Report: New Kindle due in October
Two new Kindle models are expected to be available on Amazon.com in time for the holiday shipping season, with the first coming as early as October, an "insider" tells CrunchGear.
The soon-to-be-replaced Kindle?
(Credit: Amazon.com)The first model will be an update of the current e-book reader, with the same screen size and an improved interface, according to the tipster. The source told CrunchGear that Amazon has "skipped three or four generations" with the update.
The second new model will be considerably larger, shaped like an 8.5-inch by 11-inch piece of paper, and is expected to be available next year.
Both models are expected to be available in multiple colors, but apparently, no clues were offered on pricing points for the new models.
The Kindle connects to the Web to download books--a feature that separates it from other e-readers that must sync to a PC to load a book. When the e-tailer, dabbling in electronics manufacturing for the first time, introduced the device in late 2007, it immediately sold out of Kindles. This led to speculation that the delays were caused by production problems or were planned deliberately to stoke more demand.
Steven Musil is the night news editor at CNET News. Before joining CNET News in 2000, Steven spent 10 years at various Bay Area newspapers. E-mail Steven. 
- by PhoenixFiresky August 25, 2008 12:47 PM PDT
- As a college student, I'd love to buy Kindle for my textbooks. Due to their weight, I generally leave my texts at home, and having them on the Kindle would let me take them to class. However, before it would be worth the cost, I'd have to be sure that ALL of my textbooks would be available in a Kindle-readable format. Unless Amazon coughs up some absolutely AMAZING deal with the textbook publishers, I don't really see that happening. And since given its price, it's simply not worth buying if only 60-80% of my texts are available, I forsee a long wait before I get one.
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