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E-books and e-book readers have been hot gadgets for quite some time now. In 2009, the e-book reader market really took off, and one of the major influences in this was the launch of Amazon’s Kindle.0 in February of that year. Amazon followed up with the large format Kindle DX in the summer of 2009 and, in the second half of the year, it seemed that electronics manufacturers were queuing up to launch their own e-book readers and get a share of the hot new market. The fact that practically every new reader which displayed any potential was immediately christened the “Kindle Killer” should give some idea of just how influential Amazon was to the market’s development. The Kindle reader was, very definitely, the industry standard that required to be matched and then beaten.

However, there was nothing to suggest that any new reader which would offer serious competition to the Kindle was anywhere in sight. It wasn’t until the launch of the Apple iPad – a very different device – that there was any serious threat to the Kindle’s dominance. Even then, the death of the Kindle as a result of consumers turning to the iPad just doesn’t seem to have materialised. Shortly after the release of the upgraded third generation Kindle in August 2010 Amazon, for the umpteenth time it seems, had sold out of the devices and prospective customers faced a wait of several weeks before their new readers could be shipped.

Certainly, the high sales figures of the upgraded Kindles were fuelled, to some extent at least, by a price reduction. Amazon’s new Wi-Fi only Kindle was priced at just $ 139. If you consider that the Kindle 2.0 was selling for $ 359 at its February 2009 launch, that’s a very significant price reduction. It positions the Kindle – and e-book readers in general – considerably nearer to the sub $ 100 impulse buying zone for electronic gadgets. It’s debatable whether or not the iPad’s release prompted this. The price reduction would have happened anyway, but there is still a lot of scope for further price cuts – and probably in the not too distant future.

However, whilst Amazon and Apple may be enjoying a good deal of success, the same cannot be said for other e-book reader manufacturers. Several planned e-book readers have either been postponed or cancelled all together. The Plastic Logic Que reader, for example, is pretty well dead in the water. The well established Dutch company Irex went bankrupt when they ran out of cash following poor US sales returns for their Irex reader. Sprint and Hearst’s planned Skiff has been cancelled.

Are we heading towards a polarised market with Amazon dominating the low cost “pure” e-book reader sector and Apple cleaning up in the pricier tablet computer that’s also used as an e-book reader market? There’s a large gap in the prices of the Kindle and the iPad. Is there room between the two devices, in terms of both price and specification levels, for other players to enter the market?

Recently Amazon advised that sales of Kindle books have overtaken the sales of hard cover books. It seems highly probable that e-book sales will catch up with and eventually overtake paperback sales – and probably in the not too distant future. It looks like e-books may well be the future of reading, but just what type of device will you choose to read them on?

Get the facts on the Kindle 3 for yourself and learn why electronic books are the future of reading.

Currently, Amazon is enjoying tremendous success with their latest third generation Kindle reader. An upgrade – which includes a new display with 50% better contrast, lighter and smaller casing, quicker page turns and double the memory capacity – accompanied by a reduction in price and the introduction of an entry level Wi-Fi only model, has seen demand for the Kindle reader soar.

Currently, the new upgraded Kindles are out of stock and prospective customers face a wait of three to four weeks before any new ones start shipping. Kindle books are now selling more than conventional hard cover editions on a regular basis. It can only be a matter of time before e-books begin to sell more than paperbacks.

Amazon has also opened a dedicated UK Kindle store so that UK customers don’t require to have their Kindles shipped across the Atlantic and can pay for their Kindle purchases in sterling rather than dollars. It seems reasonable to assume that similar “local” Kindle stores will be opened for other Amazon international websites such as Germany, France etc. in the near future.

Just at the moment, everything seems to be coming up roses for Amazon. Although many industry analysts predicted that the release of the Apple iPad would sound the death knell for the Kindle, there is little evidence to suggest that this is, in fact, the case. Amazon’s policy of releasing free “apps” to allow Kindle books to be read on a variety of different devices looks to be paying dividends. So, considering what a huge success they have had with their first manufactured product, it’s probably no surprise that Amazon is reported to be considering developing prototypes for consumer gadgets other than the Kindle in their Lab 126 research facility.

