Amazon Kindle: Reading for the Mom on the Go
When Amazon first announced the Kindle, the world “oo’d” and “ahh’ed.” The tech blogs were on fire for months and even the mainstream media was lit with excitement. And for good reason: the Kindle lived up to its expectations.
The Kindle makes it easy for book lovers to read their favorite books wherever they are. Its screen is designed to be easy on the eye and doesn’t cause the same kind of strain as an electronic screen.
It’s priced at a mere $139 (Wi-Fi only) to $189 (3G), making it an extremely affordable yet potentially life-changing device.
Here are a few of the top features of the Kindle.
==> Electronic Ink Technology
Computer screens work by refreshing the screen more than 25 times per second to create a graphical display. Because the computer screen is essentially a very, very fast bright blinking light, it causes enormous strain on the eyes.
The Kindle works in a different manner. It uses a technology called Electronic Ink (E Ink for short). Instead of refreshing the screen constantly, it actually positions E Ink particles on the screen to form letters and words.
In other words, there are no lights flashing, no constant refresh and no strain on the eye. Reading a Kindle puts as little strain on the eye as reading a book.
==> Ease of Reading
Kindle takes it one step further by making it even easier to read than a normal book.
You can choose your font size to display anything from a whole page on the screen to just one or two paragraphs at a time.
That means you can reduce strain on your eyes by enlarging lettering whenever you want. You can also view your pages “book style” by seeing the whole page at once.
Turning the pages is easy. All you need to do is touch the sides.
==> Search, Bookmarks and Annotations
There are things the Kindle can do that a physical book just can’t.
For example, you can search for specific lines of text. Want to find that brilliant quote or paragraph? No need to flip through dozens of pages. Just type in a small bit and Kindle will do the rest.
You can easily bookmark where you are in any book and come back to it later, even months later. The bookmark will never fall out or disappear.
Finally, annotations makes it easy to “take notes” in your book. Just write notes on specific pages and sections and it’ll be saved there for future reference. You can come back to read, edit or delete annotations at any time.
==> Battery Life
One of the most compelling arguments for the Kindle as opposed to the iPhone, iPad or any other book-reading device is the Kindle’s battery life.
Unlike other devices which usually just last one day with regular reading, the Kindle can easily last a whole week with regular reading and two weeks with moderate reading.
It’s perfect for traveling and you don’t have to worry about it running out of juice.
For book lovers, the Kindle makes it easy to carry dozens or even hundreds of books wherever you go. It takes away the eye strain of using a computer, while making it easier to use than a book through adjustable font sizes, bookmarks and annotations. To top it off, it has a miracle of a battery life.
