Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader. More precisely, it is a software,hardware and network platform developed by Amazon.com (subsidiary Lab126) for the rendering and displaying of e-books and other digital media. Several hardware devices support this platform, including a main "Kindle" line and a parallel "Kindle DX" line. The most recent Kindle device is the third incarnation of the main line, officially named "Kindle", but usually referred to as "Kindle 3". Kindle 3 was released on August 27, 2010.The Kindle DX line features larger screens than the main Kindle line.[8] It is marketed as more suitable for displaying newspaper and textbook content. Amazon has also introduced Kindle software for use on various devices and platforms, including Microsoft Windows, iOS, BlackBerry, Mac OS X (10.5 onwards) and Android.
The Kindle hardware devices use an E Ink brand electronic paper display that features 16 shades of gray. This allows for a long battery life and easy readability. Content for the Kindle can be purchased online and downloaded wirelessly, using either standard Wi-Fi or Amazon's 3G "Whispernet" network. Whispernet is accessible without any monthly fee or wireless subscription, although fees can be incurred for the delivery of periodicals and other content when roaming internationally beyond the customer's home country. Through a service called "Whispersync", customers can synchronize reading progress, bookmarks and other information across Kindle hardware devices and other mobile devices.
Manufacturer Foxconn for Amazon.com
Type E-book reader
Release date 1st generation: November 19, 2007
2nd generation: February 9, 2009
3rd Generation: August 27, 2010
Kindle DX (1st Gen): June 10, 2009
Kindle DX (2nd Gen): Jan 19, 2010
Kindle DX Graphite (3rd Gen): July 7, 2010
Operating system Linux-2.6.10
Power 3.7 V, 1530 mAh lithium polymer, BA1001
model
CPU Freescale 532 MHz, ARM-11
Storage capacity (total/user available) 256 MB/180 MB (original) or
2 GB/1.4 GB (Kindle 2) or
4 GB/3.3 GB (Kindle DX) internal flash memory
Display
6 inch diagonal,
3.6 in (91 mm) × 4.8 in (122 mm),
600 × 800 pixels or 0.48 megapixels,
167 ppi
density,
4-level grayscale (original)
or 16-level grayscale (Kindle 2)
electronic paper
Input USB 2.0 port (micro-B connector),
SD card (original model only),
3.5 mm stereo headphone jack
built-in speaker,
AC power
adapter jack
Connectivity Amazon Whispernet using EVDO/CDMA AnyDATA wireless modem
Dimensions 8.0 × 5.3 × 0.8 in (203 × 135 × 20.3 mm) (original)
8.0 × 5.3 × 0.36 in (203 × 135 × 9.14 mm) (Kindle 2)
7.5 × 4.8 × 0.34 in (190 × 123 × 8.51 mm) (Kindle 3)
Weight 10.2 oz (290 g) (Kindle 1 & 2)
8.7 oz (250 g) (Kindle 3)
8.5 oz (240 g) (Kindle 3 Wi-Fi only)
