Kindle 2.0 Coming Around October 2008

An insider let slip that two new Amazon Kindle models will hit stores this holiday season, with the first coming as early as October.

The first is an updated version with the same sized screen, a smaller form factor, and an improved interface. The source told us that Amazon has “skipped three or four generations,” comparing the old Kindle to the 1st gen iPod and the new version to something like the sexy iPod Mini.

The second new model, which is shaped like an 8 1/2 x 11-inch piece of paper, is considerably bigger than the current model and should be available next year.

I am skeptical that they will really be releasing any new models this year, but hopefully this rumor is true.

I also like the idea of making it both bigger and smaller by releasing two models. The current form factor is too large to fit in a jacket pocket making it difficult to carry around. Making it slightly smaller would make it much more portable.

I also like the idea of making a larger version. .pdf files just don't transfer to the small screen. A larger size would be great for that as well as allowing much more text to be displayed at one time.

via CrunchGear

Update: Michael Arrington believes that the large Kindle would be perfect for college students, a point that I had previously made in my one e-book per student post.