The Amazon Kindle
The Kindle is a wireless electronic reading device that is sold only through Amazon
A Kindle user is able to shop for new books to read directly on the device through the use of Amazon’s Whispernet (based on Sprint’s cellular network, no fees assessed to the Kindler) and have any new selections automatically sent to their device, within minutes. There is no need to “sync” the device to a computer. Quite literally, if one were waiting to board a plane that was just delayed, a Kindle user can pull out their Kindle, turn on the Whispernet, select a book to read, buy it and have it available on their device within minutes. No computer, cord, cable or docking station required. The only thing you need is an Amazon account with either a valid credit card or a gift certificate balance.
If you really haven’t heard much about the device, I would suggest that you go to Amazon and check it out. There are, as of this post, nearly 7,000 reviews of the product by folks who adopted it since its release last year. There are tens of thousands of Kindle users though this number may be closer to 100,000 at this point. At present, it has experienced extreme demand by holiday shoppers and is unavailable for shipment until April 2009!
There are units available on eBay – for vastly inflated prices. From time to time, Amazon lists a “refurbished” unit that carries the full product warranty. These are rabidly snapped up within minutes, so only the most vigilant and luckiest shoppers will get an opportunity to buy one from Amazon for the regular price of $359.00 and everyone else will be forced to wait until spring when Amazon expects to be able to ship them. As they are filling orders on a first-come, first served basis shoppers are advised to pre-order the item sooner rather than later.
Amazon’s Product Specifications are (my comments in parentheses):
- Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper (it really does, thus you need a light to read in the dark)
- Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing (except to charge after a long interval or to download free books from elsewhere!)
- 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. (as long as you are in Sprint’s coverage area, bad news for Montana and Alaska)
- More than 190,000 books available, including more than 105 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers (plus millions of free titles form other sources)
- New York Times® Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise (older publications are often far less and public domain titles are dirt cheap)
- Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy (this is one of my favorite features)
- 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 1000 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. (about the length and depth of a regular #2 pencil!)
- Holds over 200 titles (pop in a 2GB SD card and have space for 2,000 more! Plus you can add your own content.))
- 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. (Really, it does! Whispernet use drains more power but has it’s own on/off button.)
- 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. (Awesome)
- 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
Since this is the first generation of the Kindle, it has some design issues that center around the placement of the page turning buttons. It can be a challenge to hold or carry the device without accidentally turning a page. In addition, it is extremely fragile and must be treated gingerly. I would suggest that members of the Kindle Tribe seek out a more secure cover than the one that is shipped with the product. Certain types of books, such as art books, aren’t appropriate for the Kindle until a full color (and high definition) option is available. Nor would I bother with cookbooks as I would never want to expose this sophisticated piece of electronic to the perils of a kitchen!
