NEW YORK — is releasing a slimmer version of its Kindle electronic reading device, but it still costs $359 — making it unclear how mainstream even an improved Kindle can be during a brutal recession. Rather than lowering the price, Amazon touted several upgrades to the e-book reader and a novella from Stephen King that will be available exclusively for the device.
The new Kindle is to begin shipping Feb. 24, with owners of the first Kindle at the front of the line if they want to upgrade.
Kindle 2 is a bit more than one- third of an inch thick — about half the first Kindle — and its 6-inch screen can display 16 shades of gray. It will be able to read text aloud from two small speakers on the back, and it can store 1,500 books.
The Associated Press; Getty Images photo
