Kindle Keyboard 3G with Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display, 3G works globally

Kindle Keyboard at a Glance

Most Advanced E Ink Display
Kindle Keyboard's high-contrast E Ink display delivers clear, crisp text and images.

Read in Bright Sunlight
Kindle Keyboard's screen reads like real paper, with no glare. Read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room.

Lighter Than a Paperback
At only 8.7 ounces and 1/3 of an inch thin, Kindle Keyboard is lighter than a paperback and thinner than a magazine.

Holds 3,500 Books
Carry up to 3,500 books--keep your library with you wherever you go.

Two Month Battery Life
A single charge lasts up to two months with wireless off based upon a half-hour of daily reading time.

Free 3G Wireless
No annual contracts, no monthly fees. Download books anytime, anywhere. Learn more.

Global 3G Coverage
Travel the globe and still get books in under 60 seconds with wireless coverage in over 100 countries and territories. Check wireless coverage.

Built-In Wi-Fi
Connect to Wi-Fi hotspots at home or on the road. Includes free Wi-Fi access at AT&T; hotspots across the U.S.

Quiet Page Turn Buttons
Quiet page turning means you won't disturb your partner when you want to read all night.

Share Meaningful Passages
Share meaningful passages with friends and family with built-in Twitter and Facebook integration.

Simple to Use
Kindle Keyboard is ready to use right out of the box - no setup, no software to install, no computer required.

PDF Reader
Now with new dictionary lookup, notes and highlights, and support for password protected PDFs. Easily carry all of your documents on the go.

Books in 60 Seconds
With fast, free wireless delivery, you can start reading books in less than 60 seconds. No computer required.

Massive Selection
Over one million books, including New York Times Best Sellers, plus audiobooks, periodicals and blogs. For non-U.S. customers, content availability varies.

Free, Out-of-Copyright Books
Over 2 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available such as Pride and Prejudice. Learn more

Low Book Prices
Over 800,000 books are $9.99 or less, including 79 current New York Times Best Sellers.

Free Book Samples
Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.

NEW - Public Library Books
Customers can check out a Kindle book from their local library and start reading on any Kindle or free Kindle reading app. Learn more

Kindle Book Lending
Lend eligible Kindle books to other Kindle or Kindle app users for 14 days. Learn more.

Audible Audiobooks
Over 60,000 Audible.com audiobooks read by authors, celebrities, and world-class narrators—with wireless delivery via Wi-Fi.

Real Page Numbers
We've added real page numbers that correspond to print editions so you can easily reference and cite passages.

Read Everywhere with Whispersync
Your Kindle books can be read on your Kindle, iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac, Android device, and BlackBerry. Our Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off.

Worry-Free Archive
Books you purchase from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon. Re-download books wirelessly for free, anytime.

Read-to-Me
With Text-to-Speech, Kindle can read English-language content out loud to you.

Special Offers
Receive special offers and sponsored screensavers that display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen—they don't interrupt reading. Learn more

Customer Reviews

32,768 Reviews

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2 star:		(799)
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Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (32,768 customer reviews)

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29,750 of 30,100 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kindle vs. Nook (updated 6/2/2011), August 28, 2010

Ron Cronovich "Ron" (Kenosha, WI) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Kindle Keyboard 3G, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display (Electronics)

When I wrote this review in August 2010, there was only one Nook, which is now called "Nook First Edition." It continues to be available, but there are two new Nooks. The Nook Color was introduced last fall - it's basically a tablet computer, and runs the Android software that is popular on many smartphones nowadays. It's twice as heavy and costs twice as much as a Kindle, but compared to other tablet computers, it is a very good value.

And now (early June 2011), a new e-ink based Nook is coming out. It's called the "Nook Simple Touch." It is just now starting to ship, so obviously I don't have one and can't tell you anything about it that you can't learn by reading online reviews. But the reviews are very favorable, so if you're considering a Kindle, you should take a look at the new Nook Simple Touch, too.

