Amazon Kindle

The Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon.com. Amazon Kindle devices enable users to browse, buy, download and read e-books, newspapers, magazines and other digital media via wireless networking to the Kindle Store. The hardware platform, developed by Amazon subsidiary Lab126, began as a single device and now comprises a range of devices, including e-readers with E Ink electronic paper displays, and Android-based tablets with color LCD screens. All Kindle devices integrate with the Kindle Store to get content and as of November 2015, the Kindle Store has over four million e-books available in the US.

Naming and evolution

The Kindle name was devised by branding consultants Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma. Lab 126 tasked them to name the product, so Cronan and Hibma suggested Kindle, meaning to light a fire. They felt this was an apt metaphor for reading and intellectual excitement.

Kindle hardware has evolved from the original Kindle introduced in 2007 and the Kindle DX (with its larger screen) introduced in 2009. The range includes devices with a keyboard (Kindle Keyboard), devices with touch-sensitive high resolution and contrast screens (Kindle Paperwhite), a tablet with the Kindle app (Kindle Fire), and a low-priced model with touch-sensitive screen (Kindle).