Amazon decided a few years back to develop an electronic reading device. Something you could use to easily download and read books, newspapers, blogs, and magazines. The end result is the Amazon Kindle. The Kindle utilizes “Electronic Paper”, a new display technology which is supposed to be like reading ink on paper. None of the strain and glare of a computer screen.
The basics: Kindle is wireless, using “wishpernet”, which is a combination of Amazon technology and the Sprint EVDO wireless network. Amazon pays for the network, so you do not have to obtain a wireless account, and there is no setup on the device for wireless. It just “happens”.
Kindle has an ergonomic design, allowing lefties or righties to operate the device comfortably. It is designed to allow readers to use the device and read for hours. The text size is adjustable, with 6 font sizes to allow you to read comfortably. It has a built in dictionary, and wireless access to Wikipedia. Search capabilities allow you to search a word or phrase in your library. It has a QWERTY keyboard for comfort.
What intrigues me about the Kindle is the price tag of books. Most books you would purchase and download on the Kindle have a price tag of roughly $9.99. Compare that to the cost of hardback books, which can go from $16 on up to $35, depending on the book and the store.
The price tag is a bit steep, retailing at http://www.amazon.com/ for $359. If you are interested in purchasing, you can get a $50 discount by typing “OPRAHWINFREY” in the coupon code field when checking out. This is only available for the next 5 days. The Kindle is Oprah’s “new favorite thing”, and she gave them away to her audience members on last Friday’s show.
Someday, I will purchase myself a Kindle.
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