Related article: Kindle for (UM)PC now available.
Related article: What’s the best PC for the Amazon Kindle PC software?

I doubt many of you will be spending $599 on a UMPC just for the Kindle PC application but if you’re thinking of a mobile tablet PC anyway, here’s my top tip for a good PC-based ebook reading experience. The Viliv X70 UMPC. (Video after the jump.)

I won’t claim that this is a perfect e-reader device (see this article for an idea of the ideal PC for ebook reading) and as the Kindle software is locked-down to the Amazon store, it’s hardly flexible but considering I can run Mobipocket, PDFs and practically every other format of ebook known, it works out to be quite the flexible solution. Oh, and it’s a PC!

For those that aren’t familiar with the X70, it runs an Intel Atom at 1.3Ghz with a fast SSD drive and has a battery life of up to around 7 or 8 hours. It weighs 660gm and you can buy it with an optional built-in 3G module. More information here.

Make sure you watch the video in ‘HQ’ mode (button bottom-right) for the best quality.

Sascha from Netbooknews has just tweeted that the Kindle application for the PC is now available. ‘This is the beginning of the end for the Kindle hardware’ he says.

Well I’ve installed the software, linked it to an account in the UK and sure enough, it works like a charm. I just bought a book online, hit F5 and there it was on the PC.

As you can see I’ve got it running on my Gigabyte T1028M with the convertible touchscreen. I’ve rotated the screen and set the text to max width. That’s what it looks like on a 600×1028 screen. The margins are somewhat wide don’t you think? Touching the screen on the left and right margins changes page. You can access the contents, cover and bookmarks but you can’t make notes or highlights. That’s coming soon…

As with all our services, we plan to continue improving Kindle for PC. Below are some features we are thinking about bringing to Kindle for PC in the near future:

• Create notes and highlights
  Thanks to Whispersync, you can already read your notes and highlights from other devices on Kindle for PC. We’d like to add the ability to create notes and highlights using the Kindle for PC application.
• Search
  Find a word or a sentence in the book you are currently reading.
• Zoom and rotate images
  Click on an image to see an expanded view and rotate it if desired.

Images (the cover at least) are in glorious Technicolor!

Next up…the Viliv X70. It’s a tablet, much lighter and one of the best PC’s you can get if you want to take advantage of the Kindle for PC software [Article: What’s the best PC for the Kindle PC software?]

I’ll run off a quick video of the X70 and post it in a new article. or should I read a book. Hmm…

This is the question that I’ve been battling with over the weekend after someone asked ‘Is the Kindle a mobile Internet device?’ Six months ago I probably would have said ‘no’ and stuck to my belief that a MID should be a pocketable device but since then I’ve changed my opinion slightly. I now believe that the non-pocketable ‘handheld’ aspect is also an important category of MIDs, just as, say, the chunky Dash form-factor is.

Consider these Kindle features for a moment.

• Built-in browser
• Daylight-readable screen
• Full keyboard
• 24hr battery life…always on and connected
• Instant-on
• Under 300gms (10.3 ounces)
• One of the most aggressive pricing structures for mobile Internet access yet. Free! All data costs are rolled up into the cost of the device.

Of course, there’s a lot of issues with the current Kindle. The browser is basic, the speed of the device is a major issue and the lack of backlight a serious shortfall but if you think about it, you can easily envision variations of the Kindle that focus on other forms of consumption. Web, Video and Navigation being just three. The current Kindle may not satisfy those seeking a full browsing experience but the core concept of a book-sized, connected reader is undeniably good.

For me, the definition of a mobile Internet device has to include ‘hand-holdable.’ The volume of the device is important so a 300gm, super-thin reader would qualify in my, updated, book. Netbooks don’t cut it for mobility as 2lb is still too heavy and the volume of these devices is huge compared to others. You can fit 25 iPod touches inside the volume of the MSI Wind! Fancy carrying 25 iPod touches in your backpack?

Maybe Intel should loosen-up on their definition of a MID because while pocketable is good, there are other mobile Internet customers out there that can be served by the same technology.