Steve Jobs definitely knows how to put on a show. Apple unveiled their newest creation, the iPad yesterday. Aside from being a very nicely designed tablet computer, Apple’s iPad will also serve as an e-book reader.

Apple’s entry into the e-book market is a direct challenge the Amazon’s Kindle which has dominated the e-book market over the past couple years. Now it looks like Amazon has some catching up to do.

Apple’s iPad works like a regular computer. You can browse the internet, listen to music and read books. You can think of it as an entertainment hub. Amazon’s Kindle is a more simplified device. The Kindle basically only does one thing, but it does it really well. It allows you to read books on the go. The Kindle makes it very easy to get books from Amazon’s store (wirelessly with no internet fee). (more…)

Amazon introduced the 2nd version of its popular Kindle today, calling it Kindle 2.

Amazon’s original version has been out of stock for months after Oprah Winfrey endorsed it before the holiday season. This is the second time demand has outpaced the supply. Can this new Kindle generate the same amount of excitement?

New Features in Amazon’s new Kindle 2:

• Improved Battery Life: 25% Longer. “…read for up to two weeks on a single charge.”
• Better Designed: thinner - 1/3 of an inch and more sleek design.
• More Storage: 2GB Internal. Holds over 1,500 books.
• Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns.
• Read-to-Me: New Text-to-Speech feature. Will read books out loud to you.

Click see all of Amazon Kindle 2′s specifications

Here are some of the nice advantages of the Kindle that have stayed the same:

• Free Internet: No monthly bills. You can browse the internet using their basic browser.
• Over 230,000 Books: …and counting
• Low Cost Books: New York Times Bestsellers are still $9.99
• Quick Downloads: Most of the books download wirelessly within 1-minute.
• Free Samples: You can get free samples, usually a chapter or two, for each book.
• Email Your Kindle Personal Documents: You can send PDF or Word Documents.
• Listen to Music: Probably not a replacement for your iPod however.

I’ve been using the Kindle for over a year now and have been very pleased. Unfortunately, the version I have now is officially the “old version.” I’ll probably be tempted into getting this version eventually – that is, if they don’t end up selling out again.

If you’re like me and do a lot of random reading on a variety of subjects you’ll love the Kindle. I used to carry 2 or 3 books in my bag everyday and now I just carry the Kindle. Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon) is probably alleviating thousands from future back problems. Thank you Jeff.

So what would you like to see in the next Kindle, Kindle 3.0? Feel free to post your comments on new features you’d like to see…