Kindle: The Next Generation

Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines

Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback

Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots

Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required

Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images

Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging

More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books

Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns

Read-to-Me: With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog, and book out loud to you, unless the book is disabled by the rights holder

Large Selection: Over 240,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available

Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise

I fell in love with the Kindle and the entire concept of a digital reader when I first heard about the Kindle 1. I was just blown away with the entire technology and could see that this was the wave of the future.

At the time, I decided I was going to save my pennies and get one within the year. I talked to everyone I could about the digital reader for weeks. I'm an avid reader and have been for most of my life. My bookshelves are filled with favorites, some might say I have my own personal little library in my home. I'm a confessed bibliophile and bibliopole (a person who sells old books). This digital reader seems to be a strong contender for the future of literature and that intrigues me.

First of all, I love that fact that it is "green" and good for the environment. Trees don't have to be cut down to make paper to make a book. It's compact, as thin as a pencil. So I can take it anywhere and it won't take up a lot of space. On vacation, I don't have to take 3 or 4 books to read - I can just download the books to my Kindle and conserve space.

Because it's wireless and works more like a cell-phone, I don't have to be hooked up to anything in order to purchase a book, magazine, or newspaper. So no matter where I am, I can make a purchase and in about 60 seconds I can start to read it! That is just incredible.

I should, at this point, make a confession. I didn't actually purchase the Kindle myself. My dear sweet husband surprised me with it as a gift. (Honestly, I think he probably got tired of hearing me talk about it!) He ordered the Kindle for me in late December and the shipment was scheduled for late February or early March. The nice surprise was that Kindle 2 was released and Amazon automatically upgraded the order and sent me the new 2nd generation.

I can't tell you just how much I love my Kindle. It is so amazing and so easy to use. The text display is very clear and easy to read with no glare. I love the feature where you can make the text larger (nice for us old ladies who need the larger print!). And most books are $9.99 or LESS!

The Kindle DX is scheduled to start shipping around June 10, 2009. This newest generation of Kindle will have a larger screen at 9.7" diagonal versus the current Kindle at 6" diagonal.

The newest generation of Kindle called the DX will also hold 3500 books compared to the 1500 that the Kindle 2 holds.

The price is a hefty $130 more than the Kindle 2 which might deter many from purchasing the newest generation. That remains to be seen by the reaction by the consumers.

Kindle The Next Generation Copyright: March 6, 2009 by BevsPaper (Beverly Owens)