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The Kindle – Amazon E-book Reader

Paul Rodgers asked:


The battle of the giants, Sony eBook Reader and Amazon Kindle is fierce. The Kindle reader is now available from Amazon. Amazon Kindle is a revolutionary portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, newspapers, magazines and blogs to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight. But overall the most important development in the Kindle reader is that it is going to break the stereotype that eBooks are not usable and convenient like normal books. Actually, Amazon’s Kindle reader is an excellent product and a person can simply order books directly through the device without integrating with a PC or other wireless device – the Kindle has its own wireless connection that operates in the background.

Kindle’s mission statement is to eliminate the need for hard copy documents, by providing you with a all-in-one reference source. Kindle is the first ebook reader with its own cellular wireless connection to let you get new books anytime, almost anywhere when the mood strikes. Kindle has a standard-layout keyboard that makes it possible for users to search the Kindle Store, their entire library of purchased content, and Wikipedia. Kindle simply plays MP3 files in random order as background music without any user control over the order of play. Kindle holds over 200 titles and Kindle does not use WiFi, but EVDO like cell phones. Kindle has no monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments.

Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so you will never see a monthly wireless bill for shopping the Kindle Store. Using the same 3G network as advanced cell phones, we deliver your content using our own wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet. Amazon has complied with Linux licensing by making its modified source code freely available. But whether you choose to jump aboard now or later, Amazon’s entry into the eBook market is a BIG deal — it forever changes the game.

The same Amazon shopping experience customers are accustomed to is offered in the Kindle Store, including customer reviews, personalized recommendations, Click purchasing, and everyday low prices. The email service supports several formats of open-source books as well as Microsoft Word but not PDFs and text-based, but not image-based PDFs.

1- Amazon has actually out-Appled Apple in ease-of-use. Like the iPhone, Kindle lets you buy media-books and periodicals, in this case – without your PC.

2- Amazon’s $9.99-and-under book pricing means book fans can buy more books. They can look up words in a dictionary, Wikipedia or on the Web right from the device.

3- Amazon already sells books. The company long ago figured out the complexities of online book distribution and most book buyers already trust Amazon.

In many ways, the Amazon Kindle is the ultimate ebook reader, but to see just how far that statement holds true, you will just have to try it for yourself. Recommendation: If you typically carry a large stack of books with you or travel semi-regularly, the Amazon Kindle is a no-brainer. The Amazon kindle is definitely a fantastic selection and can definitely be upgraded.

The Amazon Kindle is the first ebook reader that I have truly loved. The Kindle is a game-changing revolution in buying, reading, managing and using electronic books and other content. It’s also the hottest holiday gift you can buy this year for anyone who loves to read.



Kindle: the Future of Book Reading

Kevin Bernard asked:


Kindle is an e-book or electronic book computer gadget launched by Amazon.com in November 2007 only in the United States. It is a portable wireless reading device, which uses a device to read digital copies of books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs. The device uses a digital screen to show an image of a printed page. Just by pressing a button on the device, user can turn the "virtual pages’ of an "e-book". In this way the electronic copies of their favorite reading material become available.

Kindle is portable and simple to use for everyone. No computer or syncing is needed. The users don’t need to locate a hotspot like Wi-Fi.

Wireless Downloading

Kindle is a wireless device that downloads content from Amazon Whispernet, which uses the Sprint EVDO network. Whispernet is a wireless delivery system for the Amazon Kindle e-book reader that permits the user to surf the web and download books and other Kindle content without the use of an outside internet provider. Kindle users are not charged for using whispernet. As the Whispernet works only in the U.S., Amazon hasn’t launched Kindle outside the United States.

Reading Options

You can read books , newspapers, magazines, blogs on your kindle. A number of best sellers, from the accomplished publishers all around the world, are available on the kindle store. More than 89,000 books including, 91 of 111 current New York Times® Best Sellers, are available to read on the kindle. You can read top international and U.S. newspapers including Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, top magazines including TIME, Forbes and Atlantic Monthly, and more than 250 top blogs from the worlds of technology, business, entertainment, politics, etc.

Advantages of using Kindle





A Kindle owner can download sold-out books while others have to wait for more physical copies to come available.

Just buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute.

You can shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle, whether you’re in the bed, in the back of a taxi, or at the airport.

