New Kindles now available for pre-order

You might've heard about a new Kindle model or two this evening, and good news if they tickled your fancy -- they're now on Amazon and available for pre-order. Both the WiFi-only and WiFi / 3G models are shipping August 27th, the former in graphite and the latter in graphite and white options. Search your pocketbook, if you know it to be coveted.

P.S. - UK customers, try here.

[herbie00 Posted Jul 28th 2010 11:37PM]

@Ruben Actually I own the iPad also and find reading on it to be a much better experience still despite the heavier weight. The DX, at $379, is way too high considering you can pick up the iPad, which is much, much more functional for $120 more.

[AdrianWerner Posted Jul 29th 2010 1:49AM]

@herbie00
can understand prefering the wider variety of functions iPad offers, but reading alone? How? iPad is a lot heavier, the screen doesn't provide fonts anywhere near as sharp as Kindle does, it's useless outdoors and has low battery life. I honestly don't see how you could consider reading on iPad to be better experience.

Reading in iPad isn't any different really than reading on any decent laptop.

[herbie00 Posted Jul 29th 2010 2:07AM]

@AdrianWerner Sorry for the confusion. I was comparing reading on the iPad to reading a book.

[Hylic Posted Jul 28th 2010 11:33PM]

I would be nice if they added the ability to read library books on it, at the moment the main advantage that I see that the nook still has over the Kindle is that you can borrow library books.

[Hylic Posted Jul 28th 2010 11:42PM]

@Hylic
It looks like what I posted isn't quite accurate, It seems you can (albeit not directly) put on library books that are in mobi format. What you can't do is put on drm'd pdfs.

[AdhesiveWombat Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:17AM]

@Hylic
What we need is Netboox

[Hylic Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:22AM]

@AdhesiveWombat
I'm not sure I follow, do you mean netbooks?

[AdhesiveWombat Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:33AM]

@Hylic
Well, the book version of Netflix.

[AdhesiveWombat Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:35AM]

@AdhesiveWombat
It would have to free to be effective, seeing as they already have so much money.

[Hylic Posted Jul 29th 2010 1:02AM]

@AdhesiveWombat
OK, there actually are a couple of services for books that operate like Netflix, but I think only for paper books, so I guess it's sort of like Netflix minus the instant streaming.

[TheIndyGamer Posted Jul 29th 2010 10:04AM]

@Hylic so original netflix

[LeonardNemoy Posted Jul 28th 2010 11:51PM]

I love Amazon, and I think the Kindle is a cool product, but I don't have a single friend who has one. I sometimes think that it's marketing propaganda, to say this is the best selling, most wished for, and most gifted item (and highest rated). Anybody else??

I order stuff on Amazon every single week, but have yet to get a Kindle... probably someday, but it's not on my wish list at the moment.

[Crusader Rabbit Posted Jul 28th 2010 11:58PM]

@LeonardNemoy

I have the first Kindle with about 150 books on it. I have yet to see anyone with a Kindle except myself here in Reno, Nevada.

I placed my order for the new Kindle an hour ago. I also found free software is available on-line that will remove the DRM from the Kindle books and also software to convert from most formats to Kindle format.

[YpoCaramel Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:02AM]

@LeonardNemoy Make more friends. I have friends who are Kindle fanatics, even if 75% of my friends no longer read.

[kingofwale Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:06AM]

@LeonardNemoy

depends on your circle of friends. A LOT of my friends have ebook readers, but that's just my social group

[NetNewsercom Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:10AM]

@LeonardNemoy
I agree. I too am a big fan of Amazon. I don't buy anything in actual stores anymore. I just go there to "try before I buy," and then order from Amazon via my iPhone w/ $4 next day delivery. But I really don't see how the Kindle's been the best selling and highest rated product on Amazon for 2 years running. I've never actually seen a kindle in the real world.

Then again, those prices are very tempting... and automatic syncing with my iPad and iPhone... once I see this browser in action, I just might have to order me up one.

