It’s been a long wait – at least it certainly feels that way – but Amazon has finally revealed its latest, improved and enhanced Kindle reader. Dubbed the third generation Kindle by Amazon, there are a variety of improvements.

It seems likely that the Kindle 3's new features will tick many of the right boxes with e-book reader devotees. It retains the same 6” e-ink technology display, but the screen contrast has been improved by 50%, which should make reading an even more pleasant experience. The speed of page turns, already good for the Kindle 2.0, has been made 20% quicker.

The outside dimensions of the reader are reduced by 21% and the weight is just 8.7 ozs – 15% lighter. Battery life with the Wi-Fi off is now a month, and even with Wi-Fi turned on a ten day life is expected. On board storage capacity has been increased from 2 to 4 GB, enough for approximately 3,500 books. So the new Kindle is smaller, lighter, easier to read, has a longer battery life and allows users to carry a small personal library with them wherever they go. What more could you wish for in a mobile electronic device?

Many people would, no doubt, have been hoping for a color screen. Amazon have been dedicating a lot of resource to the development of a color e-ink technology screen - but it is not quite ready for commercial release just at the moment. This may perhaps be available in time for the next upgrade. There is no SD slot available for memory expansion - a feature which some users may have hoped for. However, with 4GB memory, the majority of people won’t suffer too badly as a result.

In addition to the various upgrades, Amazon have adjusted the price downwards and introduced a new Wi-Fi only model for those who don’t anticipate the need for a 3G connection. The new entry level Wi-Fi only model can be yours for $ 139, the Wi-Fi plus 3G model retails at $ 189. The new Kindle 3 is also available in graphite, just like the new DX model, in addition to the original white.

Amazon has also launched a dedicated UK Kindle store on their British website. UK consumers will no longer require to have their Kindles shipped from the States. Initially the UK Kindle store will have 400,000 Kindle books available. It seems reasonable to suppose that Amazon may consider opening other dedicated Kindle stores for its other “local” websites in France, Germany etc. in the near future.

Third generation Kindle sales are strong. Prospective customers face a wait of around 4 weeks at the moment before their Kindles can be shipped. It does begin to look as if reports of the Kindle’s demise, as a result of the launch of the Apple iPad, were somewhat premature. The new upgrades, the lower prices and the fact that there is no monthly payment for connectivity, will be very appealing to many consumers. It looks as though the launch of the third generation Kindle may serve as a timely reminder of just how influential Amazon are, and will continue to be, in the world of books in general and e-books in particular