Gadgets Blog » e reader

I earned my writing chops working for a small town daily newspaper from 2000–07. I saw firsthand the effect the Internet had on newspaper sales and watched as our circulation dropped month by month. I finally got out of the business in favor of a more digital, medium because I saw the writing on the wall.

When the e-reader first debuted a few years ago, I thought it was a concept that just wouldn’t take off. Anyone who has tried to read a book on a computer and felt the headache afterward may understand my feelings.

When a friend bought one and I finally got to see how it looked and worked, I have to admit, I was impressed. He had the New York Times downloaded to his e-reader every day and had several books already on it.

It was at this point when I realized that reading both newspapers and books was going to be changed forever because of this little tablet. Amazon.com recently sent out a press release explaining how its Kindle had surpassed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as its highest-selling product in the history of the company.

Tablets like the Galaxy and iPad are sure to have Kindle or other apps in the future, and the technology will only get more advanced. Soon, bookshelves of text will be converted into digital formats that will all be housed on a single server.

The iPad may hog the limelight as the most visually impressive gadget, but in the world of tablet-style computers, Apple’s creation is nowhere near the top. E-readers have been around since before Apple ever brought iPad to the market, and in that regard, Steve Jobs & Co. have some catching up to do.

The most prominent e-readers on the market come from less likely companies. Barnes & Noble has found great success with their Nook, but the most successful e-reader stands the Amazon Kindle. Now entering its third generation, the Kindle and its tie-in with Amazon’s reputation as a book distributor have made it a breakthrough product for Amazon.

The Third-Generation Kindle stands as the latest and greatest in this line of gadgets from Amazon. It boasts a number of new elements that are likely to bring even more consumers over to the Kindle brand, first and foremost being the screen. The screen for an e-reader like the Kindle suffers from slightly different demands than other electronic gadgets. The Kindle has been built with traditional books and long periods of use in mind. The e-ink technology that has been used provides a solid medium for reading. The realm of visibility is one of many features that Kindle has looked to upgrade. While a bright light will still wash the screen out, brightness is not the issue it once was.