Amazon Kindle

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Amazon Kindle

Buy Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device

Amazon Kindle is an electronic book (e-book) service launched by Amazon.com in November 2007. It uses an electronic paper display, reads the proprietary Kindle (AZW) format, and downloads content over Amazon Whispernet, which uses the Sprint EVDO network. Whispernet is accessible through Kindle without any fee. The Kindle sold out in five and a half hours, though Amazon have not stated how many items were available in the launch offering.

Technical specifications

The Kindle features a 6" (15 cm), 4-level grayscale electrophoretic display (E Ink material) with a resolution of 600×800 pixels (167 ppi). It measures 7.5″ × 5.3″ × 0.7″ (19.1 cm × 13.5 cm × 1.8 cm) and weighs 10.3 oz (292 g). The Kindle's internal storage capacity is 256 MB, shipping with 180 MB free, though it supports expansion through SD cards. The battery lasts roughly two days with wireless on, and one week with wireless off. The battery charges in about two hours. A computer is not required, but a USB 2.0 port (mini-B connector) is available for connecting to a computer (where it acts as a USB flash drive). The Kindle features a headphone jack and one-year warranty. The software runs on a modified version of Linux using the 2.6.10 kernel.

Content

The internal memory of the Amazon Kindle can hold up to 200 non-illustrated titles. Users can download content from Amazon in the proprietary Kindle format (AZW), or load unprotected Mobipocket (PRC, MOBI) or plain text content. Amazon offers an email-based service that will convert HTML, DOC (Microsoft Word), JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP documents to AZW. It also supports audio in the form of MP3s and Audible 2, 3, and 4 audiobooks, which must be transferred to the Kindle over USB or on an SD card.

Users can download content through the Kindle store. New releases and New York Times bestsellers list books will be offered for approximately $10. Classics like Bleak House will sell for around $1.99, with free samples available of the first chapter of each book. Subscriptions to newspapers will be available for between $5.99 and $14.99 per month, magazines between $1.25 and $3.49 per month, and blogs for $0.99 per month. Documents can also be emailed to a Kindle for $0.10. Access to Wikipedia is offered at no additional charge.

The device comes with electronic editions of its owner's manual and the New Oxford American Dictionary.

Experimental support for web browsing is included.

Criticism

* Although it supports unprotected Mobipocket books (.MOBI, .PRC), .TXT files, HTML, and Word, it also uses its own proprietary format (AZW) having its own DRM and does not natively support the widely accepted e-book format PDF. "Experimental" PDF conversion is claimed by the Kindle website
* The Kindle allows RSS subscription to select blogs for $0.99 or more monthly, even though one may use the experimental web browser to navigate to and read blogs without cost.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Buy Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device

Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device

Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device
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