Amazon's popular wireless reading device, the Kindle reader, is the most widely available ebook reader on the market, being accessible to people in 175 countries worldwide.
If you are new to e-readers, the Kindle reader is similar in size to a regular DVD case, but thinner, and weighs 289 grams. It has a built-in wireless modem that allows for downloading ebooks, newspapers, and magazines directly to the device itself. The wireless service is free and doesn't require any monthly payments or roaming charges. Because of this, you don't have to use a computer to download your books, although you have that option if you prefer it.
The Kindle reader uses a technology called electronic paper that mimics the look of a printed book, giving it a high contrast ratio with rich, dark text. It is very easy on the eyes unlike bright LCD computers and phones, and is readable in direct sunlight. Another benefit of this technology is that it's extremely energy-efficient; a battery will hold a charge for roughly 7,500 page-turns, or 2 weeks of regular reading.
The majority of countries have access to over 400,000 ebooks from the online Kindle store. Most new release and bestseller ebooks cost $9.99 in the US and $11.99 everywhere else, with the exception of the countries in the EU, where an additional 15% VAT is applied to ebook purchases.
A nice perk with Amazon, they allow you to download a sample of any book for free so you can read the beginning to see if you like it or not. And the Kindle reader comes with 2 GB of memory to hold about 1,500 ebooks and personal documents.
In addition to ebooks, Kindle International owners have access to several dozen international newspaper and magazine subscriptions that are far cheaper than their paper cousins. Here are some newspapers Kindle users can expect to receive wirelessly each morning: The Times, Daily Mail, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Le Monde, Les Echos, Frankfurter Allgemeine, Handelsblatt, The Irish Times, El País, Diariocritico, AS, Corriere Della Sera, and La Stampa.
Aside from Amazon, there are a number of websites that have free, non-DRM protected ebooks that will work on a Kindle just fine. Some examples are Project Gutenberg, Feedbooks, and Baen's free library. Another website, MobiPocket, has nearly 10,000 free English ebooks along with approximately 100 free German language ebooks, 700 French, 275 Finnish, 170 Dutch, and several other languages too.
Additionally, the Kindle reader will play music and is compatible with audiobooks from Audible.
The new International Kindle e-readers have a global AT&T modem that can pick up a free wireless signal in over 100 counties. This includes access to Wikipedia, and a few countries have free internet with the Kindle's experimental web browser, but because of current cellular bandwidth issues and increased wireless costs abroad it's not available everywhere.
Here's the complete country list and wireless coverage map for the Kindle Reader, along with some additional resources.
Visit The-eBook-Reader.com for ebook reader reviews, comparisons, and daily ereader news.
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