Amazon may be considering the inclusion of an Android operating system in future editions of the Kindle, as the company advertises for new software developers. The company is looking to hire a total of five Android software engineers, proving the strongest evidence yet of the E-reader’s potential future as a fully-functional table computer.

Of course, this has raised a number of questions regarding the current incarnation of Amazon’s worldwide phenomenon, with many arguing that key features which hold much of the Kindle’s appeal may be lost along the way.

For example, the free ‘Whispernet’ system currently used to download books may be replaced by standard Wi-Fi or internet connectivity, which could not possibly be offered free to all customers. Furthermore, the inclusion of an LCD touch screen required for an Android tablet would not only incur a significant cost increase, but also reduce battery-life enormously. Again, these are both factors for which the current Kindle holds so much appeal to many.

It is expected that Amazon have taken all these concerns into account but so far no answers have been offered with regard to the company’s intentions for the Kindle. It is possible that the plan is to introduce an entirely separate Android tablet, though the likelihood of success when pitted against such Titans as the iPad 2 is practically zero.