Tech analysts expect Amazon.com (AMZN) to open the cover on Kindle 2

Get ready for the next chapter. Tech analysts expect Amazon.com (AMZN) to open the cover on Kindle 2, the second generation of its groundbreaking electronic reader. On Tuesday, Amazon invited members of the media to "an important" news conference Feb. 9 at New York City's Morgan Library & Museum.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is expected to attend. But Amazon won't reveal the plot. "We are not sharing details," Amazon director of communications Drew Herdener wrote in an e-mail. The company has said there will be a new version of Kindle sometime this year.
Paperback-size e-book readers such as the Kindle or rival Sony Reader let bookworms cart a boatload of titles — more than 200 in the case of the first Kindle. But Kindle's real advance was in its wireless Whispernet network (built on top of Sprint's speedy EV-DO wireless network). Readers could search for and sample books, blogs and periodicals (including USA TODAY) right on the device and purchase new content in under a minute. Best sellers typically cost $9.99.
Amazon won't disclose Kindle sales. Mark Mahaney, director of Internet research at Citigroup Investment Research, estimates Amazon sold about 400,000 units last year and that Kindle hardware and book sales will contribute about $1 billion to Amazon's revenue in 2010. "It's pretty clear this is the iPod of the book world," he says. Mahaney also expects the new Kindle to drop to around $300, from $359. Minor design glitches will likely also be addressed. Pundits have criticized Kindle for its clumsy button layout and homely appearance.
Amazon underestimated demand for the first Kindle, which is still difficult to come by. Amazon's website says Kindle is sold out due to "heavy customer demand." Orders are expected to be shipped in four to six weeks, the website indicates.
What isn't clear, of course, is whether buyers will receive the first Kindle or the sequel. Whatever Amazon trots out, Tim Bajarin, president of the Creative Strategies consulting firm, doesn't expect shortages to be a major issue. "This time they at least know what the sales cycles have looked like," Bajarin says. "I have to believe they're going to be smarter about building and managing inventory."

Amazon's Kindle 2.0 could have color screen, longer battery life, sleeker design..

Is a Kindle 2.0 on the way? Amazon.com today set the stage for fingers to start tapping out online rumors about a new version of its e-book reader. The Seattle company sent out invitations for a Feb. 9 press event at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York. The last time Amazon held such an event was in 2007 to introduce the Kindle.
"We're fairly sure that it will be a new Kindle, one that will feature a color screen and a better battery life," said Richard Doherty, a consumer electronics analyst with the Envisioneering Group.
Doherty, who keeps close tabs on companies that supply parts for the Kindle and other devices, said Amazon had been working for much of 2008 on a successor to its unexpectedly popular reading device. But Amazon's plans to release the product in time for Christmas were derailed when the online merchant was overwhelmed with orders, Doherty said. As a result, those who ordered a Kindle in December were told to wait until February or March for the device.
The Boy Genius Report has some photos it says are of the next version of the Kindle.
Another possible change: a sleeker design that relocates the page-forward and page-back buttons so users would be less likely to hit them accidentally. That's a major complaint about the current Kindle, said Tim Bajarin, electronics analyst with Creative Strategies.

You ready for Kindle 2.0?

Amazon has sent out word of a press event Feb. 9 at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York. The last time it did something like this, it was for the release of the original Kindle in Nov. 2007.
The new device is expected to update the Kindle's rather clunky looks and add some design touches aimed at making it easier to use. It should probably get the color screen treatment but it's unclear if it will go to a touch screen. One of the gripes has been inadvertent page turns, which most observers expect will get addressed.
The Boy Genius Report has some pictures (featured above) from last fall that show a new Kindle with rounded edges and buttons.
Despite its awkward looks, the Kindle has sold well even at its $359 price, down from its original $399 price. Amazon sold more than 250,000 units in the first year and the device is still shipping with a 4-6 week delay.
People have enjoyed the way the Kindle offers easy access to 225,000 books, which can be downloaded wirelessly over a cellular connection. The Kindle, however, faces competition from Sony's eReader and also down the road from devices like the iPhone and iPod Touch.