Google to Release New Kindle Competition

Jimi's Kindle

The release of the Story HD, Google's eReader, is just days away. On July 17, 2011, it will be sold in Target stores for $139. The new eReader comes equipped with a QWERTY keyboard and WiFi capabilities. Though the new device isn't yet ready to be serious competition for Amazon's Kindle, more eBook readers mean more support for digital books. That's a good thing.

Today, I puffed beneath the weight of the overflowing box of books as I lugged it toward the back of Half-Price Books. The thump of the box on the buy counter brought only relief, despite the fact that it signaled my parting with long-time friends—the survivors of the downsizing from previous moves. An amazing device has prompted the dramatic reduction in my paper book collection.

When Amazon announced the launch of the Kindle, it was my dream device come true. I love both reading and gadgets, so nothing could be better than combining the two. I could see the end of packing a stack of books for each trip, choosing purses based on whether a book would fit in them, and breaking my back moving multiple bookshelves worth of books every few years. On June 6, 2008, I purchased my first Amazon Kindle.

Now I am on my fourth Kindle. I sell the previous iteration and trade up with each new model released. It just keeps getting better.