gdgt

I really see them splitting the product line. They really need to get an eink kindle down under the $99 mark. It can be add supported but it needs to get under the 3 digit price so that it becomes an easily giftable item. I am not sure that a touch screen is really important in that price range unless they can keep the price down or someone else releases a reader at the same price point with it.

On the other hand a tablet would be a good replacement for the DX. The DX has been a too large device at way to high a price point. At $379 you are just way to expensive as the first gen ipad referb is the same price. While you may get longer batterylife on the DX you don't get color, you don't get applications, and the kindle app on the ipad pretty much eats your lunch other than the lack of the eink display.

If Amazon could get a tablet that has both an eink and normal lcd display such that you could use the normal android tablet but when you want to use the kindle app it would shut down the "tablet" part and the lcd and switch to an eink display giving you a huge batterylife then you may have something to talk about. But then it isn't so much a kindle as a tablet with a kindle add on. But how does Amazon make that product cost less than the iPad and how much do they have to spend to get a core set of applications that are rock solid and designed to run on a tablet instead of bad phone apps that are scaled for the larger screen? Android tablets right now are not taking off because they have a less than stellar user experience. I am not sure slapping the Kindle name on it is going to change that.

I really hope not. I have no interest in owning another Tablet and the new Nook is what the Kindle 3 really should've been 2 years ago. Now I'm not against Amazon for releasing a Tablet at all but I would really like to see a refresh for the Kindle soon because using buttons to navigate the menu just feels so clunky compared to a capacitive touchscreen device.

I am hoping for a product line split as well- a durable, inexpensive eInk Kindle and a basic color tablet with tie ins to Amazon's video and music streaming.

Just my opinion, but I suspect I'm not alone in this: I think you can count on Amazon keeping the e-ink version of the Kindle, though I expect it will become touch screen e-ink, like the new Nook.

But I can't wait to see whatever they cook up for a proper tablet!

I think Amazon is likely to offer an eink Kindle 3 at a low price and either refresh the DX or replace it with a color tablet that is competitive with the new color Nook. Maybe they'll refresh the DX and do the color tablet! It will be interesting to see what transpires.

Does anyone have solid information on when the new Kindle will be released -- @duanepaterson, you mentioned November - or is this all speculation?

I don't have an ereader or tablet yet and would be interested in waiting for a new eink reader from Amazon if it is likely to have a touch screen and improved features on the Nook 2 (such as less flashing/ghosting on page turns)- does anyone think this is likely? I would prefer to get on the Amazon system since investing in B&N seems a little risky. Anyone have more information on the potential for a tablet v. ink reader for the next Kindle?

It doesn't seem like the $99 threshold would be crucial given that the current Kindle is already $114, so are they really likely to drop the price on the current Kindle soon without making any improvements?

Right now its everything, rumors have the next Kindle being an iPad killer, the cheapest coolest thing ever...