But the Kindle is nonetheless still a compelling option. It's a mature product, very well designed and easy to use, performance is very zippy, it's competitively priced, and no e-ink based reader has a better, more readable display than the Kindle, not even the new Nook Simple Touch. Also, the Kindle universe is quite extensive: the Kindle store is great and has many thousands of free e-books as well as good deals on most other e-books, and once purchased, you can read your Kindle books on nearly any device you own (computer, phone, tablet), not just your Kindle. And there are tons of great cases and other accessories for the Kindle.

So, while my review compares the Kindle to the older Nook, I'll leave it here because it has a ton of information about the Kindle, a great e-reader that deserves your attention, and because the original Nook continues to be available. That said, I urge you to NOT buy the original Nook. It was a respectable e-reader when it came out in 2009, and still had some value when I wrote about it in August 2010, but it is clearly inferior by today's standards.

------------ my original review --------------

If you're trying to choose between a Nook and a Kindle, perhaps I can help. My wife and I have owned a Nook (the original one), a Kindle 2, and a Kindle DX. When Amazon announced the Kindle 3 this summer, we pre-ordered two Kindle 3's: the wi-fi only model in graphite, and the wi-fi + 3G model in white. They arrived in late August and we have used them very regularly since then. For us, Kindle is better than Nook, but Nook is a good device with its own advantages that I will discuss below. I'll end this review with a few words about the Nook Color.

First, reasons why we prefer the Kindle:

* Speed

In our experience, the Kindle is very zippy compared to the Nook. Page refresh speed (the time it takes a new page to appear after you push the page-turn button) was WAY quicker on Kindle 2 than on Nook, and it's quicker yet on Kindle 3. Yet, I read a whole book on the Nook and didn't find the slower page refresh to be annoying - you get used to it, and it's not a problem.

For me, the more important speed difference concerns navigation - moving the cursor around the screen, for example to pick a book from your library, or to jump to a chapter by selecting it in the table of contents. On Kindle, you do this by pushing a 5-way rocker button, and the cursor moves very quickly. On Nook, you do this by activating the color LCD touchscreen (which normally shuts off when not in use, to conserve battery). A "virtual rocker button" appears on the screen, and you touch it to move the cursor. Unfortunately, the Nook cursor moves very sluggishly. This might not be a big deal to you, but it really got annoying to me, especially since my wife's Kindle was so quick and responsive.

In November 2010, Nook got a software upgrade that increases page refresh speed and makes navigation more responsive. I returned my Nook months ago, so I cannot tell you if the Nook's performance is now equal to the Kindle's, but Nook owners in the comments section have convinced me that the software update improves the experience of using the Nook. If performance is a big factor in your decision, visit a Best Buy and compare Kindle and Nook side by side.

* Screen contrast

You've seen Amazon's claims that the Kindle 3 e-ink has 50% better contrast than Kindle 2 or other e-ink devices. I have no way of precisely measuring the improvement in contrast, but I can tell you that the Kindle 3 display definitely has more contrast than Kindle 2 or Nook. The difference is noticeable, and important: more screen contrast means less eyestrain when reading in poorly lit rooms.

In well-lit rooms, the Nook and Kindle 2 have enough contrast to allow for comfortable reading. But I often read in low-light conditions, like in bed at night, or in a poorly lit room. In these situations, reading on Nook or Kindle 2 was a bit uncomfortable and often gave me a mild headache. When I got the Kindle 3, the extra contrast was immediately noticeable, and made it more comfortable to read under less-than-ideal lighting conditions. (If you go with a Nook, just make sure you have a good reading lamp nearby.)

* Battery life

The Nook's color LCD touch screen drains its battery quickly - I could never get more than 5 days out of a charge. The Kindle 2 had longer battery life than the Nook, and Kindle 3 has even longer life: in the 3 months since we received our Kindle 3's, we typically get 3 weeks of battery life between charges. (We keep wireless off about half the time to save battery power.)

* Weight

Nook weighs about 3 ounces more than the new Kindle, and you can really feel the difference. Without a case, Nook is still light enough to hold in one hand for long reading sessions without fatigue. But in a case, Nook is a heavy sucker. The new Kindle 3 is so light, even in a case, we find it comfortable holding in one hand for long reading sessions.

