Amazon has responded to the glut of competitive e-readers, lowering the price of its Kindle and making it available around the world.
In the United States, the second-generation Kindle is now $259, down from $299. The larger Kindle DX, which has a 9.7-inch screen compared to the Kindle's 6-inch display, remains priced at $489.
Overseas, the Kindle will be available in over 100 countries, and will cost $279. Pre-orders orders start today, and the device ships on October 19. The Mirror reports that the Kindle DX will ship internationally next year.
Over the last couple of months, Amazon's been feeling some heat from several competitors. Chief among them, at least in the U.S., is Sony, which has spruced up its e-reader line with two new devices, and will launch a third in December. These devices range from $199 for a 5-inch display to $399 for a 7-inch touch screen with Wi-Fi. The Kindle's inclusion of Wi-Fi could give it an advantage over Sony, even if it lacks a touch screen, though savvy users might notice Sony e-readers' ability to access content from public libraries.
Other contenders to the e-reader market, in the United States and overseas, include Cool-er, which offers low-end readers with MP3 and PDF support, and iRex, whose line of e-readers tend to be more expensive and carry premium features.
The biggest threat, however, could come from Asus, which is planning both a no-frills budget e-reader and a premium model with dual touch screens. Like the company's netbooks, these readers could make the competition sweat on price without compromising too much on features.
For now, though, Amazon's dip below $300 makes it a top pick, especially with its support for wireless. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a third-generation Kindle from Amazon next year, but this price cut should maintain Amazon's dominance until then.
