Like it or not the word eReader or electronic book is usually associated with the Amazon Kindle, a device that allows us to enjoy eBooks since 2007 when the first version of this device was presented. Since then, this gadget has changed a lot, and we have been able to see how it went from white to black, how the integrated physical keyboard disappeared or how integrated light was added that allows us to read in full darkness.
In this article we are going to do a interesting review of all the Kindle that have existed and that have reached the market. We are going to know some of its characteristics and specifications, see images, and also know some curiosities of Amazon devices.
Of course we will also take a look at the future and we will consider ourselves, and above all we will consider how you would like the Kindle of the future to be.
Amazon Kindle 1
The first Kindle in history was officially presented by Amazon in November 2007 and it was only sold in the United States with very good sales figures.
This device was not exactly small or pocket-sized, since it mounted a 6-inch screen like those of today, but by carrying a physical keyboard the size increased significantly
As a curiosity we can tell you that its screen offered the user a resolution of 600 x 800 pixels with a capacity to reproduce 4 levels of gray. From now on we will see how the specifications of the screen have improved enormously.
Finally we must echo the box in which this Kindle 1 was delivered, and that you can see in the image that we show you below;
Amazon Kindle 2
The second Kindle, after the success of sales of the first, was made to wait a long time and it was not presented by Amazon until February 2009.
The most striking thing about this new Kindle was the renewed design, although the physical keyboard was kept that made this a huge and unwieldy device. The improvements were also important internally and is that the screen kept the size and resolution but reached the market being capable of reproducing 16 gray novels. The internal storage also grew to 2 GB, thus eliminating the possibility of using a microSD card.
This Kindle 2 was capable of supporting more formats than its predecessor and, for example, was able to offer viewing of PDF files.
Amazon Kindle DX
After the Kindle 2 hit the market various versions or variations of that model. Among them, the most successful ones in the market was the Kindle DX, a Kindle with a huge 9,7-inch screen.
Amazon Kindle 3 or Keyboard
The Kindle 3, better known as kindle keyboard It was launched on the market in August 2010 and it still had in mind the physical keyboard that never had a very specific utility.
The leap in terms of improvements over the previous model were important, and that is We saw the first version without 3G connectivity, and only with Wifi that had a much lower price. This practice has been lied in force to this day and each Kindle can be found in two different versions depending on its connectivity.
This device continued to improve in design, partly reducing itself and reducing its weight. In addition, the internal storage grew again to 4 GB.
With this Kindle 3 also came a variation, baptized once again as Kindle DX, although this time he also had the term Graphite.
Amazon Kindle 4 and Kindle Touch
In September 2011, the Kindle 4, in which Amazon finally decided to eliminate the physical keyboard to which almost nobody found use, and it just took up a huge space that made the device too big. The elimination of the keyboard meant that this eReader was compact and also light since its weight decreased to 170 grams.
The previous Kindle weighed almost 300 grams, so users appreciated this reduction in the weight of the device very much.
The news were not too many in this Kindle, although a version of this device was launched on the market, baptized as Kindle Touch and in which we found a multi-touch screen that allowed to turn the pages of the book by simply touching the screen.
Amazon Kindle 5 and Kindle Paperwhite
The fifth generation of the Kindle arrived in October 2012 and was a real revolution for all lovers of eBooks. And the Amazon device continued to improve in design and performance, but it also incorporated the backlighting that allowed us to start reading in rooms with little light or even total darkness.
Let's go by parts. Amazon introduced the Kindle 5 which was a continuation of the Kindle 4, somewhat lighter, with the same 6-inch screen than that if it had a higher contrast and also a much larger battery that allowed users an autonomy of up to 1 month.
Along with this Kindle 5 came the Kindle Paperwhite, which was a real revolution, but not only because of the backlight since it also offered us a screen with 25% more contrast, with a resolution of 1024 × 758 and 212 ppi. Its battery also lasted up to 8 weeks or what is the same 2 months.
The prices of these two devices, of course, were different and the difference between them was obvious.
Kindle Paperwhite 2
Within a year of the first version of the Kindle Paperwhite Amazon launched the Kindle Paperwhite 2 with 3 great news;
- Better screen with even better contrast and that allowed to read more comfortably
- New processor that improves the opening of eBooks or page turning
- Device illumination enhancements offering better screen viewing in low-light or dark situations
It was a device very similar to the previous one that Amazon had launched, but when placed one in front of the other the improvements were quickly visible. Its price did not vary either following the line proposed by the large virtual store.
