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Since it was first released way back in November of 2007, the Amazon Kindle reader has consistently been the best e-book reader on the market. That is the reason behind its success to date. At the end of 2009, it seemed as if every personal electronics manufacturer was trying to secure a share of the nascent e-book reader market - and any new reader was immediately christened the “Kindle Killer”. The reason for this is that the Kindle was, and still remains, the industry benchmark.

The recent release of the improved third generation Kindle reader has opened the gap between Amazon’s reader and the following 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 totally different type of device, which sells for considerably more than the Kindle and - looked at as a pure e-book reader (an unfair comparison) - doesn’t measure up to the Kindle in certain areas.

The latest improvements include a doubling of memory from 2 to 4 GB, a higher contrast display, 20% faster page turns and an extended battery life. The device retains the same 6″ display, but in a smaller, lighter case - which now comes in either white or graphite. Amazon has also released an entry level Wi-Fi only model Kindle for customers who do not have need of a 3G connection. This is priced at just $ 139 – getting close to the $ 99 impulse buy threshold for personal electronic devices. The 3G plus Wi-Fi model is priced at $ 189.

Almost unnoticed amongst the numerous technical enhancements, Amazon opened an independent Kindle store for UK customers. UK residents will no longer need to get an “international” Kindle shipped across the Atlantic. To be fair, this only took a few days - but for some customers the simple act of dealing in a foreign currency may have been off putting. Amazon has just launched a major television advertising campaign in the UK and it may be that this, in conjunction with the “local” UK Kindle store could generate 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.

It wasn’t long after the Kindle 3 was released before Amazon had, once again, sold out of Kindles. At the moment, customers are faced with a three to four week wait before their readers will ship. Looking at the present levels of sales, there’s no evidence that demand for the Kindle is falling.

In the past, reports of the Kindles death were always premature, and that still seems to be the case today. 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 far the best e-book reader on the market right now. 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 prefer to continue to read conventional printed books - whether in hardback or paperback format. Others 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. Whichever category you fall into, you will be able to buy your reading material from Amazon.