Amazon Kindle

(Redirected from Kindle reader)

Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon. Amazon Kindle devices enable users to browse, buy, download, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, Audible audiobooks, and other digital media via wireless networking to the Kindle Store.[3] The hardware platform, which Amazon subsidiary Lab126 developed, began as a single device in 2007. Currently, it comprises a range of devices, including e-readers with E Ink electronic paper displays and Kindle applications on all major computing platforms. All Kindle devices integrate with Windows and macOS file systems and Kindle Store content and, as of March 2018, the store had over six million e-books available in the United States.[4]

Amazon Kindle
DeveloperAmazon
ManufacturerFoxconn
Product familyKindle
TypeE-reader
Release dateNovember 19, 2007; 17 years ago (2007-11-19) (Kindle 1)
Introductory priceUS$399; equivalent to $586 in 2023 (Kindle 1)
Operating systemKindle firmware, utilizing Linux kernel[1]
Latest versions[2]
  • Kindle 1: 1.2.1
  • Kindle 2, DX: 2.5.8
  • Kindle Keyboard: 3.4.3
  • Kindle 4, 5: 4.1.4
  • Kindle Touch: 5.3.7.3
  • Kindle Paperwhite 1: 5.6.1.1
  • Kindle 7, Paperwhite 2: 5.12.2.2
  • Kindle Voyage: 5.13.6
  • Kindle 8; Paperwhite 3; Oasis 1, 2: 5.16.2.1.1
  • Kindle Scribe: 5.16.21
  • Kindle 10, 11; Paperwhite 4, 5; Oasis 3: 5.17.1
Online servicesKindle Store
Websiteamazon.com/kindle

Naming and evolution

edit

In 2004, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos instructed the company's employees to build the world's best electronic reader before Amazon's competitors could. Amazon originally used the codename Fiona for the device.[5]

Branding consultants Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma devised the Kindle name. Lab126 asked them to name the product, and they suggested "kindle", meaning to light a fire.[6] They felt this was an apt metaphor for reading and intellectual excitement.[7]

Kindle hardware evolved from the original Kindle introduced in 2007 and the Kindle DX (with its larger 9.7" screen) introduced in 2009. The DX remained the only non-6" eink Kindle device until the 2017 introduction of the Oasis 2. The range included early generation devices with a keyboard (Kindle Keyboard), devices with touch-sensitive, lighted, high-resolution screens (Kindle Paperwhite), early generations of a tablet computer with the Kindle app (Kindle Fire), and low-priced devices with a touch-sensitive screen (Kindle 7). However, the Kindle e-reader has often been a narrow-purpose device for reading rather than being multipurpose hardware that might create distractions while reading. Active Content support was introduced in 2010 only to be dropped from new Kindle devices in late 2014. After the first three generations, the Kindle Fire tablet branding was changed to Amazon Fire in 2014; this name change reflected their wider capabilities as an Android-derived tablet. Other later developments include devices with larger eink displays such as the Kindle Oasis 2 (2017) at 7" and the Paperwhite 5 (2021) at 6.8", as well as a device with a 10.2" screen and Wacom stylus support called the Kindle Scribe (2022). In 2022 Amazon also introduced the 11th gen Kindle with a 300 PPI display, ending the use of the 6" 167 PPI display that had been on every basic Kindle since 2007. In 2024 Amazon introduced the first color E Ink Kindle, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition.

Amazon has also introduced Kindle apps for use on various devices and platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone.[8] Amazon also has a cloud reader to allow users to read e-books using modern web browsers.[9]

Device Specifications

edit
Model Gen Launch Price Display CPU Memory Storage Sound Input Controller Input Connectivity Battery Dimensions Weight IP code
Kindle 1 November 19, 2007 $399 6-inch (150 mm), 600 × 800 pixels, 167 PPI density, 4-level grayscale Marvell Xscale PXA255 400 MHz, ARM9 64 MB 256/180 MB Speakers, 3.5mm headphone Jack USB 2.0 Mini-B port (data transfer only), SD card, 3.5 mm headphone jack, charging port Keyboard, Scrollwheel Amazon Whispernet 1,530 mAh 8.0 in (200 mm) H
5.3 in (130 mm) W
0.8 in (20 mm) D
10.2 oz (290 g) No
Kindle 2 2 February 23, 2009 $299 6-inch (150 mm), 600 × 800 pixels, 167 PPI density, 16-level grayscale Freescale i.MX31 532 MHz, ARM11 32 MB 2/1.4 GB USB 2.0 Micro-B port, 3.5 mm headphone jack Keyboard, D-pad 8.0 in (200 mm) H
5.3 in (130 mm) W
0.36 in (9.1 mm) D
Kindle 2 International October 19, 2009 $279
Kindle DX June 10, 2009 $489 9.7-inch, 824 × 1200 pixels, 150 PPI density, 16-level grayscale 128 MB 4/3 GB 10.4 in (260 mm) H
7.2 in (180 mm) W
0.38 in (9.7 mm) D
18.9 oz (540 g)
Kindle DX International January 6, 2010 ?
Kindle DX Graphite July 1, 2010 $379
Kindle Keyboard
(Kindle 3)
3 August 27, 2010 Wi-Fi: $139
3G: $189
6-inch (150 mm), 600 × 800 pixels, 167 PPI density, 16-level grayscale Freescale i.MX35 532 MHz, ARM11 256 MB Amazon Whispernet (3G model only), 802.11bg Wi-Fi 1,750 mAh 7.5 in (190 mm) H
4.8 in (120 mm) W
0.34 in (8.6 mm) D
Wi-Fi: 8.5 oz (240 g)
3G: 8.7 oz (250 g)
Kindle 4 4 September 28, 2011 No ads: $109
Ads: $79
Freescale i.MX508 800 MHz 2/1.25 GB None USB 2.0 Micro-B port D-pad Amazon Whispernet (3G model only), 802.11bgn Wi-Fi 890 mAh 6.5 in (170 mm) H
4.5 in (110 mm) W
0.34 in (8.6 mm) D
5.98 oz (170 g)
Kindle Touch November 15, 2011 No ads:
Wi-Fi: $149
3G: $189
Ads:
Wi-Fi: $99
3G: $139
4/3 GB Speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack USB 2.0 Micro-B port, 3.5 mm headphone jack Touchscreen 1,420 mAh 6.8 in (170 mm) H
4.7 in (120 mm) W
0.40 in (10 mm) D
Wi-Fi: 7.5 oz (210 g)
3G: 7.8 oz (220 g)
Kindle 5 5 September 6, 2012 No ads: $90
Ads: $70
2/1.25 GB None USB 2.0 Micro-B port D-pad 890 mAh 6.5 in (170 mm) H
4.5 in (110 mm) W
0.34 in (8.6 mm) D
5.98 oz (170 g)
Kindle Paperwhite October 1, 2012 No ads:
Wi-Fi: $140
3G: $200
Ads:
Wi-Fi: $120
3G: $180
6-inch, 768 × 1024 pixels, 212 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit Touchscreen 1,420 mAh 6.7 in (170 mm) H
4.6 in (120 mm) W
0.36 in (9.1 mm) D
Wi-Fi: 7.5 oz (210 g)
3G: 7.8 oz (220 g)
Kindle Paperwhite 2 6 Wi-Fi: September 30, 2013

