Is Amazon.com going to follow up the launch of its successful Kindle e-reader with an iPad-like tablet device? That certainly seems to be the rather big hint that Amazon.com President and CEO (and Star Trek fan) Jeff Bezos gave in an interview for the Consumer Reports web site. When asked that question by the reported Bezos said simply, "Stay tuned." Bezos added that if Amazon.com were to make such a tablet, it would be a supplement, rather than a replacement, of Amazon.com"s Kindle. He said, "We will always be very mindful that we will want a dedicated reading device In terms of any other product introductions, I shouldn’t answer.”
Bezos also talked about the current Kindle device which recently launched a new cheaper version that has adds running in the screensaver and across the bottom of the Kindle screen. Bezos said having the ads on the bottom, not only keeps the reading experience itself free from disruptions, but also keeps the ads themselves from being ignored. He also doesn"t think that sales of books via the Kindle will be hurt when the Kindle allows its users to borrow e-books from libraries, saying, “Most people prefer to build their libraries with books they own rather than borrow."
Finally, will we ever see a color version of the Kindle as we have seen with Barnes and Nobile"s Nook e-reader? Bezos said that having a color version of the Kindle"s E Ink is not coming anytime in the future. He said that while improvements are being made at the moment a color version of E Ink "is not ready for prime time…the colors are very pale."