Graphite Kindle 3's are "Expected to ship in 3 to 5 days" while the white Kindle 3's are "in stock." Could one reason be that the default Kindle 3
On the other hand, many in the forums have been posting that they were ordering the white version and that one way to do it was to order the 3G/Wifi model at $50 more even if they felt they needed just the WiFi-only K3.
The image to the left, above, is of my white Kindle 3 alongside the larger Kindle Graphite DX. Some have felt the graphite frame would make the contents brighter or more contrasty, but the text on the eggshell-framed one pops out too.
Clicking on the image at the right will get you a larger and clearer version of the text in both cases. The 9.7" DX has more etched-looking fonts than the smaller-screen Kindles.That earlier story, which is about getting the Kindle 3 fonts to have the larger effect seen in the 9.7" DX, w/o having large spacing on the small screen, gives an idea of what their screens are like, relatively speaking.
I didn't expect the shortage again, although Amazon now has to have enough supply at Target, Staples, and Best Buy nationwide and of course in their warehouses for Amazon's online customers. I saw, though, CrunchGear's headline yesterday - "Graphite Kindle 3 Sold Out Again"
At any rate, 3-5 days isn't that long a wait, and if anyone has to have one 'now' the white one's in stock.
Kindle 3's (UK: Kindle 3's), DX Graphite
Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. Top 100 free bestsellers.
Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.