E-readers are fast becoming as ubiquitous as smart phones, giving us gem of a solution that offers a veritable library of books in a handheld device. Amazon?s Kindle is one of the more popular e-readers, but you might want to try out its functionality before deciding to move forward with a purchase.
Amazon has released a free E-reader application that essentially emulates the functionality of the Kindle, giving you a chance to see if this is something you?d like to include in your arsenal of gadgets. It allows you to read books you?ve purchased from the Kindle store, along with synchronization that links your Kindle with a PC.
Installation is quick.
After that?s complete, it?ll ask you to sign in with your Amazon account, though registration isn?t necessary should you be without one.
Once signed in, its functionality will become obvious, with helpful tips included in balloon pop-ups that appear at the top.
After you?ve loaded a book, navigation is easy, the controls allowing you to bookmark a particular section or jump to one.
Font sizes are varied, with 10 different ones available.
Depending on what you prefer, navigation is available via your mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard.
Want to switch to another book? From your Windows 7 taskbar, you can access a jumplist from which a new title in your library can be selected.
On the upper-right, there exists a menu that includes various options, such as synchronization of Kindle for PC with your actual Kindle reader ? which ensures that your content on Kindle for PC mirrors that on your actual reader.
Want to add a book to your collection? Just visit the Amazon bookshop by clicking on the ?Shop in Kindle Store? option.
While this is only for Windows users, a Mac version is anticipated. Additionally, even more features are planned, including the ability to rotate images. For those of you who have a touch-enabled laptop, this takes advantage of the Windows Touch feature, effectively transforming your touch screen laptop into a Kindle.
This is an excellent way to test drive Kindle, and you can retrieve Kindle for PC here.