3G: November 5, 2013

No ads:
Wi-Fi: $140
3G: $210
Ads:
Wi-Fi: $119
3G: $139
Freescale/NXP i.MX6 SoloLite 1 GHz 2/1.25 GB

or

4/3 GB

Wi-Fi: 7.3 oz (210 g)
3G: 7.6 oz (220 g)
Kindle 7 7 October 2, 2014 No ads: $100
Ads: $80
6-inch (150 mm), 600 × 800 pixels, 167 PPI density, 16-level grayscale 4/3 GB 890 mAh[10] 6.7 in (170 mm) H
4.7 in (120 mm) W
0.40 in (10 mm) D
6.7 oz (190 g)
Kindle Voyage November 4, 2014 No ads:
Wi-Fi: $220
3G: $290
Ads:
Wi-Fi: $200
3G: $270
6-inch, 1072 × 1448 pixels, 300 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit 512 MB USB (through USB Audio Adapter) 1,320mAh 6.4 in (160 mm) H
4.5 in (110 mm) W
0.30 in (7.6 mm) D
Wi-Fi: 6.3 oz (180 g)
3G: 6.6 oz (190 g)
Kindle Paperwhite 3 June 30, 2015 No ads:
Wi-Fi: $140
3G: $210
Ads:
Wi-Fi: $120
3G: $190
1,420 mAh 6.7 in (170 mm) H
4.6 in (120 mm) W
0.36 in (9.1 mm) D
Wi-Fi: 7.2 oz (200 g)
3G: 7.7 oz (220 g)
Kindle Oasis 8 April 27, 2016 $289.99 – $379.99 Bluetooth Amazon Whispernet (3G model only), 802.11bgn Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 245 mAh (no cover)
1,535 mAh (with cover)
5.6 in (140 mm) H
4.8 in (120 mm) W
0.13 in (3.3 mm) D (without cover)
0.33 in (8.4 mm) D (with cover)
Wi-Fi: 4.6 oz (130 g)
3G: 4.7 oz (130 g)
Cover only: 3.8 oz (110 g)
Kindle 8 June 22, 2016 No ads: $100
Ads: $80
6-inch (150 mm), 600 × 800 pixels, 167 PPI density, 16-level grayscale 890 mAh 6.3 in (160 mm) H
4.5 in (110 mm) W
0.36 in (9.1 mm) D
5.7 oz (160 g)
Kindle Oasis 2 9 October 31, 2017 $249.99 – $349.99 7-inch, 1264 × 1680 pixels, 300 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit NXP i.MX7D 1 GHz 8/6 GB or 32/30 GB 1,000 mAh 6.3 in (160 mm) H
5.6 in (140 mm) W
0.33 in (8.4 mm) D
6.8 oz (190 g) IPX8
Kindle Paperwhite 4 10 November 7, 2018 $129.99+ 6-inch, 1072 × 1448 pixels, 300 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit Freescale/NXP i.MX6 SoloLite 1 GHz 1,500 mAh 6.6 in (170 mm) H
4.6 in (120 mm) W
0.32 in (8.1 mm) D
Wi-Fi: 6.4 oz (180 g)
3G: 6.7 oz (190 g)
Kindle 10 April 10, 2019 No ads: $109.99
Ads: $89.99
6-inch (150 mm), 600 × 800 pixels, 167 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit 8/6 GB 1,040 mAh 6.3 in (160 mm) H
4.5 in (110 mm) W
0.34 in (8.6 mm) D
6.1 oz (170 g) No
Kindle Oasis 3 July 24, 2019 $249.99 – $349.99 7-inch, 1264 × 1680 pixels, 300 PPI density, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit NXP i.MX7D 1 GHz 8/6 GB or 32/30 GB 1,130 mAh 6.3 in (160 mm) H
5.6 in (140 mm) W
0.33 in (8.4 mm) D
6.6 oz (190 g) IPX8
Kindle Paperwhite 5 11 October 27, 2021 $139.99 – $159.99 6.8-inch, 1236 × 1648 pixels, 300 PPI density, 16-level grayscale,

LED frontlit (17 LEDs)

MediaTek MT8110

1 GHz [11]

8GB or

16 GB

USB-C port Dual-band 802.11 Wi-Fi (no ad-hoc support), Bluetooth (audio only, limited to VoiceView for accessibility or for Audible content in approved countries) 1,700 mAh
[12]
6.9 in (180 mm) H
4.9 in (120 mm) W
0.32 in (8.1 mm) D
7.23 oz (205 g)
Kindle Paperwhite 5 Signature Edition $189.99 32/30 GB USB-C port
Qi charging
7.3 oz (210 g)
Kindle 11[13][14] October 12, 2022 No ads: $119.99
Ads: $99.99
6-inch, 1072 × 1448 pixels, 300 PPI, 16-level grayscale,

LED frontlit

MediaTek MT8113

2 GHz

16 GB USB-C port 1,040 mAh 6.21 in (158 mm) H
4.28 in (109 mm) W
0.315 in (8.0 mm) D
5.56 oz (158 g) No
Kindle Scribe[15][16] November 30, 2022 16 GB with Basic Pen:

