Introducing The 3rd Generation Amazon Kindle Reader

The New Third Generation Kindle
The Amazon kindle is, fundamentally, a portable e-book reader. It allows users to read digitally stored books or documents on an electronic screen. There’s nothing very novel about that – we’ve all enjoyed the ability to read e-books and text files on computers and other mobile devices for some time now. So what is it about the kindle that makes it so important?

In fact, whilst the kindle has many impressive features and functions, there is arguably no one single point which marks it for future greatness. It really is an example of the whole being more than the sum of the parts. So, with that being said, let’s have a look at the key aspects of Amazon’s new kindle 2.

Portable
First of all the Kindle really is portable. It weighs 8.7 ounces and is just 1/3 of an inch thick. That’s about the same weight as a paperback book and about as thick as a glossy magazine. The overall dimensions are 7.5” X 4.8” X 0.33”. So it’s considerably more portable than even a small notebook computer, and the ergonomics make it a good deal easier to handle and read from on, for example, a plane or a bus.

Extended Battery Life
The Kindle also enjoys a long battery life – up to a month when used only as a reader with the wireless turned off. When downloading, especially in weak signal areas, battery life is reduced. Even then 10 days between recharges is achievable.

Easy To Read Display
The Kindle uses an e-ink technology “paper like” display, about 6” across the diagonal, which avoids screen glare and reflection, allowing reading in brightly lit conditions – something which can be troublesome with a notebook PC. There are now 8 font sizes to choose from, so you should be able to read quite easily even if you’ve left your bifocals at home.

Even if you don’t like the display or can’t quite decide on the perfect font size, all is not lost. The Kindle now has the capability of reading your book to you using its new audio playback facility called “read-to-me”. However, be aware that this feature may be turned off by the publisher’s of certain books – best to check before you download.

Ease of Use
The Kindle is incredibly easy to use and operate with only one hand. It's ideal for reading on a bus, a train, a plane, or even just leaning back on your sofa. This is actually quite difficult to explain if you haven't used one - but, for many people, it's easier to operate than a normal book.

A couple of weeks after I first got my Kindle, I got an e-mail from Amazon to advise me that my order had despatched. I was a little surprised because I hadn't ordered anything - but when I checked it was a book, by an author that I really like, that I had pre-ordered and then forgotten about. Normally I would have been delighted - and so I was, but I was less happy than normal knowing that I was going to have to go back to manhandling a big cumbersome book - and that I was going to have to lug it around with me (it was a weighty volume). Today, like many other readers, I prefer to use my Kindle rather than read a "real" book.

No Monthly Fee For Connectivity
The Kindle connects to Amazon’s e-book store using 3G wireless technology. There’s no need for an internet connection or WiFi hotspot and there are no download connection fees or monthly subscription charges.

Alternatively, if you choose the Wi-Fi only option, you can connect free at ant AT & T hotspot.

Choose From A Huge Range Of Titles
It takes less than a minute to download an e-book to your kindle and you can currently choose from 630,000 titles on Amazon. The list is growing daily. The kindle device itself can store up to 3,500 books.

In addition to e-books, newspaper, magazine and even blog subscriptions are available. Apart from Kindle books, the device supports various other file formats including .TXT and MP3. PDF files are now supported.

The kindle also has limited internet browsing capabilities.

Value For Money
 Now that the Kindle has been reduced to $189 it's great value for money and very affordable. Don't forget that Kindle books are cheaper since they don’t use any print consumables, so the cost of your Kindle may be recovered fairly quickly for heavy readers. You can also find a good selection of free Kindle books - right on Amazon's website, and there's a lot more starting at just $0.01. You could recover the purchase price of your Kindle pretty quick with prices like that.

Over the piece, the Kindle may prove to be the ideal product for Amazon. Fast, free and easy downloads coupled with Amazon’s huge selection of available titles will encourage even greater loyalty to the already trusted Amazon brand. Customers will return to Amazon for further book purchases and, as the Kindle goes mainstream, economies of scale should be achievable.

All things considered, it looks like good business for Amazon and the Kindle could very well change the way we all look at books in the not too distant future.

The Kindle reader  is the ideal choice for anyone who loves books. However, if you aren't completely sure about whether or not to buy then why not check out the free Kindle apps that Amazon has made available. You can read Kindle books for free on a large number of other devices.