In the quest to have the best hand-held book/reader device Amazon just launched the new Kindle. What’s new and what’s not? Let’s take a look.BTW.. Did you know the Kindle was the best selling product on Amazon.com for the last 2 years?

What’s different?

In a nutshell…. it’s smaller, faster and more packed with more options. The new high-contrast e-ink screen is supposed to get 50% better contrast. At only 8.5 ounces and 1/3 of an inch thick it’s lighter than a paperback, thinner than a magazine and it can fit in your pocket. New options include built in Wi-Fi that let’s you connect to hotspots allowing you to instantly download books in 60 seconds and browse the web (although only experimental at this point). They promote free AT&T hotspot access as well.

Value at $139?

If you are in the market for a book reader, at $139 seems to be a good price especially with everything they have added. If you are still on the fence, Amazon added several more goodies that we were hoping to see in the new version: Free out of copyright books, Free sample books, Archive, Read to me, Improved .pdf reader. FYI.. The Kindle nor the iPad handle Flash yet.

Verdict..

It is very simple, if you are looking for a hand-held device for reading books then this is for you. Let’s not kid ourselves, even with the new features, the Kindle is a book reader and book reader only. What really makes this stand out is the price ($139 with free shipping) and a larger selection of books than what you can find anywhere.
If you want a multi-functional device that is going to replace your netbook or iPad, this might not be for you. But if you want a good eBook reader then new Amazon Kindle might be for you.

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