$339.99 64 GB with Premium Pen: $419.99

10.2-inch, 1860 × 2480 pixels, 300 PPI, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit 1 GB 16 GB,

32 GB or 64 GB

Touchscreen, Stylus Pen 3,000 mAh 9 in (230 mm) H
7.7 in (200 mm) W
0.22 in (5.6 mm) D
15.3 oz (430 g) No
Kindle 11 (2024) October 16, 2024 No ads: $129.99
Ads: $109.99
6-inch, 1072 × 1448 pixels, 300 PPI, 16-level grayscale,

LED frontlit

? ? 16 GB Touchscreen ? 6.2 in (157.8 mm) H

4.3 in (108.6 mm) W 0.32 in (8.0 mm) D

5.56 oz (158 g) No
Kindle Paperwhite 6 12 No ads: $179.99
Ads: $159.99
7-inch, 1264 × 1680 pixels, 300 PPI density, 16-level grayscale,

LED frontlit

? ? 16 GB ? 7 in (176.7 mm) H

5 in (127.6 mm) W 0.3 in (7.8 mm) D

7.4 oz (211g) IPX8
Kindle Paperwhite 6

Signature Edition

$199.99 ? ? 32 GB USB-C port
Qi charging
? 7.5 oz (214g)
Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition October 30, 2024 $279.99 7-inch, 1264 × 1680 pixels, 300 ppi B&W, 150 ppi color,

16-level grayscale, LED frontlit

MediaTek MT8113

2 GHz

? 32 GB 2310 mAh 7.7oz (219g)
Kindle Scribe (2024) 11 December 4, 2024 $399.99 10.2-inch, 1860 × 2480 pixels, 300 PPI, 16-level grayscale, LED frontlit ? ? 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB USB-C port Touchscreen, Stylus Pen ? 9.0 in (230 mm) H

7.7 in (196 mm) W 0.22 in (5.7 mm) D

Device: 15.3oz (433g device only)

Premium Pen: .60 oz (17g)

No

Features

edit

Kindle devices support dictionary and Wikipedia look-up functions when highlighting a word in an e-book. The font type, size and margins can be customized. Kindles are charged by connecting to a computer's USB port or to an AC adapter. Users needing accessibility due to impaired vision can use an audio adapter to listen to any e-book read aloud on supported Kindles, or those with difficulty in reading text may use the Amazon Ember Bold font for darker text and other fonts may too have bold font versions.

The Kindle also contains experimental features such as a web browser that uses NetFront based on WebKit.[17] The browser can freely access the Kindle Store and Wikipedia on 3G models while the browser may be limited to 50 MB of data per month to websites other than Amazon and Wikipedia,[18] Other possible experimental features, depending on the model are a Text-to-Speech engine that can read the text from e-books and an MP3 player that can be used to play music while reading.

The Kindle's operating system updates are designed to be received wirelessly and installed automatically during a period in sleep mode in which Wi-Fi is turned on.[19] A user may install firmware updates manually by downloading the firmware for their device and copying the file to the device's root directory.[20] The Kindle operating system uses the Linux kernel with a Java app for reading e-books.[21]

Send to Kindle service

edit

Amazon initially offered a Personal Documents Service to add content to a user's Kindle which only worked via email. Documents were sent directly to the Kindle via WhisperSync. Later expansions added cloud library features and content management.[22] The modern service is called Send to Kindle and is available through various means such as email, website, app, or browser extension. It allows the user to send files such as EPUB, PDF, HTML pages, Microsoft Word documents, GIF, PNG, and BMP graphics directly to the user's Kindle library.[23] When Amazon receives the file, it converts the file to Kindle File Format and stores it in the user's online library (called "Your Content" by Amazon). Content added via Send to Kindle is added to the user library as Personal Documents by default, but some Send to Kindle interfaces allow users to send a document to a specific device and skip adding it to the library. The Send to Kindle service's personal documents can be accessed by all Kindle hardware devices as well as iOS and Android devices using the Kindle app.[24]

Until August 2022, in addition to the document types mentioned above, this service could be used to send unprotected and original version only .mobi/.azw files to a user's Kindle library.[25]

Sending the file is free if downloaded using Wi-Fi, but, prior to 2021,[26] cost $0.15 per MB when using Kindle's former 3G service.[27]

Format support by device

edit

The first Kindle could read unprotected Mobipocket files (MOBI, PRC), plain text files (TXT), Topaz format books (TPZ) and Amazon's AZW format.

The Kindle 2 added native PDF capability with the version 2.3 firmware upgrade.[28] The Kindle 1 could not read PDF files, but Amazon provides experimental conversion to the native AZW format,[29] with the caveat that not all PDFs may format correctly.[30] The Kindle 2 added the ability to play the Audible Enhanced (AAX) format. The Kindle 2 can also display HTML files.

The fourth and later generation Kindles, Touch, Paperwhite (all generations), Voyage and Oasis (all generations) can display AZW, AZW3, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, and PRC files natively. HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP are usable through Amazon's conversion service. The Keyboard, Touch, Oasis 2 & 3, Kindle 8 & 9, and Paperwhite 4 can also play Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX). The Kindle (7, 8 & 9), Kindle Paperwhite (2, 3, 4 & 5), Voyage and Oasis (1, 2 & 3) can display KFX files natively. KFX is Amazon's successor to the AZW3 format.

Kindles cannot natively display EPUB files. However, at least two methods allow viewing the content of EPUB formatted content on Kindles:

  1. Specialized software like Calibre allows EPUB or some other unsupported files to be converted to one of the supported file formats.[31]
  2. Kindles can be jailbroken to allow third-party software, such as KOReader which does support EPUB, to be installed.[32]

In late April 2022, Amazon announced that Send to Kindle will support EPUB, beginning in late 2022.[33]

Multiple devices and organization

edit

An e-book may be downloaded from Amazon to several devices at the same time, as long as the devices are registered to the same Amazon account. A sharing limit typically ranges from one to six devices, depending on an undisclosed number of licenses set by the publisher. When a limit is reached, the user must remove the e-book from some device[34] or unregister a device containing the e-book[35] in order to add the e-book to another device.

