For all the glitz that surrounds first models of high-profile tech products, it often behooves consumers to wait awhile. Exhibit A: the new Kindle e-readers from Amazon.
Compared with previous models (which I liked), new, smaller and lighter Kindles have better battery life, superior glare-free displays and enough storage for up to 3,500 books. What’s more, the new entry-level Wi-Fi-only Kindle costs $139 vs. $399 for the original reader three years ago. A step-up model with both Wi-Fi and 3G cellular wireless is also attractively priced at $189. Both models are on back-order at Amazon.com, with new orders expected to ship by Sept. 17.
Add the 670,000 e-books on sale in Amazon’s U.S. Kindle Store — and the fact that you can download them in less than a minute via 3G or, now, Wi-Fi — and the latest devices reinforce why Kindle is the category leader. Most available e-books still cost $9.99 or less. Prices on others have crept up to around $13.
The new Kindles are by no means perfect. Amazon faces competition from Sony, Barnes & Noble (Nook) and others that use similar paperlike E Ink display technology. Hovering over them is the iPad and its sexy, color touch-screen.
A closer read:
*Kindle vs. iPad. Amazon’s devices aren’t glamorous. Unlike the iPad, Kindles don’t have color touch-screens, pages that curl like a real book or stunning software bookshelves. Reading periodicals on Kindle isn’t as appealing. The backlit display on the iPad means you can read in the dark, which is beyond Kindle’s capabilities.
Despite all that, I’d still pick Kindle for reading most books where photos and illustrations are scarce. At 8.5 or 8.7 ounces, compared with 1.5 pounds for the iPad, Kindles are lighter and smaller, making them an easy choice when you’re in bed or a cramped coach seat. Kindles are a…