Today the Kindle 3 arrived for some, two days ahead of schedule. The 6" screen in this device is simply amazing, with a 50% contrast increase. If you thought the Kindle 2 had a great screen, then you need to check this out. Everything is so smooth and crisp, which is partly due to the new fonts that Amazon has added to the Kindle. The device has 4GB of storage now, up 2GB from the Kindle 2. Battery life has been increased from two weeks with wireless off to a month with wireless off.
Wi-Fi adds to the whole experience by making web browsing quite nice, although you will see a slight delay when loading Neowin, as the Kindle loads the entire page at once so you can scroll without having to wait for it to load more content. The device also features free 3G service so you may browse the web or find new books anywhere you go. WebKit technology in the browser has also allowed for elements to display correctly. Previously, Neowin didn"t look too sharp on a Kindle. Viewing colored links is a little troublesome as lighter colors can lead to poorer contrast on this strictly black and white screen.
An unexpected feature that blew me away was the sound quality. When playing and dancing to in the video, You"ve Got a Friend In Me by Randy Newman, the richness of the speakers comes through. This is ideal for podcasts or having a few songs with you.