Kindle for Mac now available

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Agreed. But I can't legally read a book from the Sony store on my Kindle. Isn't that restrictive?

Yes. Due to Amazon, who refuses to implement a format that most readers have implemented...

[TallMomof2]

*Yawn* I've been using Kindle for PC on my MacBook since it came out.

[gwynevans]

Interestingly, as a UK 'Kindle for Mac' owner, even a free book will cost me $2.35, which "includes VAT & international wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet"!

Hmm... $0 * 17.5% = $0, so $2.35 for Whispernet to my Mac?

[sahmad88]

I am not sure if I am missing it, but I can't figure out how to change the color scheme. I don't mind reading on a computer when I can change the text to white on black. Otherwise, it is too glaring for me. This software seems really weak on features, and I can't believe it took 5 or 6 months to get this out. I am not anti-Kindle, but this software is pretty featureless.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by gwynevans

Interestingly, as a UK 'Kindle for Mac' owner, even a free book will cost me $2.35, which "includes VAT & international wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet"!

Hmm... $0 * 17.5% = $0, so $2.35 for Whispernet to my Mac?

Have you sent this feedback to Amazon? I've seen it brought up several times and agree it could be fixed. But, not if everyone that has this issue doesn't let them know.

BOb

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Have you sent this feedback to Amazon? I've seen it brought up several times and agree it could be fixed. But, not if everyone that has this issue doesn't let them know.

BOb

I'm not sure how Amazon can fix it. They have horribly high international roaming data charges from AT&T to international Kindles.

Well, they could fix it by explicitly charging international customers for downloading books to their Kindles, rather than trying to hide it in the book price.

But if they were going to do that, I'd have expected them to do it right from the start - it's how things work for US customers outside the US, after all.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'm not sure how Amazon can fix it. They have horribly high international roaming data charges from AT&T to international Kindles.

Well, they could fix it by explicitly charging international customers for downloading books to their Kindles, rather than trying to hid it in the book price.

I think they would be perfectly able to set up the system so that if you are d/l'ing the book or buying the book online (for d/l) or with Kindle for PC or Mac then you are not charged the 1.99 fee.

If at any time you do send the file to your kindle or if you buy while on the Kindle the fee is charged.

So yes, basically separate the fee out is the answer.

BOb

[Ea]

What on earth am I doing wrong?

I installed the app and registered it using my Amazon.com user credentials. But no books in the list... Sync'ing doesn't help. My computer doesn't show up as a registered device on my 'manage your kindle' page at amazon.com either. Anyone have any idea of what's wrong? Do I need to wait for some time?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Ea

What on earth am I doing wrong?

I installed the app and registered it using my Amazon.com user credentials. But no books in the list... Sync'ing doesn't help. My computer doesn't show up as a registered device on my 'manage your kindle' page at amazon.com either. Anyone have any idea of what's wrong? Do I need to wait for some time?

No idea. My archived books appeared immediately in Kindle for Mac, and it's registered on my Kindle Account page.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

No idea. My archived books appeared immediately in Kindle for Mac, and it's registered on my Kindle Account page.

Thanks for confirming that there is indeed something wrong I've just sent amazon an email - let's see what they say.

[gwynevans]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Have you sent this feedback to Amazon? I've seen it brought up several times and agree it could be fixed. But, not if everyone that has this issue doesn't let them know.

I have - will try & remember to update if/when a response.

Ok... First response, which was a generic response to the questions "Why are the international pricing/availability different from the US ones"...

More... Second response: "The message is simply to let you know that, if the item was purchased for the Kindle device, there would be no cost for the wireless delivery." No mention about the issue that I don't /have/ a Kindle device, so there's no gain for me, just a cost...

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Ea

Thanks for confirming that there is indeed something wrong I've just sent amazon an email - let's see what they say.

Problem solved. Apparently I had two amazon accounts... I had no idea. Christ! This is silly

[shelleyp]

Originally Posted by Croptop

<Sigh> Intel Macs only. Can't run it on either my wife's iBook or my Powerbook G4. I'm getting happier by the day that I went with the Sony eReader instead of a Kindle.

Also disappointed that I can't access my books on my Mac. I enjoy my Kindle for reading in bed, but I would really like to access my research books on my Mac, where I do all of my writing.

If so many other ebook readers can work on Universal, why did Amazon cheap out? Especially since when it was first in development, Amazon was developing for both PowerPC and Intel, as long as you ran 10.5 and higher.

Does the company think we don't have enough money to matter? Perhaps the company should consider that people don't have money for the latest Mac, because they are buying books.

Needless to say, between this, and lack of epub support, I stopped buying eBooks from Amazon for my Kindle. I either buy DRM free books elsewhere and convert to the Kindle, get freebies, or I get the books from the library (ePub) and read on my Mac with Adobe Digital Editions. Which happens to work on a PowerPC.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Ea

Problem solved. Apparently I had two amazon accounts... I had no idea. Christ! This is silly

I was going to ask you if that was possible.... but I feared you would have been insulted.

BOb

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by sahmad88

I am not sure if I am missing it, but I can't figure out how to change the color scheme. I don't mind reading on a computer when I can change the text to white on black. Otherwise, it is too glaring for me. This software seems really weak on features, and I can't believe it took 5 or 6 months to get this out. I am not anti-Kindle, but this software is pretty featureless.

I agree, they should allow background to be adjusted or offer a few reasonable combinations of fore/background colors. In the meantime:

On mac, you can toggle to 'white on black' and back with Control+Option+Command+8. It definitely kills a lot of the light coming off the screen and might give the eyes a little break. Windows can do the same thing with switching desktop themes but you probably need some widget to make switching easier.

I have K4Mac running in its own Space, with a cobalt grey desktop to reduce the overall light thrown out by the screen. Seems to help some.

Note there's a 'send feedback' link in the K4Mac Help menu. I've been using it a lot!