It make sense that the world's biggest Book store, Amazon, will look for ways to innovate the products they sell, and so they have set out to revolutionize a product that wasn't changed for many centuries... The Book itself!

I think that Amazon's Kindle is designed to do to the publishing industry what Apple's iPod did to the music and entertainment industries, there are many similarities; both are simple and imaginative products and both make it easier/faster/cheaper to consume then the old way...
I mean download a book anywhere in a minute VS. Order it online and wait for delivery VS. Go to a store to buy it.

I will not go into all the tech spec, you can get those at Amazon.com. They really dedicated the site to Kindle with the words the founder Jeff Bezos on the Homepage, the basics are:

1. Electronic-paper display that "looks and reads like real paper." - I have yet to read a book on it so i can't judge this as true or false.

2. No computer, no cables, no syncing - I like that, "Self Contained Devices" are the future just look at the iPod touch.

3. Wireless connectivity - skipping over Hot Spot WifFi and going direct to cellular connectivity (EVDO) build on Sprint's network. FREE! that means not monthly or data bill. It also means that wherever there's cellular reception you are connected.

4. 10.3 Ounces - need i say more?

5. Holds over 200 titles - that's better then any book I know.

6. The $399 price tag seems excessive but, its only going down from here so Amazon like apple before them with iPhone have to stick it to the early adopters.

7. Trees! yes Trees Amazon forgot to mention that this is a green product since if you use it you use less paper... Much less paper!

The only shortcomings I have found before actually using it is the design... functional but not sexy, yeah i get that the intent was to bland in so you get the book feeling. I guess that's why it's white but still it looks out of the 80's.

In any case it will take some time for this to get widely adopted by the masses but i totality see students switching heavy book bags with a Kindle, and people reading in the park on it....

Saar Paamoni