Amazon brings multitouch Kindle software to PCs

Amazon has decided to bring their Kindle software and bookstore to PCs.  The same multitouch capability found on Kindle for iPhone will be present in the new Kindle for PC application (which used with multitouch-capable hardware). The software will run on Windows PCs and let users buy books (but not magazines or newspapers) from the Amazon Kindle store, even if they don't already own a Kindle. Whispersync keeps your reading in sync across all platforms - Kindle, PC and iPhone. You can start reading a book at home and finish it on your Kindle or iPhone on the go, right where you left off.

While it might seem that this is a response to Barnes and Noble's Nook ereader that allows customers to lend purchased ebooks to anyone running PCs or several different phone OSes, it's clear that Amazon has been working on it for a while (though the Nook announcement probably caused them to tip their hands early).  Given that Touchscreen desktops are already perfectly designed to become family-centric kitchen PCs, it's not too hard to imagine the usefulness of something like Kindle for PC when combined with any of a number of cookbooks or other arts and crafts style manuals.  The software is currently in closed beta, but you can sign up for access at Amazon.com.