Books Aren't Dead: Amazon Kindle Resurrected Them!

It’s Saturday tomorrow! Time to do some serious reading!

But while we all are going to go curl up with a true- blue paper book and stay in in bed, then after we’re done with the book we’d let it stay in the shelf and gather dust, there is one book that would let you read hundreds of books after you’re done reading the one you’re reading now: the Amazon Kindle.

The Amazon Kindle is one tech toy that I would really love to have. It is a revolutionary e-book reader that is an Amazon.com exclusive.

What sets the Kindle apart is the system that allows it to download Amazon Kindle books directly to the unit, through Amazon.com’s Whispernet technology.

Whispernet works much like how cellular phone signals are transmitted, but the subscription is free. The subscription to Whispernet had been factored into the gadget’s original price.

Though you would wonder what makes the Kindle a cut above other books, its seeming magic lies in the “E Ink” material. This is what is known as the electrophoretic display. The electrophoretic display, or Electronic Paper, is designed to mimic real paper. The image is stable, unlike the conventional LCD displays. Because the images are not refreshed on a constant basis, and there is no glare, the reader’s eyes are not strained, unlike when one would from an LCD screen.

The beauty of the Kindle is not only in the fact that its system is really excellent: with Whispernet you can browse and even read samples of the books you want to read and then download it directly to your Kindle, the beauty of the Kindle also rests in the fact that it is only in Amazon.com’s selections that you can find such a comprehensive list of books and authors. One e-book industry main player before Kindle, Mobipocket, did not enjoy such a success precisely because its e-book offerings were rather limited. Most established authors tend to prefer that their products be offered only in paperback, hardcover, or at the most, audiobooks. When they do offer titles as e-books, there are only a few of their product lines available.

Because Kindle is closely tied to the rest of the Amazon system, you can trust that even rare finds will be available for you on the Kindle store.

If you’re not from the USA like me, and you’re concerned that you won’t be able to access the Kindle Store because Whispernet is tied with Sprint’s EVDO network, you don’t need to worry.

From the Kindle Help Files:

If you have a computer with an internet connection and a USB port, you can use Kindle anywhere in the world. You can make purchases from the Kindle Store on Amazon.com (www.amazon.com/kindlestore), download items to your computer, and transfer the files to your Kindle using the USB connection. You can access all your purchases from the Kindle Store in Your Media Library at www.amazon.com/library. You can also have personal documents converted to a Kindle-compatible format and sent to the e-mail address on your Amazon.com account.


While the Kindle and its content are not officially available for people who live outside the U.S., there is a workaround: ask a US-based friend to purchase the Kindle for you, send or bring the Kindle to you, and he or she can buy the Kindle books you want and send them to you.

That is the best way to do, for now, but I believe in due time, the Kindle will be made available internationally.

And because of that, I am praying about, and looking forward to having a Kindle in my hands!



More Amazon Kindle Articles:

CNET's Amazon Kindle Review
An E-Book Reader That Just May Catch On (NYTimes)
Amazon Kindle vs. Sony's Reader (Shootout by CNET.com)
Why Amazon Kindle is Revolutionary (What you didn't know about the Kindle)