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It’s been a long time coming – or at least that’s how it feels – but Amazon has finally unveiled its latest, upgraded and enhanced Kindle reader. Dubbed the third generation Kindle by Amazon, but more likely to be known as the Kindle 3, there are a number of changes in evidence.

The new upgrades of the third generation Kindle seem likely to please e-book reader fans. 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. Memory has been doubled to 4 GB, enough for approximately 3,500 books. The new Kindle is lighter, smaller, has a better display, a longer battery life and lets users take a small personal library with them when they are out and about. What more could you want from a mobile reader?

Many people would, no doubt, have been hoping for a color screen. However, whilst Amazon have been working on a color e-ink technology display, it simply isn’t ready for commercial release at this time. This may perhaps be available in time for the next upgrade. Some users may have liked to see the inclusion of an SD slot for memory expansion. Nevertheless, considering that the memory capacity is now at 4GB, most people won’t suffer too much as a consequence of this.

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 opened a dedicated UK Kindle store on their British website. UK consumers will no longer require to have their Kindles shipped across the Atlantic. In the first instance the UK Kindle store will have 400,000 Kindle books to choose from. It seems quite likely that Amazon will also be opening dedicated Kindle stores for its other “local” websites in Germany, France etc. in the near future.

The Kindle 3 seems to be in high demand. Prospective customers face a wait of around 4 weeks at the moment before their Kindles can be shipped. It does start to look as if reports of the Kindle’s imminent demise at the hands of Apple’s 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