Analyzed: Amazon Kindle e-Reader

After having used the Amazon Kindle for a while, we are not surprised that it is the most sold e-Reader in the market. In the world of lightning speed product launches and cutting edge technology, sometimes simple is best. And that's exactly what Amazon has done with the Kindle e-Reader. There is no camera, no dual or quad core processor, no color display, noting. It serves one purpose and one purpose only, to read. Be it books, PDF, or Word documents, the Kindle can handle them all.

Amazon has taken the 'keep it simple' philosophy to heart and have even removed the QWERTY keyboard that came with the previous generation Kindle. It didn't really serve much purpose and took away from the display itself. Now with an on-screen keyboard, you can still perform the same activities as before. Kindle uses E Ink Pearl – the latest generation of E Ink technology available – to deliver clear, crisp text you can read without strain. Electronic ink uses actual ink particles to create crisp, print-like text similar to what you see in a physical book. Because Kindle's electronic display uses E Ink, it looks and reads like real paper. Kindle's screen reflects light like ordinary paper and uses no backlighting, so you can read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room. We can vouch for the display being very soothing on the eyes and day after day of voracious reading, we didn't feel much strain on the eyes. Now we are not going to say it is as light as paper, but it is quite light and compact to carry around. It feels so durable and well constructed and you can really subject it to some rough and tough daily use without any issues.

The Kindle also comes with built-in Wi-Fi and a browser (which sort of reminded us of Lynx from back in the day) which can be used to basic web browsing and shopping at the Kindle store (which will take you a long long time considering the number of titles available for free or purchase; Millions, and can be downloaded directly to the device). The battery life is phenomenal and we haven't had to charge the Kindle yet... after using it for over 2 weeks! Here is a look at the specs of the Kindle:

1. 6" E Ink gray scale display at a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels
2. 2GB storage
3. 1 USB port
4. Weight: 170g
5. Battery capacity: A single charge lasts up to one month with wireless off based upon a half-hour of daily reading time. Keep wireless always on and it lasts for up to 3 weeks (from Amazon's site).

If you are a big reader, and can live without the feeling of holding a book with pages and the smell that comes from said book, the Kindle e-Reader is an absolute must have. If you are planning on making the switch from regular books, it will take a little some getting used to. It did for us.

Our Rating: 

The Kindle e-Reader is currently on sale in India for about Rs. 5,500 (~$110). It is a little more expensive than the $79 you would pay in the U.S.A., but with the exchange rate fluctuation and import duty, the price is a little higher. Even with the price difference, the Kindle is still worth it.