Obviously, this isn’t Doom for Kindle (though I have seen video of Super Mario Bros. running on a Kindle software emulator, riddled with bugs). It’s more of an answer to Barnes & Noble, which stocks the Nook with Chess and Sudoku.

Amazon tells ZDNet that it’s still working with “limited-beta developers” and says to stay tuned for more developments, but over the last seven months I’ve grown apathetic about the whole thing. The Kindle Development Kit was exciting in the run-up to Apple’s iPad debut (remember when we only knew it as “the tablet?”), when it seemed like a desperate attempt to add new uses to an ultimately single-purpose device.

Now, Amazon appears to have embraced the Kindle’s non-iPadness, with an emphasis on a better screen and faster response in the third-generation model instead of a longer feature list. And with the Kindle Wi-Fi’s $139 price tag, comparisons to the iPad just don’t seem all that appropriate anymore.

I’m happy to see the Kindle get a couple games, and I hope we see more apps soon, like the once-promised Zagat dining guide. But getting apps out there no longer seems as urgent as it did when the Kindle Development Kit debuted.

SAN FRANCISCO – Well, now we know why Amazon’s stock of Kindle 2 e-readers evaporated so quickly. Just hours after I wrote about the devices being out of stock, Amazon announced a new model of its popular e-reader. The device, called simply the Kindle, is available for pre-order now and will ship August 27. While most of us will have to wait a month to get our hands on the new gadget, a few lucky bloggers and technology reporters already got a chance to check it out. So far, they seem to like it…a lot. In fact, in reading many of the reports about the new Kindle, I found it difficult to find anything they didn’t like about it.

PCWorld’s own Melissa J. Perenson says that the new Kindle is a dramatic improvement over its predecessor, with “an enhanced display, faster navigation, and an entirely redesigned chassis.” She lauds its notably smaller and lighter design, calling it “vastly improved.” The Kindle’s enhanced software allows it to “fly through menus.”

The New York Times’ Claire Cain Miller focuses on the new Wi-Fi feature that Amazon has added to this generation of the Kindle, as well as the lower price point. “Unlike previous Kindles, the $139 ‘Kindle Wi-Fi’ will connect to the Internet using only Wi-Fi instead of a cellphone network,” she writes, noting that $139 is the “lowest price yet” for a Kindle.

CNET’s David Carnoy also was impressed with the design of the new Kindle, noting that in the short time he got to play around with the device, he noticed that “the new model is clearly smaller and sleeker and the screen definitely pops a little more…The letters appear a little darker and…slightly sharper.”

But Carnoy also notes that while the price of the new Kindle is lower, it may not be low enough: “While not the $99 device some were hoping for, at $139 the Wi-Fi-only version is pretty affordable. ”

USA Today’s Edward C. Baig notes that, with the addition of Wi-Fi, Amazon “hopes to rattle rivals,” such as Barnes & Noble and Sony, by offering an e-reader that’s cheaper (by about $10) with the Wi-Fi functionality their devices already include.

Baig quotes a Forrester Research analyst who was impressed with the new, lower price point. James McQuivey tells USA Today, “Anyone who said ‘I don’t want to get (a Kindle) because they’re too expensive,’ will look at $139, and say, ‘It’s time to become a digital reader.’ ”

Hmmm. Wasn’t it Forrester Researcher that recently issued a report saying the price of e-readers will have to drop to between $50 and $99 before more users will be willing to adopt them? Perhaps McQuivey is so delighted with the Kindle’s new features that he’d be willing to pay the extra $40. And from the sounds of these write-ups, he’s not alone.

SAN FRANCISCO – A Silicon Valley product development consulting firm called the Nielsen Norman Group (not to be confused with the Nielsen ratings company) published a study last week comparing reading performance with a book to reading with an e-reader. The results–which are suspect because there were only 24 people in the test group–find that users of the Kindle 2 and iPad read 10.7 percent and 6.2 percent slower, respectively, than on paper or with books.

There are too many missing factors to take this study seriously. For example, this group was composed of all “avid” readers, given short stories by Ernest Hemingway to read on four platforms; the Kindle 2, an iPad, a PC monitor, and paper. First, Hemingway is not an easy read, and subject matter is all-important when measuring speed and comprehension. Avid readers are more likely to read anything faster than average or minimalist readers.

And, there are a number of other factors to consider, such as time of day, environment, the physical condition of participants, and whether reading is for entertainment or business. Sorry, but it will take a lot more than one simplistic study of 24 readers to convince me that such findings are accurate.

Even if the study’s findings were spot-on, it’s not just reading speed that counts. E-readers still offer many advantages over paper books, especially for businesses

I prefer paperback or hardback books for pleasure reading but, for research, I prefer a device with access to the Internet. And, this is the case with my friends and colleagues, who add up to more than 10 times the number of participants in this study. However, since I work on a computer all the time, I will concede easily that an e-reader is preferable to a computer screen, especially one designed to mimic an actual book.