Amazon has made no comment on what they may, or may not, be developing, but it has been suggested that they may be looking at mobile phones and music and/or movie players. However, industry watchers suggest that, if Amazon wanted to enter the market with another gadget, then they would need to ensure that they add value rather than simply releasing another piece of personal electronic tech onto the market.

A great deal of the success of the Kindle reader must be attributed to Amazon’s strong link with books and reading in general. The massive choice of Kindle books available – in excess of 630,000 and growing daily – and the fact that these can be read on so many other devices has been a real feather in Amazon’s cap. Any new gadget that Amazon decided to release would certainly need some similar type of support in order to achieve anything approaching the level of the Kindle’s success.

Learn more about Amazon’s Kindle reader for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.

It seems like it’s been a long wait, but Amazon has finally released the new, upgraded and improved Kindle e-book reader. Dubbed the third generation Kindle by Amazon, there are a number of improvements.

The latest enhancements on display in the Kindle 3 seem likely to appeal to most e-book reader fans. It keeps the same 6″ e-ink technology screen, but the display’s contrast has been improved by 50%, which should make reading even better. The speed of page turns, already good for the Kindle 2.0, has been made 20% quicker.

The outside dimensions of the reader are reduced by 21% and the weight is just 8.7 ozs – a 15% reduction. Battery life with the Wi-Fi off is now a month, and even with Wi-Fi turned on a ten day life is expected. Memory capacity has been increased by a factor of 2 to 4 GB, sufficient for around about 3,500 books. So the new Kindle is smaller, lighter, easier to read, has a longer battery life and allows users to carry a small personal library with them wherever they go. What more could you wish for in a mobile electronic device?

For many, a color screen might have been one item on their wish list. However, whilst Amazon have been working on a color e-ink technology display, it simply isn’t ready for commercial release at this time. Perhaps this might be incorporated in the next Kindle 4 release. There is no SD slot available for memory expansion – a feature which some users may have hoped for. Nevertheless, considering that the memory capacity is now at 4GB, most people won’t suffer too much as a consequence of this.

As well as all the upgrades, Amazon have adjusted the price downwards and introduced a new Wi-Fi only Kindle for customers who don’t feel the need for a 3G connection. The new entry level Wi-Fi only model can be yours for $ 139, the Wi-Fi plus 3G model retails at $ 189. The new Kindle 3 is also available in graphite, just like the new DX model, in addition to the original white.

Amazon has also opened a dedicated UK Kindle store on their British website. UK customers will no longer need to get their Kindles shipped from the States. Initially the UK Kindle store will have 400,000 Kindle titles on offer. It seems probable that Amazon will also open dedicated Kindle stores for its other “local” websites in France, Germany etc. at some point in future.

The new third generation Kindle is certainly in high demand. Potential customers currently face a wait of around about 4 weeks before their readers are shipped. It does begin to look as if reports of the Kindle’s demise, as a result of the launch of the Apple iPad, were somewhat premature. The latest upgrades, the reduced prices and the fact that there is no monthly connection charge, will appeal to many potential customers. It looks as though the launch of the third generation Kindle may serve as a timely reminder of just how influential Amazon are, and will continue to be, in the world of books in general and e-books in particular.

Learn all about the Amazon Kindle reader for yourself and find out exactly why it’s the best ebook reader available on the market right now.

The Kindle reader rapidly rose to be the top selling item on Amazon. All it takes is a few minutes to review the benefits offered and it is apparent why that has happened. There are a tremendous number of books available for immediate download to the Kindle. You will also be able to read your personal PDF files and receive a large number of periodicals. You can use it almost anywhere in the US, and many other counties as well. There will be no other cables, a computer or software required. The reader will be ready to go right out of the box.

One of the most interesting features is the high quality of text that is provided by the “E ink” technology that uses ink that is electronically displayed. It gives the sense of looking at a page from a book on the six-inch diagonal screen. You will find it does not seem you are reading from a computer screen. There are six different font sizes to choose from.

