Amazon Kindle

Infobox Mobile phone
name = Amazon Kindle


imagesize = 182
manufacturer = Amazon.com
price = $359 (as of May 27, 2008)
carrier = flagicon|USA Sprint

available = flagicon|USA November 19 2007

screen = 6" diagonal,
3.6"(W) × 4.8"(H),
600×800 pixels or 0.48 megapixels,
167 ppi density,
4-level grayscale
Electronic paper,
LCD side scroller.
operatingsystem = Linux (2.6.10 kernel)
input = QWERTY keyboard,
select wheel,
next/prev/back buttons.
cpu = Marvell PXA255.
memory = 64 MB RAM,
256 MB (180 MB available) internal storage,
SD expansion slot.
Complete back up archive of all purchased material archived on Amazon Cloud.
networks = Amazon Whispernet
connectivity = EVDO/CDMA AnyDATA wireless modem, USB 2.0 port (mini-B connector),
3.5 mm stereo headphone jack, built-in speaker,
AC power adapter jack.
battery = 3.7V, 1530mAh lithium polymer, BA1001 model.
size = 5.3" × 7.5" × 0.8"
weight = 10.3 oz
music = Kindle (.azw),
Plain text (.txt),
Unprotected Mobipocket (.mobi, .prc),
MP3 (.mp3),
Audible (.aa).

Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader–an embedded system for reading electronic books (e-books)–launched in the United States by prominent online bookseller Amazon.com in November 2007. It uses an electronic paper display, reads the proprietary Kindle (AZW) format, and downloads content over Amazon Whispernet, which uses the Sprint EVDO network. The Kindle can be used standalone without a computer. Whispernet is accessible through Kindle without any fee. [ [http://amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200127480&#whispernet What is the Amazon Whispernet wireless feature and how does it work?] , Amazon.com] Amazon does not sell the Kindle outside the United States as Whispernet only works in the U.S. On the release day, the Kindle Store had more than 88,000 digital titles available for download, but that number has steadily increased. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/books/02bea.html?ref=business Electronic Device Stirs Unease at BookExpo - NYTimes.com ] ] cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983|title=The Future of Reading|publisher=Newsweek|date=2007-11-26|author=Steven Levy|accessdate=2007-12-02] Amazon's first offering of the Kindle sold out in five and a half hours [cite web|url=http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/21/kindle-sells-out-in-two-days/|title=Kindle sells out in 5.5 hours|accessdate=2007-11-21|publisher=Engadget|date=2007-11-21|author=Nilay Patel] and the device remained out of stock until late April 2008.cite web|url=http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/04/amazons-kindle.html|accessdate=2008-04-21|publisher=Gadget Lab|title=Amazon's Kindle Back In Stock|date=2008-04-21|author=Charlie Sorrel] At launch, the device retailed for $399; Amazon subsequently lowered the price to $359.

Content

The internal memory of the Amazon Kindle can hold approximately 200 non-illustrated titles.cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200127480|title=Amazon Kindle FAQ|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-01-02] Users can download content from Amazon in the proprietary Kindle format (AZW), or load unprotected Mobipocket (PRC, MOBI) or plain text content. Amazon offers an email-based service that will convert HTML, DOC (Microsoft Word), PDF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP documents to AZW. [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200140600|title=Reading Personal Documents on your Kindle|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2007-11-22] It also supports audio in the form of MP3s and Audible 2, 3, and 4 audiobooks, which must be transferred to the Kindle over USB or on an SD card.

Users can download content through the Kindle Store. The Kindle Store is accessed through Whispernet, over Sprint's EVDO network, which Amazon provides free of charge. New releases and "New York Times" bestsellers are offered for approximately $10. Classics like "Bleak House" sell for around $1.99. The first chapters of many books are offered as a free sample. Subscriptions to newspapers cost between $5.99 and $14.99 per month, magazines between $1.25 and $3.49 per month, and blogs for $0.99-$1.99 per month. [cite web|url=http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/19/amazon-kindle-available-now-on-amazon/|title=Amazon Kindle available now on Amazon|accessdate=2007-11-21|publisher=Engadget|author=Thomas Ricker|date=2007-11-19] Users can send documents to a conversion service which will send a Kindle-formatted file to the device directly for $0.10 or to a personal e-mail account for free. Users can transfer converted documents from a computer to the Kindle via a USB cable or an SD card. Access to Wikipedia is offered at no additional charge. [cite web |url=http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FI73MA/ |title=Kindle: Amazon's New Reading Device |accessdate=2007-11-24 |format= |work=Amazon.com ]

The device comes with electronic editions of its owner's manual and the "New Oxford American Dictionary".

The Kindle also contains several free experimental features. These include a basic Web browser and NowNow, an online research service which can produce answers to simple research questions (customer support questions are not answered). [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200137070|title=Accessing Basic Web and Kindle NowNow|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2007-11-22] Users can also play music from MP3 files in random order in the background.

Operating system updates are received over the air and installed automatically.

File formats

Although it supports unprotected Mobipocket books (.MOBI, .PRC), plain text files, and HTML and Word documents, Kindle also uses its own proprietary, DRM-restricted format (AZW). It does not fully support Portable Document Format (PDF), but Amazon provides "experimental" conversion to the native AZW format.cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200140600|title=Amazon.com: Help > Digital Content > Amazon Kindle Support > How to Use Your Kindle > Reading Personal Documents on Your Kindle|author=Amazon|publisher=Amazon|date=2007|accessdate=2007-11-23] Users may also convert PDF files to supported formats using third-party software.

