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Since its original release back in 2007, Amazon’s Kindle reader has consistently been the best e-book reader available 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”. This is due to the fact that the Kindle was, and still is, the industry benchmark.

The recent launch of the enhanced third generation Kindle reader has widened the gap between Amazon’s reader and the trailing pack even further. It’s worth noting that the latest, and quite possibly most credible, Kindle killer isn’t another e-book reader but the Apple iPad. This is a very different device with a much higher price tag and, when looked at as an e-book reader, one which suffers in a number of areas in comparison with the Kindle.

The new enhancements include extended battery life, a doubling of memory capacity, quicker page turns, an enhanced PDF reader and a higher contrast display. The device retains the same 6″ display, but in a smaller, lighter case - which now comes in either white or graphite. Amazon has also unveiled a Wi-Fi only entry level Kindle for customers who don’t anticipate the need for a 3G connection. This is on sale at just $ 139 - very close to the $ 99 value commonly held to be impulse buy territory for personal electronics. The 3G plus Wi-Fi model is priced at $ 189.

In addition to all these good enhancements, which reinforce the Kindle’s position as the best of the e-book readers, Amazon opened a UK version of the Kindle store. UK customers will no longer require to have an “international” Kindle shipped from the USA. Admittedly, this generally took no more than a few days but, coupled with buying in a foreign currency, it may have been enough of a mental barrier to deter some potential customers. Amazon has just launched a major television advertising campaign in the United Kingdom and it may be that this, together with the “local” UK Kindle store could produce a lot of sales for them. In the event that this proves to be a success, we might see additional local Kindle stores being opened for Germany, France and the other countries with their own Amazon websites.

Following the release of the Kindle 3, Amazon has sold out of Kindles yet again. 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. Based on the current level of sales, there is little evidence that demand for the Kindle is diminishing - hardly surprising considering the quality of the device.

Up until now, reports of the death of the Kindle have always been premature, and that still seems to be very much the case. The Kindle and the iPad are completely different devices and there’s very little point in trying to compare them with each other. The Kindle is, by a long way, the best e-book reader available on the market. That’s why it will survive and continue to sell well – and also why Amazon will remain a dominant force in the digital publishing market in future. Some people will continue to read traditional books, both hardbacks and paperbacks. Some people will switch to an e-book reader, in which case the Amazon Kindle will be the first choice (as will Kindle books). Others will be more interested in surfing the net on the go, maybe reading the occasional e-book - and they will probably go for an iPad. You will be able to get your reading material from Amazon, whatever your personal preference is.