Basically, all of your books can now be large-print text if you prefer. Images are presented in sixteen shades of gray which ensures images are bright and clear. They can also be rotated and displayed in full-screen mode. You can browse basic text-based websites and services for sport scores, images and maps.

Since there is no back-lighting involved, you will find there is no glare like with typical electronic devices. Users are very impressed with the ability to use a Kindle inside, or out on a sunny beach, with no loss of clarity. There is 2 GB of internal storage. The battery will last for two weeks when you turn off the wireless capability, otherwise the battery life is cut in half, you will be able to carry it with you anywhere.

The Kindle is designed to be synchronized with computers and hand-held devices. You’ll be able to read on any of the devices and pick up where you left off. The included power adapter and USB cable will enable you to recharge the battery. The USB cable will also allow for easy file transfer of larger files that are downloaded to your computer.

With over a half-million books, nearly 2 million public domain writings, over 50,000 audio books, ebooks and periodicals available, you will build a very impressive personal library. There are free samples for almost all books. If you like it, one click and it can be purchased and downloaded. There is even a text-to-speech function with most books.

The Kindle is designed for long-term use. It only weighs 10 ounces, yet holds up to 1,500 books. If you ever come to a point you need more room, all of your purchases are stored for you and can be re-downloaded. It is very thin, about the thickness of a lead pencil, so it can be held comfortably in one hand. Both sides of the screen have the buttons used to turn the pages.

A Kindle reader will allow you to carry your personal library with you and keep track of where you left off in each book. You will be able to read what you want where you want on a computer or hand-held devices and keep them all in sync. Bookmarks, notations and clips saved will always be kept for your reference. Add some MP3’s for background music and reading will take on a whole new perspective.

Discover the Kindle 3 for yourself. It’s the future of reading – you can even download free books for your Kindle – right from the Amazon website!

Whilst there can be little doubt that the release of the Apple iPad has impacted upon sales of Amazon’s Kindle reader, the online retail giant doesn’t seem to be suffering too badly. In the wake of further price reductions and an upgrade, the 6″ version of the Kindle has sold out. New supplies will not start shipping for several weeks. The larger Kindle DX version is currently still available.

The outer dimensions of the latest Kindle have shrunk whilst maintaining the same screen size. There is a new, high contrast display with 20% faster pager turns. Battery life is extended to one month (with Wi-Fi off) and the reader is 15% lighter (just 8.7 oz.) than the previous version. The storage capacity has been doubled and there is now enough room for 3,500 Kindle books.

Customers can now choose from either white or graphite colors and the standard unit comes with both Wi-Fi and free 3G connectivity. A cheaper Wi-Fi only reader is included as an option for the first time for users who don’t anticipate the need for a 3G connection.

Starting with the UK, Amazon will be selling the Kindle direct from some of its international sites. UK customers can now order their Kindle direct from Amazon UK rather than having it shipped from the USA. A dedicated UK Kindle book store will be set up, and no doubt similar arrangements can be anticipated for France and Germany in future.

Just recently, Amazon confirmed that sales of Kindle books were outstripping hardback edition sales. Over the course of July 2010, Amazon sold 180 Kindle books for every 100 conventional hard cover editions. Amazon seems to be very confident that digital books are the future – and based upon these figures it does seem likely. The reading public does seem to have adopted e-book readers quite rapidly.

Over the last few months, e-book reader prices have fallen by a long way. The new third generation Kindle with 3G and Wi-Fi price of $ 189 is well below the $ 359 February 2009 launch price of the Kindle 2.0. At just $ 139, the price of the Wi-Fi only reader is getting into mp3 player territory. These prices may, or may not, have been driven down by the launch of the Apple iPad – but the hardware price was always going to fall, and it may yet have some way to go.

Amazon enjoys a significant advantage over many of its competitors who are mainly hardware manufacturers due to its huge library of Kindle books. It’s hard to see this changing any time soon which could give Amazon an important edge as the market matures with a greater emphasis being placed on profits from the sale of e-books rather than profits from the sale of e-book reader hardware.

