Kindle-icious

Lots of new Kindle options out today, and while I think having color or touchscreen options is cool, this is what really caught my eye:

Apparently you can get the latest-gen Kindle for under 80 bucks.  Granted, you have to get the ad-supported version, but that’s not really much of a hassle.  The ads only show up as a screen saver when the Kindle is off, so it’s not exactly intrusive.

Kind of shocking considering that the Kindle launched at $399 just four years ago.  And even as recently as a year ago, pundits were wondering when the thing would drop below the $100 magic inflection point, and what effect it would have on the market.

But 80 bucks?  Combine that with the Kindle’s adoption of Overdrive for access to public libraries, and I think we’re in a pretty good place.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love paper books and other brands of e-readers, but Amazon gets the nod today.

Nicely done, Mr. Bezos.