Users are provided free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.

Kindle users can free access world’s most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia—Wikipedia.org



Will the Amazon Kindle be a Success?

Dave Simpson asked:


 

In 2001 Apple launched the iPod. Why bother, everyone said, there were already hundreds of different digital music players at the time and most people dismissed the idea out of hand. Three hundred and ninety-nine dollars for a music player? Too expensive. No FM radio or a microphone. It will never catch on. Well, as we know now, it turns out they were wrong on all counts – and how. Apple shares were $9.51 the day before the launch – today they are around $160. But enough of the history lesson. Here are five reasons why the Kindle is the next must-have gadget akin to the iPod or PSP.

1. It actually addresses a real problem

Who needs to carry 80 books around with them? Well, I don’t, and I’m sure most of you don’t either. What about a thousand – now you’re just being silly! Sony’s failed e-book reader boasted enough memory to carry around a small, or even medium sized library. Great if you’re a professor who needs to reference his life work while on the move, but just a bit over the top for most of us. Me, well I just want to read one book at a time. Still, that doesn’t mean to say that when I finish my book I always go to sleep – sometimes I want to read another. Sometimes I’m in the mood for something different to the book I just finished. Sometimes it was even so good that I want to read something else by the same author. Well, Kindle is the first ebook reader with its own cellular wireless connection that lets you get new books anytime, almost anywhere whenever you like. It’s not wifi so you don’t need to find hot spots — it’s like a cell phone. Magazines and newspapers – no problem, your digital paperboy will deliver them fresh to your (digital) doorstep in an instant.

2. It has a ready made library of good quality cheap material

Any new gadget will ultimately fail or succeed on the fuel that drives it – content! Well, with Amazon throwing its weight firmly behind the Kindle, you needn’t worry about the availablility of material. Until now, some ebook readers have failed miserably in this vital aspect with narrow choices of material, and downloads often costing more than their traditional paperback equivalents. Kindle scores on price – most of its material costs around 10 bucks and many are less – this is cheaper than a normal book. Wait, I hear you cry, but the cellular wireless connection must cost a fortune. Nope – its included in the price of the device and the downloads. Sp, what about periodicals? Big savings are to be had here as well as publishers throw themselves onto the digital bandwagon. A year of the Wall Street Journal in print is $249 versus $9.99 a month ($120 a year) via Kindle – and you can still read it in the loo!

Getting your own documents onto the Kindle can be done via email but this does, admittedly incur an extra charge, although it is just 10 cents a go. The email service supports several formats of open-source books as well as Microsoft Word and text-based, the only real omission that I would like to have seen included is PDF support. No doubt this will be forthcoming, and there are workarounds available in any case

3. Jeff Bezos is a proven visionary

Ok, its not a rock solid guarantee of success bit just look at the guys track record. First he built his online superstore beating out thousands of more established competitors – anyone not heard of Amazon here – I thought so. Amazon.com got so many things right, including the important focus on reader reviews, cheap shipping and giant selection. I’d put my money on him to make this to a success.

4. Its smart and well designed

As I’ve pointed out its packed with gadgets like free wireless cell connection a real keyboard to let you search in a book or document, page turning buttons on both sides of the screen – Ned Flanders will definitely be stocking these in the Leftorium. But another major decision will also help Kindle take off. It’s not hanging off your computer. You don’t need to sync it with a computer. Purchases are backed up online by Amazon so you can delete and recover any book you bought. Basically, it does everything it was designed to do in a simple elegant manner – remind anyone of a certain MP3 player?

5. It’s cool

There are potentially millions of consumers who will buy Kindle for this very reason. Just like PSP’s, IPods and IPhones before it – the take up of the next cool gadget is normally a huge success if the distributors get it right, and when it come to product distribution Amazon rarely fail. If you still don’t believe me, go and watch the video on this website. This is a nifty gizmo that elegantly solves real problems for consumers.

 



Amazon Kindle How-To Series: E-Mail With Your Kindle

Michael Piston asked:


The Amazon Kindle is a great e-book reader and audio-book player. Wouldn’t it be great if you could use the built-in wireless service for other things like surfing the Internet or sending and receiving e-mail? Well, actually depending upon the e-mail service you use, you can!

