RSS
Market and Sector Type: 
Software
Article Type: 
Analysis

The Amazon Kindle

Article Date:  Dec 07 2007 Nick Britton

It’s the beginning of the end for books as we know them… or is it? The launch of Amazon’s portable reader allows you to wirelessly download books or magazines to ‘an electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper’.

Blogs are alive with comment on the gadget, not all of it positive. ‘What no-one seems to get through their thick skulls, even after untold millions of dollars have been wasted on the concept, [is that] people don’t want to read books on a screen,’ writes New York graphic designer Chip Kidd.

But founder and CEO of Amazon.com Jeff Bezos says: ‘We’ve been working on Kindle for more than three years. Our top design objective was for Kindle to disappear in your hands so you can enjoy your reading.’

The device costs $399 (£196), weighs roughly 290 grams and fits into one hand. Its built-in memory stores more than 200 titles, and it needs recharging approximately every other day, or roughly every week with connectivity turned off.

Other features include access to The New Oxford American Dictionary and Wikipedia, six adjustable font sizes and a standard layout keyboard enabling users to search the Kindle store or make their own annotations to the text.

Comments 

There are currently no comments on this article

Sign up and get...

  • Regular GrowthBusiness newsletters
  • Post comments on articles
Sign up

Cut your speed to market and your costs!

FedEx Express has now created an account tailored perfectly for new small businesses. Instant account setup, online shipping, proof of delivery and an immediate discount of up to 15% off standard rates. Speed up your supply chain and gain the edge on your competitors! Visit: www.fedex.com/gb/smallbusiness

Looking to recruit?

Whichever role you are looking to fill you can be sure that Adecco only selects those candidates with a 'Can Do, Will Do, Will Fit' attitude. Better visit the people finding the people for London 2012.

Want help meeting your business objectives?

The Open University allows your staff to develop quickly, while causing minimal disruption to business operations. We can create solutions that help you to develop talent, increase professional skills and resolve business critical matters. Click to find out more.

Research

  • Creative businesses face ‘analysis gap’

    From video games developers to firms of architects, creative businesses of all kinds struggle to get adequate financing due to a misconception that they cannot be analysed systematically, claims a new report. The study comes from the Centre for Creative Business (CCB), a joint venture between London Business School and University of the Arts London.

Directors' Pay on AIM 2008

What is the average AIM company paying its chief executive? Who are AIM’s highest- and lowest-paid chief executives?

Global Technology Review 2008

Who are the world’s 200 most influential IT companies across sales, revenue growth, profits and net margins? Read more in the Global Technology Review 2008

More

Events Calendar

Investor AllStars 2009

23rd September, London Hilton, Park Lane

The CANACCORD Adams Media Magnate Awards 2009

26th March, Vinopolis, London

Rosenblatt New Energy Awards 2010

25th February, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD

More

More Analysis: Technology in Business

Business applications of Web 2.0

It's now clear that social media is more than just a passing craze and that it has serious implications for business. We look at three organisations which lead the way in their use of Web 2.0 technologies.

The floating doorstep

We talk to the inventor of a product designed to boost Britain's flood defences about his struggle to find a backer.

Genius at work

For companies operating on the frontiers of technology, intellectual property is an essential defence. But it can also be a cash cow, an exit tool or even a weapon against competitors. GrowthBusiness investigates.

More Software: Technology in Business

Solid state storage

Storage technology is far from what most would consider the glamorous end of IT. But if you've bought a laptop recently, you may have noticed a new option being offered to you when you select a hard drive.

Data wipe

Failing to protect sensitive information could have devastating effects for your company, says Tony Dearsley, computer forensics manager at Kroll Ontrack.

Interest-free IT

IT vendors are fighting the downturn with zero-interest finance deals. We take a look at what's on offer.

SaaS: a look beyond the hype

The Guardian Media Group recently made the switch to software as a service (SaaS). We get the inside track.

Behind the cloud

Last year saw the phrase “cloud computing” enter the mainstream, with a lot of buzz about its manifold benefits. But, as with anything else, those benefits come with a number of potential problems. GB investigates.

Advertisement

Related articles

Do you trust your IT staff?

One third of IT staff admit to snooping on confidential salary information.

Media mogul: Kishore Lulla

Media company Eros International released five of Bollywood’s top ten films in 2007. We interview the CEO.

Part-time FD providers merge

Two firms that provide their clients with part-time finance directors (FDs) have merged. The FD Centre and FDUK, both of which will now trade as The FD Centre, will offer nearly 100 part-time directors and, combined, claim a market share of ‘around 20 per cent’.

Plastic Logic to launch reader

Almost a decade after the company was set up, electronics innovator Plastic Logic is ready to launch its first product.

Poll

Are you seeing green shoots?



Have your vote on current issues

People who read this also read

  • Q&A: Finding an investor

    I am an entrepreneur, I have a great idea but no investors, what can I do?

  • Plastic Logic to launch reader

    Almost a decade after the company was set up, electronics innovator Plastic Logic is ready to launch its first product.

  • Institutional Investors in AIM 08/09

    Growth Company Investor presents this brand new research of institutional activity on AIM.

  • WPP seals double deal 

    London-based marketing communications group WPP has continued the expansion of its international networks by negotiating two deals in as many days in South Africa and Denmark.

  • Pitching to institutional investors

    As a public company, some of the most important conversations you’ll have are with institutional investors, writes Philip Dumas of Dowgate Capital.

White Papers

10 Steps to a Successful CRM Implementation

Follow these 10 steps to help ensure that your CRM implementation is a success, from the planning stages to post-deployment improvements.

12 Key Points to Consider When Selecting a Network Scanning Solution

Discover the 12 key points your company should consider before you evaluate and select a vulnerability assessment solution.

15-Minute Guide to Elevating the Customer Experience Through Statements

This guide focuses on the importance of customer statements, in particular the vital role they can play in marketing an organization's products and services, building and maintaining brand awareness, and reducing customer service costs.

More

Take part in our competition and win a laptop

Growthbusiness.co.uk has teamed up with Insurantz.com to find out from you the secret of your business's longevity.

– Is it having a knack for hiring the right people or knowing that if you want something done properly, you need to do it yourself?

– Are you adept at reacting to changing market conditions and going the extra mile for your customers?

– Have you always had a keen eye for the numbers or made sure you have someone on board who does?

If your business has proven itself over a number of years, or if you know of a great local business and think it should be entered, then we want to hear about it!

A judging panel will draw up a shortlist of entrants for you to vote on to decide who will become the Growth Business Local Legend.

The winning company will receive computer equipment worth up to £500, plus £1,000 of business insurance (or free business cover up to an annual premium of £1,000 for larger businesses) all courtesy of our partners at Insurantz.com.

All shortlisted businesses will receive marketing collateral to promote your entry and encourage support from your customers and business associates. Everyone who enters the competition will automatically receive a 10% discount voucher code off insurance products bought from Insurantz.com.

To access the discount voucher code, please complete the survey.

At Insurantz..com, we encourage entrepreneurship, so start-up businesses are not charged extra when other insurers may decline or charge more. Insurantz.com offers a double-the-difference price guarantee on premiums where a better deal is found within 14 days of the cover start date.

Terms and conditions apply

Click here to enter the