Amazon Kindle, or Kindle, is a e-reader sold by Amazon.com. Launched on 19 November 2007 by Jeff Bezos, the international version of the device has been available since October 19, 2009 in more than 100 countries. The Kindle DX, the second international version of the device, is available since January 2010. The device runs on Linux. A color version of the Kindle Fire, is marketed in the US since 14 November 2011.
Description and features
Kindle (from the verb “to kindle”, “to light a fire”) is an e-reader that lets you connect to the Internet to download content (digitized books, newspapers and magazines …), the license to use being sold online through the US website Amazon.com. The file format is proprietary, they are protected by a digital rights management (DRM) system. The transfer does not require a computer or Wi-Fi connection, it is done through the high-speed wireless network of mobile operator Sprint. The user can also upload their own documents on the Kindle by connecting the camera to a computer via USB or sending them by e-mail at a price of 10 cents per item. Word documents and various image formats are converted by Amazon after sending by e-mail in order to be played on the Kindle. An integrated browser provides access to the Web and has a set of pre-selected favorites.
There are to date ten hardware versions:
- 1st generation Kindle (November 2007), the United States alone;
- Kindle 2nd Generation (November 2009);
- Kindle DX (June 2009);
- Kindle 3G (August 2010);
- Kindle 4th Generation (2011);
- Kindle Touch (2012);
- Kindle Paperwhite (2012);
- Kindle Fire (2012);
- Kindle Fire HD;
- Kindle Paperwhite (2013).
These e-readers can be equipped with three levels of service:
- Without wireless reception service;
- With wireless reception / USA;
- With wireless reception / International (see website for list of countries served).
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