Yep, you can download to your desktop. I don't have a Kindle either ironically enough, but I use the Kindle desktop app (There are also Kindle apps for iPhone and Androids). You do have to follow a few formatting rules so it looks good on Kindle. This article here is pretty close to how I set up my document flow:
http://business.tutsplus.com/articles/how-to-format-an-ebook-for-kindle--fsw-38869
I only used Microsoft Word to write the software. When you upload the book to Kindle, it will give you the raw Kindle file to download, so you can preview how it will look on the Kindle before you publish it.
I would suggest downloading the Kindle raw file and then downloading an App called the Kindle Previewer:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?tag=vp314-20
Its an "emulator" of sorts, where you can preview on the fly how your book will look in every single Kindle version (DX, Fire, etc).
Since the initial post, I have created a few more books (12 to be exact), some under my real name, and some other pen names. Most of the fiction stuff is under pen names. All of them are selling pretty good and gives a decent amount of reoccurring residual income each month. Far from a millionaire, but that money helps me fund other big payday projects.
The later books I didn't actually write myself. I just create an outline for what I want to book to be about and how many chapters and I hire an outsourced ghostwriter to create a book based off of that. Then, i get the cover done and do all the formatting so it's accepted by Amazon. I have a designer who does all my book covers at $20-40 bucks a pop.
I've found my books that sell the best have been around natural cleaning and health remedies. Here they all are. It's not a plug for advertising, but more so just to illustrate how many books I put out between October of 2013 and May 2014
Health Books:
Green is the New Clean
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G1TSCR2/?tag=vp314-20
Alternative Treatments, Folk Medicine and Home Remedies
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FO8Z3C8/?tag=vp314-20
Fitness Books:
Jump Rope Fitness
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F1VELV2/?tag=vp314-20
Trampoline Fitness
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLJXQE2/?tag=vp314-20
Hula Hoop Fitness
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFILMQI/?tag=vp314-20
How to Lose Weight Fast Without Exercise
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FPP7FOO/?tag=vp314-20
Technology Books:
Bitcoin Bubble
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9N4XFO/?tag=vp314-20
Fiction Books:
Rise of the Dark Sun - Blood Lust Plague Trilogy Part 1
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FXW4XP8/?tag=vp314-20
Time of the Blood Lust Plague - Blood Lust Plague Trilogy Part 2
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K4K6Q8G/?tag=vp314-20
Fall of the Dark Sun - Blood Lust Plague Trilogy Part 3
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K4PAD2Q/?tag=vp314-20
The Unorthodox Marriage Counselor
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HN0EGM8/?tag=vp314-20
Children's Books
What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FXJSZZA/?tag=vp314-20
If anyone ever wanted to get into ebook publishing and had some questions about how to get started, just drop a reply. Most stuff I've learned from trial and error, especially dealing with outsourcers and getting things ghostwritten for cheap/decent price without sacrifice quality. One book was poorly written "Hula Hoop Fitness", so I might pull that from circulation and have it revised.