Amazon has launched a Kindle for Kids Bundle. The Bundle packages a third-party back cover (in your choice of five colors) and two-year SquareTrade warranty with an existing entry-level, touch-screen, ad-free Kindle … for the same price that Kindle alone would have cost (without ads): $99. Beyond its standard e-reading capabilities, Amazon is also pitching Kindle FreeTime features such as reading achievement badges. But I wonder if there’s much of a market amongst parents and their budding readers for a single function device like this? I’d handed down a former Kindle to a friend’s daughter, but Dad tells me it was pretty quickly superseded by other multifunctional tablet gadgetry. Hm.
And, while we’re on the topic of Kindle, for us adults Amazon has introduced a new font and improved layout.
Amazon is making a big step towards better typography on the Kindle. Not only are they unveiling Bookerly, the first typeface designed for the Kindle for scratch, but they’re finally solving the Kindle’s typesetting problems with an all-new layout engine that introduces better text justification, kerning, drop caps, image positioning, and more.
Updated apps for iPhone and iPad are available now, with e-Ink and Android devices expected to receive these improvements later this summer.
(via The Digital Reader)
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A Kindle cover that doesn't cover the screen? I'm currently using an Omoton 3rd-party cover which has a proper screen flap. Search Amazon for "Omoton Kindle".
Yeah, somewhat strange. But also essentially free - you get the backing and the warranty for the same price as the Kindle alone, so why not? By the by, I bought an Omoton for a Paperwhite... but gave it to my mom as I still prefer the Ziploc.
https://twitter.com/davezatz/status/440879203102101504
"I’d handed down a former Kindle to a friend’s daughter, but Dad tells me it was pretty quickly superseded by other multifunctional tablet gadgetry."
Amazon is making a big mistake in not putting a little sand inside to make the experience more pleasant. You know, for kids.
I disagree about kids needing multi-functioning devices. There are many times when I want my kids to read but not do anything else on a tablet. For example, in bed right before sleep. I'm totally fine (I actually encourage) with them reading in bed before falling asleep. But I don't want them playing on an ipad or ipod touch. If I gave them an ipad to read from they would inevitably just play games or watch TV.
I've said many times that the best feature of the Kindle readers are that they don't do anything else. You just read on them. That's a good thing for adults and kids.