The latest Kindle, unofficially dubbed the Kindle 3, has started shipping a couple of days ago and the reviews are flooding in.  Overall reviews are very positive, including Amazon’s own customer ratings and industry heavy weights, such as The NY Times, Wired and The Telegraph.  If you believe the reviews, the Kindle 3 is the best eReader that Amazon has produced and the strongest in its category.  There is no doubt that Amazon has taken an already good eReader and made it even better. Nevertheless the Kindle 3 is an evolution, not a revolution, so Kindle 2 owners don’t throw away your old Kindle just yet.

What are the new improvements that Amazon has brought to the table? After opening the Kindle packaging, the first thing that grabs your attention is the size and weight. The Kindle 3 is smaller and lighter than the Kindle 2 and a large numbers of eReaders on the market.  The new Kindle is only 7.5” by 4.8” while maintaining a 6” readable display. The new Kindle also weights in at 8.5 ounces.

Amazon  has made page-turn clicks quieter

Turning on the Kindle 3 also reveals another noticeable improvement, this being the increased contrast for the Kindle display area. A lot of people are wowing about the new Pearl eInk technology integrated into the Kindle, it definitely better, and has real value if you are viewing images and photos. Nevertheless, if you are reading text, the improved contrast falls into the “nice-to-have” category. 

A noticeable addition is that Amazon has added character sets, allowing books to be read in Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.  Initial reviews for the Korean character set are not particularly positive, as can be seen in the Amazon “one-star” reviews, where you will quickly find that the Korean population is well represented. Hopefully, the other languages are better.

Kindle Backlight cover (sold seperately)

Perhaps the most significant improvement in the Kindle is the addition of wi-fi.  Wi-fi connectivity is a welcome addition to the Kindle 3 features as it.  While the browsing with wi-fi is a little sluggish it still provides a much faster browsing experience compared to the 3g.  The connectivity for the Kindle comes in two flavors, the Kindle wi-fi + 3g and the Kindle wi-fi ($139).

The question that remains is “should I rush out and buy a Kindle 3”. An eReader has a number of advantages and disadvantages when compared to normal books.  The near instant delivery of books to your device and the fact that you can hold up to 3,500 books is a real selling point.  However, some people simply like books. They like the way they feel, their smell and seeing them on their bookshelves.  If you need help making up your mind then read our article on whether an eReader is right for you. If you are ready to take the plunge, then look at the different eReaders available on the market in our eReader comparison article.

There is no doubt that the Amazon has improved an already mature product and offers a rich reading experience.  While the Kindle 3 has not produced a startling innovations, a large of small improvements has meant that Amazon has brought to the eReader market a product that is notable better than the Kindle 2.  If you are a Kindle enthusiast or a new comer to the eReader market then the Kindle 3 merits serious consideration as your next purchase.