Learn all about the Kindle 3 for yourself. It’s the future of reading – you can even play games on the Amazon Kindle – some games are even free!

The Kindle reader has been a fantastic product for Amazon since it was first released in November of 2007. Amazon’s strong association with both electronics and books made the Kindle the ideal product for them and, after an upgrade to the Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009, followed by the launch of the large format DX model in the summer of the same year, it went on to become the number one selling product on the Amazon site.

Over the festive period of 2009, the Kindle became Amazon’s most gifted product ever. On Christmas day of 2009, Amazon sold more Kindle books than physical volumes for the first time ever. Admittedly this was probably due to people who had received a Kindle as a Christmas gift testing it out by downloading a Kindle book or two – but it was a landmark event for Amazon and the Kindle nonetheless.

Despite the huge success of the Kindle reader, there were times when Amazon appeared to be a somewhat reluctant manufacturer. They went to a great deal of trouble to make sure that Kindle books could be read on a wide variety of different devices by people who didn’t own Kindles. Currently there are free Kindle “Apps” for the PC, the Mac, the iPod Touch, the iPhone, the new iPad, the Blackberry and any device running Android. At times, Amazon looked to be in competition with itself.

However, with the release of the Apple iPad, the method in Amazon’s apparent madness became clear. The launch of the iPad produced a downward trend in the prices of e-book readers as Apple fans rushed to get their hands on the new iPad. On the other hand, e-book prices started to edge upwards.

The main reason behind this was the deal which Apple had negotiated with the big publishing houses prior to the iPad’s launch. This allowed publishers to fix the price for the e-book versions of their publications at whatever level they wished – just so long as the e-book wasn’t offered at a lower price for any other reader – the Kindle for example. Amazon’s strategy of selling all e-books for $ 9.99 or less was pretty well destroyed overnight – and it started to look as if the iPad was not only a “Kindle Killer” but was going to mess up Amazon’s plans for e-book sales into the bargain.

A more considered analysis of the situation reveals that Amazon’s release of Kindle Apps for so many different devices was nothing short of inspired. Each App is actually an outlet for Kindle books – and with a higher average e-book price, Amazon will be able to sell Kindles for less but still make money over the lifetime of the reader by selling their Kindle books at higher prices. Even if the iPad were to wipe out Kindle sales completely – an unlikely event – Kindle books will continue to sell. And if another reader or tablet computer comes along there will, no doubt, be an “app for that” as well.

Check out the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.

Right now, Amazon is having a busy time of it. They have just announced the upgrade of their massively successful Kindle 2.0 and Kindle DX readers and pre-order rates are very high at the moment. Stock levels of the third generation 6″ Kindle are depleted and consumers are now pre-ordering to get their Kindle shipped, on a first-come-first-served basis, within four to five weeks.

The latest upgrade includes a display with higher contrast, more fonts, twice as much storage capacity, faster page turns and color choice of white or graphite . The 6″ display version has had its overall dimensions reduced by 21% and is 15% lighter, at 8.7 oz. Amazon has also released an entry level Wi-Fi only model of the 6″ display Kindle for customers who do not have need of a 3G connection.

All of this is accompanied by a reduction in the retail price. The 6″ Kindle version Wi-Fi only model is for sale at only $ 139, with the 3G plus Wi-Fi model retailing for $ 189. The Kindle DX version can now be yours for $ 379. These represent hefty price cuts when compared with the original Kindle 2.0 launch $ 359 price and the recent DX model price of $ 489.

A great deal has been made of the impact of the Apple iPad on Kindle reader sales. It seems likely that the launch of the Apple iPad has prompted, or at least hastened, the latest round of e-book reader price reductions. However, the above prices are considerably lower than the entry level iPad price and, for a lot of customers, the fact that 3G is available with no monthly fee will be seen as a very positive aspect of the Kindle price plan.

