Users who are fond of reading tidbits or anything that enriches them while making a journey have just got a reason to be tickled pink. Well, Amazon recently introduced the latest generation of Kindle which features a new 6-inch electronic ink screen with 50 percent better contrast and sports a sleeker body. In addition, the company unveiled a new addition to its family of portable reading devices, the Kindle Wi-Fi.
Kindle’s efficient paper-like display which looks and reads like a real paper even in bright conditions ensures to offer reading enthusiasts a truly unprecedented experience. The high-contrast electronic ink display is enhanced with Amazon’s proprietary waveform and font technology to make pages turn faster and fonts brighter. The recently revealed Kindle’s waveform and controller mechanism has been integrated to make page turning 20 percent faster. The particular waveform tuning makes words and letters appear more clear and vibrant when merged with hand-built, custom fonts and font-hinting. The company has also incorporated proprietary font-hinting attribute to considerably enhance special characteristics of electronic ink.
“Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon for two years running. We lowered the price to $189 and sales growth tripled. Now, we are excited to introduce a new generation Kindle that is smaller, lighter, and faster, with 50 percent better contrast. Readers are going to do a double take when they see Kindle’s bright new screen and feel how remarkably light the smaller 8.7 ounce design feels in one hand,” commented Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder & CEO.
Weighing about 8.7 ounces, the new Kindle is 1/3 of an inch thin which makes it highly portable for users who like living on their reading passion while setting a course. Users can now conveniently read their favorite books with just one hand without any pause. On the other hand, the new Kindle Wi-Fi with is even lighter at just 8.5 ounces. Storage space is leveraged with the ability to carry up to 3,500 books. For a complete immersive reading experience, the new Kindle offers up to one month battery life with wireless off and up to 10 days of battery life with wireless. Apart from this, the device renders free 3G wireless with no annual contracts and monthly fees.
Well, Kindle claims to be the only e-book reader that enables users to travel globally and still get books in 60 seconds with wireless coverage in more than 100 countries and territories. With integrated Wi-Fi support, users can easily connect to Wi-Fi hotspots anytime, anywhere. The company is offering its existing Kindle users free Wi-Fi access at AT&T Wi-FI hotspots across the US for shopping and downloading Kindle content.
“If you don’t need the convenience of 3G wireless, we have an incredible new price point $139 for Kindle Wi-Fi. Kindle Wi-Fi has all the same features, same bookstore, same high-contrast electronic paper display, and it’s even a tiny bit lighter at 8.5 ounces. At this price point, many people are going to buy multiple units for the home and family,” he added further.
Users can read the whole night without disturbing people around and share meaningful passages with friends and family with integrated Twitter and Facebook. The new Kindle does not require any setup, software installation or any computer. Downloading and reading the first chapters of Kindle books for free before buying is also made possible now. The new Kindle has an integrated PDF reader with new dictionary lookup, notes and highlights, and support for password protected PDFs. It uses a new web browser based on open source web browser engine WebKit. The upgraded browser is quick and simpler to navigate and provides users with ‘article mode’ feature that simplifies web pages to the main text-based content for easier reading and web browsing with Kindle over 3G or Wi-Fi is free.
Text-to-speech feature reads the text loudly and helps users navigate Kindle without the exigency of ”read menu’ options. Users can also listen to content listings on the homescreen, item descriptions and all menu options. The new Kindle features an incorporated retractable reading light that helps users read anytime, anywhere. The light is a part of the cover and hides away into the cover when not in use. The LED light brightens the paper-like display without adding glare. Amazon’s patent-pending hinge system secures Kindle and conducts electricity from Kindle’s battery to the reading light while discarding the need for batteries.
The new Kindle with integrated Wi-Fi with free 3G wireless, a graphite color option, is available for $189 (approx Rs. 8,813) whereas, readers who do not need 3G wireless can enjoy the new Kindle for $139 (approx Rs. 6,481). The all-new Kindle and Kindle Wi-Fi are now available for pre-order from the official website and will be shipped to customers beginning August 27.
