With the release of the Apple iPad, many analysts believed that the iBooks application would be a blow to Amazon’s Kindle. However, Amazon had its Kindle for iPad application available on day 1.
The iPad is just one of a handful of devices where Kindle users can access their purchased content. Other devices include the iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry and PC/Mac computers. Unlike Apple, Amazon approaches content from a very different perspective — they make it available on multiple devices, focusing on content first and then distributing that content to an audience of millions more than limiting it to just those who purchase Amazon hardware.
This weekend, I used my iPad and iPod touch to access to the same Kindle content and the user-experience was flawless. The devices synced instantaneously and the content was accessible immediately.
One of the major complaints about the Kindle iPad app has been that you cannot control reading brightness within the app. However, it is possible. Unfortunately, the option is hidden. If you’re a Kindle user on the iPad you can access the brightness settings by following the steps below:
- Launch the Kindle application.
- Click on a book you’d like to read.
- Click in the middle of the page and a menu should pop-up towards the bottom of the screen.
- Click on the font option (Aa).
- Adjust brightness and reading options
With the exception of the brightness settings, Amazon has done a great job of making content available to millions of people. More people use Blackberries than the Kindle. More people use iPhones than the Kindle. And, more people use the Kindle than iPad.
By expanding its reach to millions of potential new customers, Amazon still has a leverage over Apple when it comes to content. Currently, Apple’s digital offerings are restricted to Apple devices and their iBooks content library pales in comparison to Amazon’s Kindle Store.
