New Kindle: What to expect, and what we'd like

As Amazon gears up to launch an additional, larger version of its Kindle e-book reader later this morning, here are highlights of what to expect, by all reports, plus a little of what we hope to see from the new device:

• A big-screen version of the existing Kindle 2. Leaked, if indistinct, pictures of the device from Engadget suggest no radical makeover. Rather, it appears to resemble the current Kindle, but have more screen–reportedly 9.7 inches, versus 6 inches for the Kindle 2. That will be better to display newspaper or other large-format pages. It may also make the new device more appealing than the Kindle 2 even to readers of regular books. (One colleague in the office has already expressed buyers' remorse over their recent Kindle 2 purchase.)



• A better browser. If true, as the Wall Street Journal reports (WSJ.com subscription is required), this is welcome. The browser on the first two Kindles was kept under an "Experimental" tab to reduce expectations. Aptly so; having, er, experimented more with it lately on the Kindle 2, I found myself unable to get to Web pages I wanted in any easy manner. A more robust browser promises to bring the Kindle closer to the Web-surfing ease of, say, a netbook or smartphone.



• More textbook content. The Journal story reports that textbook publishers will make more titles available for Kindle, and some colleges will begin pilot programs to have students use the device, rather than paper books, for coursework. E-book readers have considerable and, to date, mostly undeveloped potential for students. Developments like those reported for the new Kindle promise to begin aligning readers with the rise of paperless textbook solutions like PDFs and the like at many campuses. (The new Kindle also will build in a PDF reader, according to Engadget. That promises to eliminate the current requirement to convert these to a Kindle-friendly format before they can be read on the device.)

No reports yet on the price of the new device. Given that the $359 price tag for the Kindle 2 was perhaps its biggest drawback, it will be interesting to see if the new device is priced still-higher–as is likely–or priced the same, with the Kindle 2 then reduced in price.

That strategy might anger recent Kindle buyers–and make my colleague even more remorseful. But it would also allow a gadget that's been premium-priced to reach a little more deeply into the mainstream. –Paul Reynolds