In 2007, the Internet commerce company Amazon introduced a $399 (now priced from $79 up to $199, depending on the
ad-supported model) electronic book (e-book) reader called the Kindle.
The Kindle wasn't the first dedicated e-book reader device, but it
didn't really have much competition -- there wasn't a huge demand in the
market for e-book readers before the Kindle's launch.
Amazon has
two distinct advantages over earlier e-book manufacturers. The first is
that the company designed the Kindle to interface seamlessly with
Amazon's online store. Amazon.com hosts hundreds of thousands of titles,
many of which you can order in electronic format. Because the Kindle is
wireless, you can access the store without connecting the device to a computer.
You can buy a book or subscribe to an electronic version of a newspaper
on Amazon and download it directly to the Kindle. The second advantage
is that Amazon has a large customer base. Both of these factors give the
Kindle a leg up on the competition.
Why would you want to use an
e-book reader in the first place? One reason is that a single e-book
reader can hold many titles. The $79 Kindle, Amazon's base model, can
hold up to 1,400 titles (books, newspapers, magazines and blogs) in its memory [source: Amazon].
The newer models also offer WiFi connectivity. The original Kindle had a
port that allowed users to save titles to a memory card, extending the
device's capacity, which appeals to people who like the idea of having
an electronic library that takes up very little physical space.
The
Kindle's memory capacity also makes it very convenient for travelers.
With a Kindle, you don't have to worry about packing heavy books in your
luggage to keep you occupied for your whole trip. A single Kindle can
hold more than enough titles to tide you over. And if you decide you
want something completely different midway through your travels (as long
as you're traveling in the United States or a country in which Amazon
offers service for its international Kindle), you can always use the
Kindle to access Amazon's store and buy a new book.
The Kindle
also has several functions that you may find helpful while reading. You
can bookmark a page, highlight a selection of text or even type notes as
you read. With these features, the Kindle has the potential to replace
hardcopy textbooks in the future, something many students would probably
welcome. While they would no longer be able to sell a used copy of a
textbook at the end of a term, they wouldn't have to tote around a
backpack filled with hefty books.
Next, we'll take a closer look at the Kindle.
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