What's black and white and read about all over? The Kindle

You will. It's the "new" electronic e-book reader that Amazon is pushing -- and just in time for the holiday season. I've heard a little squack about it but didn't see it until the Newsweek with the Kindle and Amazon's Jeff Bezos arrived in the mail today.

Here's Amazon's Kindle page.

I was disappointed to find out that the thing looks like a slightly juiced up version of Sony's e-book reader, which I found to be very uninspiring. Yes, the screen technology is new, but in my opinion it's not quite "there" yet. Not bright enough, not enough contrast, not clear enough, not fast enough, not detailed enough. Maybe in a few generations, but it's not ready yet.

Quick interlude time ... This guy has one.

Back to it. I've seen the Sony reader at Fry's and the Sony store, and, as I say, I'm not wowed by it.

But Amazon ups the ante. And the price. The thing costs $399. The same as an iPod used to. Now I would've never predicted that people would go for iPods at those prices six or so short years ago, but they most certainly did, and Steve Jobs and Apple have changed the face of the music industry with the device. Jeff Bezos clearly thinks the Kindle will do the same thing for the printed word. He's got the money to make it happen; he's also got the attention of the major (and minor) publishers, and all new books are selling for $9.95 each. That's a good price in the era of the $25 and $30 best seller. But ... the screen of the Kindle is still black and white only (future models will be color) and, as I said, it doesn't look as nice as a real book.

But what the Kindle does have going for it is wireless. You can buy a book with your Kindle from just about everywhere. It works on the EVDO wireless-phone network AND traditional Wi-Fi. So you can indulge your book jones just about anywhere. It could be the thing that lifts publishing out of its many-years-in-the-making doldrums, or put the final nail in its coffin.

Other Kindle controversies: The whole digital-rights management thing (you can't get your e-books OUT of the Kindle ...), writers and publishers balking (unless their royalties stay the same) and potential hackability.