Amazon introduced the Kindle e-reader in 2007.
The first Kindle went on sale in the United States in November 2007. Amazon designed it as a dedicated electronic-reading device connected to the Kindle Store, allowing users to download books wirelessly. Its display used electronic ink rather than the bright backlit screen typical of a computer monitor.
The original Kindle included a physical keyboard and a cellular connection that Amazon marketed as allowing books to be obtained without a separate computer. The device sold out quickly after launch, helping establish Amazon as a major force in digital publishing and e-books.
The Kindle name refers to a family of e-readers and related reading software, not only the first hardware model. Barnes & Noble later released the Nook, while Sony had already sold earlier e-readers. Those products should not be confused with Amazon’s Kindle line, which remains associated with Amazon’s digital-book ecosystem.