Arriving after three years of research Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader is now available through their online store. Capable of holding up to 200 books the tablet reader measures 4.9×7.5x.7″ and weighs 289g. The reader can download material over a wireless network from Amazon at a cost of $9.99 (EUR*6.80) per novel. Any material purchased will be held online so readers can upload material they are finished with to create more storage room on the device. Users will also be issued with special email addresses so they can receive Word documents and PDFs. The Kindle also has a keyboard with links to Wikipedia and options to make notes as required.
According to Amazon founder Jim Bezos the Kindle represents a new way of delivering e-books with the aim of the user replicating the tactile experience of reading while offering the convenience of having many books in one place. “Our top design objective was for Kindle to ‘disappear in your hands’ so you can enjoy your reading,” he said.
The device has attracted criticism from bloggers over the restrictive DRM (digital rights management) software, which forbids the sharing or resale of material. Subscription services to newspapers and blogs will also be available on a paid-for monthly basis, despite these being free to view online. Critics have also noted that many of the Kindle’s functions can be replicated on the Apple iPhone which has a function for downloading books already from Google without charge.
According to website Endgadget the first consignment of Kindles sold out in under six hours.
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