Amazon.com, started out as an online bookstore. Slowly but suely it started making inroads into the technological arena with its acquisition of. Wikipedia.and its S3 service, a web services interface that can be used to store and retrieve data from anywhere on the web. Then in November of 2007 it introduced a new eBook Reader to the market, the Kindle eBook Reader, to compete against Sony's Digital Book Reader.

With the exception of the actual purchase of source materials, reading has always been a rather inexpensive past. So why would anyone want to buy a device to read that cost $300 plus from Amazon?

Critics to Amazon’s eBook reader have complained of its functionality and design. The Kindle has stood up to all these objections because it has proven its needed purpose and most of all its one sexy little gadget. One can subscribe to blogs and ad free newspapers. One can also email documents and PDF-formatted files to it. The Amazon online Kindle Store has more than 230,000 books available for wireless download, plus top newspapers, magazines and blogs. Kindle also has the New Oxford American Dictionary with over 250,000 entries and definitions.

Well for one thing take college students would be saved the ordeal of hauling their books around. Not to mention the cost savings involved . For the purchase of an eBook Reader, a student can download all the required books for a fraction of the cost and carry it in the pocket of a knap sack. By being environmentally friendly, eBook Readers help to eliminate all the clutter caused by left over newspapers and magazines. No more carrying bundles to the curb for recycling.

The Kindle sold 280,000 copies in hours. The new Kindle 2 was unveiled February 24th 2008. The Differences in the two versions are more in form than functionality. Kindle 2 has been able to imitate the look and feel of paper. Here are some of the comparison between the first and second Generation:

• Its thickness has been reduced by half. The first kindle was “19 mm” thick while Amazon Kindle 2 is only“9 mm” without any functionality loss.
• It is sleeker in appearance and much smoother to operate.
• An improved Joystick offering a five way controller option.
• Easily accessible dictionary. The dictionary words now appear at the bottom of the screen, instead of leaving current the book page.
• An enhanced E-Ink screen that uses 16 shades of gray versus 4.
• Much improved screen technology and sharper crisper text.
• A better Picture Quality as the images use more color composites and far greater gradations.
• The background of the screen has changed making it smoother.
• The pages turn 20 percent faster.
• It now has speakers for its Text To Speech Feature.
• A longer lasting Battery.
• Has more internal storage capacity with 2GB of memory versus 256 MB.
• Display: 6″ diagonal E-Ink® electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 16-level gray scale.
• Size: 8″ x 5.3″ x 0.36″.
• Weight: 10.2 ounces.
• System requirements: None, it does not require a computer.
• Storage: 2GB internal (approximately 1.4GB available for user content).
• Battery Life: Read up to 4 days with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to two weeks. On single charge.
• Charge Time: Fully charges in approximately 4 hours and supports charging from your computer via the included USB 2.0 cable.
• Connectivity: EVDO modem with fallback to 1xRTT; utilizes Amazon Whispernet to provide U.S wireless coverage via Sprint’s 3G high-speed data network.
• USB Port: USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) for connection to the Kindle power adapter or optionally to connect to a PC or Macintosh computer.
• Audio: 3.5mm stereo audio jack, rear-mounted stereo speakers.
• Content Formats Supported: Kindle (AZW), TXT, Audible (formats 4, Audible Enhanced (AAX)), MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; PDF, HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion.
• Included Accessories: Power adapter, USB 2.0 cable, rechargeable battery. Book cover sold separately.
• Documentation: Quick Start Guide (included in box) [PDF]; Kindle 2 User’s Guide (pre-installed on device) [PDF].
• Warranty and Service: 1 year limited warranty and service included. Optional 2 year Extended Warranty sold separately.

All that for $359.00.  So why don’t you just go out and get one. If you would like to read more about the Kindle or any one of the many other models visit the following link: