Best eReaders

The all new, redesigned line of Amazon Kindle eReaders is possibly the biggest improvement to the best eReader on the market since the original Amazon Kindle was introduced several years ago!  And, as is typical for Amazon…you order your Kindle your way! 

Instead of completely doing away with the Kindle 3, Amazon has added the newly redesigned Kindle and Kindle Touch models to the lineup, and they are offered at unbelievable prices, starting as low as $79.00 for the basic Amazon Kindle with Special Offers. 

What do the “Special Offers” mean?  Last year, in order to get the price of the Kindle down to a range where literally just about anyone could afford to own a Kindle, Amazon introduced a special version of Kindle, featuring the addition of non-intrusive advertisements tucked into the Kindle.  These advertisements are so tastefully done, and so carefully inserted into the screen saver and menu pages that most people will barely notice that they are actually there, and those who do will appreciate the way Amazon included the advertisements.  And, not to worry, if you’re considering the Kindle with Special Offers for the savings, go ahead and get it…the few ads that are included with this model are never included anywhere within the books, documents, or periodicals that you download to read.  Amazon would never do anything to prevent you from completely losing yourself in your Kindle…in fact, that’s the entire goal with the design of every single model, to be so much like a book that you forget you’re reading and simply lose yourself in the story!

What are the major differences between this Kindle and Kindle 3?

At a glance, the very first thing that you’ll notice is that there is no keyboard along the bottom.  Just a simple five way controller, and four small round buttons on the bottom of the Kindle…both of which work with the new onscreen, virtual keyboard.  

The new Kindle is 30% smaller than Kindle 3, at 6.5″ x 4.5″ x .34″.  Of course, the smaller frame doesn’t change the screen size.  You still get a full 6″ screen to read all your favorite books, but this one will actually fit in your pocket!  (Even better, at under 6 ounces, it’s even lighter!)

Featuring the most advanced E Ink display, your Kindle still reads better than plain paper, and you still have Amazon’s massive selection of eBooks at your fingertips (over 800,000 books at $9.99 or less each).  But, with this release, Amazon has also added the functionality to enable you to borrow eBooks from your local library…and it’s easy to do!  Just go to your local library’s website and follow the instructions for borrowing eBooks.  Now you not only have the Amazon library at your disposal, but a world of free books to borrow, as well!  And, with the built in Wi-Fi, you’ll have your eBooks in 60 seconds or less. 

Here are the main features of the newest Amazon Kindle:

• Kindle is now smaller, lighter, and more compact!  It weighs less than 6 ounces, and at 6.5″ x 4.5″ x .34″, it will fit in your pocket, in your purse…wherever you want to go, your Kindle will go with you!
• Kindle has the most advanced E Ink display, with crisp, clear print that actually reads better than an actual book in the brightest sunlight.  And, with adjustable font sizes, you can put away those reading glasses!
• Kindle has built in Wi-Fi, enabling you to connect to your home network, Wi-Fi hotspots, anywhere there’s an internet connection!  
• Kindle holds up to 1400 eBooks so you can take your personal reading library with you anywhere, and with FREE Amazon Cloud Backup, you never have to worry about losing your books should your Kindle get lost, broken, or stolen.  You can download any book in your library at anytime for free.  (Amazon also reminds you if you’ve already purchased a book in the past…and if you read as much as I do, it’s entirely possible to almost make the mistake of purchasing a book again.  Amazon won’t let that happen accidentally!)
• Kindle’s battery lasts for up to a month with the wireless off, a bit less if you leave the wireless on, or use other functions, such as read to me, play music, etc. 
• Kindle enables you to download any one of the millions of available books, periodicals, magazines, newspapers, and more available in the Kindle store in less than 60 seconds.  You just find a book and start reading…and, you can even download the first chapter of most books absolutely FREE.  So, you can try out a new author or a new genre in books without having to buy the entire book right away…if you like it, then you can buy it.  If not, you’ve not wasted your money! 
• Kindle connects directly to the Kindle store with the touch of a button…and the selection is incredible!  Over 800,000 books…even the newest releases are only $9.99.  But there are literally thousands of books that are much less…many are even FREE.
• Kindle has added the functionality to borrow eBooks from your local public library, so your selection of books is even bigger than ever before!  Check with your library to find out how easy it is to borrow eBooks online, read them on your Kindle, and return them online…all without ever leaving home!
• Kindle’s software is available for more than just your Kindle…your Kindle books can also be read on your PC, iPhone, iPad, Android devices, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, Mac, PC, or web browser with our free Kindle Reading Apps.  And, the exclusive Whispersync technology actually synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks and annotations across your devices so you can always pick up where you left off, no matter what device you decide to use for reading.
• Kindle also has the functionality to read many document formats, such as Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion, so you can actually take your own documents with you whereever you go, and read them on the go!
• Kindle is so simple to use.  It’s shipped right to your door, and it’s ready right out of the box, with no setup, no software to install, and no computer required to download content.  Plus, your Kindle is shipped with it’s own Quick Start Guide (included in box); Kindle User’s Guide (pre-installed on device); and Amazon has additional information in multiple languages available online.

What are people saying about the new Kindle?

Early reviews on Amazon are raving about the price point…it’s such an attractive price, and makes owning a Kindle even more attractive.   Not surprisingly, avid readers still prefer the basic Kindle for reading…

“This is the most attractive entry price point yet — $79 for 1400 books’ worth of storage space….”

“It is the smallest, the lightest and the icing on the cake: the cheapest Kindle to-date! Jeff Bevos, you are the man! Have ordered and yet to receive it, but having bought both the Kindle 2 and 3 I know I won’t be disappointed. This is the deal of the century. Amazon is proving again that they are in existence for us readers and no Apple high-and-mighty stance here.”

“Can’t wait for my new Kindle to come in–it has sharper text and is even lighter than the previous version.  Months ago I gave my Kindle3 to my son (who reads voraciously) because I thought I could use my new Ipad2 for ebooks. Subsequently my reading time has gone way down as the Ipad2 is simply not as desirable for reading ebooks as the Kindle with E Ink. I also prefer the hard buttons on the side of the Kindle to a touch screen for changing pages, so the basic Kindle is the best for me.”

With the ability to easily borrow library books on the Kindle now, there is truly NO reason not to get one.  Well done Amazon!

Read the rest of the reviews on Amazon.com!

There do seem to be a couple of differences between the different models of the Amazon Kindle, some of which may be considered shortcomings for some users.  Most notably, the text to speech and audio capabilities aren’t mentioned in the new Kindle documentation.  As a Kindle owner, I can honestly say this does not bother me in the least, as this is a feature that I literally never use.  I bought my Kindle to read books…the other stuff just came with the device.  

Also mentioned, apparently, the ePub format is still not supported by the device.  However, this format is easily converted to a supported format, so again, not an issue.

Overall, considering the unbelievably low price, and the tried and true quality of all previous versions of the Kindle, the new Kindle with or without Special Offers is an excellent buy, and definitely a game changer in the comparison among the best ereaders!

Order your Amazon Kindle through this link today!