5 Reasons Why New Generation of Kindle Is Really Worth Buying

With a new generation Kindle on already on the market many ask the question: is it really worth the asking price? For all book lovers it is quite difficult to drop a habit of reading a real book and start using one device which may hold all of them. In the other hand scientists predict paper books will disappear completely within next 20-30 years. Is it really possible? Well, with the revolution brought with new Kindle it is likely that we have to change our reading habits. I found 5 main reasons for which transfer from paper books to e-books is a tempting idea.

With Kindle you are able to adjust the font size. It really makes reading a more enjoyable experience, especially for elderly readers. Number of the books printed with large font is really minimal and not all the books are available in this format.

Storage. Fed up with heavy books almost breaking your shelves? Fed up with this entire dust gathering on books' covers? Imagine having them all in just small one box. Yes, Kindle is a type of box which will replace your entire home library.

Want to save on books? E-books are much cheaper. Not only this - some of them are completely free. You get easier access to the titles you could struggle to get in the paper format.

Do you want to make comments and mark important fragments of book without actually destroying it? The Kindle comes equipped with a number of built-in tools, which will let you do whatever you did before using a pencil.

Fed up with printing documents? With new Kindle you will be able to transfer them onto built-in disk.

As you can see there are several benefits coming with Amazon Kindle ownership. I browse through on-line forums to see incredible number of really happy users, who recommend it without any doubts. It is definitely a buy worth consideration. It is a step towards the future and something which will be a standard within next 10 years. Don't stay behind with new technologies, especially if they can make your life much easier.

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Can You Really Get a Free Amazon Kindle?

One of the hottest products on the market right now is of course the Amazon Kindle. Chances are you have used a Kindle that a friend of colleague owns, and have given serious thought into purchasing one for yourself. Stop! In this article I want to show you how you can get a free Amazon Kindle just for helping Amazon with some basic market research.

How to Get a Free Amazon Kindle

As you probably already know, companies such as Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and other fortune 500 companies spend millions of dollars each year on market research. These companies want to make sure that consumers are satisfied with the products and services they offer!

Let me ask you a question:

Have you ever filled out a survey from a restaurant in order to get a free appetizer? The restaurant wants customer feedback, and in return is willing to give you a free appetizer.

The same logical holds true for getting a free Amazon Kindle! Amazon spends millions of dollars each year on market research, so while getting a free Kindle might seem like a big deal, it isn't even equivalent to them losing one penny!

Amazon will gladly give consumers a free Kindle if they help them with simple market research. This usually consists of filling out a short survey or online questionnaire. It isn't difficult at all, but people are just not aware these offers are out there.

To claim your free Amazon Kindle all that you need to do is find one of the websites that gives them away. You will enter your zip code to determine if you qualify, and if you do then just enter your name and address so that Amazon will know where to ship your Kindle!

I just saved you a few hundred bucks, you can thank me later.

CLICK HERE to get a FREE Amazon Kindle NOW just for testing it out! Be a Kindle tester today by visiting http://www.getfreestuffonline.info.

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Do You Really Want the New Kindle?

Modern technology has definitely influenced how people read their books today. Avid readers will have an improved reading experience thanks to the Amazon Kindle 2 Electronic Book Reader. It's definitely not the old school way of reading paper books that require the reader to flip hundreds of pages before they can complete the book. When using this ebook reader, ordering, shopping, and even downloading of books is accomplished online, wirelessly.

On the heels of the first Kindle comes the new and improved Amazon Kindle 2. The Kindle 2 is a definite upgrade making reading effortless. A recent survey of new owners revealed that they improved button layout was the number one reason they just had to upgrade. Ergonomically designed, the 'keyboard' takes up little real estate yet every button is in just the position for easy access. How happy are these new owners? Well, the newest Kindle has already surpassed the original one in sales, despite less advertising. Thus proving not only the added value of the improvements, but also the power of 'word of mouth'.

