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 the explanation for its success up to now. Back in the third quarter of 2009, when every electronics manufacturer was trying to get a piece of the emerging e-book reader market, any new reader was instantly hailed as the Kindle killer. The simple reason for this is that the Kindle was, and still is, the industry benchmark.
The recent release of the upgraded third generation Kindle reader has increased the gap between Amazon’s reader and the following pack even further. It’s probably worth pointing out that the most credible Kindle killer to date is not another e-book reader but the Apple iPad. This is a totally different type of device, which sells for considerably more than the Kindle and – looked at as a pure e-book reader (an unfair comparison) – doesn’t measure up to the Kindle in certain areas.
The new enhancements include extended battery life, a doubling of memory capacity, quicker page turns, an enhanced PDF reader and a higher contrast display. The device is also smaller and lighter – and it now comes in a choice of two colors – white and graphite. Amazon has also unveiled a Wi-Fi only entry level Kindle for customers who don’t anticipate the need for a 3G connection. This is priced at just $ 139 – getting close to the $ 99 impulse buy threshold for personal electronic devices. The Wi-Fi plus 3G model costs $ 189.
As well as these various technical improvements, and almost unnoticed by many, Amazon opened a separate Kindle store for the UK market. UK customers can now buy their Kindles locally as opposed to getting the international version shipped across the Atlantic. Admittedly, this generally took no more than a few days but, coupled with buying in a foreign currency, it may have been enough of a mental barrier to deter some potential customers. Amazon has just launched a major television advertising campaign in the United Kingdom and it may be that this, combined with the “local” UK Kindle store could generate a lot of sales for them. Should this prove to be a successful strategy for Amazon, they will probably open other Kindle stores for countries such as France and Germany who also have their own local Amazon Web stores.
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. Based on the current level of sales, there is little evidence that demand for the Kindle is diminishing – hardly surprising considering the quality of the device.
In the past, reports of the Kindles death were always premature, and that still seems to be the case today. The Kindle and the iPad are completely different devices and there’s very little point in trying to compare them with each other. The Kindle is, far and away, the best e-book reader on the market. 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. Some people will prefer to continue to read conventional printed books – whether in hardback or paperback format. Some people will switch 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. Whatever your own personal preference is, Amazon will be more than happy to supply your needs.