Amazon Kindle app updated for Retina Display iPad
App makers are prepping their respective online wares for the Friday launch of Apple's new iPad, releasing updates that fix bugs and and bring graphics upgrades which to take advantage of the tablet's high resolution Retina Display.
Amazon was among the numerous companies that rolled out app updates on Thursday, the eve of the new iPad's debut, to ensure that its Kindle e-reader software would be Retina Display-compatible.
Kindle 3.0 for iPad brings optimization for the new tablet's high pixel density and features a redesigned user interface, among unseen backend bug fixes.
The Kindle reader app was released for iPad well before the launch of the Kindle Fire tablet, and many users have opted to stay with the Apple device rather than move over to Amazon's offering.
Despite having its own tablet, Amazon continues to update its iOS app for users of the platform mostly due to the huge installed customer base. The move to continue iOS support should come as no surprise, as the content-driven app is nothing but a money maker for the online sales giant.
In a previous report, Amazon was said to be taking a $50 loss on every unit sold, gambling on content purchases to make up for the initial hit.
Alongside the Kindle app update, popular iOS apps like Vimeo and Evernote also received similar updates on Thursday.
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
So I guess even older iPad users and even iPhone users of universal apps are going to experience doubling and tripling of app sizes because all of the enlarged iPad retina display images have to be downloaded and stored in the app bundle regardless of whether or not the are ever viewed.
Or they could deploy a mechanism to determine the target client and fetch the non-retna based app build for them.
Well it's 8:19am Friday here in Australia, the new iPad officially went on sale 19 min ago, I'm going out to see if I can find one...
So I guess even older iPad users and even iPhone users of universal apps are going to experience doubling and tripling of app sizes because all of the enlarged iPad retina display images have to be downloaded and stored in the app bundle regardless of whether or not the are ever viewed.
That's an erroneous assumption. Apps don't scale that way because apps aren't just a collection of bitmapped images. Especially not Kindle which needs the update so TEXT doesn't look poor compared to iBooks.
Kindle v3.0 universal with 4 resolutions and 7 languages comes in at 18.3 MB. Looks to be about 1 MB more than v2.9 but OS X now show BASE-10 not BASE-2 so there is a little play.
Or they could deploy a mechanism to determine the target client and fetch the non-retna based app build for them.
I haven't heard of any mechanism to do this. There is only one app bundle per app. If it's a universal app then that app bundle has always contained all iPhone and iPad images for normal and retina displays. That's the mechanism we are going to be using for the foreseeable future.
The small apps aren't going to scale up in size as much because because they don't have a lot of images. The large apps, though, are going to scale up drastically. Just look at the biggest apps on your device: animated games, photo intensive apps like The Louvre, etc.
Kindle books app always did look better on the iPad then on the Kindle itself, now who would bother with a kindle at all?
Easy:
1.) Anyone who wants to read on the beach or in direct sunlight for that matter
2.) Anyone who needs to read with one hand i.e. train/bus straphangers
I love my iPad more than anyone else but the reality is..... just sayin'?
That's great, I was hoping for this update.
Well it's 8:19am Friday here in Australia, the new iPad officially went on sale 19 min ago, I'm going out to see if I can find one...
Let us know how that goes, OK.
That's great, I was hoping for this update.
Well it's 8:19am Friday here in Australia, the new iPad officially went on sale 19 min ago, I'm going out to see if I can find one...
That was easy... I got a 32G Black WiFi, there were only 3 other people in the queue.
Unfortunately I now have to go to work for 8 hours so this HD badboy will have to sit on my desk here unopened.
That was easy... I got a 32G Black WiFi, there were only 3 other people in the queue.
Unfortunately I now have to go to work for 8 hours so this HD badboy will have to sit on my desk here unopened.
Pre-ordering makes such things easy. Mine are coming right to my door.
I get it. My 64GB WiFi 4G LTE is currently at an airport in northern California, to be flown to my local distribution center, and finally on to my office. I too will have it sitting somewhere unopened for the whole day while I conduct meeting after meeting.
Bottom line: It's going to be a very long day!
That was easy... I got a 32G Black WiFi, there were only 3 other people in the queue.
Unfortunately I now have to go to work for 8 hours so this HD badboy will have to sit on my desk here unopened.
That's great! And not so great that you have to wait until the end of your work day.
I get it. My 64GB WiFi 4G LTE is currently at an airport in northern California, to be flown to my local distribution center, and finally on to my office. I too will have it sitting somewhere unopened for the whole day while I conduct meeting after meeting.
Bottom line: It's going to be a very long day!
Now that was weird!
That's great! And not so great that you have to wait until the end of your work day.
I get it. My 64GB WiFi 4G LTE is currently at an airport in northern California, to be flown to my local distribution center, and finally on to my office. I too will have it sitting somewhere unopened for the whole day while I conduct meeting after meeting.
Bottom line: It's going to be a very long day!
According to tracking mine has been sitting at the Ontario California airport since Monday on a delayed ship order for tomorrow. It's now about 3:00PM Thursday so doubt there'll be any early shipments here.
not to keep this hijacked thread going, but i live in central ca. And my ipad has been sitting in louisville since monday! It left at 2:00 this afternoon for ca. I should receive it tomorrow, but you would think ups would have been holding it somewhere closer.
ups?
Fedex ftw
Kindle books app always did look better on the iPad then on the Kindle itself, now who would bother with a kindle at all?
someone who only has $79