As a business investment, how will an e-reader such as the Kindle or a tablet such as the iPad benefit your company? There are several varieties of each available on the market. However, the only distinction I want to make is between e-readers and tablets; one was designed specifically for reading books and other printed materials, while the other was designed to function as a tiny computer, which includes e-reading capabilities. Eventually, the two designs will merge into one device, each with its own set of unique features.

Laptops, notebooks, netbooks, and smartphones all provide screens of readable data. Why would your staff need an electronic reader? These are five great reasons.

1. Size Matters

First, for employees who are required to read and absorb a lot of information, such as scientists, teachers, and medical personnel, laptops, notebooks, and netbooks are too heavy and large, and smartphones are just too small. The purpose of an e-reader or a tablet is to function as a book; smaller, thinner, lightweight–no bigger than a standard paperback–plus comfortable and easy to read.

Anyone who is forced to read huge amounts of data for the job cannot be weighted down with a bulky machine; nor can they haul around several 800-page books. When I was an adjunct professor traveling to teaching locations all over a city, I remember the agony of hauling six to 10 huge books, workbooks, and reference materials in my backpack to class. Add a laptop for presentations, a phone, and a briefcase to that, and I looked like I was waiting for a moving van. I would have eagerly traded it all for one tablet PC or e-reader.

2. Affordability

Second, the physical cost of these devices is decreasing, and the purchase price for e-books is, on average, just $10 each. Access to the Internet costs more, but compare these fees with just one paper programming manual, engineering reference guide, or college textbook; the cost is absorbed in fewer than four books. The added benefit is with your own company’s industry-specific publications. Scientists, engineers, programmers, and systems analysts are not reading downloaded books for work from Amazon.

These professionals are reading their own company’s technical documents, which can be uploaded to any tablet or e-reader. Remember, not everyone out there has an office or a cubicle with a cushy chair, a nice desk, and a laptop parked in a docking station. That said, be sure to choose a rugged, sturdy device that will withstand environmental conditions. Also, notice the device’s screen and how the text displays in sunlight, partial shade, and darkness. For example, an iPad or other tablet may be harder to read in the sun than a tablet such as the Kindle, with its special e-ink.

3.Document Distribution

Third, these devices will change the way companies distribute physical sales and training documents such as books, manuals, and reference materials outside corporate walls. Even at the current prices, the e-readers–not the tablets, yet–are almost cheaper than providing paper literature.

For example, last year, I worked a technical writing contract job. We created and printed–in-house–four training manuals for employees of the company’s clients. The total cost of the paper books–the paper, ink, binders, dividers, and covers, plus staff time to print, assemble, and distribute–was just under $300. Amazon’s 6-inch, diagonal Kindle is only $189, and these prices are still coming down, not to mention the negotiating power of volume discounts.

Imagine the time, money, and effort saved by pre-loading training materials for your customers to an e-reader. Since they do not work for your company, they can’t otherwise access such information through your intranet. Besides, if they can’t take the manuals and read them on the go, it’s likely they won’t ever read them at all. Offering manuals on a portable device could spare you the support calls and e-mails to your help desk from customers looking for answers to what’s already in the manuals.

4. Updates

Another benefit and big cost-saving feature is in updates. When it’s time to update those materials, you just upload the new files to your Web site, then send alerts to customers informing them that they can download the new manuals directly to their e-readers and tablets. It’s the ease and convenience of a computer disguised as a book. Because, truthfully, who wants to sit at a computer and read hundreds of pages?

5. Fun Matters Too

And last, there’s the added benefit of reading for fun, or even research. There are over 620,000 books, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available through Amazon; over a million books at Barnes & Noble, plus 20 newspapers and 13 magazines; with more offerings from publishers and retailers coming every day.

The real benefits of e-readers and tablet PCs are cost, convenience, a huge library–including out-of-print books and lots of free public domain books–easy distribution of your company’s data, and the incentive for everyone to read more. I love my e-reader and I would not give it up for any reason; however, I do still have a huge library of printed books that I won’t get rid of either. But, I can’t take them all with me when I travel.

The e-readers and tablets can hold as many books as the memory allows; for example, the 6-inch Kindle with 2GB of memory holds approximately 1500 books, the 9-inch Kindle DX with 4GB of memory holds 3500 books, and the iPad, with up to 64GB of memory, can hold about 48,000 books–if you don’t load it down with music and photos. Any of these devices can be worth the investment.

In the meantime, be sure to research specific features for your employees’ needs, such as any monthly fees added for access to the Internet, 3G networks, e-mail, attachments, music resources, and so forth. After you factor in those fees, then compare features and device costs before you purchase.