11 September 2007

Amazon 'set to introduce e-book reader'

In October Amazon will launch an electronic book reader called Kindle, according to reports in the New York Times.

Insiders told the publication that the device will be priced at between $400 and $500 and will allow users to wirelessly connect to an e-book store on Amazon's website.

The online retailer has been developing the Kindle for some time but has delayed its release on a number of occasions over the last year.

It is believed the device will be able to download books as well as to browse the internet without connecting to a computer.

People who have seen the new technology say that Amazon will introduce incentives for customers, such as free reference books and the opportunity to subscribe to feeds from major newspapers.

The Kindle also reportedly has a keyboard in order to allow users to annotate books and to browse the internet.

However, not everybody is convinced by the market potential of e-book devices, with some experts expressing reservations.

Research director at Jupiter Research Michael Gartenberg told the New York Times: "Books represent ... pretty good value for consumers. They can display them and pass them to friends and they understand the business model.

"We have had dedicated e-book devices on the market for more than a decade and the payoff always seems to be just a few years away."

Amazon recently topped an IMRG-Hitwise Hot Shops List of the 50 most popular UK e-tailers.

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