The advent of the Kindle has brought a lot of great services to the avid readers. When traveling, no need to pick one or two books and have to leave others behind. Take ALL your books, and even any personal pdfs on your trip. Your entire library is only 1/3 inch thick and 10 ounces. If you read an interesting review on a new book by your favorite author, just download it while at the beach, and read it at your leisure. You have to cook a big meal but don't want to put down the novel? Simply have the Kindle 'read' to you. This is made possible by the use of Amazon wireless, Whispernet network.

There will be no regrets after deciding to Buy Amazon Kindle 2 as there are no false claims and no hidden drawbacks. Additionally, this product is not only people friendly, but environment friendly as well. Countless trees will thank you for buying the Kindle.

Using the Kindle eBook Reader reveals what modern day is all about. It's portable, has glare-free reading, all the world's great literature can be at your fingertips, and can actually read to you.

Jack Bruce is an English teacher whose love for reading is only rivaled by his daughter's. To learn more about the 'Kindle' e-reader, and check out the Holiday prices: Shop For Trust.

Is The Kindle 2 Really Too Expensive?

This is the truth that Kindle 2 is really very expensive to buy. But the uses of this device make it stand better in competition. Kindle 2 is easier for the eyes because it helps you to read with 16 shades of Grey capability and adjustable fonts. It uses digital ink and bright sunlight enhances the reading experience. With Kindle 2, you can begin downloading whatever you need over the 3G network within seconds. Downloading speed is faster and gives the full benefit of an expensive product.

The higher cost of this device offers some advanced features like text to speech, wireless access, viewing and receiving email documents and built-in dictionary. Kindle 2 offers the feature of text to speech that includes auto page turning. You can read at home or office and then listen in your car. The volume of the 2 internal speakers of this device is excellent. You can receive and send emails with attachments. You can also attach images in attachments. Emails can be sent to the Kindle email provided by Amazon. Kindle will display message without the email header. The capability to deliver newspapers, blogs, pictures, emailed personal documents and magazines over wireless media make this device much better.

In Kindle 2, the power cord includes a USB connector that is in series and present in the back side of power plug head. USB mini-plug can be inserted to any computer and it displays the "Kindle" directory that contains four sub directories. These sub directories are audible, music, system and documents. This allows starting MP3 directly on this device.

Two years extended warranty is also available on this device. So many advanced features with two years extended warranty for some extra cost are a profitable deal for anyone who loves to use this device for reading books.

Read more honest Kindle 2 Review [http://www.kindlereview.org/kindle2-review.html] from users and IT expert. Visit kindle reviews [http://www.kindlereview.org] submit your own reviews.

Kindle Fire Tablet Comparison - Is It Really the iPad Killer?

Tablets have become the latest "must have" gadget to own, and for good reason. They are light-weight, extremely portable, easy to use and visually awesome!

The Amazon Kindle Fire hopes to appeal to both new and established tablet owners. The Fire has already pre-sold an estimated 250,000 units in just the first five days of being launched. Evaluated against other well-known tablets, Fire is holding its own.

With so many tablets available on the market, let's do a Kindle Fire Tablet comparison.

How Does The Fire Stack Up Against The Other Tablets?

The most well-known tablet by far is the Apple iPad. So for this report we'll focus on how Fire compares specifically to the iPad. It should be noted that coming in a close second are tablets running Google's Android operating system. This is important to note as Fire also runs on the Android Platform.

How Fire Compares To The iPad Visually

iPad has a large 10 inch display compared to Fire's 7 inch display Recent rumors suggest Amazon will be selling a 10 inch version of Fire just in time for the holiday season. Both are easy to navigate and both offer users stunning screen resolution. Of course, when it comes to streaming video Fire has an advantage. iPad does not support flash...Kindle Fire does. Many games and video on the web require flash in order to be played or viewed.

Compared To The iPad How Does Fire Stack Up When It Comes To Features?

When it comes to "cool features and the wow factor" so far nobody surpasses the Apple iPad. But with consumers trying to save money wherever they can these days, they are willing to go without a few extra features if it means cost savings.

The Fire does not have a camera or the ability to do video chats. You can with the iPad. Another, feature is the iPad's ability to connect using 3G. The Fire does not have 3G capability, you must have access to a wi-fi network in order to get online.

