Amazon tweaks its Kindle store for iPhone users

On Monday, Amazon.com put out a small tweak to its Kindle application for Apple's iPhone (iTunes link) that takes users to an iPhone-optimized store when they click on the "get books" button.

There's now a page that lets users search either by title, author, keyword, or category. It also lists some of the New York Times best sellers, and items that have been recommended based on past purchases and browsing habits. Previously it would simply offer up a link to the desktop version of Amazon's Kindle Web store, which required a whole lot of pinching and zooming around to find what you were looking for.

Despite the change, the application still kicks users out to the Safari application instead of implementing the browsing experience within the Kindle app itself. It's safe to assume this will change in the next iteration, since Amazon acquired the company that created the popular Stanza eBook reading application in late April, which includes a built-in catalog of books that users can purchase.

There's also the soon-to-be-released iPhone 3.0 OS update, which will allow developers to add in-app micropayments--something that's perfect for eBooks. As it stands you still need to handle that end of the transaction on Amazon's site, instead of on the Kindle app.

Clicking on the "get books" button in Amazon's Kindle app for the iPhone now takes users to a thumb-friendly version of Amazon's storefront. However, clicking any of these options will kick you out to Amazon's Web app in Safari.

(Credit: CNET)

[Romanesq1]

Asked Amazon to let us use our laptops too. But as they have now two Kindle products guess that isn't coming any time soon.

Still any improvement and commitment to the iPhone is welcome. I've enjoyed reading books and the price is much better too.

Bring it!

[G0rbas4]

How about letting us subscribe to Magazines and Newspapers? You know, something useful.

[G1HappyGuy]

Who wants to read a book on that piddly little iPhone screen?
And isn't the iPhone really for fun yet mindless apps, like "Fart Bomb"?

[Magallanes]

How unfair. "fart" style application in Iphone store are not more than the 1% of the application available on the store.

[Farthing Haypenny]

Wow, monkeyfun 16 is so slavishly stupid that he almost sounds like an Apple fan boy.

[iphoneapps]

Foolish g1happy guy has a hard time reading even regular paper books with jaundiced eyes. Buy an iPhone and then judge it.

[Tortorific]

Damn you, thanks to your "fart bomb" comment this is coming up in my google news - fart related stories RSS feed (far more informative than any newspaper I have ever read).

I love ebooks and the iphone screen is alright especially when you have a long commute and little other options.