The original Kindle and Kindle 2 did not allow the user to organize books into folders. The user could only select what type of content to display on the home screen and whether to organize by author, title, or download date. Kindle software version 2.5 allowed for the organization of books into "Collections" which behave like non-structured tags/labels: a collection cannot include other collections, and one book may be added to multiple collections. These collections are normally set and organized on the Kindle itself, one book at a time. The set of all collections of a first Kindle device can be imported to a second Kindle device that is connected to the cloud and is registered to the same user; as the result of this operation, the documents that are on the second device now become organized according to the first device's collections. There is no option to organize by series or series order, as the AZW format does not possess the necessary metadata fields.

X-Ray

edit

X-Ray is a reference tool that is incorporated in Kindle Touch and later devices, the Fire tablets, the Kindle app for mobile platforms and Fire TV. X-Ray lets users explore in more depth the contents of a book, by accessing preloaded files with relevant information, such as the most common characters, locations, themes, or ideas.[36]

Annotations

edit

Users can bookmark, highlight, and search through content. Pages can be bookmarked for reference, and notes can be added to relevant content. While a book is open on the display, menu options allow users to search for synonyms and definitions from the built-in dictionary. The device also remembers the last page read for each book. Pages can be saved as a "clipping", or a text file containing the text of the currently displayed page. All clippings are appended to a single file, which can be downloaded over a USB cable.[37] Due to the TXT format of the clippings file, all formatting (such as bold, italics, bigger fonts for headlines, etc.) is stripped off the original text.

Textbook rentals

edit

On July 18, 2011, Amazon began a program that allows college students to rent Kindle textbooks from three different publishers for a fixed period of time.[38]

Collection of users reading data

edit

Kindle devices may report information about their users' reading data that includes the last page read, how long each e-book was opened, annotations, bookmarks, notes, highlights, or similar markings to Amazon.[39] The Kindle stores this information on all Amazon e-books but it is unclear if this data is stored for non-Amazon e-books.[40] There is a lack of e-reader data privacy — Amazon knows the user's identity, what the user is reading, whether the user has finished the book, what page the user is on, how long the user has spent on each page, and which passages the user may have highlighted.[41]

Kindle ecosystem

edit

Kindle Store

edit
 
The New Yorker subscribed on a "Kindle Keyboard"

Content from Amazon's Kindle Store is encoded in Amazon's proprietary Kindle formats (.azw, .kf8 and .kfx). In addition to published content, Kindle users can also access the Internet using the experimental web browser, which uses NetFront.[42][43] Users can use the Kindle Store to access reading material using the Kindle itself or through a web browser to access content.[4] The store features Kindle Unlimited for unlimited access to over one million e-books for a monthly fee.[44]

Content for the Kindle can be purchased online and downloaded wirelessly in some countries, using either standard Wi-Fi or Amazon's 3G Whispernet network.[45] Whispernet is accessible without any monthly fees or a subscription,[46] although fees can be incurred for the delivery of periodicals and other content when roaming internationally beyond the customer's home country. Through a service called Whispersync, customers can synchronize reading progress, bookmarks, and other information across Kindle hardware and other mobile devices.[47][48] The Kindles that only can access Whispernet via the 3G network had that network turned off in December 2021 due to the carriers retiring 3G.[49]

For U.S. customers traveling abroad, Amazon originally charged a $1.99 fee to download e-books over 3G while overseas, but later removed the fee. Fees remain for wireless 3G delivery of periodical subscriptions and personal documents, while Wi-Fi delivery has no extra charge.[50]

In addition to the Kindle Store, content for the Kindle can be purchased from various independent sources such as Fictionwise and Baen Ebooks. Public domain titles are also obtainable for the Kindle via content providers such as Project Gutenberg, The Internet Archive and the World Public Library. In 2011, the Kindle Store had more than twice as much paid content as its nearest competitor, Barnes & Noble.[51]

Public libraries that offer books via OverDrive, Inc. can also choose to lend titles for the Kindle and Kindle reading apps in the US via Libby.[52] Books can be checked out from the library's own site, which forwards to Amazon for the completion of the checkout process. The Libby app stores user account and library details during set up and can send content to the users Amazon account at the time of checkout. Amazon then delivers the title to the Kindle for the duration of the loan, though some titles may require transfer via a USB connection to a computer. If the book is later checked out again or purchased, annotations and bookmarks are preserved.[53]

Kindle applications for reading on other devices

edit

Amazon released the Kindle for PC application in late 2009, available for Microsoft Windows systems.[54] This application allows ebooks from Amazon's store or personal ebooks to be read on a personal computer, with no Kindle device required.[55] Amazon released a Kindle for Mac app for Apple Macintosh & OS X systems in early 2010.[56] In June 2010, Amazon released the Amazon Kindle for Android. Soon after the Android release, versions for the Apple iOS (iPhone and iPad) and BlackBerry OS phones were available.[57] In January 2011, Amazon released Kindle for Windows Phone.[58] In July 2011, Kindle for HP TouchPad (running webOS) was released in the U.S. as a beta version.[59] In August 2011, Amazon released an HTML5-based webapp for supported web browsers called Kindle Cloud Reader.[60] In 2013, Amazon has expressed no interest in releasing a separate Kindle application for Linux systems; the Cloud Reader can be used on supported browsers in Linux.[61]

On April 17, 2014, Samsung announced it would discontinue its own e-book store effective July 1, 2014 and it partnered with Amazon to create the Kindle for Samsung app optimized for display on Samsung Galaxy devices. The app uses Amazon's e-book store and it includes a monthly limited selection of free e-books.[62]

In June 2016, Amazon released the Page Flip feature to its Kindle applications that debuted on its e-readers a few years previously.[63] This feature allows the user to flip through nine thumbnails of page images at a time.