Not surprisingly, we’ve found that the Amazon Kindle (both version 1 and 2) work great with Google’s Gmail. However, “right-out-of-the-box”, you will not be able to use Gmail unless you make a few modifications to your Kindle’s settings. If you do not do this, you will get an error message when trying to get into your Gmail account.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Get a GMail account if you do not have one already – very simple – visit www.gmail.com and sign-up. Gmail offers a number of great features including over 7GB of storage space, IMAP support, and easy labeling of e-mail.

2. Turn on your Kindle and go to Menu > Experimental > Basic Web. This will open the Kindle’s Web Browser. Keep in mind that the Kindle browser (even on the new Kindle 2) is VERY basic.

3. When your Kindle browser has opened, go to Menu > Settings.

4. Navigate to the Menu item “Enable Javascript” – Gmail requires Javascript to work. If Javascript is not enabled then you will get an error message when trying to access your Gmail account.

5. Close the Settings window.

6. Go to Menu > Enter URL and then enter www.gmail.com – this is important, if you use the Kindle’s default shortcut or bookmark for Google you will get the Google “PDA” or mobile edition. When you try to access Gmail from the Google mobile site it will prompt you to download an e-mail application. This application cannot be installed on your Kindle. Go direction to the gmail site.

7. Log into the Gmail site with your existing user name and password, or use the new one you created in Step #1. Click “Sign in”.

8. You should now be logged into Gmail and ready to read and send e-mail messages.

A few things to keep in-mind when using your Kindle for Gmail. First, don’t forget the “Next Page” and “Prev Page” buttons. You have to get-out of your computer mind and into your Kindle mind. Next, the screen quality is not exceptional because it is in gray scale vs. color. The Kindle 2’s screen is better than the Kindle 1, however you will not equal anywhere near the experience of using your computer for e-mail. Finally – you won’t be able to open attachments sent to your Gmail account, and you may not be able to see all of the images sent with your e-mails.

With all of this, it still is pretty neat that you can take advantage of the wireless “Whispernet” service to take care of some basic e-mail tasks while you are using your Kindle. Who knows? In the event that your computer crashes and you’re out on the road your Kindle might be just come in very handy!

Congratulations, now you know how-to use Gmail on your Amazon Kindle wireless reading device.



The New Amazon Kindle 2 – Available for All

Nollen asked:


On This Monday, February 9, 2009, Amazon announced the Kindle 2 – new wireless reading device (latest generation) , which will be available for purchase starting on February 24, 2009 on all online shops for $359, without the speculated price increase.

There may be a variety of reasons that you want to get a new kindle 2 device. For example, I never thought I’d use an e-book reader, but after buying the Kindle I became an instant convert. It has saved me many a boring hour stuck in airports, doctor’s offices, or during business flights. Most hardcover bestsellers or books for business now cost about $30. I can buy the same book for $9 on the Kindle. So the my Kindle now is holding about 100 books.

I love my kindle 1 reading e-book device. Quick, smooth, easy to read, and I don’t complain about the large buttons. But I’ve been waiting for Kindle 2 device. So, I ordered yesterday the my Kindle 2. I received an email saying my order had been upgraded to a Kindle 2 and that I would be in the first group to receive Kindle 2, and would receive mine as soon as Kindle 2 becomes available later this month.

Amazon announced the second latest generation Kindle e-book reader  will be thinner than an iPhone at thick 0.36 inches. There’s seven times more storage then the Kindle 1 first generation device packed inside,  and now holds over 1,500 books. It has a new sharper 16-level e-ink display that turns pages some 20 percent faster, provides even crisper images and clearer text for an improved book-like reading experience. There’s also a new Read-to-Me Text-to-Speech feature and a 25 percent longer battery life, along with a new five-way joystick controller that makes navigation simpler and faster. Kindle 2 comes with the New Oxford American Dictionary and its 250,000 word definitions built-in, and with Kindle 2 definitions appear instantly at the bottom of the page. Amazon also announced that the Kindle Store has now over 230,000 ebooks, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines available.

Finally, If you do a lot of traveling, or if you are like me and hate having paper books everywhere. So, this is a great innovative device  for you and for all readers all around the USA. I’ll bet you must love to have one NOW! Kindle 2 or new Amazon wireless reading device (latest generation) is available today for pre-order.