PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Online retail giant Amazon has launched the latest generation of the Kindle e-reader and is also bringing it to the British market for the first time.
The world’s largest online retailer will sell the new lighter version of the Kindle in the UK from the 27th of August at a cost of £149 for the 3G version and £109 for the wi-fi version. The 3G-equipped version will download books via the Vodaphone network with no service charges, while the new wi-fi only version will need to connect to the internet via a wireless access point.
Amazon’s Kindle Store will sell over 400,000 books in electronic download format but the Kindle can also be used to access over a million out of copyright books. Unlike other devices such as the Apple iPad, the Kindle uses a high-contrast E-Ink black and white screen specifically designed to be easy on the eye. The new version of the Kindle also increases page turn times over the previous model.
The e-reader market has become increasingly competitive since Amazon launched the first generation Kindle in the US market. Rival booksellers such as Borders and Barns & Noble also offer similar devices. The new Kindle is priced aggressively and with a better quality screen and a slimmer and lighter design, the new Kindle should do even better than its successful predecessors.
Amazon also offer a Kindle application for Android and iPhone devices which also allows downloading of Kindle titles through an Amazon account.
Meanwhile the Kindle is available from Amazon.co.uk for pre-order.
