Amazon announced the new Kindle 3 today, which will be available in late August. I won't describe all its features, as you can read about them easily enough at Amazon's web site. But I will observe that Amazon has, I believe, made all the right moves with the latest generation of its dedicated e-reader.
For one thing, Amazon is doing just that: keeping the Kindle a dedicated e-reader, and not adding a ton of functions that have nothing to do with e-reading, in some kind of futile attempt to compete with Apple's iPad. Nope, Amazon realizes that the iPad is dazzling and wonderful, but sometimes a device that's smaller and lighter and more durable might be just what the doctor ordered if all you want to do at a given moment is read some books or periodicals. I love my iPad (the first Apple product I ever owned), but it does make me appreciate the ease of carrying and using my Kindle 2.
Other immediate impressions? I love the fact that Amazon has made the Kindle 3 even smaller and lighter than the already svelte K2, but didn't reduce the size of the screen. I also like the choice of two colors. If I decide to go for a K3 (heck, I probably will), I'll likely select the elegant graphite-colored choice. I also think the new price points were a smart move: if you want, you can get a new Kindle for as little as $139. Wow.
I'm sure I'll have more to say on the new Kindle 3 (Amazon isn't using the "3" in the title, actually, just calling it the next generation Kindle) in the days to come, but for now I think it's doing pretty much everything right, both with the product itself and the marketing of it.
What are your impressions? If you already own a K1 and/or a K2, does this new model intrigue you enough to upgrade? Or, if you haven't taken the e-reader plunge yet, will this new Kindle finally seduce you into doing so?
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