Kindle Direct Publishing

edit

Concurrently with the release of the first Kindle device, Amazon launched Kindle Direct Publishing, used by authors and publishers to independently publish their books directly to Kindle and Kindle Apps worldwide.[64] Authors can upload documents in several formats for delivery via Whispernet and charge between $0.99 and $200.00 per download.[64]

In a December 5, 2009 interview with The New York Times, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed that Amazon keeps 65% of the revenue from all e-book sales for the Kindle;[65] the remaining 35% is split between the book author and publisher. After numerous commentators observed that Apple's popular App Store offers 70% of royalties to the publisher, Amazon began a program that offers 70% royalties to Kindle publishers who agree to certain conditions.[66] Some of these conditions, such as the inability to opt out of the lendability feature, have caused some controversy.[67]

Kindle Development Kit

edit

On January 21, 2010, Amazon announced the release of its Kindle Development Kit (KDK).[68] KDK aims to allow developers to build "active content" for the Kindle, and a beta version was announced with a February 2010 release date. A number of companies have already experimented with delivering active content through the Kindle's bundled browser, and the KDK gives sample code, documentation and a Kindle Simulator together with a new revenue sharing model for developers.[69] The KDK is based on the Java programming language's Personal Basis Profile packaged Java APIs.

As of May 2014, the Kindle store offered over 400 items labeled as active content.[70] These items include simple applications and games, including a free set provided by Amazon Digital Services.[71] As of 2014, active content is only available to users with a U.S. billing address.

In October 2014, Amazon announced that the Voyage and future e-readers would not support active content because most users prefer to use apps on their smartphones and tablets, but the Paperwhite first-iteration and earlier Kindles would continue to support active content.[72]

Reception

edit

Sales

edit

Specific Kindle device sales numbers are not released by Amazon; however, according to anonymous inside sources, over three million Kindles had been sold as of December 2009,[73] while external estimates, as of Q4-2009, place the number at about 1.5 million.[74] According to James McQuivey of Forrester Research, estimates are ranging around four million, as of mid-2010.[75]

In 2010, Amazon remained the undisputed leader in the e-reader category, accounting for 59% of e-readers shipped, and it gained 14 percentage points in share.[76] According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) study from March 2011, sales for all e-book readers worldwide reached 12.8 million in 2010; 48% of them were Kindles.[77] In the last three months of 2010, Amazon announced that in the United States its e-book sales had surpassed sales of paperback books for the first time.[78]

In January 2011, Amazon announced that digital books were outselling their traditional print counterparts for the first time ever on its site, with an average of 115 Kindle editions being sold for every 100 paperback editions.[79] In December 2011, Amazon announced that customers had purchased "well over" one million Kindles per week since the end of November 2011; this includes all available Kindle models and also the Kindle Fire tablet.[80] IDC estimated that the Kindle Fire sold about 4.7 million units during the fourth quarter of 2011.[81] Pacific Crest estimated that the Kindle Fire models sold six million units during Q4 2012.[82]

Morgan Stanley estimates that Amazon sold $3.57 billion worth of Kindle e-readers and tablets in 2012, $4.5 billion in Kindle device sales in 2013 and $5 billion in Kindle device sales in 2014.[83]

Amazon claims that their sales had reached a decade-long high before the announcement of the 2024 models.[84]

Aftermarket

edit

Working Kindles in good condition can be sold, traded, donated or recycled in the aftermarket. Due to some Kindle devices being limited to use as reading device and the hassle of reselling Kindles, some people choose to donate their Kindle to schools, developing countries, literacy organizations, or charities.[85] "The Kindle Classroom Project" promotes reading by distributing donated Kindles to schools in need.[86] Worldreader and "Develop Africa" ships donated e-readers to schools in developing countries in Africa for educational use.[87][88] "Project Hart" may take donations of e-readers that could be given to people in need.[89]

Whether in good condition or not, Kindles should not be disposed of in normal waste due to the device's electronic ink components and batteries. Instead, Kindles at the end of their useful life should be recycled. In the United States, Amazon runs their own program, 'Take Back', which allows owners to print out a prepaid shipping label, which can be used to return the device for disposal.[90]

Criticism

edit

Removal of Nineteen Eighty-Four

edit

On July 17, 2009, Amazon withdrew from sale two e-books by George Orwell, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, refunding the purchase price to those who had bought them, and remotely deleted these titles from purchasers' devices without warning using a backdoor after discovering that the publisher lacked rights to publish these books. The two books were protected by copyright in the United States, but they were in the public domain in Canada, Australia and other countries.[91] Notes and annotations for the books made by users on their devices were left in a separate file but "rendered useless" without the content to which they were directly linked.[91][92] The move prompted outcry and comparisons to Nineteen Eighty-Four itself: in the novel, books, magazines, and newspapers in public archives that contradict the ruling party are either edited long after being published or destroyed outright; the removed materials go "down the memory hole", the nickname for an incinerator chute used in 1984.[93] Customers and commentators noted the resemblance to the censorship in the novel, and described Amazon's action in Orwellian terms. Ars Technica argued that the deletion violated the Kindle's terms of service, which stated in part:[94]

Upon your payment of the applicable fees set by Amazon, Amazon grants you the non-exclusive right to keep a permanent copy of the applicable Digital Content and to view, use and display such Digital Content an unlimited number of times, solely on the Device or as authorized by Amazon as part of the Service and solely for your personal, non-commercial use.

Company response

edit

Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener said that the company is "changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers' devices in these circumstances."[95] On July 23, 2009, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos posted on Amazon's official Kindle forum an apology about the company's handling of the matter. Bezos said the action was "stupid", and that the executives at Amazon "deserve the criticism received".[96]

Aftermath

edit

On July 30, 2009, Justin Gawronski, a US high school senior, and Antoine Bruguier, a US engineer, filed suit against Amazon in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Bruguier argued that Amazon had violated its terms of service by remotely deleting the copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four he purchased, in the process preventing him from accessing annotations he had written. Gawronski's copy of the e-book was also deleted without his consent, and found Amazon used deceit in an email exchange. The complaint, which sought class-action status, asked for both monetary and injunctive relief.[92][97] The case was settled on September 25, 2009, with Amazon agreeing to pay $150,000 divided between the two plaintiffs, on the understanding that the law firm representing them, Kamber Edelson, "will donate its portion of that fee to a charitable organization".[98] In the settlement, Amazon also provided wider rights to Kindle owners over its e-books:

For copies of Works purchased pursuant to TOS granting "the non-exclusive right to keep a permanent copy" of each purchased Work and to "view, use and display [such Works] an unlimited number of times, solely on the [Devices]... and solely for [the purchasers'] personal, non-commercial use", Amazon will not remotely delete or modify such Works from Devices purchased and being used in the U.S. unless (a) the user consents to such deletion or modification; (b) the user requests a refund for the work or otherwise fails to pay for the work (e.g., if a credit card issuer declines payment); (c) a judicial or regulatory order requires such deletion or modification; or (d) deletion or modification is reasonably necessary to protect the consumer, the operation of a device or network used for communication (e.g., to remove harmful code embedded within an e-book on a device).[99]

On September 4, 2009, Amazon offered all affected users a choice of restoring of the deleted e-books or receiving an Amazon gift certificate or check for US$30.[100]

Other incidents

edit

In December 2010, Amazon removed three e-books written by Selena Kitt, along with works by several other self-published erotic fiction authors, for "offensive" content regarding consensual incest that violated Amazon's publishing guidelines. Kitt stated her opinion this Amazon policy was selectively applied to some books but not others that feature similar themes. For what Amazon describes as "a brief period of time", the books were unavailable for redownload by users who had already purchased them. This ability was restored after it was brought to Amazon's attention; however, no remote deletion took place.[101]

In October 2012, Amazon suspended the account of a Norwegian woman who purchased her Kindle in the United Kingdom, and the company deleted every e-book on her Kindle. Amazon claimed that she had violated their terms of service but did not specify what she had done wrong.[102] After the woman contacted the media, Amazon restored her account and her purchased e-books.[103][104][105]

Computer programmer Richard Stallman criticized the Kindle,[106][107] citing Kindle terms of service which can censor users, which require the user's identification, and that can have a negative effect on independent book distributors; he also cited reported restrictions on Kindle users, as well the ability for Amazon to delete e-books and update software without the users' permission.[108][109]

Since 2012, Amazon has sold e-books in China and later began selling the Kindle e-book readers from 2013 onwards. Amazon had also announced that it has sold several million Kindles in the country and that China became the world's biggest regional market for the Kindle in 2016. However, it was reported that Chinese consumers prefer using their smartphones over e-readers, notwithstanding competition from Tencent, Alibaba, JD.com and Douban, each with their own e-book readers or marketplaces. Domestically developed e-book readers from brands like Xiaomi, iReader and Onyx Boox also offer added competition to the Kindle.[110][111] In 2022, Amazon announced it had stopped selling its Kindles to distributors in China and stated the online bookstore service would shut down in China on June 30, 2023.[112]

On January 4, 2022, a Kindle shortage was reported on Amazon's JD.com flagship store. Only the Kindle 10 had remained available for sale while other models like the Paperwhite, Oasis and Kids Edition had become out of stock. On the same day, It was announced that Amazon had also shut its Tmall flagship store, after having already closed its Kindle flagship store on Taobao earlier in October 2021.[113] These led to speculation that Amazon was planning to exit the Chinese market altogether, although an official Amazon representative responded that they remain committed to serving Chinese consumers and they can continue to purchase the Kindle through offline and third-party online retailers.[111]

In June 2022, Amazon announced that it will shut down its Kindle bookstore in China and starting July 2023 Kindle users can no longer purchase online books in the country. However, existing customers could still download previously bought titles until June 2024.[114]

Also in June 2022, self-published authors protested against Amazon's e-book return policy; whenever an e-book return is made, royalties originally paid to the author at the time of purchase are deducted from their earnings balance, leaving authors with negative balances.[115]

Timeline of Kindle models

edit
Timeline of Kindle models
Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle Scribe (2024 release)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle ScribeAmazon Kindle devices#Kindle Oasis (third iteration)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle Oasis (second iteration)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle Oasis (first iteration)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle VoyageAmazon Kindle devices#Kindle 11 (2024 release)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle (11th generation)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle (10th generation)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle 8Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle 7Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle Colorsoft Signature EditionAmazon Kindle devices#Kindle Paperwhite (sixth iteration)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle Paperwhite (fifth iteration)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle Paperwhite (fourth iteration)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle Paperwhite (third iteration)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle Paperwhite (second iteration)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle Paperwhite (first iteration)Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle TouchAmazon Kindle devices#Kindle 5Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle 4Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle KeyboardAmazon Kindle devices#Kindle DX GraphiteAmazon Kindle devices#Kindle DX GraphiteAmazon Kindle devices#Kindle DXAmazon Kindle devices#Kindle 2Amazon Kindle devices#Kindle

