The Amazon Kindle is Launched

Let’s face it - for many of us, nothing beats a good book. So when someone comes up with the idea that they think they can improve on that concept the thought at first seems preposterous. In fact, to understand why most view the concept as impossible we turn to the Newsweek assessment of the classic gadget (dare we call it that?) that has 500 plus years of refinement:

It is a more reliable storage device than a hard disk drive, and it sports a killer user interface. (No instruction manual or “For Dummies” guide needed.) And, it is instant-on and requires no batteries.

Another Bezos Creation
However, Jeff Bezos, the man behind the phenomenon known as Amazon.com, has set out to try to improve on a classic. With the recently released Amazon Kindle, Bezos appears to be well on his way to doing just that.

While music and video went digital long ago, the concept of long-form reading had not yet made the technology leap until the Kindle release. And in making that technological leap, Bezos decided he needed to keep some of the classic aura related to the book experience

So Bezos created a gadget that has the dimensions of a paperback novel and a bulge to resemble a book binding. It is much lighter than a laptop and generates virtually no heat while in use. It also uses the new breakthrough technology called E Ink.The result is the appearance of an imminently readable book on a six-inch screen. A battery life of 30 hours with but two hours to recharge yields a similar opportunity to curl up on a rainy afternoon for the entire afternoon.

E-Book Device
There are many aspects as to why an E-book device such as the Kindle can make for an improved reading experience. The simplest is an ability to change the font size and get a large print copy of a text at the touch of a button. Yet another aspect is a search feature to help the reader find a specific passage through the use of a phrase or a specific word.

As for the potential space issues that come with book purchases and a need for shelving, the Kindle allows for the storage of 200 books on the device. A reader can then store hundreds more on their own memory card

The idea is not completely new but the Kindle is the first to offer additional tweaks such as wireless connectivity using EV-DO technology that Bezos calls Whispernet. The concept matches that of cell phone broadband service, allowing the gadget to work anywhere not just near a Wi-Fi service location.

Perhaps the best aspect is the device’s ability to assist in the purchase a book. It is literally a one touch, download process to install the selection into your current library. The key, of course, is the book must exist in digital format. Amazon is reportedly working hard to get publishers to step up efforts to convert texts to digital.

Full Service Literary Options
With the Kindle, you can also subscribe to newspapers (the Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post) and magazines (Time, The Atlantic), meaning it brings all of the favorite types of reading experience to the readers on the same device. When a new issue goes to press the publication is automatically beamed to your Kindle.

The Kindle is initially very pricey at $399 (give it time). According to sources, the first batch was sold out in the matter of 5.5 hours.

For more details see engadget.