Amazon.com will launch its next-generation Kindle device at a Morgan Library & Museum in New York, as rumors of its imminent launch have circulated since last summer. On Friday, a set of purported Kindle 2 pictures hit the Web. It’s not yet known how the final product will look like, but it’s almost sure it will be lighter, slimmer and have an updated look. The original design was always considered too bulky and having too many sharp edges, as well as an interface that wasn’t ‘very’ user-friendly.

Furthermore, many customers and interested retailers want the product to have wider support of file formats like PDF, a color screen, touch-screen capabilities and a redesign of the ‘next page’ button, which is located near the spot where many hold the device while reading. However, no one should imagine the first Kindle wasn’t well received by its users, and it is clearly the most popular e-book reader of all time.

The Kindle had access to the 230,000 titles in the Kindle Store and the ability to download books wirelessly, and it was introduced for the first time in November 2007. For a year, the sales grew slowly, but after Oprah’s endorsement, the device was sold in about 500,000 units, which is remarkable considering its slow start and recent stocking issues.

Unfortunately, Amazon also announced the device is out of stock, and that lasted for months, as the company couldn’t keep up with demand. The back-ordered Kindle will now ship on March 5, but some say it’s possible that customers will receive the new version of the Kindle instead of the old.

It’s interesting to hear that a new device may not be the only introduction at Monday’s event, as Amazon will most likely make its electronic book titles available for download to mobile devices beyond the Kindle. Furthermore, the company has just signed Stephen King, the best-selling author of horror stories, for a new work that would be available exclusively on the Kindle.

An e-book publisher that Amazon owns, Mobipocket, is already allowing downloads to a variety of smartphones. It’s unclear whether Amazon will announce any applications for the iPhone and mobile phones, and pricing is not yet known. The previous Kindle was $359 and it’s very hard to believe Amazon will drop the price tag too much.

Even if the expectations for the first Kindle weren’t really accurate, Amazon.com is really hoping to ramp up production of the paperback-sized device, which has been plagued by limited production based on overly-conservative estimates of demand and sales. As previously mentioned, details about the device have been kept secret, but we’ll find out today if Amazon will please its customers. The launch event for the new-generation Kindle is scheduled for 10 a.m. Eastern.