Yeah, that’s right, Kindles. Amazon just announced the release of three new products in its Kindle lineup: the Kindle Fire, the Kindle Touch (Wi-Fi and 3G versions), and a refreshed version of the original Amazon Kindle.

The Android-based Kindle Fire has a 7-inch IPS panel with Gorilla Glass coating, a 1GHz TI OMAP dual-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a chassis that weighs 14.6 ounces. It is currently priced at an amazing $199.99. I am truly impressed by this price tag right now; the iPad is going to have some true competition (finally.)

According to Amazon, the Kindle Touch has a 6” E-Ink display and a new design and is 8% smaller than the original Kindle. You can now borrow books from your public library with it, too.

The Wi-Fi Kindle Touch is going to be priced at $99.99, and the 3G Touch will cost $139.99. The new Amazon Kindle comes with the same 6” E-Ink display, is 30% lighter, 18% smaller, and only costs $79.99. Unbelievable! I love how Amazon is working with its new tablets/e-readers. People don’t need cameras or microphones on their tablets. It’s just useless junk that makes the product more expensive. Apple is going to need to make an iPad Mini or something related to it that will compete with Amazon’s new lineup. The new price range of $79.99 – $199.99 will definitely attract customers for the holiday season. Almost everything you can do on the iPad is now possible on a cheaper tablet. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for his or her first tablet and doesn’t want to haul out $500 or more for one.

The recent TouchPad incident sparked a new way of thinking: tablets don’t have to be expensive and rare. Common people should be able to buy one and use it in their daily lives. The iPad is really tempting to buy, especially because it’s “magical” and “revolutionary,” but the price tag just doesn’t make sense. I mean, yeah, Apple sometimes likes to overprice things, but they shouldn’t do it for every product they sell. Companies like Motorola and Samsung don’t need to copy Apple’s price tag and price their tablets at $600 and up. Amazon is doing a good job of making tablets cheap and easy to use. Ever since they released the “Kindle with Special Offers” (AKA Kindle with ads), Amazon has put their work in the right place. I am really happy with these new products and want to see other companies follow in Amazon’s footsteps.