3rd Generation Kindles Get A New Name, Discounted Prices

If Amazon’s new slew of keyboard-less Kindles leaves you feeling frightened and confused, you’ve still got time to pick up one of their soon-to-be classic models. The 3rd generation Kindle (which has been retroactively renamed the “Kindle Keyboard”) is enjoying a bit of a price drop on Amazon.com as we speak.

The Kindle Keyboard with Special Offers has dipped from its usual price down to $99, while the spiffy 3G version is currently selling for $139. Given that the newly-announced Kindle with Special Offers is already available for a remarkable $79, only hardcore keyboard fanatics need apply.

The new Kindle’s price point was clearly intended to move units like crazy, so one has to wonder why the discount on the previous model wasn’t more drastic. It seems possible that Amazon could slash prices closer to the holiday season in an attempt to own to the eReader market at all price points, but that would likely jeopardize sales of newer models.

Amazon could also be running low enough on existing Kindle stock that they’re in no rush to sell through them. Why sell a perfectly good Kindle for something like $50 when warehouse space isn’t an issue and people are more than happy to pay $99?

This is all speculation of course, but the point remains: those of you who prefer your Kindles with keyboards may want to head over to Amazon and check things out. After all, who knows how many more they have to sell?