Amazon to launch "Kindle" e-book reader next month

Wireless device to rival the Sony Reader

Amazon Launching "Kindle" E-Book Reader 0

6 September 2007 16:27 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

The New York Times is reporting that Amazon is to launch an e-Book reader. The new device, apparently names the "Kindle" will seriously rival the Sony Reader (pictured) with better, more up to date spec.

Although it will only be able to display pages in black and white, it will boast the neat feature of wireless internet connection for downloads.

Amazon will apparently sell the gadget for between $400 and $500 and bundle some pre-loaded free content - such as reference books with it.

Because of the online connectivity - thought to be via fast EVDO - the Kindle will be able to receive RSS feeds from "major" newspapers too, which should add to its daily use appeal.

It will also feature some kind of keyboard so that users can also use the device to search the wider web, rather than just the Amazon store.

If this all sounds good - there is one major complaint for the proposed product - instead of using the open e-book standard backed by Adobe it will use proprietary "Mobipocket" software.

This means that the e-books to be available as downloads on Amazon.com will only work on their reader - and not Sony's version, arguably the biggest such product currently on the market.

Unrelated, but relevant is that Google are apparently planning to charge people to view full text books that they've indexed which essentially means they will have moved into the e-book market too.

Announced today via the Google blog is that the company has launched the "My Library" feature in their Book Search that lets users create a searchable, customised library online.