The Amazon Kindle is not only the latest E-Ink book reader to hit the market it also one with the highest profiles. A couple of the biggest differences of the Kindle over other readers such as the Sony Reader (PRS-505) and the Cybook Gen3, are that the Kindle has wireless connectivity and a mini-keyboard.
This wireless connectivity allows the user to access books without the need of a PC, certainly a big plus for the more non-tech of consumers. Using the same 3G network as advanced cell phones, the Kindle delivers content using the Amazon Whispernet wireless delivery system. Unlike WiFi, you’ll never need to locate a hotspot. There are no confusing service plans, yearly contracts, or monthly wireless bills—Amazon take care of the hassles so you can just read.
Along with regular books this new service will allow you to have your newspaper subscriptions delivered via wireless each morning along with magazines. There is also an option for receiving your blog feeds.Becuase all this extra technology will hit the battery life, it may not be for everyone. Without a doubt, the keyboard will be a huge plus for many users.
Three years ago, we set out to design and build an entirely new class of device—a convenient, portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers. The result is Amazon Kindle.
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 90,000 books available, including more than 95 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers.
- New York Times® Best Sellers and all 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 250 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.
- 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
Product Specifications
- Display 6” diagonal E-Ink display (600×800 / 167 ppi)
- Storage 256MB internal storage, (~180MB available to the user)
- Expansion SD memory card slot
- Audio 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, built-in speaker
- Power AC power adapter and replaceable, rechargeable lithium polymer battery
- USB 2.0 (mini-B connector)
- EVDO/CDMA wireless modem
- Size 5.3″ by 7.5″ by 0.7″ (134.5mm x 190mm x 19mm)
- Weight 10.3 ounces (295g)
Visit Amazon to read more about the Kindle eReader
AMAZON KINDLE READING DEVICE
Why are you advertising these wireless ebook devices on Amazon.com.uk when they only facilitate the USA Market and can therefore only be purchased in USA?
Fishing/researching the UK Market?
Why should UK Residents respond at all if you cannot meet the specific British Demand unique to our culture?
How frustrating!!!!!!!
Where are the innovative English Entrepreneurs? Why hasn’t Vogue/ elle/Mail /Times/ Observer/ Amazon Uk created & developed…. I can think of lots of bone idle bookworms and avid readers with time & money who would be lost without these devices…..
Hi Amanda,
I’m not really sure what you mean by advertising them on Amazon.co.uk but yes you are right, the Amazon and Sony devices can not be purchased in the UK, though I still believe they merit for inclusion, particularly as they are the leaders in the market for these type of devices.
As an Englishman, I agree that the UK (and the rest of Europe) is a different marketplace to the U.S., but we have to remember that these things are driven by cost and profit, therefore we Europeans will just have to sit tight!
There has been talk recently of Sony releasing their Reader in the UK sometime this year – if it happens then good news for sure.
Perhaps once Amazon and Sony release a UK version then the media will pick up on them and we’ll see an insurgence from UK consumers. Apple seems to be conquering Europe well with the iPhone, so I’m sure Amazon and Sony will also make it work.
Can Gutenburg Books be supplied in the correct format for reading on Kindle?
Hi Anthony,
Gutenberg.org does not currently have any books natively formatted to the Kindle book format. However, ManyBooks.net creator, Matthew McClintock, has created this site which allows you to download public domain books directly in the Kindle format. I believe he has somewhere around 20,000 books on the site (but probably much more), so you should find most PG titles there.
Thanks Mike, but ManyBooks.net doesn’t seem to have anything available in Kindle format either, at least their search engine didn’t turn up anything. It is a costly think to provide books in Kindle format? Just curious.
Hi Anthony,
Perhaps they don’t show up when search but I believe every book is available in the Kindle format. Just select the book you want and on the right hand side there is a drop down box “select format…”. When I checked the Kindle was the first format in the list. Hope this helps.