Reasons some people might prefer the Nook:

* In-store experience

If you need help with your nook, you can take it to any barnes and noble and get a real human to help. You can take your nook into the coffee shop section of your local B&N; store and read any book for free for up to one hour per day. When you take your nook to B&N;, some in-store special deals and the occasional free book pop up on your screen.

* User-replaceable battery

Rechargeable batteries eventually lose their ability to hold a charge. Nook's battery is user-replaceable and relatively inexpensive. To replace Kindle's battery, Amazon wants you to ship your Kindle to Amazon, and they will ship you back a DIFFERENT Kindle than the one you sent (it's the same model, for example if you send a white Kindle 3, you get a white Kindle 3 back, but you get a "refurbished" one, NOT the exact one you sent them). I don't like this at all.

However, several people have posted comments here that have eased my concerns. Someone looked up statistics on the Kindle's battery and did some simple calculations to show that it should last for 3 or more years. Before that happens, I will surely have upgraded to a newer Kindle model by then. Also, someone found some companies that sell Kindle batteries at reasonable cost and have how-to videos that demonstrate how we can replace the battery ourselves. Doing this would void the Kindle's warranty, but the battery will probably not fail until long after the warranty expires.

[update June 2011: The batteries in the Nook Color and Nook Simple Touch are not replaceable, but the battery in the original Nook is.]

* ePub

Nook uses the ePub format, a widely used open format. Amazon uses a proprietary ebook format. Many libraries will "lend" ebooks in the ePub format, which works with nook but not kindle. However, a free and reputable program called Calibre allows you to translate ebooks from one format to another - it supports many formats, including ePub and Kindle. The only catch is that it doesn't work with copy-protected ebooks, so you can't, for example, buy a Kindle book (which is copy protected) and translate it to ePub so you can read it on a Nook.

* Nook's color LCD touchscreen

The original Nook has a small color LCD screen on the bottom for navigation. This could be a pro or con, depending on your preferences. It makes the Nook hipper and less drab than Kindle. Some people enjoy using the color LCD to view their library or navigate. I did, at first. But after two weeks of use, and comparisons with my wife's Kindle, I found the dedicated buttons of the Kindle easier and far quicker to use than the Nook's color touchscreen. I also found the bright light from the color screen distracting when I was trying to read a book or newspaper (though when not in use, it shuts off after a minute or so to conserve battery).

* expandable capacity

Nook comes with 2GB of internal memory. If you need more capacity, you can insert a microSD card to add up to 16GB more memory. Kindle comes with 4GB of internal memory - twice as much as Nook - but there's no way to expand that. Kindle doesn't accept memory cards of any type. If you mainly use your device to read ebooks and newspapers, this shouldn't be an issue. I have over 100 books on my Kindle, and I've used only a tiny fraction of the memory. Once Kindle's memory fills up, just delete books you don't need immediate access to; you can always restore them later, in seconds, for free.

A few other notes:

Kindle and Nook have other features, such as an MP3 player and a web browser, but I caution you to have low expectations for these features. The MP3 player on the Kindle is like the... Read more ›

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2,010 of 2,048 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hesistant buyer rejoices on his choice, September 2, 2010

Mr Goodwrench (Colorado) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Kindle Keyboard, Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display (Electronics)

