19 November 2007 - Amazon introduces Kindle

When the Kindle by Amazon went on sale on the 19th of November, 2007, it entered a market where tablets, phones, personal computers, and e-readers existed. Notwithstanding, this device was sold out within 5.5 hours and was even dubbed the “iPod of reading”. Then what was so revolutionising about this e-reader? Kindle’s main aim was to bring books to people and this is one goal that it has consistently stuck by and which has allowed it to evolve through all these years. This device was never meant to compete with any of the other fancy electronic gadgets at the time or offer everything in just one device. It was simply created to let users read.

The original Kindle had a 6-inch E ink display, offered wireless connectivity, included a full keyboard, featured navigation buttons, and came with a wedge-shaped design for easier holding. Additionally, it had a speaker and a headphone socket along with expandable SD storage. It also had a second display with a scrollable wheel to make navigation easier. All of this came with 90,000 books included in the Kindle, available to purchase and download.

With the kind of support and overwhelming response the Kindle got, this device has seen many upgraded and evolved versions with the latest one released in 2019. Perhaps, this is a true testament to the fact that Kindle popularised digital reading. While Kindle did not introduce the idea of digital reading, it made it so comfortable and easy that users found the experience equally appealing as reading on paper. Besides this, Amazon’s Kindle also brought forward the idea of self-publishing books, a concept that has democratised publishing and depicts the true spirit of technology - giving people more choice and control (to authors) as well as options (to readers).