Over and above the various upgrades to the hardware and the reduced prices, a dedicated UK Kindle store will be opened. Consumers in the UK will no longer require to have their Kindles shipped across the Atlantic. The UK Kindle store opens in August 2010 and will, initially, have approximately 400,000 Kindle books on offer. It seems reasonable to assume that other Amazon websites will soon have their own Kindle stores and that customers will be able to have their Kindles supplied locally.

The recent price drop in the e-book reader market may be an indication that the market, although still relatively young, is maturing. Lower hardware prices will shift the emphasis from hardware sales towards the sale of the e-books themselves. Amazon, who have an interest in the sales of both hardware and books may be better placed than companies who are primarily concerned with hardware manufacture and sales. Whatever the future brings, and it seems likely that the future of reading will have a strong digital element, Amazon seem likely to remain a very influential player in the development of the market.

Discover the Kindle 3 for yourself. You can even make your reader pay for itself by downloading free ebooks for your Kindle – right from Amazon’s Kindle store.

The Amazon Kindle e-book reader has been a hugely successful product for Amazon. It was first released in November of 2007 – but it was the launch of the Kindle 2, in February 2009, which saw e-book readers really take off. Amazon followed up with the large display Kindle DX model in June of 2009 and the e-book reader market started to grow exponentially.

The Kindle quickly became Amazon’s best selling product. During the festive season of 2009 it became the “most gifted” Amazon product ever. Inevitably, a number of other manufacturers either launched, or updated, their own e-book readers. Increased competition drove prices down and provided customers with additional options – both of these are good things of course.

Faced with a wider variety of options, e-book reader customers now need some way to make comparisons between the different choices available. It’s certainly possible to find plenty of reviews on the Internet comparing different e-book reader hardware, the Kindle versus the Sony Daily Edition reader for example. However, comparing e-book readers simply in terms of the hardware is neglecting a lot of the e-book reader experience. Typically, as is often the case with electronic gadgets, the most recently released models will have some functions and features which are lacking in slightly older models. This is perfectly normal. What also needs to be taken into account, are factors such as legibility of the display, the layout of the controls, the ease of use, the number of available books, the cost of books, the ease of connection, the ease of purchasing books etc.

Some of these factors are subjective, but others can be analysed more precisely and incorporated into the decision-making process when deciding which e-book reader to buy. The Kindle reader certainly enjoys an advantage when it comes to the number of books available. At the moment the Amazon website has more than 420,000 titles on offer and that number is growing daily. It also seems that the Kindle has a significant advantage when it comes to the cost of books.

A recent study by the New York Times looked at the cost of ten books – the NYT’s nominated ten best books of 2009, five fiction and five non-fiction titles – on three different e-book readers, the Kindle, the Nook and the Sony reader. The ten Kindle books cost a total of $ 136.87 – an average of $ 13.69 per title. The same ten books bought from Sony’s store produced an average price of $ 15.26 and Barnes and Noble worked out at a staggering average price per book of $ 19.29.

So, based upon these figures, if you read a book a week you would be almost $ 300 a year better off buying a Kindle than a Nook. That would effectively mean that your Kindle reader would pay for itself, and then some, in less than 12 months. There are a lot of discussions going on between the major publishing houses and the e-book retailers right now, so e-book prices may well be subject to change in future. However, it seems clear that anyone considering buying an e-book reader would be well advised to take both the availability of books and their pricing into consideration before making a final decision.

Learn more about the Amazon Kindle – and have a look at the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you both protect and personalise your reader.

There are many e-book reader reviews on the Internet right now. You can also find them in magazines and newspapers from time to time. This simply reflects the fact that e-book readers have really taken off – powered, to a large extent, by the release of the Amazon Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009. Today there is a wide variety of e-book readers to choose from and many people are looking for guidance to help them choose the right reader for them.

Many reviews, understandably perhaps, concentrate very strongly on the hardware – the size of the Kindle screen is this, the Sony Daily Edition screen size is that, this reader incorporates touch screen controls, that reader has a wireless connection etc. Which is fine, but if you’re looking for your first e-book reader then the chances are that you will be making a mental comparison between e-books and conventional books rather than between different types of e-book reader.

