Kindle 3 ships, gets early positive reviews

(Amazon)

On August 25, Amazon's new Kindle 3 e-reader began shipping to North American and UK customers who had been among the first to order the device. Early positive reviews call the e-reader "everything the iPad will never be" and "a winner that shoots to the head of the pack."

Amazon has been offering its Kindle devices since 2007 and has managed to hold onto a large portion of the e-reader market despite increasing competition. On the day it began shipping the newest devices, Amazon announced that the Kindle 3 was its fastest-selling device yet - a feat likely due in part to a rise in digital reading driven mainly by the Kindle itself.

The third-generation Kindle is smaller, lighter, and available in both Wi-Fi/3G and Wi-Fi-only versions.

Among reviews, PC World calls it "the first e-reader in months that's left me wanting to read more" and "a winner that shoots to the head of the pack," while PC Advisor says its set of upgrades "vaults it to the top of the e-book reader category."

While the Kindle is competing with a variety of other readers, including major contenders such as the Nook, Kobo, and Sony e-readers, the device's stiffest competition may come in the form of the iPad, Apple's tablet computer. Wired, however, remarked that Kindle's "continued popularity bodes well for the future of single-purpose long-form reading devices," while The New York Times reviews, "[The Kindle 3] is ingeniously designed to be everything the iPad will never be: small, light and inexpensive."

Among negative points, CNET notes the device's lack of support for ePub files. All books in the Kindle Store are available exclusively in Amazon's proprietary format, a feature that is frequently cited by reviewers as one of its biggest drawbacks.

The Kindle 3 has a 6-inch-size reading area, measures 7.5 by 4.8 by 0.3 inches (190 mm x 123 mm x 8.5 mm), and weighs 8.5 ounces (about 245 grams). Other small, lightweight e-reading devices include dedicated readers such as the Sony Reader Pocket Edition and the COOL-ER e-reader, as well multi-fictional devices such as the Blackberry, Android phones, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

On August 25, Amazon said Kindle 3 e-readers ordered the same day would be shipped by September 17 to the US, UK, and Canada. Delivery information for other countries is indicated during the buying process.

Find out more: http://www.amazon.com