[Crusader Rabbit Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:13AM]

@LeonardNemoy

I should also say that I have never seen anyone with nor do I know anyone (besides myself) with an iPad or a Kindle.

[LeonardNemoy Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:24AM]

@YpoCaramel An obvious jab at my number of friends...I feel so alone. So I assume you are saying you believe the Kindle is the best selling, highest rated item of on Amazon then?

Now that the price has come down I could see a surge in sales... but really... best selling item? So more people bought Kindles than copies of Twilight? Just saying... it seems like a stretch!

[decypher44 Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:06AM]

If I had any $$$, I'd preorder the WiFi right now. Being semi-broke sucks!!!

[telejammer Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:13AM]

A little pissed I payed $289 three months ago for my kindle....

I LOVE my Kindle, but Amazon needs to fade their pricing as their product "ages". It was what, two weeks or so that they FINALLY dropped the price on it? Then they introduce a new Kindle? BAH! Amazon, please do a better job this generation with your pricing!!!

[BLEH is my middle name Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:36AM]

Are Kindles any good. I'm really trying to get back into reading, but books are just so annoying to hold compared to my iPhone; however, I find the size of the screen on my iPhone to be sub-optimal for reading books.

[Tagbert Posted Jul 29th 2010 11:16AM]

@BLEH is my middle name
The Kindle is much easier to handle than most books. You never lose your page on a Kindle. The device is small and light and the screen is just the right size for reading.

You can buy a Kindle and try it out. Amazon gives you 30 days to try it, after which, you can return it with no questions asked.

[Lethallax Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:39AM]

Can you use the browser over the 3g? Or wifi only

[Crusader Rabbit Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:43AM]

@Lethallax

I believe either one.

[WilliamNighthawk Posted Jul 29th 2010 1:42AM]

DON'T PANIC!

[thinkthis Posted Jul 29th 2010 2:03AM]

And .....not it is cheap enough. Bought the WiFi model with leather case. Good times.

[thinkthis Posted Jul 29th 2010 2:03AM]

@thinkthis errrrr *now* it is cheap enough. No edit = fail.

[dennisgull Posted Jul 29th 2010 3:31AM]

So when can I order the international kindle?

[brianM Posted Jul 29th 2010 3:41AM]

Thanks engadget! Preordered one alongside the leather case with the built in reading light.

So - any idea when this is upgradeable to Froyo ;-)

[ohayes Posted Jul 29th 2010 3:51AM]

Preordered mine with the leather case with built in light, been waiting ages for the new Kindle to come out, all year in fact I have resisted buying a Kindle 2 for this day.

Can't wait till it arrives at my door!

[sixtool Posted Jul 29th 2010 6:55AM]

i can't wait !!! this is amazing !!

[malexandria1 Posted Jul 29th 2010 7:29AM]

I love using my iPad for reading Comics and now that the WiFi actually works, surfing the web in bed. But I actually find all the apps and everything too distracting for actually reading. So I may go back to my Kindle 2 for long form reading.

[panmanthe2nd Posted Jul 29th 2010 8:02AM]

This is ok...but what I want is a Kindle DX with WiFi and 3G. Also real books are SO much better than any Kindle or iPad will ever be.

[netsql Posted Jul 29th 2010 8:04AM]

froyo?

[Savage3006 Posted Jul 29th 2010 12:09PM]

Hey engadgeters :)
does anyone know if the kindle let's you highlight text when reading something? Because at $139 and lots of books at$9.99 I'm think about gettin one. When I'm reading books I like to highlight important points or ideas.
Another thing, does anyone know if we can by MS books or Apple certification books? A+ comptia books?
If these books are available and $9.99 I'm jumping on this

[ragtag Posted Jul 29th 2010 2:12PM]

This should give Sony the incentive to drop the price of their Pocket Reader to that magic US$99.

If Amazon supported ePub out of the box, and sold non-DRM infested books, I'd buy this in a heartbeat.