Using the experimental web browser, it is possible to download books directly on the Kindle (.mobi, .prc and .txt). Hyperlinks in a Mobipocket file can be used to download e-books [cite web|url=http://www.feedbooks.com/help/kindle#guide|title=Kindle Download Guide|author=Feedbooks|accessdate=2008-02-07] but cannot be used to reference books stored in the Kindle's memory.

The Kindle charges monthly for RSS subscription to select blogs, even though users may use the experimental web browser to navigate to and read blogs or any other web pages free of charge.cite web|url=http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2007/11/19/15-things-i-just-lea.html|title=15 Things I Just Learned About the Amazon Kindle|author=Joel Johnson|publisher=Boing Boing|date=2007-11-19|accessdate=2007-11-22]

Annotations

The user can bookmark, highlight and lookup content. Pages can be "dog-eared" for reference, notes can be added to relevant content, and text can be highlighted. While a book is open on the display, menu options allows users to search for synonyms and definitions from the built in dictionary. It also remembers the last page read for each book. Pages can be saved as a "clipping", which is a text file containing the text of the currently displayed page. All clippings are appended to a single file; the clipping file can be downloaded over the USB cable. [cite web|url=http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/digital/fiona/general/Kindle_User_Guide.pdf|title=Kindle user guide]

Undocumented features

Text is fully justified but without hyphenation. [cite web|url=http://db.tidbits.com/article/9329|title=Hands on with Kindle|author=Glenn Fleishman|publisher=TidBits|accessdate=2007-11-27] Text can, however, be displayed left-justified via an undocumented feature.cite web|url=http://igorsk.blogspot.com/2007/12/hacking-kindle-part-3-root-shell-and.html|author= Igor Skochinsky|title=Reversing Everything|accessdate=2007-12-22]

The game Minesweeper is available on Amazon Kindle by pressing and holding the ALT, Shift keys, and M button.

Product development

The Kindle device hardware was developed by a team led by Gregg Zehr and the Kindle software was developed by a team led by Thomas Ryan. The combined team was based in Cupertino and was known as Lab126 during product development. [cite web|url=http://www.thealarmclock.com/mt/archives/2007/05/amazon_grows_a.html|title=Amazon Grows A Startup In Cupertino|accessdate=2008-03-22]

Criticism

Many reviewers have expressed concern with the ergonomics of the Kindle. [cite web|url=http://reviews.cnet.com/e-book-readers/amazon-kindle/4505-3508_7-32751890.html
title=Amazon Kindle, CNET editors' review|publisher=CNET|author=David Carnoy|editor=John P. Falcone|date=2007-11-20] Without its cover, it is difficult to hold onto without accidentally pressing one of the buttons.

The Kindle Terms of Use forbid transferring eBooks to someone else or using them on a different device. [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200144530|title=Amazon Kindle: License Agreement and Terms of Use|publisher=Amazon|date=2007|accessdate=2007-12-13] This has been criticized by the Free Software Foundation [cite web|url=http://www.defectivebydesign.org/KindleSwindle|title=The Kindle Swindle|publisher=Free Software Foundation|date=2007-12-12|accessdate=2007-12-13] and free software advocates including Mark Pilgrim. [cite web|url=http://diveintomark.org/archives/2007/11/19/the-future-of-reading|title=The Future of Reading (A Play in Six Acts)|last=Pilgrim|first=Mark|date=2007-11-19|accessdate=2007-12-13]

Digital Text Platform

Concurrently with the Kindle device, Amazon launched the [http://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin Digital Text Platform] , a system for authors to self-publish directly to the Kindle. Currently in open beta, the platform was promoted to established authors by e-mail.cite web|url=http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2007/11/27/why-kindle-will-change-the-world.aspx|publisher=Motley Fool|title=Why Kindle Will Change the World|author=Rick Aristotle Munarriz|date=2007-11-27|accessdate=2007-11-27] Authors can upload documents in several formats for delivery via Whispernet and charge between US$0.99 and $200 per download. The authors receive 35% of revenues based on their list price, regardless of discounts by Amazon. [cite web | url=http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/entry.jspa?externalID=2&categoryID=12 | title=Amazon DTP Support:Terms & Conditions | accessdate = 2007-12-07]

Product image gallery

ee also

*List of e-book readers - similar devices

References

External links

* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FI73MA Official Kindle product page]
* [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/133141011 Official Kindle Store]
* [http://www.city-journal.org/2008/eon0613gs.html The Revolution Will Be Digitalized, "City Journal," June 13, 2008]
* [http://www.engadget.com/tag/kindle Kindle Coverage] at Engadget
* [http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/11/19/1/a-conversation-with-amazon-com-ceo-jeff-bezos Video: Charlie Rose Interview with CEO Jeff Bezos about the Kindle November 19, 2007]
* [http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/ebook-faceoff/amazon-kindle-vs-sony-reader-sizemodo-and-interface-comparison-gallery-326590.php Which is better: Amazon Amazon Kindle vs. Sony Reader]
* [http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2007/11/20071120_b_main.asp Radio Podcast: OnPoint with Tom Ashbrook] at "On Point"
* [http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6512445.html Library use of Kindle]