User Experience And Content

Compared to iPad the Kindle Fire tablet is very easy to use. Even first time tablet owners will find the interface intuitive and easy to figure out.

Both Fire and iPad give users access to an almost unlimited amount of content. Fire of course gives users access to Amazon.com's e-books, movies, television shows and games. Both give users thousands of apps as well.

Kindle Fire vs Apple's iPad When It Comes To Price

Price is clearly where Amazon's Fire beats Apple's iPad by a couple of miles! Fire is priced at $199.00. The iPad is priced between $499.00 and $699.00. Any way you look at it, that's a huge advantage when it comes to consumers. The economy has many tightening their purse strings. But the appetite for new innovative technology seems to be healthy in spite of the economy. There's no denying that $199.00 price tag makes the Kindle Fire a really "hot" buy. (Sorry couldn't resist that!)

So there you have it. The Kindle Fire compared to the iPad could be an excellent choice depending on whether or not certain features are a must have for you. If you prefer the "extras" from iPad and don't mind the much higher price tag, then maybe that's a better option.

But if cost is the deciding factor for you, and you can do without some of the frills offered by the iPad... based on the Kindle Fire Tablet comparison shown here...Fire wins hands down!

The Kindle Fire won't be available until November 15th, but you can pre-order from Amazon. Judging on the high number of pre-orders already made, Kindle Fire could turn out to be one of the biggest most sought after items this holiday season.

Marc Goode, who resides in Chicago, IL, is a writer and researcher. When he's not writing he enjoys biking, travel, tennis, ethnic restaurants, and the Chicago Cubs. You can read his Kindle Fire Tablet reviews and Kindle Fire Tablet comparisons at his blog.

Kindle Review - Is It Really the Best Ebook Reader Out There?

Even though I'm really fond of classic paper books, I decided that it's time to purchase an e-reader. I have to read lots of books for college and it's really inconvenient to carry all those big books with me at all times. I have to admit I was a bit sceptical at first, but Kindle really surprised me in a good way.

The first thing that I absolutely adore is portability. I can literally have a couple of thousands books with me no matter where I am or where I go. And you can store your books in any order or categories you like. Kindle comes with 4GB of internal memory, but there's no way to expand that. Kindle doesn't accept memory cards of any type. If you use Kindle only for ebooks and newspapers this really shouldn't be an issue. But if your Kindle's memory fills up, just delete books and you can always restore them later, in seconds, for free. I can order any book whenever wherever and can start reading it minute after I ordered it. It's really lightweight therefor easy to carry with you and the recharge time is fast. There is no power consumption until the display is turned on. Kindle has a great battery life and it's also very quick and responsive. The time it takes a new page to appear after you push the page-turn button is very short. Buttons are quiet and well placed, and the e-ink display is absolutely brilliant. Kindle screen really makes it look like real paper and ink! Using the 5-way controller is simple and effective. Screen contrast is very good. It really doesn't matter where you read - it works great in well-lit or poorly lit room. I think that's an important fact, so you're eyes don't suffer.

There was one thing that I personally didn't have a problem with but I can imagine some people will struggle a bit with. Those are the kindle buttons - a lot of people think they're way too close together and the lack of individual number buttons is frustrating. The buttons are also laid out a bit oddly. When you decide to buy Kindle you have to be aware that this is a e-reader. It's purpose is reading texts. Not browsing the web. The browser on Kindle is experimental and you shouldn't have high expectations (that also goes for mp3 player). I've heard and read some complaints about this, and I can only say - if you want to browse the web, buy a computer, not an e-reader. Kindle also doesn't have a color display.

Over all, Kindle is easy to use and the Kindle store is great and has many thousands of free e-books. If the book you want isn't free it's sold at a very good price, and the store has loads of great deals. Once you buy the Kindle book you like and chose, you can read it on nearly any device you own (computer, phone...). And there are tons of great cases and other accessories for the Kindle that you can choose from.

