Kindle's Star Turn, Year After Year

The Internet Wayback Machine serves as a window on the World Wide Web of past days, weeks, months. And if you use it to browse Amazon's pages since late 2007, you'll see one product very consistently featured.

Every day since Amazon introduced the Kindle, the product has been on the retailer's home page. Imagine if Macy's had one product or brand in its main display window every day, day after day, updating the display when new models are introduced. This exposure has helped the Kindle shine as the star of Amazon, year after year after year.

For example, look back at Amazon's home page for December 20, 2009, and here's what you'll see at top of the home page:

Yes, the Kindle, 2 years old in 2009 and going strong, was featured prominently just days before Christmas.

Fast-forward to 2010, and on December 21, Amazon is showcasing its Kindle reading apps for multiple devices and platforms. The message: You can read your Kindle books (purchased at Amazon) anywhere, at any time, picking up on the page where you left off.

Today's Amazon home page shows the Kindle product line, from the most basic model to the latest Fire HD, and free two-day shipping.