What Is an Amazon Kindle?
The Amazon Kindle is a portable e-book reader that can display a variety of e-book and document formats. First introduced in 2007, the current range of Kindles represent the third generation of the device, which provides access to several million digital books via the Amazon Kindle store. Basic Web browsing functionality is also built into the Kindle, which uses E Ink Pearl technology to provide a high-contrast, glare-free reading experience.
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Main Functions
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The Kindle is designed to enable users to read e-books and other documents -- such as PDFs -- on the move. Books and other works can be downloaded from the Amazon Kindle store via Wi-Fi, 3G -- depending on the model -- or via a USB 2.0 connection to a computer. The Kindle enables users to manage a library of e-books, bookmark particular passages, browse quickly to specific pages and chapters and share extracts via Facebook and Twitter.
Kindle Versions
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There are currently three versions of the Kindle on sale at the time of publication. The two standard Kindle models measure 7.5 inches by 4.8 inches by 0.335 inches, and offer a 6-inch screen. They can hold up to 3,500 e-books via 4 GB of built-in memory. These models are available as a Wi-Fi only version and a Wi-Fi+3G version -- the cellular connectivity included with the 3G edition enables books and other content to be downloaded over a mobile signal when Wi-Fi isn't present. The third model, the Kindle DX, comes with a larger 9.7-inch screen and measures 10.4 inches by 7.2 inches by 0.38 inches. It's also slightly heavier. The other specifications are largely similar to the standard 3G model, including the 4 GB of integrated memory.
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Key Features
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The Kindle can read e-books encoded using Amazon's proprietary AZW format -- it does not support other e-book formats, including EPUB. With wireless connectivity disabled, battery life can be up to one month -- two to three weeks for the Kindle DX. The Kindle also comes with a basic Web browser tool, which can display most pages on the Internet, but struggles with advanced layouts and embedded multimedia content, such as audio and video. Text size and font style can be adjusted, and e-books stored on the device can be synced to companion programs available for mobile devices and desktop computers. Input is via a physical keyboard, and the Kindle does not use a touchscreen.
Comparison With Other Devices
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There are now a number of e-book readers and similar devices on the market. Tablet computers, such as the Apple iPad, offer more functionality than the Kindle -- the ability to play games, surf the Web and watch digital media, for example -- but the LCD screens sported by these tablets use up more battery life, are a greater strain on the eyes and are more difficult to read in direct sunlight. The biggest differences between the Kindle and other E Ink display devices, such as the Sony Reader line, are the supported e-book formats and the 3G connectivity that enables new content to be downloaded wirelessly without a Wi-Fi connection.
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References
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