If you are interested in buying an e-book reader, then check out my blog: Kindle vs iPad, where I compare kindle and iPad - which one is better for reading e-books. Here is an article of Kindle 3 vs iPad 2.

Amazon's Electronic Reader Kindle 2 - Is it Really Better Than the Original Kindle?

Since February 2009, Kindle 2 is all that a gadget freak and book lover should posses. This latest electronic reader by Amazon has hit hard on the competitive digital reading market and other competitors are falling behind to catch up to this wonderful invention. The original Kindle has been modified for a better design and performance resulting in Kindle 2. Second generation Kindle has a fresh new look and ergonomics which makes it easier to handle. Read on to know more. After a thorough review of Kindle 2, this article will take you through a brief summary and advantages that Kindle 2 provides over the original Kindle.

Improvements in design

The design of the original Kindle was not at all appealing and Amazon's reason for that was good ergonomics. Though it had good ergonomics but users did not like the feel and touch of it. But now the Kindle 2 has totally restructured the whole design making it curvier and giving it an aesthetic appeal. The keyboard is much easier to handle with cool round keys. Amazon has given Kindle a dramatic Apple touch with all white on top and a contrasting metal back and making it thinner than the iPhone.

Amazon to boost its accessory market has brought in another strategy by not including the cover with the Kindle 2 package. You have to purchase it separately on Amazon and it costs about $25 for a neoprene cover and a whopping $150 for a leather cover.

Improvements in Hardware

With a better processor and larger memory capacity the Kindle 2 is bound to perform better and flip pages faster which was a major problem with the original Kindle. The scrollbar has been replaced with a more innovative 5 way joystick and to our surprise it does work pretty well and is easy to handle and work around. A question to its durability arises which you will only get to know once you use it. A personal opinion on any gadget is something that depends on how a person uses it. A rough use will definitely screw up the joystick. Another improvement done in Kindle 2 is in the case of battery. It gives better backup. But it cannot be removed and serviced as it can be done in the apple iPhone.

At the end of the day when Kindle 2 comes to your hand, then you will definitely have a wonderful reading experience.

Good Ereader is company specializing in selling Electronic readers. Visit its Kindle 2 Store to know more. It also have the latest information on Kindle DX.

Kindle 4 - Do We Really Need a Color eBook Reader?

There's no doubt that the Amazon Kindle has changed the way many people read books. If you are going on holiday, it's certainly a lot easier to take a Kindle eBook reader rather than a stack of books! For other people though, reading a book via a Kindle just doesn't have that same appeal that real book has. Never the less, Amazon is set to release the Kindle 4 sometime this year. For the first time, the Kindle will feature a color display.

It doesn't seem long ago that Kindle was first launched. It's now in it's third different model though and with the fourth just around the corner. Kindle 4 promises to feature a full color display, but at what cost? Surely, most people want a Kindle to read normal paperback books, where a simple black and white display would suffice.

For it to venture into full color would put it into the safe category as the iPad perhaps? Probably not, seeing as though the Kindle 4 definitely won't have the processing power of the Apple iPad. So where does that leave the Kindle 4 then? Probably somewhere in between.

I just wonder how many people would want to invest that extra money in a color eBook reader? I personally like to read comics and graphic novels so a full color eBook reader would be quite cool, however I think I would be more inclined to spend some extra cash and just get the Apple iPad instead.

One thing is for sure, when Kindle 4 is released you can expect Kindle 3 to drop in price quite a lot. Maybe it would be best to just get a Kindle 3 once version 4 is released and save some money. In the mean time I could just get an iPad, but then the word on the street is that iPad 2 is on it's way!

In this day and age when technology is so fast moving, it's difficult to know what to buy! Whatever you buy now will cost a lot less in a few months to come. But if you wait a few months to buy, then there will always be something else just around the corner.

I think Kindle 4 would be a good investment depending on two things. Firstly the price and secondly the size of the display. Full color isn't that appealing if the display isn't very big. Hopefully Amazon will get it right!

