How the Kindle Changed the E-book Market

Samples
Posted on November 4, 2019

When the Kindle was released in 2007, it was not the first e-book reader. Also, the design was a bit clunky and there were glitches in its system. However, it took over the market and changed the e-book business by being available on all devices, having an in-built wireless connection to quickly download books anywhere, having the weight and screen feel like a book, and users being able to interact with content through its keyboard and joystick.

Available on all devices

At first, Amazon developers determined that in order to dominate the market, they needed the Kindle to be available on all platforms. Though it might seem counterintuitive, Amazon knew that they did not want to limit how people read books. Therefore, they made applications for each platform out there. Of course, books can be read on the Kindle device itself. But besides this, users can read through internet browser applications on any computer, tablet, mobile phone, and so forth. This made the service ubiquitous and stand out among its competitors, who vied for a more narrow approach in order to sell more of their own products (Gewirtz, David).

In-built wireless connection

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos did not just want to release another e-book reader. He had a vision for customers to be able to download books within 60 seconds. This innovation turned out to be perhaps the most important advantage of the Kindle over other such devices. Users did not have to connect their Kindle to a computer or another tool in order to download a book. This created a revolution in how we purchase books. No messy USB wires needed or connecting to another device. The hunger of customers for the books they wanted could be instantly quelled (Pierce, David).

Weight and screen feel like a book

Kindle models have gotten progressively more comparable to books in their weight and text. The latest model, Paperwhite 10th Generation, was released in 2018 and strives to be more book-like than ever. Besides being waterproof, having tons of storage, and an updated processor, it has a 6-inch, black-and-white, 300 ppi display that also has an optional LED light in order to eliminate shadows on the screen. It is also quite thin and light so that holding it for extended periods of time is not difficult. So, in a sense, it feels like you are reading a regular paperback book with the same real-life resolution of the printed word (Goode, Lauren). Though this model of Kindle is more souped-up than the original one in 2007, this device has always been a technologically copy of the book-reading experience in the best form on the market.

Able to interact with content through its keyboard and joystick

One of the best things about the Kindle is that you can engage with the content you read. You can take notes, make bookmarks, look up definitions of words, and even have the device read to you. For studious people, the note-taking feature is especially useful. Also, for writers, being able to write a text based off of what you are reading is a fine idea and practice. Reading commonly inspires writers, so having a note-taking option at hand is appreciated. This makes the books we purchase on Kindle more valuable than physical ones.

Kindle revolutionized the e-book business world. Though other e-readers came before it, they did not have books available on all platforms, have an in-built wireless system to purchase books on the fly, the weight and visual representation of a book, and such a pleasant keyboard and joystick in which to interact with content. These factors catapulted Kindle into e-book stardom and it has not left its position as a technology giant.

Works Cited
Gewirtz, David. “Why Amazon Is the King of Innovation: Kindle’s Clout.” ZDNet, ZDNet, 24 May 2016, www.zdnet.com/article/why-amazon-is-the-king-of-innovation-kindles-clout/.
Goode, Lauren. “Our Favorite Kindle, the Paperwhite, Got Even Better.” Wired, Conde Nast, www.wired.com/review/review-kindle-paperwhite-2018/.
Pierce, David. “The Kindle Changed the Book Business. Can It Change Books?” Wired, Conde Nast, 31 Jan. 2018, www.wired.com/story/can-amazon-change-books/.

cta
Upgrade your essays with these FREE writing tools!
Get started now