New Browser Won't Save Amazon's Kindle e-Reader

We're talking about this today because of the appearance of a job posting on Amazon's Web site. It says Amazon's Lab126 is looking for help building an "innovative Web browser," widely presumed to be for its Kindle e-reader since the browser is described as "embedded."

Repeating: An innovative Web browser will not stop what is going to happen to Kindle. The device will not be able to compete with next-generation, color-screen tablets that feature e-reader functionality and do more.

Amazon has two choices in responding to the coming e-reader wave: It can either dump prices on the Kindle or develop a competitive tablet-computer-Kindle hybrid device of its own. It could, of course, also do both.

My bet: Two years from now, Kindles will cost between $100 and $200. Obviously, I am expecting Amazon to choose the first option and then exit the e-reader hardware market over some period of time. Or it might stay in the game by private labeling someone else's tablet device and brand it a Kindle.

That bet, however, disregards the job posting, which can be read to vaguely suggest that Amazon wants to go high-end with a device that includes the, ahem, innovative Web browser.