The third generation of the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader has become the best selling product in company history, outselling "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" to take the No.1 position.
The newest Kindle officially launched this past July, and its lower price tag helped spur even higher market sales. Unconfirmed reports indicate Amazon was expected to sell at least 8 million Kindle units throughout 2010, though most reports predict sales closer to 5M units.
Actual Amazon sales figures still haven't been released by the company, but continued pressure has led to necessary product changes. For example, Amazon was forced to slash prices and also allowed the e-reader to be sold in retail stores for the first time in 2010 -- a continued sign that Amazon wanted to open up as many new revenue streams as possible.
"We're seeing that many of the people who are buying Kindles also own an LCD tablet," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO and founder, in a statement. "They report preferring Kindle for reading because it weighs less, eliminates battery anxiety with its month-long battery life, and has the advanced paper-like Pearl e-ink display that reduces eye-strain, doesn't interfere with sleep patterns at bedtime, and works outside in direct sunlight, an important consideration especially for vacation reading."
Despite being seen as the dominant company in the e-reader market, the continued threat of the Apple iPad tablet will force Amazon to make even more changes in 2011. Prior to Christmas, the iPad led consumer interest in the e-reader market, with customers showing high interest in the popular device.
The Kindle has obviously prevailed in 2010 ahead of other e-reader alternatives, although pressure from the iPad and other rivals will make the competitive landscape interesting.