To learn more about the Amazon Kindle 4 go to http://barkingdolphin.com/the-release-of-the-kindle-4-in-color

Amazon Kindle DX Review - Is it Really Worth the Extra Money?

What's the first thing you'll notice about the Kindle DX?

It's skinny.

Like supermodel skinny, even though it's noticeably bigger screen wise, and storage wise...It's still just as thin as the Regular Kindle.

In actuality, It's just 7.7 ounces heavier than the lesser Kindle...but it's screen is a robust 3.7 inches better.

Where screen size makes the biggest difference is with the quality of your analysis experience. With the even more inches, this newest Kindle can handle additional terms apiece page, and deliver books, poems as the were intended by the author. No more bloated page counts or lost continuity thanks to screen limitations.

A different adjustment that will make better your reading experience is the darkening of the text. At present, this might seem like a unimportant or else insignificant increase, but it's not.

In the sphere of prior editions of the Kindle, the text was much lighter. This made analysis further stubborn by the side of time than it ought to take place, for the reason that the text would blend a miniature further with the screen and the Kindle itself.

The darker text was a effortless solution with the aim of adds further contrast on the screen, and makes it much easier to read your Kindle.

Amazon has integrated a new PDF reader, so PDF papers appear on the Kindle DX as they do on a computer screen. Even better, you can simply drag and drop them directly on to you Kindle DX from your computer using a USB cable.

But single limitation on this. You can't change the text size of the PDFs like you can the native Kindle. Not a big deal, but still a little disappointing.

But this is offset by the by the automatic screen rotation feature only found in the Kindle DX.

Screen rotation allows you to read your Kindle either from a landscape or a portrait style (vertical or horizontal). By mistake this acts as a mild zoom, enhancing the size of graphics and text. Which helps as soon as analysis PDFs. Plus Automatic Screen Rotation is just cool. I'm a sucker for stuff like this, and could sit around just switching from view to view.

One of the pluses to the Automatic Screen Rotation, is it also applies to the Kindle DX's Navigation stick. When you flip the Kindle it adjusts, so your controls are the same, even though the control has been repositioned.

Once again, not a full-size deal but a nice little touch.

Amazon approximates you can store up to 3,500 books on Kindle DX. Which is great, and for for the most part folks this will be all you need.

I rate the Kindle DX a 4 out of 5 stars and strongly recommend it for any avid bookworm or traveller. I really get great use out of the device.

For me the extra screen space, the extra memory, the week-long batter life, and the global wireless service that allows you to down load content from almost anywhere complimentary is worth the even more investment.

But I understand this might not be the case for everybody. Which leads me to my biggest snag with the Kindle DX...the cost.

I would have preferred $350 as a substitute of the $489 price tag. $230 difference is huge. But formerly again - used for me it was worth it.

I think the take pressure off of mistreat of the bigger mold, the pitch work on clarity, the bigger luggage compartment and auto-rotation put together it well worth the investment.

But that's me.

I expectation this have another look at helped.

Thanks For reading,

Brandon

If you enjoyed this article and would like more information on the Kindle DX you can visit my site [http://www.Thekindledxreviews.Com] for tons more information on the Kindle.

Amazon Kindle Ebook Viewer - Do I Really Need One?

The Electronic reading device that everyone is talking about is Amazon's Kindle. Why is everyone making such a big deal about some new gadget that will probably not last long anyway? What the heck is it exactly? Its fairly expensive so how can I justify buying one?

To put the Ebook viewer from Amazon in lay mans terms, I would have to describe it as a small plastic portable library. Usually the words portable and library are not thought of together, but that is exactly what Amazon's Kindle actually is, a portable library.

What is a Ebook and how is this possible, a ebook at its very basic definition is a "Electronic book" or Ebook for short. Normal books are heavy and cumbersome, no one likes to carry around more than a couple at the same time. You need a bag or they like to slide around in your hands unless you have a good grip on them.

