Since it was first released way back in November of 2007, the Amazon Kindle reader has consistently been the best e-book reader on the market. That’s why it has had such a great deal of success up to now. At the end of 2009, it seemed as if every personal electronics manufacturer was trying to secure a share of the nascent e-book reader market - and any new reader was immediately christened the “Kindle Killer”. The simple reason for this is that the Kindle was, and still is, the industry benchmark.
The recent launch of the upgraded third generation Kindle reader has widened the gap between Amazon’s reader and the trailing pack even more. It’s worthy of note that the latest Kindle killer isn’t even an e-book reader at all, but Apple’s iPad. This is a very different device with a much higher price tag and, when looked at as an e-book reader, one which suffers in a number of areas in comparison with the Kindle.
The improvements in the third generation Kindle include a higher contrast screen, extended battery life, twice as much memory, faster page turns and an enhanced PDF reader. The device is also smaller and lighter – and it now comes in a choice of two colors – white and graphite. Amazon has also released an entry level Wi-Fi only model Kindle for customers who do not have need of a 3G connection. This is on sale at just $ 139 - very close to the $ 99 value commonly held to be impulse buy territory for personal electronics. The 3G plus Wi-Fi model is priced at $ 189.
As well as these various technical improvements, and almost unnoticed by many, Amazon opened a separate Kindle store for the UK market. UK residents will now be able to purchase their readers locally instead of having an international version shipped from the States. This only took a few days to do - but some customers may have been put off by exchange rates and having to use a credit card (debit cards are more common in the UK). Amazon has just launched a major TV advertising campaign in the United Kingdom and it could be that this, together with the “local” UK Kindle store could lead to a lot of sales for them. In the event that this proves to be a success, we might see additional local Kindle stores being opened for Germany, France and the other countries with their own Amazon websites.
It wasn’t long after the Kindle 3 was released before Amazon had, once again, sold out of Kindles. At the moment, customers are faced with a three to four week wait before their readers will ship. All things considered, there’s absolutely no sign that demand for the Kindle is falling off – which is hardly surprising given the quality of the product.
Reports of the Kindle’s demise have proven to be premature in the past, and that is still the case. The Kindle and the iPad are such different devices that comparing them is a futile exercise. The Kindle is by far the best e-book reader on the market right now. That’s why it will not only survive, but continue to sell very well - and it’s also why Amazon will remain an influential player in the future of the digital publishing market. There will be some people who prefer to keep reading conventional printed books - both hardback and paperback editions. Some people will transfer to an e-book reader, in which case the Amazon Kindle will be the most popular choice (as will Kindle books). Others will be primarily interested in surfing the net, watching videos and playing games when they’re out and about, reading only the occasional e-book from time to time - and they will most likely choose an iPad. Whichever category you fall into, you will be able to buy your reading material from Amazon.