Since it was first released way back in November of 2007, the Amazon Kindle reader has consistently been the best e-book reader on the market. That's why it has had such a great deal of success up to now. Back in 2009, when almost all the electronics manufacturers was rushing to get an e-book reader of their own to market, any new reader which showed the slightest promise was instantly dubbed the "Kindle Killer". The simple reason for this is that the Kindle was, and still is, the industry benchmark.

The recent release of the enhanced third generation Kindle reader has opened the gap between Amazon’s reader and the trailing pack even further. It’s worthy of note that the latest Kindle killer isn’t even an e-book reader at all, but Apple’s iPad. This is a completely different type of device, with a much higher selling price and - when considered as an e-book reader - a device which suffers in a number of areas compared to the Kindle.

The latest improvements include a doubling of memory from 2 to 4 GB, a higher contrast display, 20% faster page turns and an extended battery life. The same 6" display is now housed in a smaller, lighter case - which is now offered in a choice of graphite or white. Amazon has also launched an entry level reader with Wi-Fi only for those who don’t envisage the need for a 3G connection. This is being sold for $ 139 - pretty close to the $ 99 impulse buy level for personal electronics. The Wi-Fi plus 3G model costs $ 189.

Almost unnoticed amongst the numerous technical enhancements, Amazon opened an independent Kindle store for UK customers. UK residents will now be able to purchase their readers locally instead of having an international version shipped from the States. This only took a few days to do - but some customers may have been put off by exchange rates and having to use a credit card (debit cards are more common in the UK). Amazon has just launched a major television advertising campaign in the UK and it may be that this, together with the “local” UK Kindle store could generate a lot of sales for them. Should this prove to be a successful strategy for Amazon, they will probably open other Kindle stores for countries such as France and Germany who also have their own local Amazon Web stores.

Shortly after the release of the third generation Kindle Amazon had, for the umpteenth time, sold out of the devices. Customers are waiting for three to four weeks before their Kindles can be shipped and readers are being despatched on a first come first served basis. Looking at the present levels of sales, there's no evidence that demand for the Kindle is falling.

Reports of the Kindle’s demise have proven to be premature in the past, and that is still the case. There’s no point comparing the Kindle with the iPad, they are very different devices. The Kindle is, far and away, the best e-book reader on the market. That's why it will not only survive, but continue to sell very well - and it's also why Amazon will remain an influential player in the future of the digital publishing market. There will be {many people who prefer to keep reading traditional printed books - both hardback and paperback editions}. Some people will transfer to an e-book reader, in which case the Amazon Kindle will be the number one choice (as will Kindle books). Yet others will be chiefly concerned with surfing the net and watching videos when they're on the move, reading an e-book from time to time - and they will probably find the iPad to be the best solution for their needs. Whichever category you fall into, you will be able to buy your reading material from Amazon.