Kindle for PC updated with long-awaited feature and a new look

The Kindle for PC app has been quietly updated.  Some have chosen the option to have it updated automatically when they open the program and an update is available.

  I like to choose the time, but then I didn't get a notice that there was an update waiting to be 'noticed.'

I read about it when @MikeCane tweeted it the other day in his inimitable way.
See below:


So, I went to my Kindle for PC program, still showing a bright, plain white background, chose the menu's install-update option, and got what Cane described.



 Even better, when I clicked on the Menu to read about Future Improvements, I saw what I'd been waiting for:

' Here are some new features we have recently added to Kindle for PC.
  Download the new version to enjoy these new features.

  * Search
Search for words or phrases within the book you’re reading
  * Improved look and feel
Enjoy brighter graphics and a slick new look '

They list the following for possible future improvements:

' Below are some features we are thinking about bringing to Kindle for PC in the near future:

  * Two-page reading mode
View two pages at the same time
  * Built-in dictionary
Seamlessly look up the definitions of English words without interrupting your reading
  * Library management
A new way to manage and organize your content '

I'd never noticed that, on the main page, we have choices to sort by Most Recent, Title, and Author as we can on the Kindle.

I also see that my newspaper subscriptions are showing up.  Were those shown before?  Never saw these either, in my previous listings. Updated:  These were single issues and even then, though they were in my archives, they can't be read on this app.

Dictionary
As for the future dictionary -- until they're ready, be sure to take a look at WordWeb - it's free and it's useful for more than just the Kindle app.

TIP - To make sure that syncing works better between the Kindle for PC app and your Kindle and other devices, click on "Home" at top-left of the app after you've finished reading, before you close the program.  That gives a better chance of recording your last-page read and having it picked up by the Amazon servers while you're on the Net.

HELP page for Kindle for PC
There's a lot of good info at the Kindle for PC Help page.


Kindle 3   (UK: Kindle 3),   DX Graphite

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
  Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

A great little free dictionary to use with Kindle for PC app (Windows)

In the recent blog article on the updated Kindle for PC app, I wrote that there was no in-line dictionary yet like the one on the Kindle itself, with the summary definition at the bottom of the Kindle screen for the word your cursor might be on and the ability to get the full definition and etymology via the American Oxford Dictionary.  I missed that.

Jerry wrote in the comments area:
  "For a dictionary on Kindle for PC, I would strongly recommend installing WordWeb (http://wordweb.info/).  It has hotkey functionality which allows you to look up any word instantly, from inside any Windows application.  It works great with the Kindle for PC.  (I am not affiliated with the product.)"

So I tried it out, as I've enjoyed WordWeb in the past.  The free version of this memory-resident program takes up very little memory and processing power and works with everything I've tried, whether just browsing or writing this entry in an editing box.  The default 'hot-key' is ctrl-alt-w or the more intuitive Ctrl-right-click.  However, I changed it, in the Options menu, to Ctrl-left-click, which is just more natural for me. The definition box comes up in an instant and, while it doesn't provide etymology of a word as the Kindle's does, it gives a decent amount of information.

  As their website says, "...each set of synonyms is linked to other related sets.  Look up "tree", click on the "Types" tab and you'll have a list of different types of tree.  Click on "Part of" and WordWeb will tell you that a tree can be part of a "forest" or "wood".

  The free version is fully functional and can be used freely beyond 30 days under one, unusual, condition.  They ask that the user  take no more than two commercial flights (not more than one return flight) in any 12 month period, to help cut down on global greenhouse gas emissions.  You can read their full expanation of that here.  For frequent travelers, they ask that people buy the 'Pro' version instead.
A comparison between the free version and the Pro 6 edition ($19).

FREE VERSION The comprehensive English thesaurus and dictionary includes: Definitions and synonyms Proper nouns Related words 5000 audio pronunciations 150 000 root words 220 000 word senses Fixed web reference tabs

WORDWEB PRO 6 In addition to all the free version features, the full Pro version includes 5000 more definitions and numerous extra features including: 70 000 audio pronunciations Custom web references Custom glossaries Optional third-party dictionaries Wildcard word search Full text definition search Find and solve anagrams Search optional word lists

Personally, I'm happy with the Free version.
Here's their FAQ.

Optional dictionaries include the New American Oxford Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of English, and if you're ordering any extras, then you need to click on the "show all" link in the line about optional dictionaries.  I find the ordering page and pricing for the pro version and assorted extras a bit confusing.

  Again, I'm fine with the free version, which I already find amazing for a free program.  Thanks to Jerry for the tip!

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 See the ongoing Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources
  Check often: Latest free non-classics, shortcut http://bit.ly/latestfreenonclassics.)