I tested the update, available now as a free version 2.6 download from Apple’s App Store, and found welcome additions to an already-good reading application.
At first, it seemed like the real page numbers weren’t working on any of the books I own, but after archiving the books and re-downloading them, I noticed that the newer and more popular titles were suddenly equipped with page numbers. The new page numbers were only on about half of my books, but Amazon says there are more page-numbered books on the way.
You wouldn’t think having page numbers on a reader app would be all that important, but it is. Thank goodness I don’t have to depend on those cryptic numbers such as 2121 – 2296 anymore. It did no good to call out those numbers to memb ers of my book club, where the response was usually a dozen pairs of rolling eyes as they opened their paper books, knowing full well there was no such thing as page 2296. Now, the page numbers on my iPad match the ones in the books. Finally, we can all literally be on the same page.
There’s another convenience on the app’s home screen that shows you a series of small dots that represent your progress through each of your books. Light-gray dots show the portion of the book you haven’t read yet, and larger light blue dots show how much you’ve read. Nice.
And now, you can look up words on Google and Wikipedia within the application, another useful addition. Now, the only thing missing from this excellent reader is that page curling animation of Apple’s iBooks app. Add that to the next revision, and Amazon Kindle for iOS will be nearly perfect.
Home Screen, iPhone
The blue dots show your progress in each book.
i Phone version
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