David Pogue ReKindles Amazon's Hopes for Their E-Reader

"New Kindle Leaves Rivals Farther Back" is the headline in the New York Times, which is the home of serious readers who don't need--never asked for--color. Yes, there's a fervent hallelujah chorus from tech blogs and magazines, but if you're selling a long-form e-reader, the long-form newspaper is where you want to be.

Tech columnist David Pogue weighs in on the next-gen Kindle v. iPad match-up and concludes the two devices are really not for the same audiences, and in fact are more differentiated than ever before: "The Kindle 3 is ingeniously designed to be everything the iPad will never be: small, light and inexpensive."

Thank god, then, for the iPad, because previously the Kindle was not really setting records in two of those three departments, certainly not on price. Now comes a Kindle that measures 7.5 x 4.8 inches, that's only 3/10s of an inch thick, that weighs in at 8.5 ounces--and the Wi-Fi only version subtracts only $140 from your wallet (with 3G, $190).

In one of their context-free news releases, Amazon crows that the new Kindle is selling fast and is their hottest selling product (which is what happens when public relations becomes a marketing plaything). Contrast has increased "50 percent," and battery life is said to be up to a month if you're just reading (no wireless). Downsides: You're still tied to the Kindle's book format, and you can't loan your purchases to other Kindle owners.