The previous versions (the Kindle and the Kindle 2) which have been praised by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and authors like Toni Morrison to name a few, has made it one of the hottest items on the wish lists of avid readers and techies alike. But what exactly is the allure of the device?
What Is The Kindle?
The Kindle is software and hardware that uses electronic paper display with e-Ink that requires no computer, no cables and no syncing.
It uses the Whispernet technology from Sprint allowing owners to wirelessly connect to the Amazon bookstore and download books without being connected physically to a computer. It doesn’t force owners to buy books from Amazon, as you can connect to a computer and download books from other retailers with a USB connection.
The original Kindle has a six-inch screen and weighs 10.3 ounces and without the extra memory card can hold up to 200 books. It can read books in its own Kindle format (AZW), text documents (TXT), unprotected Mobipocket (MOBI), PRC, HTML, Word documents (DOC), JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP. These documents are accessible by e-mailing them to your Kindle. It reads PDF files but the results are not great as a lot of the formating is lost.
The second Kindle (released in February, 2009) featured a larger hard drive (Amazon says the Kindle 2 can hold up to 1,500 books), speedier Whispernet connections (3G) and is only 1/3 of an inch thick and weighs 10.2 ounces. The Kindle 2 does support PDF files but has to have a conversion software.
The newest release, the DX, is the largest screen yet at 9.7 inches and supports PDF files natively (long on the wanted list of readers) and has the ability to deliver clearer images in blacks and grays in attempt to make reading newspapers and magazines sharper. Some readers of newspapers and magazines have been disappointed in the quality of the pictures on previous Kindles.
There is also Kindle software available for cellphones, notably the iPhone by Apple but other sellers have had ebook reader software for phones for some time, notably the eReader from another digital book retailer, Fictionwise. Google Books also has software for phones.
Why Kindlers Love This Device
People who have bought any version of the Kindle call themselves Kindlers and they love nothing more than showing off their prizes and describing its virtues. Tiffany Stockert got her Kindle 2 this spring and says it has changed her reading habits.
“Before Kindle, I read about three books a week. Now I have so much new material to read that I’m getting through about four new books a week. I’ve also managed to reacquire some books I’ve already read.”
Stockert says she really enjoys finding new authors for her Kindle “as well as other books I’d never known about by old favorites.”
Author and librarian Linda McLaughlin has been aware of digital reading for many years and still says the Kindle has revolutionized her reading habits.
"I started reading e-books on my laptop about ten years ago, and I've tried many devices but the Kindle is my absolute favorite,” said McLaughlin. “In fact, it's the only one I use now.”
McLaughlin reads books, magazines and blogs on her Kindle.
“Being able to get blogs and magazines downloaded every day without hooking up to a computer is addicting,” she said. “I've had my Kindle for eighteen months, and I don't think a day hasn't gone by that I haven't read something on it, even if all I've had time for is a blog."
Not Just an Amazon Device
People who love their Kindles enough to brag on them are quick to point out the wireless download feature is what sets the Kindle apart from other digital readers on the market like the Sony PRS-505 (also uses eInk) and the Plastic Logic reader, among others rated in 2008 by Forbes magazine, as top contenders. But it can used to read content from other retailers as well using the USB cord.
Other Contenders for the Market
The Plastic Logic reader was scheduled to be released early in 2009 but the company website now says it will be released late this year. It also appears to be more geared to business use than pleasure. The Sony reader does not have the wireless function and only works on PC-based computers if you want to buy books from sources other than the Sony store. Sony’s reader is backlit like early eReaders such as the eBookwise 1150, REB 1100 and Gemstar devices. The eBookwise 1150 is currently marketed by Fictionwise.
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