The New Kindle

Amazon announced yesterday that they have produced a new Kindle for $139 with WIFI or $189 with WIFI and 3G.  I am not likely to buy it but it looks like a great device.  For less than $200 you can get a first rate book reader with superb battery life and now WIFI.

My wife swears by her first generation Kindle.  Until I bought my iPad I used a second generation one.  I use the Kindle app on my iPad so am still a customer.   For those who simply want a document reader - the Kindle is a very good alternative.  In my opinion better than its competitors.  (Note I have tried the Sony and the Nook and think the second generation Kindle is better.)

A few months ago I did a post on the evolution of reading devices.  I commented that Amazon would likely continue to be a strong presence because some people simply do not want all the bells and whistles of a tablet like the iPad.    I believe that assessment is even more true today.  The publishing market is evolving quickly.  Amazon announced last week that they now sell more eBooks than printed materials.  As I have used the iPad I continue to find new ways to use content for the device - all sorts of printed material.    From at least the first look Amazon has matched that capability for the average consumer.

Yesterday in the airport, while waiting for our last flight a grandmother looked at my wife's generation one Kindle and asked a bunch of questions.  She was thinking about it for her granddaughter.  Her one reservation was that Harry Potter still is not on any electronic platform.   Amazon's secondary business may be in delivering a simple device to consume content.  Their primary one still seems to be selling content to any device.  That sounds like a great niche to be in.