This might be just a slight improvement on Kindle but will surely help readers in marking what they are reading :-) Repost from CNN |
The Kindle page number feature is not available for older models of the e-reader "at this time," a spokesman said.
(CNN) -- Kindle users who dislike the popular e-reader's lack of page numbers are getting some relief.
Amazon has added a virtual page number feature on new Kindles that let users pull up numbers that match up with print editions of the book they're reading.
The feature was part of a recent software update and is currently available for the latest generation of Kindles rolled out in August and on Kindle apps for the iPhone, iPad, PC and Mac.
This week, Amazon announced that it's added the feature on more than 10,000 books, including the top 100 sellers in theKindle store.
Because the amount of text on a Kindle page is different than that on a printed book, and can vary more depending on the font size the reader is using, tracking page numbers was difficult.
Users had complained that the lack of numbers made it hard to refer back to something they'd read earlier or to talk about a book with others.
"We wanted to be able to display real page numbers that have value and are useful for those who need to cite a specific passage in a book for class, follow along with their friend in a book club, or simply point a friend to a favorite part of the book," Amazon said in a blog post.
An algorithm was used to create the page numbers, and the data is stored on Amazon's computer storage network. They numbers only appear when the reader presses the "menu" button on the device.
"We want you to lose yourself in the reading," Amazon said on why the page numbers aren't always visible.
An Amazon spokesman said that, "at this time," there's no way to get the feature on older Kindles.
Amazon sold an estimated 8 million Kindles last year, making it the leader in the e-reader market. Last year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the online bookseller sold more e-books than hardbacks