No Kindle for Christmas, Thanks to Oprah

Even though many readers were keen to see a Kindle in their stocking this year, Amazon has announced that not only are they out of stock, but new supplies won’t be available until well into the new year. From The Wall Street Journal:

For the second holiday shopping season in a row, Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle e-book reader is out of stock, and more of the devices won't be available until mid-February, at the earliest.

Amazon thought it had plenty in stock, but then the most powerful person in book publishing intervened. In late October, Oprah Winfrey described it as her “favorite new gadget” on her TV show. And just as Ms. Winfrey’s reading selections turn no-name books into best sellers, the demand for Kindles soon overwhelmed Amazon.

The full piece is here.