Ebooks take all the words and pictures from books and get rid of the paper. The books are converted to a digital format, you can read these new digital books on computers, some phones, also the best way by far, is to read these new digital books with a "Ebook Viewer"

Ebook Viewers like the Kindles from Amazon have a display that looks like a page from a book, but if you touch it you will feel its plastic. Kindle ebook viewers use a new technology called "Electronic Ink" or "Eink" for short. This Eink is really amazing because it looks so much like real paper with words printed on it. No glare on the screen like computers or phones, and can be read clearly in direct sunlight.

Kindle ebook viewers are very small, about the thickness of a pencil, the Kindle 2 that I have weighs just over 10 ounces. Its thin, lightweight, easy to carry and hold while looking at the screen reading your book.

What makes the Kindle ebook viewer a portable library? The Original Kindle holds up to 200 books inside its memory, you can use an additional memory card and put endless more books on the memory cards. The next Kindle was the Kindle 2, it will hold up to 1500 books and finally the last Kindle ebook viewer available at this time, the Kindle DX, it holds up to 3500 books.

That's why I say its a portable library. Hundreds or even thousands of books all in one place to me is a library, because you will take it with you when you leave the house its a portable library.

We now know a little about what it is and what it does but, how can I justify the price if I'm not a serious hardcore daily reader. You will decide for yourself but I will tell you why I decided to buy one.

I like to read but I didn't do it that often before getting my Kindle. I didn't know which authors I really liked and finding a new book to read meant going to the book store, spending an hour or maybe two wandering around reading parts of books until I found one that sounded like what I wanted to spend time with. Its not an unpleasant experience unless its during the holidays and the place is full of people shopping for Christmas.

The time to actually decide I wanted a new book, drive to the book store, browse around to find a book, purchase and than drive back home required a lot of time that I just did not have. Two or three hours for me to do this didn't happen very often, I probably could have made it happen but for many reasons I just didn't.

Now that I have my own Kindle Ebook Viewer I have become the reader I've long wanted to be. If I have an evening free after work I can grab my Kindle, browse around the Kindle book store, read reviews for books I'm interested in, click purchase and I'm done.

The time it takes to find the book you want will vary, but it usually takes me about 10 or 15 minutes to find the one I want to read, faster if I know what I'm looking for. Once I find the book I want, in less than 60 seconds it displays on my screen and I can start reading.

For me in less than 15 minutes while I'm sitting in my favorite chair I can buy my next book. I save a bunch of time and hassle, I don't have to leave the house, I save money because ebooks are cheaper and I don't have to use gas for the car to get to the store.

Vacations, bus rides, plane rides, and just waiting in the doctors office are all times I'm glad I have my Ebook Viewer. Waiting anywhere or relaxing is much more pleasant if you are reading a good book. Besides the fact that reading keeps your mind active and mentally keeps you healthier. I'm very happy with My Kindle Ebook Viewer!

As you can see I really like having my Kindle, I believe it has made me a clearer, sharper thinking person as reading is great for your mind. I feel good about doing it and have for years wished I did more reading.

Maybe some of the reasons I purchased my Kindle Ebook Viewer are the same for you, or maybe you just want to have the new gadget that everyone is talking about, maybe you read a lot of books and have no place to put them all.

I highly recommend purchasing Amazon's Kindle ebook Viewer [Http://www.ebookviewer.net].

If you would like more information, watch a few video's of the Kindles in action, or purchase a Kindle for the best price, Click here: Complete Kindle Ebook Viewer resource [Http://www.ebookviewer.net].

Amazon Kindle - Is it Really the New iPod?

The Amazon Kindle seems to be the current hot "must have" gadget on the market right now. It seems very much as if the ebook reader is an idea whose time has come - and the Amazon Kindle is undoubtedly the best example of such a device on the market right now. It is also, and let's make no bones about it here, cool.  

The Kindle has been compared to the Apple iPod - which now has a kindle application that allows you to read kindle books on it - by a number of industry observers. Indeed, going right back to the launch of the original Kindle in November of 2007, Steven Levy's Newsweek cover article suggested that the Kindle was the "... iPod of reading". Two and a half years down the line it seems that drawing parallels between the two devices might go some way towards understanding the current phenomenal success of the Kindle - and perhaps even some insight into what may happen in the near future.  

