My past few posts have addressed different aspects of owning a kindle. I’ve looked at perspectives from reader and writer standpoints and I’ve included a post on how writers can publish their ebooks using Amazon’s Digital Text Platform. I think there may be a segment of the population that does not have a Kindle. The itch may be there, but there’s no back scratch-er in sight.

Here’s your back scratch-er

If you have a PC, an iPhone or a Blackberry, the wonderful folks at Amazon have been kind enough to develop free software that allows you to download and read Kindle books on any of these devices. As I said, it doesn’t cost a thing to download and use any of these apps.  Here is the starting page.

I’ve talked to several folks who say that reading an entire book on their PC would cause their eyeballs to melt. Point taken. I’m not sure what the remedy for this may be. Larger font size? Shorter reading sessions? If anyone has suggestions for this, I’m (and I’m sure the readership here are) all ears. I’ve also talked with people who do read books on their iPhone and they tell me that it takes a little getting used to, but overall the experience is not too bad. I can’t speak about using the Blackberry to read books because Amazon just came out with this version and I’ve yet to talk with someone who owns a Blackberry.

The process

The first step in the process is to have an account at Amazon. If you don’t already have such a beast, it’s super easy to get, and just takes a few minutes. Avid readers will find that there can be a lot of benefit to an account at Amazon. From bestsellers to out of print books, you can find most anything you may be looking for.

After you have your account set up, you want to go to the download page here. The instructions to download are simple and clear.

If you already have a Kindle, downloading the software for your PC will show your Kindle books. It will also synch with last pages read on your actual Kindle, assuming you have connected to the wireless since your last reading session.

If you don’t have a Kindle yet, yeeee-haw! Head to the Kindle store and start cruising the Kindle books. On the home page there is a tab in the top right corner that says, “Shop in the Kindle Store”. Tons of free books are there as well as lots of 99cent books and bestsellers.

Once downloaded, the interface is silly-easy to use and you’re ready to rock and roll.

For me, I’m a kid in a candy store. I hope you’ll feel the same.