Kindle: more than an e-book reader, it’s a development platform

Last month we announced the forthcoming release of the Kindle Development Kit, a suite of programming interfaces, tools, and documentation that allows you to build active content that you can promote in the Kindle Store. I travel a lot, and I’m seeing more and more Kindles every time I fly. Kindle owners never hesitate to tell me how much they love their devices and its capabilities — the long battery life, an easy-on-the-eyes display, an incredibly convenient form factor, the instant gratification of accessing and downloading new content on-the-go whenever something strikes their fancy. Now you, as a developer, can tap into this enthusiasm and create compelling active content.

Today we’re pleased to announce open enrollment into the Kindle developer beta program. Read more about the program here and sign up here. We’ll ask you to briefly describe your idea during the enrollment process. Enrollees receive information on how to download the development kit, how to receive support from us while you develop your project, and how to submit your finished project to the Kindle Store. The development kit includes a Kindle simulator (both 6″ and 9.7″) that works on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. You can also register up to three Kindle devices through the developer portal; the owners of those devices will receive invitations to download and test your active content.

The Kindle as a platform offers your customers a great user experience, including its large e-ink display and access to its always-connected wireless Whispernet with no monthly connectivity fees or contracts. The Kindle Store provides you wide exposure to make your active content discoverable and accessible to a very large community of enthusiasts. We’re looking forward to seeing some great innovation!

>Steve <

Modified 2/2/2021 – In an effort to ensure a great experience, expired links in this post have been updated or removed from the original post.