I researched the purchase of a Kindle for a long time. I couldn't decide whether or not it was worth buying a dedicated e-reader. Boy am I glad I made this purchase. The downside to Amazon's online selling of Kindle 3 is that the customers don't get to see it in person. It is much better in person. This may sound stupid, but when I got my new Kindle, I thought there was a stuck-on overlay on the screen containing a diagram of the unit's buttons, etc. I actually tried to peel it off. Doh! The e-ink on this unit is THAT good. I didn't realize that I was staring at the actual display. I also didn't realize that no power is required until the display changes. (thus the great battery life) I do a lot of reading, but was facing the prospect of reading less or buying large type books because of my variable and deteriorating eyesight. The new Kindle has been a godsend. Now, I can decide the size of type I need depending on my level of fatigue among other things. The weight and ergonomics are very good. For someone, like me, with neuropathy in his hands, it is extremely easy to manage and enjoyable to own. To me, it is easier to read than print books. The ease of navigation is great as is the speed. The battery life, so far, has been extraordinary. It easily connected to our home Wi-Fi, which by design does not broadcast an SSID. It downloads books so fast that I almost thought they were not completely received. I did not buy the 3G version because of the price difference and the fact that there is no coverage where I live. If you are not constantly traveling, I don't see the need to spend the extra bucks, but that is a matter of personal choice. For those who have no Wi-Fi at home, remember that you can always download the material to your computer and transfer it via USB. Just today I was watching an interview with Tony Blair on TV. He was talking about his new book, which sounded interesting. I picked up the Kindle and downloaded a free sample before the interview was over. I have only read the preface so far, but will probably buy the book. Now THAT is a great way to buy a book! I haven't used online browsing extensively yet, but find it reasonable for what the device is. This is primarily a book reader, not a laptop or notebook. They are great for what they do, but can't match the e-ink display, or the light weight. For those of you worrying about the wait for the new Kindle, let me end with, "It is worth the wait" This new Kindle is all about the quality of experience. There are many format choices for electronic reading. If you want the best experience, go with the Kindle.

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10,430 of 10,659 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Worth the money. Not perfect, but very very good for start to finish novels in good light, August 31, 2010

Jeffrey Stanley (Wichita, KS United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Kindle Keyboard, Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display (Electronics)

The Kindle is my first e-ink reader. I own an iPad, an iPhone, and have owned a Windows-based phone in the past that I used as an ereader.

My overall impression of the device is good.

The good:
I'd honestly rather read linear (read from page one to the end, one page at a time) fiction from it than a book, because I can't always get comfortable with a book. Hardcovers are sometimes a bit heavy, and paperbacks don't always lie open easily. The Kindle is incredibly light and thin. I can hold it in one hand easily. The page turn buttons are conveniently located. Page-turns aren't instant, but they're probably quicker than turning a physical page in a printed book (there are just a lot more page-turns unless you choose a small font). The contrast is better than other ereaders I've seen. There is zero eye strain in good light. My eyesight isn't the greatest and I like being able to increase the font size and read without glasses. I love being able to browse the Kindle store and read samples before deciding to purchase. The "experimental" browser is surprisingly usable, but isn't great. It is useful for browsing wikipedia and blogs. The biggest drawback to the browser is the awkward pointer navigation, using the 5-way pad. It syncs your furthest read page over the internet so you can pick up where you left off using your iPhone or iPad.

The so-so:
The kindle store could use more categories and sorting options. You can't sort by "top rated," and there is no category for "alternate histories," for example. Finding a very-specific type of fiction relies on keyword searches, which don't do a great job. The wifi sometimes doesn't connect before it times-out. You rarely need the wifi, but it is annoying if you change a setting, answer "OK" to the prompt to connect, and the thing tells you it failed to connect two seconds later (the exact moment it indicates that it did finally connect, then you need to go back to update the setting again). Most settings don't require a connection, but it is a minor annoyance. Most of your time will be spent reading, and of course your books are stored on the device and a connection is not required. Part of me wishes I'd bought the 3G model, because the browser is good enough that having lifetime free 3G wireless would be worth the extra money. Magazines don't look very good and are not very easy to navigate. There is minor glare in some lighting conditions, mostly when a lamp is positioned behind the reader's head.

The bad:
The contrast is fair to poor in dim light. It is much easier to read a printed page in dim light. In good light, contrast is on par with a pulp paperback. In dim light it feels almost like reading from an old Palm Pilot (resolution is better than an old Palm, but contrast is bad in dim light). The screen is small enough that the frequency of page turns is pretty high. Even in good light, the light gray background is less pleasant than the eggshell background of a printed page. You must tell it to sync before you switch it off, if you expect the feature allowing you to pick up where you left off using other devices to work correctly. The copy protection prevents you from using the files on anything other than Kindle software or devices.