Kindle 6, Kindle Papwehite, and Kindle Voyage
Just a few months ago, Amazon made its last e-book presentation. In it he introduced us to 3 new different models; the Kindle 6, a new renovation of the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Voyage, an outstanding eReader that, however, has not yet reached most countries in the world, and that for many is a great inexplicable mystery.
Kindle 6
This new Kindle has been dubbed Basic Kindle and a renovation of the traditional Kindle, to which an improved touch screen has been incorporated in terms of reflections. In addition, its design has also been improved and various dictionary functions and easier underlining have been added.
Its price is one of the few things that has not changed about this model, and that is that it continues to cost 79 euros, which places it in relation to quality and price as one of the best devices of this type of how many we can find in the market.
Kindle Paperwhite 2014
Despite the fact that everyone expected a profound renovation of this device, it finally became only a few tweaks before the appearance on the scene of the Kindle Voyage that was really the important advance, although after we have encountered the availability problems that we still suffer today.
Of course, no one doubts the quality of this Kindle Paperwhite that in its day we already tried and is that this is a remarkable device that is presented as one of the best on the market.
Kindle Travel
Along with the models we have already seen The company directed by Jeff Bezos officially presented in September 2014 the new Kindle Voyage, a premium eReader that improved very much to the latest devices presented by Amazon.
Made of high-end materials, with a screen that offers an experience when reading books that is very difficult to beat and with features that ensure a load of eBooks and an outstanding page turn in them.
The Kindle Voyage is the king of eReaders, but unfortunately it has the problem that today it is only sold in a handful of countries, and for example it is close to a year since its official presentation in Spain we still do not know an approximate date on which it may be available.
The future of the Kindle
Guessing the future of the Kindle is hard and is that the Kindle Voyage is already a device more than interesting and with great specifications. Perhaps solar batteries, color screens or the appearance of a pen that allows us to take notes in our eBooks in a simpler way are some of the improvements that we can see in the next Kindle that reach the market, but for the moment everything these are assumptions as no information about upcoming devices has been leaked.
The months of September and October are usually those that Amazon uses to officially present its news, so we will have to be very attentive for the Kindle of the future may be just around the corner.
I think that the removal of the physical keyboard was a big step as well as the touch screen that, and I do not understand it, some people seem to dislike it.
In any case, the latest models already only show us tiny improvements in the appearance of the screen (contrast and resolution) that, honestly, are hardly noticeable (or I don't notice them) despite the hype with which they are advertised.
The Kindle Voyage I have not been able to see it live but it seems to me that its improvements are more aesthetic and design level (screen at the same level as the bezel, reduced weight, ...) than anything else. As you say, it is a mystery that it has not reached our country. Perhaps it is due to a market study that says it will not sell well because of its high price.
I really want to see the next Kindle and I hope that this time there are real and notable improvements at the hardware level. The note-taking stylus and solar charging would be great. Regarding the color I no longer trust, they are many years waiting but it will be necessary to see what they do with Liquavista. In any case, this screen technology is a little different from traditional electronic ink (it consumes more battery although it offers other things) so we will have to be careful.
I would almost settle for improving the contrast even more by offering a whiter background ... but really white folio type. Obviously this depends on E Ink and it is not clear that the technology has such room for improvement.
As the article says very well, talking about an electronic book is associated with Kindle. I have known the evolution of which they speak, I have had several of the Amazon Kindles. I had the first of all, from there I have been jumping to the higher models, until recently taking advantage of an offer from the Amazon comparator http://savemoney.es/ I bought the Kindle Paperwhite 3G.
It is evident that they are one of the best electronic books, since the first one passed through my hands, I have never considered changing to another brand, the quality from the beginning has made them different, at least, for me, Amazon offers the best in eReaders.
More than hardware, I would appreciate major firmware improvements. Kindle has barely touched its reading firmware, the margin options are painful wasting the screen. Few options for font size, you can't put additional fonts ...
Anyway Amazon has lost the race at the moment, I think that kobo has widely surpassed them in hardware / price level. Buying a voyage when there is a h2o does not make any sense, not even because the dictionaries of the kobos are very bad, in case you have to go to Amazon for that reason the logical thing is the pw2 if you want light or basic if you do not want it. But the voyage is out of the market in relation to price / quality. Too expensive for the differential with a pw2.
And now to finish finishing off the move, kobo brings us the kobo glo hd with a screen at the level of the voyage but at the price of pw2. In June I think it can be bought in Spain. Amazon is going to have to wake up a lot.