Amazon supremo Jeff Bezos is quoted as saying, again way back in 2007, that "This [the Kindle] isn't a device, it's a service." - and that is absolutely fundamental to understanding why the Kindle works so well in Amazon's business model. Some criticisms have been levied at the Kindle's high price - it currently retails at $359 for the Kindle 2, slightly reduced from the original Kindle price of $399. The original iPod was priced at $399 when it was released - prices have fallen as the product was first accepted, and then passed through mainstream to practically ubiquitous. At the same time functionality has increased.  

Apple is, and has been for some time now, synonymous with music downloads and has increased the available range of products to include videos, games and a host of applications for the iPod. In a similar way, Amazon is strongly associated with books, making the kindle an ideal choice of product for them. The recent announcement of the larger Kindle DX is noteworthy, not purely because of the various technical enhancements that it offers, but because it improves Amazon's capability to deliver newspapers, magazines and even academic textbooks to its consumers.  

It would be wrong to discount the technical aspects of the Kindle series of readers completely of course, but it seems that, for Amazon, the technology is a means to an end rather than the end itself. In fact, as far as e-book reader technology goes, Amazon  are pretty late to the party when you consider that there have been contenders such as the Franklin ebook (no longer being developed but still available from some sources) kicking around since 1999, and Sony have had ebook readers for some time. There are a number of others, some have already died a death others are soldiering on without, currently at least, attracting anything like the volume of interest generated by the Kindle.  

Another key advantage enjoyed by Amazon at this time is the 3G wireless technology used to enable Kindle users to download their ebooks in less than a minute without the use of a computer or an internet connection - and without being tied in to a monthly contract or having to pay a download fee. It's a great example of the way Amazon have used the technology to provide a perceived benefit for their customers.  

No monthly connection fee and no download charges means that customers do not feel tied in or committed to the Amazon service, an important factor considering the relatively high ticket price and the current economic climate. Of course, whilst customers will be able to purchase ebooks elsewhere for use with their Kindle, it is still going to be a lot easier for them to buy from Amazon's large, and ever expanding, selection of Kindle friendly books. Amazon are going to see a lot of repeat business - just as Apple do with their iTunes store.  

Using the iPod experience to predict the Kindle's potential future, it seems unlikely that the Kindle will have everything its own way. As previously mentioned, there are already a number of existing alternative ebook readers on the market - the Sony PRS is probably the most significant player aside from the Kindle right now, but there are others. These will either improve and provide strong competition for the Kindle or disappear from the marketplace.  

Also worth considering is the fact that there are a number of new readers in development. Plastic Logic, has a Kindle DX sized reader in development which has been scheduled for release in 2010. Rumours abound about the release of an Apple tablet based computer, suggested to be aimed at the gap between an iPod Touch and a full blown MacBook. It would not be too fanciful to imagine that Apple might expand their iStore to include ebooks just as they expanded it to include videos after the release of the iPhone and iPod Touch.  

And it's not just tougher competition based on improved reader technology that Amazon may have to face. In March of 2009 Google and Sony announced that Google's huge library of public domain e-books would be made available for free on Sony's reader. That's a total of 600,000 titles and is a clear signal that the ebook reader market going to be fiercely contested in future.  

At the moment Amazon is sitting pretty. It has a large number of ebooks in its library, it has the wireless technology to provide fee free downloads and, most important of all - the Kindle is cool. Whether or not it develops into a ubiquitous iPod type product or not in the face of what will likely be fierce competition only time will tell. Amazon have been more than smart so far, so it seems likely that they will be a major player in this emerging market for a long time to come.  

One thing seems certain, we will all have the option to read books, magazines, newspapers and even textbooks using portable digital readers in the immediate future. As competition, volumes of scale and advancements in technology combine to drive prices down this will become an increasingly popular choice for many, possibly even a majority of, readers. The way we read is about to change, possibly faster than you might imagine.

Hamish Hayward
Kindle ebook reader
Discover the new kindle from Amazon. You'll be surprised at it's wealth of new features.