked for me. A test Mobipocket file with DRM stripped (I live in Switzerland I am allowed to do that) opened without trouble.

Or what was your problem?

Something unrelated. I looked through the comments and ratings and after initial enthusiasm they are dropping.

Especially the German comments criticize DRM and the lack of German language book.

Could it be that USA citizen are more acceptant to DRM?

Martin

Are you saying you had no problem opening non-Amazon files on the iPod Touch? Because that's exactly what I was saying. It's disappointing that the Android app doesn't work similarly.

There are a lot of critics of DRM in the U.S. But there are also a lot of people who are not technologically inclined and don't know much about the issue. Personally, I strip DRM from all my files and archive them. DRM isn't an issue for me.

[Olympus]

Originally Posted by thinkpadx

But with that app on your phone I'm betting they pretty quickly can find out that your not in the U.S and ask for proof of residency.

30 minutes after this post I did receive an e-mail requesting proof of US residency
Will be interesting to experience the followups on this - will they revoke the purchased books ???

[thinkpad]

Originally Posted by Olympus

30 minutes after this post I did receive an e-mail requesting proof of US residency
Will be interesting to experience the followups on this - will they revoke the purchased books ???

Bummer, know it sounded to good to be true. If you got Android release 1.6 or later you could try to go through a VPN. Solution here:
http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/addi...droid-16-donut
But this wont help you with your current account since it's already been flagged.

[krischik]

Originally Posted by SpiderMatt

Are you saying you had no problem opening non-Amazon files on the iPod Touch? Because that's exactly what I was saying. It's disappointing that the Android app doesn't work similarly.

I had no problems opening opening non DRM files from Mobipocket on Android. Just copied the files into the “kindle” directory on my sd card.

Martin