by Kevin Freeman
If you love reading on the road, but are tired of the same old truck generic novels and magazine or newspaper clutter in your cab, then the Amazon Kindle might be just what the bibliophile ordered. The Kindle is a small, lightweight reading pad that downloads, displays, and even reads aloud your favorite books, newspapers, magazines, and quite a bit more. Think of the Kindle as an entire bookstore, library, file reader, and notepad packed into a slim, 10.2 ounce device.
On first sight, the most striking feature of the Kindle is the paper-like display. Because designers wanted to create a unique and functional appearance that was as close to an actual book as possible, Kindle also features a screen that electronically displays real ink. There is no backlight, so the screen actually looks like real paper and doesn’t lose visibility in direct sunlight, as most computer and cell phone screens do. To add to the convenience, ergonomic page turning buttons are positioned on either side so you can quickly turn pages no matter how you choose to hold it.
If next-generation book reading devices don’t thrill you, then perhaps the Kindle’s text-to-speech reading feature will. After choosing a male or female voice, this cutting-edge text reading software allows Kindle to read aloud while you drive, relax, or fall asleep to any printed work that the rights owners haven’t disallowed.
The standard Kindle comes ready to store a whopping 1500 books, and the Kindle DX raises the bar to 3500. Each title downloads in around 60 seconds, and can be previewed and purchased wirelessly from any location in the United States without access fees or surcharges – on the contrary, buying bestselling titles with your Kindle costs only $9.99, even when the actual book is still selling for $29.99 in stores. Instead of scribbling notes in the margins, Kindle also allows users to write annotations or highlight passages using a full QWERTY keypad for convenience.
Aside from reading books, the Kindle also allows users to download a growing number of magazines, newspapers, blogs, or PDF/Word files for quick and easy reading on the go. Because electronic publications become available long before their printed counterparts, Kindle users also have the advantage of getting their fix ahead of the competition.
One of the most frustrating aspects involved with any kind of reading is the need to put a book down and open up an encyclopedia or dictionary for enlightenment. That’s why Kindle gives access to a full dictionary and allows browsing on Wikipedia – only now you won’t have to put anything down to get what you’re looking for because you’re already holding it.
With wireless features turned on, users can read with their Kindle for two days before needing to plug into the nearest USB port or plug into wall sockets ranging from 100-240V. With wireless turned off, users can read for a full two weeks without charging.
The standard Kindle screen is 6 inches (measured diagonally), and has about the same thickness as a standard pencil. If you prefer something a bit larger, the Kindle DX features a 9.7” rotatable screen and has all of the same features as its smaller counterpart, with the exception of international downloading. In both cases, text sizes can be changed to suit your preferences, making either version good reading solution.
Amazon’s Kindle is a versatile solution for any reader, offering an impressive list of available titles, easy access, and advanced features that make it a wonderful tool for the road or at home. Log in to Amazon’s website (Amazon.com) to learn more about the Kindle or the Kindle DX.
