On Tuesday, Amazon.com unveiled two new improvements in the latest-generation Kindle: 85 percent more battery life and a native PDF reader. With the latest enhancements, Kindle users can now read e-books for seven days — even with wireless connectivity turned on — before running out of battery power. If users leave the wireless connectivity turned off, the Kindle will run for two weeks without the need to recharge.
“Kindle, already the number-one best-selling, most-wished-for, and most gifted product on all of Amazon.com, is now even better — with 85 percent more battery life and a built-in PDF reader,” said Ian Freed, vice president of Amazon Kindle. “These two significant enhancements are available now.”
Upgrading Older Kindles
As Freed mentioned, the six-inch Kindle now has a built-in native PDF reader that lets Kindle users read professional and personal documents in the original PDF format without conversion.
Kindle users who want to read personal or professional PDFs can e-mail them to their Kindle e-mail address, or move them over using a USB stick. Customers who prefer to have their PDF documents converted to the Kindle format can type “convert” in the subject of the e-mail when sending documents to their “@kindle.com” address.
Amazon also announced Tuesday that previous purchasers of the Kindle will also receive the battery-life improvements and native PDF support via a firmware update automatically delivered through Whispernet wireless.
Assessing the E-Reader Wars
“We are in the early days of the e-book reader wars and companies are looking to differentiate themselves. Amazon has over a year’s head start with its next generation of devices,” said Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret. “Maybe the best reason I can think of for buying a Kindle if you are in the market for an e-book reader is because the Kindle has got availability and everyone else doesn’t yet.”
Gartenberg…