As expected, Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) introduced its new Kindle this morning. Kindle 2 won't be available for another two weeks, but there are plenty of reasons to warm up to the new e-book reader.
Version 2.0 retains most of the popular features of the original Kindle, which Oprah Winfrey gushed about four months ago. It still relies on Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) 3G connectivity to deliver books without the need for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Purchased books still get zapped into the reader in less than 60 seconds. It's also sticking to the same $359 price point.
But alongside those familiar features, there are also plenty of welcome enhancements:
- The new model is more compact than the original. It's as thin as a magazine and weighs less than a paperback.
- With two gigabytes of storage, it offers improved capacity of roughly 1,500 titles (vs. 200 for the previous model).
- Its display screen is improved, now offering 16 shades of gray (versus four) so images appear sharper.
- Battery life is now 25% longer.
- A "text-to-speech" feature allows the Kindle to read aloud any book, magazine, blog, or newspaper.
That last point is huge. Style freaks may love the ergonomic enhancements, but I think the "read-to-me" option will really push the Kindle into the mainstream.
I'm not saying that we're all audiobook junkies who hate physical reading. I also realize that speech synthesizers are a joke compared to rich human voices. However, the real sticking point with many potential Kindle owners is that they don't always have a lot of time to read. A Kindle may work for mass-transit commuters on the bus, trains, or subways, but what about the majority of us who actually drive, bike, or walk to work? We can't afford to stare at a screen.
There's a reason why Sirius XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) has roughly 19 million subscribers. It's no surprise to see more cars adding audio jacks for Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPods. Even Cracker Barrel (Nasdaq: CBRL) stocks audiobooks at its general stores. In short, drivers love audio. So while the new Kindle's "read-to-me" feature may be experimental, I think it'll prove a major selling point.
It remains to be seen whether Kindle's first wave of early adopters will take to the updated model. Amazon isn't offering rebates or trade-ins -- just allowing original owners a first crack at getting the new Kindles if they order in the next two days.
Either way, Amazon has raised the bar here. Rivals like Sony (NYSE: SNE), which may have taken advantage of the Kindle outage that began in mid-November to nab holiday market share, will have a real juggernaut to tackle later this month.
The Kindle is now better, with a wider library of available titles, and Winfrey-approved to boot. In short, I think its debut marks another exciting chapter for Amazon.
Other page-turners in the Kindle saga:
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