Vs iPad:
IPad is a lot better for magazines, reference materials, and illustrated materials. Kindle is worlds better for reading novels. IPad is pretty heavy, making it more difficult to hold in your hand or carry with you everywhere. Kindle is much more portable and easier to hold. IPad has some amazing children's books and magazines, which take advantage of its multimedia features. IPad is unreadable in sunlight and glare is bad in bright light. Kindle is as good as a printed page in bright light. Ipad serves as a creative tool, a computing tool, a gaming tool, and a communication tool. Kindle is only a novel machine. I don't regret buying either one of them. An iPad won't replace books, but a Kindle can, if the book is text-only.

I highly recommend this device at its new low price if you are a frequent reader of novels. I love my kindle. Just don't expect it to be more than it is. Leave the magazines and such to the tablet computers.

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	"The Kindle 3 is ingeniously designed to be everything the iPad will never be: small, light and inexpensive… Now, the Kindle is almost ridiculously lightweight; at 8.5 ounces, it’s a third the weight of the iPad. That’s a big deal for a machine that you want to hold in your hands for hours... certain facts are unassailable: that the new Kindle offers the best E Ink screen, the fastest page turns, the smallest, lightest, thinnest body and the lowest price tag of any e-reader. It’s also the most refined and comfortable." ‒ New York Times Read full article
	"Amazon's newest Kindle is the best ebook-reading device on the market. It's better than the Apple iPad, the Barnes & Noble Nook, the various Sony readers, and certainly better than any smartphone… It's still black-and-white, but really, that's for the best. The screen almost glows outdoors. In comparison to the iPad, which turns into a pretty but useless mirror in sunlight, the Kindle only gets more readable. This is a gadget that loves the beach… It's razor-thin and feels great in the hand, small and light enough to hold comfortably for as long as you care to read (unlike the 1.5-pound, 10-inch iPad)." ‒ Fast Company Read full article
	"Kindle's winning combination of noteworthy upgrades—an improved screen, better battery life, lighter weight, and lower price—vaults it to the top of the e-book reader category… The other upside to e-ink displays is that they aren't backlit, which not only is supposed to reduce eye strain but it allows you to see the screen—better, in fact—in brightly lit environments, including direct sunlight. By contrast, the iPad is hard to read outside because its LCD gets washed out in direct sunlight and the glass covering the screen is reflective and creates glare issues." ‒ CNET Read full article
	"What's clear, however, is that if you're looking for a standalone e-reader (i.e., a portable replacement for physical books), this is the go-to, standard-setting device." ‒ Engadget Read full article
	"Amazon has finally arrived at an e-reader product that not only slays its current competition, but also feels ready to meet the mainstream masses… In fact, the resulting design is actually extremely pleasing to hold: I could hold the Kindle to read for a couple of hours and not feel as if I was encumbered by the device in my hands. I can't say the same thing for the multipurpose Apple iPad: At 1.5 pounds (25 ounces), the iPad is nearly three times the weight of the new 8.7-ounce Kindle. That alone makes a strong argument in favor of a dedicated e-reader… Its solid build quality, along with its improved design, integrated store, and cross-platform transportability… all add up to a winner that shoots to the head of the pack." ‒ PC World Read full article
	"Simply put, it's the best dedicated ebook reader you can buy… Amazon has managed to increase the contrast on the Kindle in a way that sets it above the Nook, Sony Readers, or any other dedicated ebook reader we've tested… in fact given its new low price along with its massive library of ebooks and dead-simple book buying, the Kindle keeps its crown as our Editors' Choice." ‒ PC Magazine Read full article
	"Amazon treats page turns the way the NFL views 40-yard dash times—you just can't be too fast. Pages turn 20 percent faster than the previous Kindle. Simply put, the Kindle turns pages faster than I can. It's instant book gratification... The screen has a higher contrast. The latest Kindle’s screen has 50 percent better contrast than its previous E-ink screen. It shows." ‒ ZDNet Read full article
	"The streamlined, lighter body plus the new E-ink screen make it a legitimate step up from both the old version and other e-readers on the market." ‒ CrunchGear Read full article
	"Kindle 3 combines solid improvements (50% better screen contrast, compactness, faster page turns, better PDF support, WiFi, lighter weight, longer battery life) with an even sharper focus on reading and simplicity. Quite simply, the Kindle 3 is the best eReader available." ‒ iReader Review Read full article

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