Amazon's Kindle 2 Coming EARLY Next Year

by **J The Kidd** Sat Nov 29, 2008 7:38 pm

Remember those leaked Kindle 2 hardware shots from a while back?
Well, they're real, but the rumored release date of sometime this past
October is obviously wrong. Well, it was rumored to be correct, but
sources are now reporting that the new release date is Q1 2009 due to
Amazon head Jeff Bezos wanting a few changes in the software.

The Kindle is one of those strange devices where the high concept
is fantastic: an eBook reader that ties directly into Amazon's huge
selection of eBooks with a built-in (and free) 3G connection, courtesty
of Sprint. Hell, even Oprah loves it. But the questionable design, lack
of support for open and common eBook formats, charge for converting
files not sent to your default Amazon email, and useless cellular
connection when abroad (or in Montana or Alaska, strangely enough) have
limited its appeal. Oh, and it costs $400.00.

We've personally been using Sony's eReader, both the PRS-505 and the
new PRS-700. While they both lack a data connection and have a smaller
selection of books available in Sony's online store, the ability to
freely copy over PDFs and other document formats, as well as including
support for everything from Adobe Digital Editions to the standard ePub
format, makes Sony's readers a bit more palatable. Plus, the PRS-700
has a touchscreen and built-in LED lights for about the same price as
the Kindle.

The eBook market is only going to grow as time goes by, so Amazon
better have an ace up its sleeve if it wants to be the king of digital
reading.