Reading books has never been so cool. At least, that seemed to be the conclusion after Amazon’s Kindle electronic reader hit the market.

Now the retail giant is back with the next-generation Kindle 2, which will be released on February 24, with faster load times, more storage, thinner design and more. You can get a leg up on the summer reading list by pre-ordering the device, which goes for $359.

And if you had ordered Kindle 1 and not been shipped the wireless reader yet, you’ll automatically be receiving Kindle 2 instead.

If you’re as into books as people are for music, Kindle 2 certainly looks iPod-ish in function and form. It can hold 1,500 books—and you can buy from a selection of 230,000 books, magazines, newspapers and blogs—and the thing is only about 1/3-inch thick and 10.2 ounces.

Its 3G network lets you buy books at any time, without any subscription plan, with new releases $9.99 unless otherwise marked. Purchases are backed up automatically on Amazon.com in case you need to re-download.

The experience is improved as well with the second-gen, as Amazon notes 20-percent faster page turns, 16 shades of gray for better images, and 25-percent longer battery life. And we can only hold our breath for Kindle 3—Amazon says, “This is just the beginning. Our vision is to have every book ever printed, in any language, all available in under 60 seconds on Kindle.” We copy that, Amazon!

Arlen Schweiger - Managing editor of Electronic House Magazine

Arlen contributes product news items to electronichouse.com along with his role on the print publication. Got a tip? Send it along!