Install the free Kindle desktop app on your computer. Not only does it put all your reference books – with notes and highlights – right on the desktop while you’re working, it’s easier to add lengthy notes in the desktop app when you have a real keyboard to work on. In the example shown here, I have clicked on the Notes & Highlights icon at the left side of the reader which opened the sidebar to display all of the annotations in this book. Clicking on any one of them takes me right to that point in the book. The other sidebar icons allow me to search the book and display the table of contents.
Command buttons at the top of the window give me access to the tools found on all Kindle readers. I can even shop for books from the app. And, the desktop is great for those graphical books that aren’t at their best on a small, monochrome screen. With the desktop app, I can resize the reading window to best fit the content being displayed. You can see an example of that – and the sidebar table of contents – below.
There are limitations, however. You cannot access your personal documents or magazines on the app – probably newspapers too, but I don’t subscribe to any so I can’t say.
Although I don’t see the desktop app as a serious reading solution, it can be a very handy tool in your digital research toolbox. If you’re a Kindle user, you definitely need this.
