Amazon
Kindle is
a software and hardware platform developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 for
rendering and displaying e-books and other digital media. Three hardware devices,
known as "Kindle," "Kindle 2," and "Kindle DX" support
this platform, as does an iPhone application called "Kindle for iPhone".
The first device was released in the United States on November 19, 2007.
The Kindle hardware device uses an E Ink brand electronic paper display, and is
able to download content over Amazon Whispernet using the Sprint EVDO in the USA
or, for newer Kindle 2 devices, AT&T's network internationally. The Kindle
hardware device can be used without a computer, and Whispernet is accessible without
any fee.[3] These devices also provide free access to the internet. Kindle devices
sold prior to October 19, 2009 were sold only in the United States.[4] On October
7, 2009, Amazon announced an international version of the Kindle 2 with a built-in
3G (HSDPA) and EDGE/GSM wireless modem for connectivity in over 100 countries.
This international version went on sale October 19, 2009 worldwide.
On March 3, 2009, Amazon.com launched an application called Kindle for iPhone
in the App Store, allowing iPhone and iPod Touch owners to read Kindle content
on those devices. Through a technology termed "Whispersync," customers
can synchronize reading progress, bookmarks, and other information across Kindle
hardware devices and other mobile devices.
Amazon announced the Kindle DX on May 6, 2009. This device has a larger screen
than its predecessors and supports PDF files natively. It is marketed as more
suitable for displaying newspaper and textbook content.
Amazon has released Kindle for PC as a free software download, allowing users
to read Kindle books on a Windows PC.
The Kindle
Fire is a tablet computer version of Amazon.com's Kindle e-book reader. Announced
on 28 September 2011, the Kindle Fire has a color 7" multi-touch display with
IPS technology and runs a forked version of Google's Android operating system.
The device—which includes access to the Amazon Appstore, streaming movies and
TV shows, and Kindle's e-books—was released on November 15, 2011. The
Kindle Fire retails for US$199, but you should be able to find better deals on
this site. Estimates of the device's initial bill of materials ranged from $150
to $201. Analysts
have projected the device to be a strong competitor to the Apple iPad, and that
other Android device makers will suffer lost sales. Amazon's business strategy
is to make money on the selling of digital content on the Fire, rather than through
the device itself. The
Kindle Fire's external dimensions are 7.5×4.7×0.45 inch (190×120×11 mm), with
the visible area of the screen a little smaller than a standard 4×6" photograph.
Customers began receiving their Kindle Fires on November 15, 2011, and in the
following December, customers purchased over 1 million Kindle devices per week.
Analysts had estimated that over 6 million Amazon Kindle Fire tablets would be
sold in the fourth quarter of 2011. |