Disclaimer: The discontinuation dates may not be precise.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Source Code Notice Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Amazon.com, Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  2. ^ "Amazon.com Help Kindle E-Reader Software Updates". Amazon. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  3. ^ Dudley, Brier (November 19, 2007). "Kindle hacking, iPod parallels and a chat with the Kindle director". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 21, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  4. ^ a b Kindle Store: Kindle eBooks Archived December 27, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  5. ^ Inside the secret lab where Amazon is designing the future of reading Archived September 22, 2017, at the Wayback Machine The Verge, 2014
  6. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary: kindle". Archived from the original on October 7, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  7. ^ Friedman, Nancy (December 9, 2008). "How the Kindle got its name". nancyfriedman.typepad.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  8. ^ Perez, Sarah (May 18, 2010). "Kindle for Android Is Coming". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  9. ^ Kindle Cloud Reader Amazon.com.
  10. ^ "E-ink-Reader. Battery Types of e-readers". Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  11. ^ NiLuJe (June 26, 2022), KindleTool, github.com, archived from the original on July 5, 2022, retrieved July 5, 2022
  12. ^ Kozlowski, Michael (November 16, 2021). "Kindle Paperwhite 11th generation vs Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition". GoodEReader. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  13. ^ "Amazon.com: All-new Kindle (2022 release) – The lightest and most compact Kindle, now with a 6" 300 ppi high-resolution display, and 2x the storage – Black: Everything Else". www.amazon.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  14. ^ "Introducing the All-New Kindle and Kindle Kids: Now with 300 ppi High-Resolution Display, USB-C Charging, and 2X Storage". www.businesswire.com. September 13, 2022. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  15. ^ "goodereader.com: Hands on Review of the Amazon Kindle Scribe". www.goodereader.com. November 30, 2022. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  16. ^ Nash, Noah (November 19, 2023). "How to Jailbreak the Kindle Scribe Using the LanguageBreak Exploit". Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  17. ^ "Accessing Basic Web". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on November 22, 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2007.
  18. ^ "Using Wireless Outside the United States". Amazon. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  19. ^ "Kindle Software Updates". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
  20. ^ Amazon.com Help: Fire & Kindle Software Updates Archived April 3, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Amazon.com Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  21. ^ Oracle Gave Amazon a Discount on Java to Keep Android Off the Paperwhite – Wait, What? Archived May 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine The Digital Reader May 19, 2016
  22. ^ "Managing Personal Documents on the Kindle". dearauthor.com. October 16, 2011. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  23. ^ "Send to Kindle". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  24. ^ "Help: Kindle Personal Documents Service". Amazon. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  25. ^ Michael Cavacini (May 4, 2022). "Amazon Kindle Will Support EPUB Books, Abandoning MOBI Format". michaelcavacini.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  26. ^ "2G and 3G E-Reader Network Support FAQ". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  27. ^ "Reading Personal Documents on your Kindle". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2007.
  28. ^ "Amazon Extends Battery Life of Newest Kindle by 85 Percent and Adds Native PDF Reader". News Release. Amazon. Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  29. ^ "Reading Personal Documents on Your Kindle". Amazon.com. 2007. pp. "How to Use Your Kindle" section. Archived from the original on November 22, 2007. Retrieved November 23, 2007.
  30. ^ Amazon (2009). "Amazon.com: Kindle 2: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation): Kindle Store". Amazon. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
  31. ^ Sorrel, Charlie. "How To Strip DRM from Kindle E-Books and Others". Wired.com. Archived from the original on March 16, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  32. ^ Wang, Ada. "How to Read EPUB on Kindle Paperwhite". Epubor.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  33. ^ Kozlowski, Michael (April 30, 2022). "The Amazon Kindle will support EPUB in late 2022". Good E Reader. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  34. ^ "Help: Organizing Your Kindle Content on". Amazon. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  35. ^ "Help: Managing Your Kindle on". Amazon. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  36. ^ Butler, Kenneth (September 28, 2011). "Video: Amazon Kindle Touch's X-Ray Reference Tool Makes eReading Easier". laptopmag.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  37. ^ "Kindle User Guide" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 6, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2009.
  38. ^ Larry Dignan, ZDNet. "Amazon launches Kindle textbook rentals ." July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  39. ^ "Amazon Kindle Terms of Use". Amazon.com. September 6, 2012. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  40. ^ Cohn, Cindy (November 29, 2012). "2010: E-Book Buyer's Guide to E-Book Privacy". Electronic Frontier Foundation. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2013. Stores last page read and may store annotations, highlights, markings, etc.
  41. ^ The Fifty Shades of Grey Paradox Archived March 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Slate. Feb 13, 2015.
  42. ^ "Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology: Kindle Store". Amazon. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  43. ^ "NetFront Browser Gives Amazon Kindle Customers On-Device Access to Information-Rich Websites like Wikipedia.org". Archived from the original on July 18, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
  44. ^ Amazon.com: Kindle Unlimited: Kindle Store Archived January 25, 2022, at the Wayback Machine search results, retrieved 29 May 2016
  45. ^ "Kindle Wireless Reading Device – 2nd Generation". Amazon. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  46. ^ "What is the Amazon Whispernet wireless feature and how does it work?". Amazon. Archived from the original on November 22, 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
  47. ^ "Kindle for iPhone home page". Amazon. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
  48. ^ Kafka, Peter. "That Was Fast: Kindle, Meet the iPhone". Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
  49. ^ Campbell, Ian Carlos (July 28, 2021). "Amazon's older Kindles will start to lose their internet access in December". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  50. ^ "Traveling with Your Kindle". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  51. ^ King, Sammy. "Survey of Kindle, Nook, iPad, Sony and OverDrive eBook Store Collection Size". eBookReaderGuide.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
  52. ^ url=https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/switchtolibby
  53. ^ "Amazon.com: Public Library Books for Kindle". Amazon. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  54. ^ Slattery, Brennon (November 10, 2009). "Kindle for PC Released, Color Kindle Coming Soon?". PC World. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  55. ^ Cheng, Jacqui (November 10, 2009), "Kindle for PC adds flexibility, but not a whole lot more", Ars Technica, archived from the original on May 8, 2012, retrieved June 14, 2017
  56. ^ Miller, Ross (March 18, 2010). "Kindle for Mac now finally available". Engadget. AOL. Archived from the original on June 3, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  57. ^ Bilton, Nick (June 28, 2010). "Amazon Releases Kindle App for Android Phones". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  58. ^ "Amazon release Kindle for Windows Phone 7". PC in pact. November 11, 2019.
