The Kindle sold out July 28, 2010, and on July 29, 2010, Amazon showed off the details for Kindle 3, including the Kindle 3 release date: they ship August 27, 2010. When Amazon dropped the price of the ebook reader in June in response to Barnes and Noble's Nook price drop, an ereader price war broke out, leaving Kobobooks' likeable Kobo reader to struggle for attention. When the Department of Education reported that Kindle was one of the ereaders for college that did not comply with ADA low-vision requirements, Amazon deafened that news with a flashy new DX. As far as ereaders go, the summer of 2010 belongs to Kindle.
Kindle 3 Reviews and Reactions
PC World's Melissa J. Perenson loves the new Kindle 3. In her July 29, 2010 Washington Post review, "Hands On with Amazon's Zippy, Alluring Kindle" Perenson wrote that, "Kindle looks vastly different...the darker border enhances readability, as would be expected given the visual perception a dark border provides. But the display is dramatically better in its own regard... blacks look more solid, and text is smoother." For people who are already comfortable reading ebooks on an ereader, the new accolades for e-ink are interesting. Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 are solid ebook readers, so how much better can e-ink get. According to their Kindle 3 sales page, Amazon says the e-ink has improved 50%.
The most dramatic reaction to Kindle 3 has been from ZDNet's Jason Perlow, who predicted July 28 that, "Amazon Kindle will be the sole survivor of the eReader Apocalypse." In a truly entertaining analysis of the latest Kindle news, Perlow calls Kindle the "crocodile" of the ebook reader era, saying it will remain a steady force among the emerging tablet technology. Perlow says Sony is out of the game, but from a teacher's perspective, the Sony is an excellent choice for a classroom ebook reader.
Ereader for Kids: Kindle vs. Sony
There will be two new Kindles: a wifi-only option and wifi plus the current connection options of 3G. This makes Kindle a good choice for classroom ereaders, because schools that do not allow students to use wireless internet access during class will not have unsecured wifi that kids can connect to during school. Before, the Sony PRS-600 was the main contender for an ebook reader for kids, but the new Kindle features mean that it is time for Kindle vs. Sony.
The Sony has some features the Kindle does not, such as the SD card reader, the touchscreen, and the zoom feature for PDF. Also, the Sony reads Google Books EPUB files, which is easier than having to learn how to convert books for Kindle. As a whole class purchase the Sony is the better choice, but for parents choosing a portable electronic reader for their kids, the Kindle might be a better choice. Amazon will store books in their cloud, so they can be repeatedly downloaded, and the books kids love as teens will go to college with them.
Amazon's home page details the Kindle 3 features, but it looks like it is thinner, faster, and easier to navigate. The Kindle 2 vs. Kindle 3 debate is running Amazon's Kindle forum, but the impressive storage and battery life might be worth selling or returning a new Kindle 2 to exchange for a Kindle 3. The first generation of Kindle ereaders is still going strong and working well, so users can expect to keep a Kindle for a long time.
Alex Sharp - Alex Sharp is a teacher who has been keeping Suite101 readers up to date with the latest in audio- and e-book gadgetry since 2008.
