The Amazon Kindle e-book reader always seems to be in the news. It certainly attracts a lot of publicity and has had celebrity endorsements, of one type or another, from Oprah Winfrey, Hilary Clinton and Stephen King (amongst others). The constant media attention has turned the Kindle into an almost iconic gadget, like the iPod for example, and it has become part of the landscape of high tech gadgets today.
No wonder that it’s easy to overlook the fact that the Kindle is still a newcomer and has had a relatively short lifespan to date. November 2007 saw the release of the original Kindle. The Kindle 2.0, suitably upgraded of course, was launched in February of 2009 and the latest model, the large display Kindle DX, went on sale in June of 2009.
In a way, it’s a compliment to Amazon that every new e-book reader that’s unveiled is hailed as the Kindle Killer. The same applies to other devices such as the Apple iPad for example. Although very different to the Kindle, there are still plenty of industry watchers who suggest that the launch of the iPad will signal the Kindle’s demise. In fact, were the iPad or any other device to put paid to the Kindle, it would be less of a case of killing it and more like strangling it at birth.
It’s easy to forget that the Kindle was only launched relatively recently and that Amazon was a late entrant to the e-book reader market place. The first dedicated e-book reader launched over a decade ago in 1999. Even the Sony PRS hit the streets in 2006, quite some time before the original Kindle.
In what is, in fact, a very short period of time, the Amazon Kindle has become practically a by-word for e-book readers. It’s a testament to the commercial acumen and customer service of Amazon. They have taken the Kindle way past the point of “hot gadget” and provided their customers with a “Kindle experience”.
There’s no doubting the fact that the hardware is, in itself, exceptionally well designed and user friendly. One handed operation on a crowded bus, train or plane is simple and easy. The e-ink technology display works well in a variety of different ambient lighting conditions. All of that being said, it’s the simplicity of buying books, downloading them in less than sixty seconds, the added convenience of not needing to lug heavy paper books around, the fact that you can purchase new books anytime you want – without having to leave your house, and the huge library of Kindle books which you can choose from which has made the Kindle such a landmark device.
Wireless free connectivity – with no monthly fee – and the trust and branding that Amazon enjoys have also contributed to the success of the Kindle. It represents a significant investment of time and effort by Amazon. Having entered the market late, Amazon is not about to allow its new best selling product to be killed off. Expect further innovation from Amazon’s Kindle development team in 2010.
Check out the Amazon Kindle for yourself – and don’t forget to pick up a Kindle cover – it’ll customise and protect your device.