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Amazon Unveils New Third-Generation Kindle For $139

Just weeks after lowering the price of the Kindle e-book reader from $259 to $189, Amazon Wednesday unveiled a fully revamped Kindle. It's sleeker, better looking, easier on the eyes — and starts at $139. This new Kindle, Amazon's third generation, is smaller by 21 percent, and 15 percent lighter too. It has much improved contrast, 50 percent better than before, answering a significant complaint among dead-tree purists who compared the device's e-ink screen unfavorably to real paper. It's available in two colors: graphite and white. It looks like the Nook might be up for a refresh or a price drop.

To date, all Kindles have used a wireless connection to a 3G network to get books and manage subscriptions. The new ones have Wi-Fi inside, so that people at home or at a coffee shop could log on via that network instead. One Kindle still costs $189, and has both 3G wireless and Wi-Fi inside. The cheaper $139 model only connects through Wi-Fi — and only comes in graphite. If the $139 price helps keep Kindle from being confused with an iPad, it also places it firmly in the ultra-competitive range with other e-book readers. The Wi-Fi-only version of the Barnes & Noble Nook and Sony's Pocket Edition Reader both sell for $149 at the moment, but will probably have to drop a tad. Or more than a tad.

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Posted by | Wed, Jul 28, 2010 - 08:27 PM