Amazon have announced the release date for the Amazon Kindle 2 - February 24 and the price - $359 with free shipping with their Super Saver. The Kindle 2 picks up where Kindle left off. It keeps all the features of Kindle 1 with a few very nice improvements.

The first thing you will notice is its size. They have reduced it to a magazine thickness of 1/3 inch and it's amazingly light at a little over 10 ounces. There are other improvements. The battery life has been extended by 25%. Page turns are 20% faster. There are 16 gray shades for improved reading including outside in the sun.

Can you imagine a home library with 1500 books. That's how many novels the Kindle 2 can store and it now comes with the talking book capabilities - yes, it will read the books to you.

With over 23,000 books to choose from a download time of less than 60 seconds, you can have all your favorite books downloaded in next to no time at all. Even better, you don't need a computer to download your books. They can all be done using 3G wireless - and Amazon pays all the connection and download fees so there is no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots.

For individuals who have already purchased the Kindle - you will get priority when purchasing the Kindle 2 - for everyone interested in obtaining the Kindle 2, you can preorder now and reserve your copy of this incredible little machine.