The Amazon Kindle is arguably the biggest selling eBook reader currently in the market. With the second-generation Kindle seeing the introduction of 3G, this handy device has become popular in many countries with South Africa joining the fray (thanks to Have2Have of course).

Amazon has been hard at work analysing customer feedback to make design refinements and improvements to the new generation of Kindles hitting the market. The latest third-generation Kindle has undergone a huge transformation which has seen a number of changes including ergonomics, size, screen, and even new colours.

Overall Design
Starting off with the overall size of the device, the designers have manage to make it 79% smaller than the previous model which in turn makes it easier for you to store away while travelling. The screen size has not changed but since the border around the screen has shrunk it gives you the feeling of having more screen real estate than before. The Kindle is also 15% lighter and weighs in at just under 250grams.

There has been a redesign of all buttons, improvements to the keyboard, and the 5-way joystick has been changed to a square button layout. There are now page forward and back buttons located on both sides of the 6-inch screen making it usable in both the left and right hands.

In order to make it more comfortable to hold, Amazon has incorporated a soft textured backing on to the device which also disperses any heat build-up.

New Screen
Designers have added the latest in E-Ink screens to the Kindle. These screens boast faster refresh rates, up to 50% higher contrast ratios, which allow for the display of smoother text together with sharper images. The higher refresh rate means that the Kindle feels more responsive which is especially noticeable when ‘turning’ pages.

Connectivity
The 6-inch Kindle is now available in two models. The first model has both Wi-Fi and 3G. Due to the popularity of other Wi-Fi only readers, Amazon has introduced a lower cost model which just supports Wi-Fi.

Colours
The Kindle model with 3G is available in the classic White and Graphite (same as on the new Kindle DX model). The Wi-Fi only model is only available in Graphite.

Memory
The internal memory has been double to 4GB which allows you to store up to 3500 books.

Battery
The third-generation Kindle will provide up to about 10 days of continuous use on a single charge with the wireless turned on. With it turned off, you should get about one month’s use. These improvements have been a result of hardware and software changes but the battery technology has remained the same.

Software
The new Kindle ships with an experimental WebKit-based browser which should improve the user experience even further. The built-in PDF reader has also been improved and offers landscape and portrait views, zooming, and an option to convert the PDF into the native Kindle format.

You can now choose between three different fonts (standard Caecilia, Condensed Caecilia, and Sans Serif) to use when displaying books, newspapers, and anything else you are reading. Another nice function is the ability to adjust line spacing.

Accessories
As can be expected, a new range of custom-fit accessories are available to pre-order including new leather covers which are available in a variety of colours in addition to the option of having a built-in light.

Preorder your new Kindle from Have2Have.co.za :

Wifi & 3G Model:
Graphite:  http://www.have2have.co.za/product/Kindle-Reading-Device-3G-Wi-Fi-6-Display-Graphite-Intern/96042/
White:       http://www.have2have.co.za/product/Kindle-Reading-Device-3G-Wi-Fi-6-Display-White-Internati/96041/

Wifi Only Model:
Graphite:  http://www.have2have.co.za/product/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Device-Wi-Fi-6-Display-Graphite-L/96043/