Good news, Kindle fans. Amazon is set to launch an updated version of its wildly popular e-book reader on Feb. 9, according to Internet chatter.
Amazon sent e-mails to the media about an upcoming press conference to be hosted by founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in New York City, The New York Times reported.
Due to heavy customer demand, Kindle has been sold out since November 2008. A look at Amazon's site said the electronic reading device costs $359 and gives an expected ship date of four to six weeks, from an earlier ship estimate of between 11 to 13 weeks.
The wireless book downloading device debuted three years ago and has retained its popularity ever since, thanks to big-name boosters such as Oprah Winfrey, who has promoted the e-reader on her show and helped lead to the Kindle's sellout.
Amazon touts Kindle's mobility and says, at 10.3 ounces, the Kindle is lighter and thinner than most paperbacks and fits easily in one hand. Kindle's built-in memory stores hundreds of books. In addition, a copy of each purchased book is backed up online in a media library. Currently, the Kindle Store carries more than 225,000 books plus newspapers, magazines and blogs. Books on The New York Times Best Sellers list and new releases are $9.99, a good deal cheaper than their physical counterparts.
Since BoyGenius leaked photos of what it said is the new Kindle on Oct. 3, 2008, its Web site has been deluged by Kindle fans clamoring for more information.
According to BoyGenius, the new reader has significantly smaller buttons to avoid accidental page turning. A joystick now takes the place of the scroll wheel. Based on the leaked pictures, BoyGenius noted that the back of the Kindle is mostly metal with the speakers at the bottom. In addition, Kindle seems to have done away with its own charger, and the Kindle 2 is able to be charged with a mini USB cable, according to the site.