Firstly, to put your mind at rest, a recently conducted survey of American e-book reader owners found that 80% of them prefer to use their e-book reader rather than to read a traditional book. Based on that type of feedback it doesn’t look as if those who have changed from paper to electronic books are missing the feel of a real book too much. It appears as if manhandling large, paper books is not an attractive prospect for those who already have experience of e-book readers.

The display is one of the key things that you should consider when selecting your e-book reader. Assuming that the main purpose of your e-book reader is to read books, as opposed to surfing the web or watching video, you will certainly want to go for a reader which has an e-ink technology display. These really are very much like reading normal text printed on normal paper – much more so than reading on a backlit computer screen. They also require very much less power and this means you can go for a long time between charges. When you turn the page, the screen will flicker and go black very briefly. This is not a big problem. In the beginning you will notice it because it is something new but, after just a couple of reading sessions, you will be completely unaware of it.

Another important factor to consider is the controls and the ease of use. The controls of the Amazon Kindle for example, are well laid out and easy to use. It’s very easy to operate the Kindle using only one hand, which makes it ideal if you’re sitting propped up in bed or on a crowded train or bus. The Sony reader has touch screen controls – but this comes at the expense of a slightly poorer display as current touch screen technology is not completely transparent and also requires a slightly more reflective screen.

Finally, do not make the mistake of thinking that e-book prices are the same for different readers. A recent survey carried out by the New York Times showed that there were some very significant differences in the price of e-books for different readers. In some cases the difference was so large that someone who reads a book a week could save $300 a year – enough to pay for the e-book reader in other words. Book pricing is very volatile – so be sure to check on the price of e-books for the reader that you are considering buying.

Discover the Amazon Kindle for yourself – and don’t forget to pick up a Kindle cover – it’ll customise and protect your device.

E-book readers are currently very popular. Much of the credit for that must be given to the Amazon Kindle reader of course – although there are many other e-book readers to choose from today. Even with so many new e-book readers available on the market, the Kindle is still the market leader – and by a long way.

It should be remembered that the e-book reader market -at least as a commercial enterprise – is still very new. This sector is expanding very quickly indeed, but it is still under development. For example, there is no agreement in the industry as to what format e-books should be stored in. Many of the new e-book readers seem to be going for the ePub format. Amazon has its own proprietary format for the Kindle books used on its Kindle reader – and it has received some criticism for this in the past.

In theory, an industry standard e-book format would allow books to be ported from one e-book reader to another. It would also allow customers more choice when buying e-books. More buying options and a greater degree of choice should be good for customers and tend to produce lower prices. You see the logic.

Amazon, with their proprietary Kindle format, can justifiably point to their long pedigree of offering their customers excellent value for money in the field of reading – hardback, paperback or e-book. Their stated strategy of selling Kindle books for $9.99 or less, has resulted in some uncomfortable negotiations with some of the major book publishing houses are trying to defend their profits from the sale of hardback books.

A recent study, carried out by the New York Times, looked at the average book price for the Kindle, Nook and Sony Daily Edition readers. Ten books, five fiction and five non-fiction, were selected from the NYT’s 2009 best books list. It was found that the Kindle had an average price of $ 13.69, the Sony reader’s average price was $ 15.26 and the Nook had an astonishing average price of $ 19.29 per book.

Not much evidence of Amazon using their market domination to profit there. In fact, based upon these numbers, if you read a book a week then the Kindle would save you $ 300 a year compared to the Nook. It would pay for itself and still leave you with enough money to buy a few books.

It’s difficult to imagine that the Amazon Kindle will wind up as the Betamax of the e-book world. Fans of Sony’s daily edition can take that any way they like. It seems likely that, for the moment at least, the main discussion that needs to take place is between the major publishers and e-book retailers. Only when all involved are agreed that the world of reading and publishing has changed will it be appropriate to agree on industry standards.

Learn more about the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.