Kindle price slashed to $189

As heated pressure continues to build in the e-reader war, Amazon has cut the price of its standard Kindle 2 model to $189, a reduction of nearly 50% since it was launched just one year ago.

The Kindle 2 was $349 when it was first released in February, but by the end of the year Amazon had already cut it down to $259. Now it’s gone even lower, pricing the device at $189.

This comes on the heels of Barnes & Noble announcing a cheaper version of its Nook, with Wi-Fi but no other data connection, for $149. And it is also a sign of just how much pressure there is in the e-reader market.

Amazon was the king when it first released the Kindle, but now there are strong competitors from Barnes & Noble and Borders, and the iPad is also eating away at the market.

The large-screen Kindle DX still costs $489, making it the most expensive dedicated e-reading device on the market, by far.