Kindle is a software and hardware platform developed by Amazon.com (subsidiary Lab126) for the rendering and displaying of e-books and other digital media. Four hardware devices, colloquially and unofficially known as "Kindle", "Kindle 2", "Kindle 3", and "Kindle DX" support this platform. Kindle software applications exist for Microsoft Windows, iOS, BlackBerry, Mac OS X and Android .Amazon's first hardware device, the Kindle First Generation, was released only in the United States on November 19, 2007. The latest hardware device, the 3rd generation Kindle with 3G support for use in 100 countries and territories, was announced on July 28, 2010.
The Kindle hardware devices use an E Ink brand electronic paper display that features 16 shades of gray. It wirelessly downloads content over Amazon's Whispernet using the Sprint EVDO network in the USA. Newer Kindle 2 devices use AT&T's network and its roaming partners for international wireless access. The Kindle hardware device is used without a computer connection, and Amazon Whispernet is accessible without any monthly fee or wireless subscription.All Kindle models (except the Kindle Wi-Fi) provide free access to the Internet in the U.S. over cellular networks. The Kindle does not preserve the print edition page numbers used for creating and verifying sources, references and citations .
Through a technology called "Whispersync", customers can connect reading progress, bookmarks and other information across Kindle hardware devices and other mobile devices.
Amazon announced the Kindle DX on May 6, 2009. This device has a larger screen than its predecessors and supports simple PDF files. It also is the thinnest Kindle to date and offers an accelerometer, which enables the user to seamlessly rotate pages between landscape and portrait orientations when the Kindle DX is turned on its side. It is marketed as more suitable for displaying newspaper and textbook content.
Amazon released the Kindle for PC application free of charge, allowing users to read Kindle books on a Windows PC.Amazon later released a version for the Macintosh. Versions for mobile devices running on operating systems from Research in Motion, Apple and Google are also available free of charge.
It is known for its stop motion commercials featuring Annie Little, sporting the song "Fly Me Away" and "Stole My Heart". The slogan is "Books in 60 seconds".