  59. ^ "Now you can curl up with a good book (or two, or three, or 950,000) on your TouchPad". Palm. July 18, 2011. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  60. ^ "Amazon's Answer To Apple's Terms: A Web-Based Kindle Cloud Reader – Brilliant On PC, Better On iPad". TechCrunch. August 9, 2011. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  61. ^ "Kindle Cloud Reader Opens Up Options for Linux and iPad Users". Ostatic.com. 2013. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  62. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (April 17, 2014). "Samsung and Amazon Team Up For Custom Galaxy Kindle E-Book App". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  63. ^ "Amazon 'Page Flip' Lets You Easily Skim Through Ebooks". Archived from the original on July 15, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  64. ^ a b Munarriz, Rick Aristotle (November 27, 2007). "Why Kindle Will Change the World". Motley Fool. Archived from the original on November 29, 2007. Retrieved November 27, 2007.
  65. ^ Solomon, Deborah (December 6, 2009). "Questions for Jeffrey P. Bezos: Book Learning". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  66. ^ Henry Blodget (January 20, 2010). "Amazon Fires Missile At Book Industry, Launches 70 percent Kindle Royalty Option". Businessinsider.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  67. ^ Blue, Violet (2012). "Piracy witch hunt downs legit e-book lending Web site". Cnet. Archived from the original on August 10, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  68. ^ "Amazon Announces Kindle Development Kit—Software Developers Can Now Build Active Content for Kindle". Amazon.com. January 21, 2010. Archived from the original on October 4, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  69. ^ Johnson, Alex (January 26, 2010). "Amazon to launch app store for Kindle e-reader". International Business Times. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  70. ^ "Products tagged with kindle active content". Amazon. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  71. ^ "Amazon.com: Amazon Digital Services: Kindle Store". Amazon. May 2012. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  72. ^ Amazon Drops Support for Kindle Active Content From the Kindle Voyage Archived May 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine The Digital Reader, October 27, 2014.
  73. ^ Arrington, Michael (January 29, 2010). "3 Million Amazon Kindles Sold, Apparently". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
  74. ^ Radcliffe, Mitch (December 26, 2009). "Updating Kindles sold estimate: 1.49 million". ZDNet. Archived from the original on January 1, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
  75. ^ Wilhelm, Alex (July 29, 2010). "How Many Kindles Have Been Sold?". The Next Web. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  76. ^ Mark Walsh, mediapost.com. "Kindle, Nook Gain In E-Reader Race Archived April 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." March 29, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  77. ^ Nearly 18 Million Media Tablets Shipped in 2010 with Apple Capturing 83 percent Share; eReader Shipments Quadrupled to More Than 12 Million. Archived November 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Press release by IDC, 10. March 2011.
  78. ^ "Amazon Kindle e-book downloads outsell paperbacks". BBC News. January 28, 2011. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  79. ^ "Amazon Kindle Book Sales Soar". January 27, 2011. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  80. ^ Alistair Barr: Amazon touts 'one million per week' Kindle sales. Archived January 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine 19. December 2011.
  81. ^ Thomas Claburn (April 7, 2012). "iPad Mini: 6 Reasons Apple Must Do It". InformationWeek. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  82. ^ Jay Yarow (December 19, 2012). "Amazon Kindle Fire Sales Estimates". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  83. ^ "How Big Is Amazon's Kindle Business? Morgan Stanley Takes a Crack – Jason Del Rey – Commerce". AllThingsD. August 12, 2013. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  84. ^ "Amazon unveils new Kindle devices after sales hit decade high". October 16, 2024.
  85. ^ "How to sell or get rid of your old gadgets". CNN. December 26, 2012. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  86. ^ "The Kindle Classroom Project". September 3, 2013. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
  87. ^ "Worldreader – Empower the World to Read, Give Reading". Worldreader. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  88. ^ "Develop Africa". Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
  89. ^ Project Hart Archived April 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  90. ^ "Take Back". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  91. ^ a b Stone, Brad (July 18, 2009). "Amazon Erases Orwell Books From Kindle". The New York Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved February 24, 2017. While the copyright on "1984" will not expire until 2044 in the United States, it has already expired in other countries, including Canada, Australia and Russia. Web sites in those countries offer digital copies of the book free to all comers.
  92. ^ a b "Plaintiff's Complaint in Justin GAWRONSKI and A. BRUGUIER v. Amazon.com, Inc" (PDF). PR News Channel. July 30, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 10, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  93. ^ Orwell, George, "Part One, Chapter 4", 1984
  94. ^ "Why Amazon went Big Brother on some Kindle e-books". Ars Technica. July 17, 2009. Archived from the original on July 20, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
  95. ^ Fried, Ina (July 17, 2009). "Amazon says it won't repeat Kindle book recall – CNet News". News.cnet.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  96. ^ "Amazon Chief Says Erasing Orwell Books Was 'Stupid'" Archived July 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, July 23, 2009
  97. ^ Fowler, Geoffrey A. (July 30, 2009). "Lawsuit: Amazon Ate My Homework". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  98. ^ "Amazon settles lawsuit over deleted Kindle copy of '1984'". Tech flash. September 30, 2009. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  99. ^ "KindleCase1" (PDF), The Business Journals, American City Business Journals, archived from the original (PDF) on May 19, 2016
  100. ^ "Amazon.com Offers to Replace Copies of Orwell Book". The New York Times. September 4, 2009. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  101. ^ "Amazon's latest Kindle deletion", Ars Technica, December 15, 2010, archived from the original on May 3, 2012, retrieved June 14, 2017
  102. ^ "Remote Wipe of Customer's Kindle Highlights Perils of DRM", Wired, October 22, 2012, archived from the original on March 14, 2014, retrieved March 5, 2017
  103. ^ "How Amazon Can Make Your Kindle Content Vanish – And Not Give You A Reason Why", Forbes, October 22, 2012, archived from the original on February 11, 2018, retrieved August 24, 2017
  104. ^ "Amazon wipes customer's Kindle and deletes account with no explanation", The Guardian, UK, October 22, 2012, archived from the original on January 4, 2017, retrieved December 13, 2016
  105. ^ "You don't own your Kindle books, Amazon reminds customer", NBC News, October 24, 2012, archived from the original on October 6, 2014, retrieved October 4, 2014
  106. ^ James Maguire (March 31, 2008). "Richard Stallman, Live and Unplugged". Datamation. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  107. ^ "Hacktivist Richard Stallman takes on proprietary software, SaaS and open source". Gigaom. August 6, 2013. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  108. ^ Phil Johnson (June 11, 2015). "Don't call it Linux! And other things that tick off Richard Stallman". IT World. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  109. ^ Diksha P Gupta (March 19, 2012). "An Interview with Richard Stallman on Freedom, Android, Amazon, Facebook, Steve Jobs…". Open Source For U. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  110. ^ Kozlowski, Michael (August 14, 2018). "Amazon sold several million Kindle e-readers in China". Good e-Reader. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  111. ^ a b "A Kindle shortage is fueling the theory that Amazon is leaving China". KrASIA. January 4, 2022. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  112. ^ "Amazon's Kindle to end its China e-book service next year". South China Morning Post. June 2, 2022. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  113. ^ "Amazon Kindle closes shop on Tmall as some question its future in China". South China Morning Post. January 4, 2022. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  114. ^ Michelle Toh (June 3, 2022). "Amazon is closing its Kindle store in China". CNN. Archived from the original on June 12, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  115. ^ Deanna Schwartz (June 27, 2022). "Authors are protesting Amazon's e-book policy that allows users to read and return". NPR. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
edit