Despite their questionable business practices and stubborn unwillingness to collect sales tax for the benefit of the country, I’m a big fan of Amazon’s Kindle and the accompanying digital publishing that goes with it. I think it’s revolutionizing (and democratizing) the way books are marketed and sold in the world and that’s a good thing.

An even better thing is the fact that they’ve diversified their Kindle so it can do more.

Amazon announced today four new Kindle models, all priced under $200 and that can only mean good things for consumers and publishers alike.

The cheapest model is the one I’m most excited about. At $79, the basic Kindle makes it more affordable than ever for people to get into the digital reading game. For my money, if I didn’t already have a Kindle, this is the one I’d buy. I much prefer the no-frills approach and the eInk. I don’t need a device that does a hundred things, I’ve got a hundred other gadgets that do a hundred things. My Kindle is for reading. Period. No games, no movies, no web browsing, and that’s how I like it.

But offering a cheaper version means more people with Kindles, meaning the market for digital books (like mine) goes up.

The next two models are the Kindle Touch and the Kindle Touch 3G. They’re an eInk version of a tablet. If I were splurging I’d consider this, but on some level I’d feel too tempted to do other things with my Kindle, and I really, really, really ONLY want to read on it.

The last model is clearly Amazon’s answer to the Nook, The Kindle Fire. It’s back lit, full color, plays movies, and more. The best thing about this device is free streaming of video content for Amazon Prime customers. Now if I could only hook it up to my TV.

At the end of the day though, more and varied eReaders on the market means more and varied readers, which is good news for authors.

And if you happen to pick up one of these new Kindles, don’t hesitate to check out some of my books for reading. You won’t regret it.