Amazon Kindle may not have all the bells and whistles but its size and readability make it just as useful today as it was two years ago when it was introduced.
Even though it has taken a back seat to its sibling, the Fire, Amazon's Kindle works quite nicely. It was Amazon's quick answer to the iPad which debuted about three years ago and it was a nice, small unit with limitations. Early Kindles were not equipped with any networking features which meant you had to login to Amazon or another source and download information. They were touchscreen-based, and still are and they presented only black-and-white images and text.
I have had a chance to take a look at the basic Kindle and I have found some improvement in the unit. It is, as noted, still limited to black and white text or video reproduction. However, I found that the basic Kindle is equipped with WiFi capability. It is relatively easy to set up for your router's security program. About the only security protocol it does not recognize is 802.11X networking and it does not support peer-to-peer or ad hoc networks (very few devices actually support this type of networking). I found that it does support public WiFi hotspots so it does make using the Kindle convenient. For more advanced Kindle models there are even the 3G wireless global access, so no need for wireless set up or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots.
Some user may like things that can fit in a pocket or can easily be tucked away in a jacket and the 6.5 by 4.3 by.75 inch Kindle handles that task nicely. It is thin and just a tad larger than a standard pocket-sized book so it is easy to tuck anywhere. Because of upgrades to Amazon's cloud drive capability, your Kindle is automatically backed up in the background and if you have a problem, such as your battery running down, the WiFi ability allows you to quickly update your Kindle to the point where you left off.
Kindle supports PDF file downloads so you can easily read PDF attachments, however, if you are to receive a DOC, DOCX, TXT, HTML or an Amazon AZW file, the Kindle will handle it, also. I found this to be a nice feature as I had to look at several DOCX documents. They are the newer format created by the upgraded Word program, as well as by Open Office, the Oracle office suite. As for graphics, I was able to easily download JPEG, GIF, PNG files. BMP files need to be converted for use. Kindle has also upgraded its display with a new formulation for its E-ink display technology that makes blacks richer and increases contrast so that the Kindle is more visible in bright sunlight. A nice text feature that I noticed is its ability to adjust text to up to eight sizes for easier reading (unfortunately, it's true that as you age, you do need larger type and Kindle obliges).
The Kindle is easy to use. It also has several apps written that allow you to share it content with iPhones, iPads, Android-based devices, BlackBerrys, PCs and Windows devices, so you can expand your horizons a bit. As for data exchange, the Kindle supports USB 2.0 (the mini-sized connector) and if you have the correct adapter cable you can quickly update your Kindle through your PC. The same cable serves double-duty as a quick-charger for the Kindle, if you do not have the power adapter.
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