Amazon will soon be releasing their latest version of its electronic book reading device known as Kindle.  The newest version to hit shelves, the Kindle DX, will boast a 9.7 inch screen.  That represents more than a 100% increase over the current Kindle 2 which houses a 6 inch screen.

If you have never seen or heard of Amazon's Kindle, it is a wireless reading device. You download books to the Kindle and can then read them on the 6 inch greyscale display. The current Kindle 2 is less than 1/3 of an inch thick and weighs in at around 10 ounces.

The unit can hold around 1,500 books and you can download reading materials using the built in 3G wireless.  There are currently over 275,000 titles available with NY Times bestsellers and other new releases costing $9.99 each. You can even get newspapers, magazines and your favorite blogs all delivered wirelessly to your Kindle. To top it all off, the Kindle even has built in "Read-to-Me" which converts text to speech.

Amazon's newest Kindle, the DX, will feature a 9.7 inch screen. That is 2.5 times larger than the current Kindle. It also has more than double the storage capacity and can hold a whopping 3,500 books. The newest Kindle also features auto-rotation for viewing in either portrait or landscape mode.

Amazon seems to be expanding its market with this latest release. "Personal and professional documents look so good on the big Kindle DX display that you’ll find yourself changing ink-toner cartridges less often," said Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos. "Cookbooks, computer books, and textbooks – anything highly formatted – also shine on the Kindle DX. Carry all your documents and your whole library in one slender package."

Even major newspapers are seeing the opportunity here. The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post are among papers that will be piloting a new program with the Kindle.  In locations where home delivery is not available they will offer a discount on the device to people willing to sign up for long-term electronic subscriptions.

Many of the country's top textbook publishers have also jumped on board with the Kindle.  Several major publishers will be offering their textbooks for download through the Kindle store as early as this summer.

If you or anyone you know is a student or an avid reader, this is a must have device. Pick up a Kindle 2 or a Kindle DX and see what all the buzz is about for yourself.