Amazon Kindle is a software and hardware platform developed by Amazon.com (subsidiary Lab126) for the rendering and displaying of e-books and other digital media. Four hardware devices, colloquially and unofficially known as "Kindle", "Kindle 2", "Kindle 3", and "Kindle DX" support this platform. Kindle software applications exist for Microsoft Windows, iOS, BlackBerry, Mac OS X and Android. Amazon's first hardware device, the Kindle First Generation, was released only in the United States on November 19, 2007. The latest hardware device, the 3rd generation Kindle with 3G support for use in 100 countries and territories, was announced on July 28, 2010.
The Kindle hardware devices use an E Ink brand electronic paper display that features 16 shades of gray. It wirelessly downloads content over Amazon's Whispernet using the Sprint EVDO network in the USA. Newer Kindle 2 devices use AT&T's network and its roaming partners for international wireless access. The Kindle hardware device is used without a computer connection, and Amazon Whispernet is accessible without any monthly fee or wireless subscription. All Kindle models provide free access to the Internet in the U.S. over cellular networks. The Kindle does not preserve the print edition page numbers used for creating and verifying sources, references and citations.
Through a technology called "Whispersync", customers can connect reading progress, bookmarks and other information across Kindle hardware devices and other mobile devices.
Amazon announced the Kindle DX on May 6, 2009. This device has a larger screen than its predecessors and supports simple PDF files. It also is the thinnest Kindle to date and offers an accelerometer, which enables the user to seamlessly rotate pages between landscape and portrait orientations when the Kindle DX is turned on its side. It is marketed as more suitable for displaying newspaper and textbook content.
Amazon released the Kindle for PC application free of charge, allowing users to read Kindle books on a Windows PC. Amazon later released a version for the Macintosh. Versions for mobile devices running on operating systems from Research in Motion, Apple and Google are also available free of charge.
Kindle DX Readers & Free Kindle Books
On May 6, 2009, Amazon announced the Kindle DX, at the retail price of $489. It is the first Kindle model with an accelerometer, automatically rotating pages between landscape and portrait orientations if the device is turned on its side, unless automatic rotation is disabled by the user. It is slightly over 1⁄3 inch (about 8.5 mm) thick, has a 4 GB (3.3 GB user-accessible) storage capacity, holding approximately 3500 non-illustrated e-books, a 9.7 inch (24.6 cm) display with 1200 x 824 pixel resolution, and a battery life of up to one week while using wireless or two weeks offline. The DX adds support for PDF files natively, built-in stereo speakers and 1xRTT wireless technology as a fallback option for when EVDO connectivity is not available. Like the Kindle 2, it does not have an SD memory card slot. The model was released on June 10, 2009. The second generation DX was released January 19, 2010. A new "Graphite" 3rd generation model was released on July 7, 2010. It was priced at $379. It has 50% better contrast than the earlier versions.
Example of Kindle Reader
Product Overview
* Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper.
* Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing.
* Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle—whether you’re in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed.
* Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute.
* More than 630,000 books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs available available, including more than 101 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers.
* New York Times® Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise.
* Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.
* Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes—all auto-delivered wirelessly.
* Top international newspapers from France, Germany, and Ireland; Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and The Irish Times—all auto-delivered wirelessly.
* More than 5000 top blogs from the worlds of business, technology, sports, entertainment, and politics, including BoingBoing, Slashdot, TechCrunch, ESPN's Bill Simmons, The Onion, Michelle Malkin, and The Huffington Post—all updated wirelessly throughout the day.
* Lighter and thinner than a typical paperback; weighs only 10.3 ounces.
* Holds over 200 titles.
* Long battery life. Leave wireless on and recharge approximately every other day. Turn wireless off and read for a week or more before recharging. Fully recharges in 2 hours.
* Unlike WiFi, Kindle utilizes the same high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones—so you never have to locate a hotspot.
* No monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments—we take care of the wireless delivery so you can simply click, buy, and read.
* Includes free wireless access to the planet's most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia—Wikipedia.org.
* New: Kindle Books can be read on your iPhone or iPod touch. Learn More
* Email your Word documents and pictures (.JPG, .GIF, .BMP, .PNG) to Kindle for easy on-the-go viewing.
* Included in the box: Kindle wireless reader, Book cover, Power adapter, USB 2.0 cable
Technical Details
Display: 6" diagonal E-Ink® electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 4-level gray scale
Size (in inches): 7.5" x 5.3" x 0.7"
Weight: 10.3 ounces
System requirements: None, because it doesn't require a computer
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