What Is the Amazon Kindle Reading Device?

It probably hasn't escaped your attention but the Amazon kindle is the new buzzword in reading. But what is it? Long story short, it is an electronic device that stores literally thousands of electronic books, which you can then read at your leisure, anywhere, anytime. All you need to do to get started is buy a kindle, register the device with the Amazon kindle store, buy your books, download and off you go.

What are the advantages over ordinary books?

Ordinary books are great, but they weigh a lot, and they take up precious space, especially when travelling. The Amazon Kindle allows you to take all your favourite books on vacation with you, without the bulk or weight. You can literally store thousands of books on your kindle.

What else can it do?

The latest generation of kindles have been equipped with wi-fi and 3G technology. This essentially means that you don't need a computer to access the E-book store. With the wi-fi technology you can simply download books to your device without connecting to the computer. Of course, you do need to have a wi-fi network at home, or access to a free wi-fi network when you are out and about.

For those who don't have a wi-fi network there is also a 3G model that allows access to the store anytime anywhere. This option is ideal for those who are constantly on the go.

Can't be bothered reading?

The latest generation kindle has experimental text-to-speech software. Plug in your headphones and let the kindle read the book for you. Great for the night-time flights when there is barely enough light in the cabin to see in front of your face.

Can it surf the internet?

You can surf Amazon.com, Wikipedia and the web using kindle's very own web browser. Furthermore, this web browsing capability is free over the wi-fi network.

Listen to music while you read.

You can transfer MP3 files to your Kindle via a USB cable attached to your computer. Listen as an MP3 play, or use the MP3 files as background music while you read.

So there you have it. A rough explanation of what an Amazon Kindle is. The latest generation kindles allow you to do much more with wi-fi and 3G technology.