Reports that a new Stephen King book will be exclusively available on Amazon's much-anticipated Kindle 2.0 have whipped consumers into a frenzy.
The best-selling horror author reportedly will give the e-tailer first rights to an upcoming novel ahead of a general release, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Last month, Amazon sent out a media alert about an upcoming press conference regarding the new Kindle launch, which will be hosted by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in New York.
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 that at 10.3 ounces, the Kindle is lighter and thinner than most paperbacks and fits easily in one hand.
In addition, Kindle's built-in memory stores hundreds of books. 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 retail for $9.99, a good deal cheaper than their physical counterparts.
