The Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device - with Kindle Amazon Becomes an eBook Reader Contender   12/4/2007 - 1,533 views, 4 Comments

And a contender the Kindle reader may well be. In addition to the Kindle Amazon ebook catalogue, Amazon has made arrangements with nearly a dozen heavy hitting newspapers, so you can read your daily paper, instantly, on your Kindle. Kindle newspapers include the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and even Le Monde, the Irish Times, and Frankfurter Allgemeine! Your Kindle newspaper subscriptions will be delivered automatically, wirelessly, to your Kindle.

And that’s not all! Because the Amazon Kindle reader also offers magazine subscriptions (Time, the Atlantic, Forbes, Salon, Slate, and the Nation), and the ability to read - from anywhere - some of your favourite blogs (in fact 310 of them, including Slashdot, the Onion, Huffington Post, ESPN, and hundreds more). All instantly updated on your Kindle reader.

According to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, “We’ve been working on Kindle for more than three years. Our top design objective was for Kindle to disappear in your hands — to get out of the way — so you can enjoy your reading… Kindle is wireless, so whether you’re lying in bed or riding a train, you can think of a book, and have it in less than 60 seconds. No computer is needed — you do your shopping directly from the device.”

One of the most exciting, and unique, aspects of the Kindle reader is that, explains Amazon, “Kindle customers can wirelessly shop the Kindle Store, download or receive new content — all without a PC, Wi-Fi hot spot, or syncing.” Anywhere that you can get a Sprint EVDO signal - and that’s certainly most of the United States - you can connect with your Kindle, for free. Amazon’s EVDO network is considered by many to be the premium cellular high speed data networks in the country, and “Amazon pays for the wireless connectivity for Kindle so there are no monthly wireless bills, data plans, or service commitments for customers.”

A statement by Amazon also explained that “Kindle uses a high-resolution display technology called electronic paper that provides a sharp black and white screen that is as easy to read as printed paper. The screen works using ink, just like books and newspapers, but displays the ink particles electronically. It reflects light like ordinary paper and uses no backlight, eliminating the eyestrain and glare associated with other electronic displays such as computer monitors or PDA screens,” and that “at 10.3 ounces, Kindle is lighter and thinner than a typical paperback and fits easily in one hand, yet its built-in memory stores more than 200 titles, and hundreds more with an optional SD memory card. Additionally, a copy of every book purchased is backed up online on Amazon.com so that customers have the option to make room for new titles on their Kindle knowing that Amazon.com is storing their personal library of purchased content.”

Adds Amazon, “When customers order a Kindle, it arrives from Amazon.com ready to use. There is no software to load or set up. Customers are immediately ready to shop, purchase, download and read from Kindle.”

You can check out the Amazon Kindle wireless reading device here

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