Posted: July 20th, 2010 | Author: writingteam11 | Filed under: Around the Castle | Tags: ebooks, Kindle, technology, Wizardry | No Comments »
The Kindle reader rapidly rose to be the top selling item on Amazon. A quick look at the benefits on offer makes it clear why this is. There are a tremendous number of books available for immediate download to the Kindle. You can also read your own PDF files and access a large number of periodicals. You can use it almost anywhere in the US, and many other counties as well. There will be no other cables, a computer or software required. The reader will be ready to use straight out of the box.
Some of the basic features provided include a large, 6″ diagonal “E Ink (a registered trademark) electronic paper display.” This technology uses ink just like is expected with books and newspapers. The electronic ink display is easy to read and is nothing like reading on a back-lit computer monitor. There are six different font sizes available for you to choose from.
Basically, all of your books can now be large-print text if you prefer. The sixteen shades of gray display means that images are clean and crisp. They can also be displayed in full screen mode after rotation. You can browse basic text-based websites and services for sport scores, images and maps.
Since there is no back-lighting involved, you will find there is no glare like with typical electronic devices. Users are very impressed with the ability to use a Kindle inside, or out on a sunny beach, with no loss of clarity. There is 2.0 GB of internal memory space. The battery will last for two weeks when you turn off the wireless capability, otherwise the battery life is cut in half, you will be able to carry it with you anywhere.
It can be recharged with the included power adapter or the USB cable which can be plugged into a computer. This allows you to download reading material to your notebook or PC and then transfer it to your Kindle reader. There are applications that will sync everything for your hand-held devices or personal computer so you can always pick up right where you left off.
There are over a half-million Kindle books available at the Kindle Store and downloaded in about sixty seconds. You can download samples of any book on a “try before you buy” basis and then purchase it with a single click if you like it. There are also over 50,000 audio books you can download to a computer and transfer. Many of the materials also have the ability to be read to you with text-to-speech capability.
The unit weighs only 10 ounces and will hold up to 1,500 books. As you build your personal library, all of your purchases are kept online and can be re-downloaded whenever you wish to add them. It is about the thickness of a pencil so it can be held in one hand comfortably. The “next page” buttons are fitted on both sides of the reader so it’s easy to use whether you are left or right handed.
A Kindle reader will allow you to carry your personal library with you and keep track of where you left off in each book. You will be able to read what you want where you want on a computer or hand-held devices and keep them all in sync. Bookmarks, notations and clips saved will always be kept for your reference. Add a few MP3’s for background music and reading will take on a whole new perspective.
Posted: March 6th, 2010 | Author: writingteam11 | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: amazon kindle, ebook readers, ebooks, technology, Wizardry | No Comments »
The Amazon Kindle has established itself as the leader of the e-book reader pack. It has a 60% share of the U.S. e-book reader market – Sony’s PRS reader trails in second place with a respectable 35% share – and both the Kindle 2.0 and the Kindle DX are now on sale internationally. Practically every new e-book reader which shows even the slightest promise is instantly given the title of “Kindle Killer” only emphasises the fact that the Kindle is not just the market leader but the unofficial industry standard against which all new readers will be measured.
Considering the dominance of the Kindle, it’s easy to forget just what a recent addition it is to the e-book reader scene. The very first e-book reader – Franklin’s eBookman – was released in 1999, over a decade ago. The Sony PRS launched in 2006. It wasn’t until November 2007 that we saw the launch of the original Kindle. The updated Kindle 2.0 was released in February of 2009 and the DX followed in June of the same year.
However, Amazon’s competition has been busy. Sony has released their Daily Edition reader. Barnes and Noble launched their Nook and even the new Apple iPad is widely felt to be a threat to the Kindle. Various different e-book readers are now available and, needless to say, the newer ones incorporate features which are currently not included in the current version of the Kindle – touch screen functionality, color screen etc.
So how will Amazon respond? Up to now, with the exception of a few firmware updates, Amazon’s primary response to growing competition has been to reduce the ticket price of the Kindle 2.0 from its $ 359 launch price to $ 259. However, there are rumours that a new version of the Kindle is in the pipeline. Which begs the question – what should Amazon do to update the Kindle?
One explanation for the success of the Kindle is that it provides a superb user experience. It’s very easy to operate using only one hand, the controls are very good and the display is excellent across a wide range of different lighting conditions. It would almost be a shame if Amazon were to follow the example of the Sony Daily Edition and introduce a touch screen. If your main intention is simply to read books then this probably isn’t a massive improvement. If anything, it detracts from the ease of one handed operation. It also requires a slightly more reflective screen which will under perform in certain lighting.
The introduction of color would definitely be a good thing but, were this to be done in the manner of Barnes and Noble’s Nook reader, it would be fairly pointless. The Nook features colour navigation only – the actual reader is still monochrome. This is not, in itself, a bad thing. After all – as far as reading books goes, black text on a white background is a familiar arrangement to most readers.
What Amazon may well wish to do, and what they have done very well up to now, is to provide a superior user experience. Rather than focus on hardware gimmicks, Amazon may decide to go for options which will be genuinely useful to their customers. For example, quicker page turns with reduced screen flicker and prolonged battery life may be enhancements which end users would find beneficial. Likewise, increased choice of Kindle books, faster downloads and the ability to share e-books might be more important to users than hardware mods.
Amazon has secured the market leadership position as a result of their ability to satisfy customer needs. Unsurprisingly they understand what people who read books actually want. The end result is that the Kindle is now their best selling product and, to date, they have not just led the market but practically defined it. The next generation of the Kindle will demonstrate exactly how the market will develop in future. In all probabilitiy, it seems highly likely that Amazon will continue to take the lead in the e-book reader market, rather than following their competitors.
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