The Amazon Kindle is a portable e-book reader. More precisely, it is a software that utilizes wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media in some countries.
Several hardware devices support this platform, including a main “Kindle” line and a parallel “Kindle DX” line.
The most recent Kindle device is the third incarnation of the main line, officially named “Kindle”, but usually referred to as “Kindle 3″.Kindle
3 was released on August 27, 2010.
User reports indicate that the new display on the Kindle 3, with E Ink Pearl technology, is noticeably superior to previous generations.
The Kindle DX line features larger screens than the main Kindle line and is marketed as more suitable for displaying newspaper and textbook
content.
Amazon has also introduced Kindle software for use on various devices and platforms, including Microsoft Windows, iOS, BlackBerry, Mac OS X
(10.5 onwards), Android and Windows Phone 7.
The Kindle hardware devices use an e-ink electronic paper display that features 16 shades of grey.
This allows for a long battery life and easy readability.
Content for the Kindle can be purchased online and downloaded wirelessly in some countries, using either standard Wi-Fi or Amazon’s 3G
“Whispernet” network.
Whispernet is accessible without any monthly fee or wireless subscription, although fees can be incurred for the delivery of periodicals and
other content when roaming internationally beyond the customer’s home country.
Through a service called “Whispersync”, customers can synchronize reading progress, bookmarks and other information across Kindle hardware
devices and other mobile devices.
It is the only Kindle with expandable memory, via an SD card slot.
The device features a 6 inch (diagonal) 4-level grayscale display, with 250 MB of internal memory, which can hold approximately 200 non-
illustrated titles.
Amazon did not sell the Kindle First Generation outside the United States.
Plans for a launch in the UK and other European countries were delayed by problems with signing up suitable wireless network operators.
Kindle 2
A second generation Kindle
On February 10, 2009, Amazon announced the Kindle 2.
It became available for purchase on February 23, 2009.
The Kindle 2 features a text-to-speech option to read the text aloud, and 2 GB of internal memory of which 1.4 GB is user-accessible.
By Amazon’s estimates the Kindle 2 can hold about 1500 non-illustrated books. Unlike the Kindle First Generation, Kindle 2 does not have a slot
for SD memory cards.
It was slimmer than the original Kindle.
Kindle 2 features a Freescale 532 MHz, ARM-11 90 nm processor, 32 MB main memory, 2 GB moviNAND flash storage and a 3.7 V 1530 mAh lithium
polymer battery.
International version
On October 7, 2009, Amazon announced an international version of the Kindle 2 that works in over 100 countries.
It became available October 19, 2009.
The international Kindle 2 is physically very similar to the U.S.-only model, although it uses a different mobile network standard.
The original Kindle 2 uses CDMA2000, for use on the Sprint network.
The international version uses standard GSM and 3G GSM, enabling it to be used on AT&T’s U.S. mobile network and internationally in 100 other
countries.
Kindle 2 International Version is believed to have a noticeably higher contrast screen.
The new changes that were made to the Kindle 2 have made it harder to read the smaller font sizes that most books use.
On October 22, Amazon lowered the price on the international version from $279 to $259 and discontinued the U.S.-only model. On June 21, 2010,
hours after Barnes & Noble lowered the price of its Nook, Amazon lowered the price of the Kindle 2 to $189, undercutting the Nook by $10.
[edit] Kindle DX
The larger Kindle DX with a Kindle 2 for size comparison
This device has a larger screen than the standard Kindle and supports simple PDF files.
It was also the thinnest Kindle to date and offers an accelerometer, which enables the user to seamlessly rotate pages between landscape and
portrait orientations when the Kindle DX is turned on its side.
It is marketed as more suitable for displaying newspaper and textbook content.
Since January 19, 2010, the Kindle DX International has shipped in 100 countries.
The Kindle DX comes with a 24.6 cm (9.7 inch) E Ink screen instead of the 15.2 cm (6 inch) normal Kindle screen.
Kindle DX Graphite
On July 1, 2010, Amazon released a new revision of the Kindle DX (3rd Generation Kindle DX).
As well as dropping the price from $489 to $379, the new Kindle DX has an e-ink screen with 50% better contrast ratio and comes only in a
“graphite” color.
It is speculated the color change is to improve contrast ratio perception even further, as some users found the previous white casing
highlighted the fact that the e-ink background is gray and not white.
This version, however, lacks the ability to connect via Wi-fi and only 3G wireless connections are allowed
Kindle 3
Amazon announced a new generation of the Kindle on July 28, 2010.
While Amazon does not officially add numbers to the end of each Kindle denoting its generation, most reviewers, customers and press companies
refer to this updated Kindle as the “Kindle 3″.
The Kindle 3 is available in two versions.
One of these, the Kindle Wi-Fi, connects to the Internet exclusively via public or private Wi-Fi networks.
The other version, considered a replacement to the Kindle 2, includes both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.
The built-in free 3G connectivity uses the same wireless signals that cell phones use, allowing it to have download and purchase availability
from any location with cell service.
The new Kindle with 3G is available in two colors: classic white and graphite. Both models use the new E ink “Pearl” display, which has much
more contrast than the previous display and a faster refresh rate.
However, it remains slower than traditional LCD displays.
The Kindle 3 utilizes a Freescale i. MX353 applications processor, Freescale MC13892 power management chip, Epson EINK controller and Samsung
DRAM and Flash. Other hardware changes include a larger 1750 mAh lithium polymer battery, AnyDATA DTP-600W 3G GSM modem and Atheros AR6102G
802.11bg WiFi chip.
The third-generation Kindle is 0.5 inches shorter and 0.5 inches narrower than the Kindle 2.
It supports additional fonts and international Unicode characters.
An experimental browser based on the popular WebKit rendering engine is included, as well as text-to-speech menu navigation.
Internal memory is expanded to 4 GB, with approximately 3 GB available for user content.
Battery life is advertised at up to one month of reading on a single charge with the wireless turned off.
In late January 2011, Amazon announced that digital books were outselling their traditional print counterparts for the first time ever on its
site, with an average of 115 Kindle editions being sold for every 100 paperback editions.