By launching Kindle in 2007, Amazon has at the same time established for good the ebooks' market. Kindle ebook reader is the most sold product in the world within this category. If the idea came from Jeff Bezos himself, the implementation of the project was made possible by a number of innovations between 1970 and 2000. Since then, Kindle has had three successful versions.
How was Kindle born? First of all, Kindle was simple idea, made possible by the creation of the ebook, of electronic ink and by the emergence of electronic readers. Jeff Bezos, Amazon's CEO made the connection between his personal and professional interest for books and the fact that the book was the last bastion which hadn't been switched to digital. Kindle's starting point lies in this issue and in a strong personal conviction.
But the Kindle project was only possible because other players have made the concept feasible. First, there is the invention of the ebook as a scanned file. The first file of this type was produced by Michael Hart for the Gutenberg Project. It was a scan of the Declaration of Independence and this is considered the moment electronic ink readers were born. The electronic ink has been studied since the 70s by Xerox, and the company E-Ink was founded in 1997, thus marking another turning point for the reading field.
Kindle's first version is available for sale for on November 19, 2007 and it is priced at 399 dollar. The success is huge ever since its launch and the entire stock is up in less than five hours. The success was ensured by the outset by a few things that other competing products do not have: free 3G, greater speed, the ability to access the Kindle store directly from the device, a comprehensive catalog. Indeed the first Kindle catalog included over 88.000 titles and the number will reach 500.000 in 2010 and is currently getting close go the million.
Besides increasing the number of titles available in store, each version came with more modern and rounder design, a lighter, more refined and faster device and a longer lasting battery. The third version is now equipped with the new Pearl screen. The highlight of the drive is not only its performance but also its price. Wi-fi version (no 3G) of the new device was put on sales at a highly competitive price making sales explode.
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