Official-looking Kindle 2 pictures and pricing leak out

We're not going to call it official yet, but a bunch of very real-looking Kindle 2 press images just hit the tubes, and we've got to say we're pretty convinced. Although the device itself looks basically the same as in those previously-leaked shots we saw back in October, there are some surprises in store: it's way thinner, the back is apparently made of metal and there are stereo speakers at the bottom. We'll admit to missing the polarizing ultra-80s look of the original, but this thing looks pretty sweet -- too bad it's still going to set you back $359 when it arrives on February 24. We'll find out what's what for sure on Monday -- in the meantime check couple more shots after the break and way more at the read link.

[Thanks, Alex]

[KAIKAI @ Feb 6th 2009 7:52PM]

drop the price a bit
and i would DEFINATLY pick one up ! :)

[Look_Around_You @ Feb 6th 2009 8:20PM]

360.00 is too much.

but damn does it look enticing!

[Mikeweezer @ Feb 6th 2009 9:13PM]

@Look at you

KAIKAI's boobs or the Kindle?

[Look_Around_You @ Feb 6th 2009 9:49PM]

@Mikeweezer

The boobs.

[Gilbert Tang @ Feb 6th 2009 10:18PM]

This might be enough to get me to move from my beloved PRS-505, which, while sexy, just seems astoundingly behind the times in terms of underlying software and support.

[Cash @ Feb 7th 2009 12:10AM]

That's a lot of wasted real estate that could be better used by a larger screen.

[Arzach @ Feb 7th 2009 1:23AM]

Too expensive for a device that was made to squeeze even more money out of your pocket by buying the ebook content.

[coldwater_msdt @ Feb 7th 2009 3:38AM]

I would spell "definitely" first. Maybe the Kindle 2 will help you learn.

[dannielferrell @ Feb 12th 2009 10:17PM]

I would love to use a Kindle to read books on, but I like coming up with ways to save money. I love paper books and always will, but i enjoy my reading books in a different way. I use my PSP to read books on a crowded metro train in DC. I only need one hand to read and flip to another page, but with a book it is too difficult to use both hands while the train is jostling you around. PSP Max Media Manager, ABCLit & PSP Ebookcreator fix reading on my PSP.

[6thelement @ Feb 8th 2009 3:20PM]

if you drop more, I will pick you up..

I would spend 354 only it was letter size.. 8.5 X 11

hoping plastic logic will deliver it soon..

[Constable Odo @ Feb 9th 2009 3:28PM]

Haaaaha. You spelled a word wrong. Everyone caught it so it's the dunce cap for you.

[bob e @ Feb 6th 2009 7:53PM]

That does look nice but why not hide the keyboard
which you don't use 99% of the time?

[BigD145 @ Feb 6th 2009 8:57PM]

Moving parts tend to add thickness.

[Kinger @ Feb 6th 2009 9:38PM]

I tend to agree.
This is not exactly what I want in an e-reader. I'd like to see the screen go to the edges, and right from top to bottom. Then we're getting closer to e-paper. sigh, how many years are we away from this?

[Jamil @ Feb 6th 2009 10:39PM]

nice? has no one notices all the extra bezel that wasn't on the 1st Gen?

[gredshaw @ Feb 6th 2009 10:44PM]

kudos

the keyboard is a waste
if they must have one, have it slide out

but seriously, have they not done any market research?
i want to buy this for the ereader functionality, not so i can write a crappy story about my day.

[schtum @ Feb 6th 2009 10:56PM]

The keyboard is kind of necessary to use the book store, which is kind of the whole point of the Kindle.

[BigD145 @ Feb 6th 2009 11:28PM]

If I ever bought one I'd embed solar panels in the bezel area. There's lots of usable real estate there.

[Kelmon @ Feb 7th 2009 5:37AM]

Totally agreed. The keyboard is not important. Either give me a bigger screen or make the entire device smaller, but lose the keyboard. If a keyboard is necessary for some actions, implement a digital version and a screen that does not show fingerprints easily.

[Mark Wheadon @ Feb 9th 2009 6:07AM]

The keyboard area is useful -- that's the bit that beds down into the duvet without obscuring any of the page ... :-)

Mark Wheadon

[Sam @ Feb 6th 2009 7:57PM]

I have an original Kindle and this design does not appeal to me at all. I love the sharp edges of the Kindle and I think reducing its thickness would be a step backwards in usability. For a device meant to replace book reading, it needs to be somewhat substantial in the hand. This thing also has a keyboard that looks worse (although i'd have to try it) and a bigger bezel around the screen. Also I have never used the speakers on my Kindle so I don't see that as a big improvement.

That being said, the back and side views of this thing are damn sexy.

[waterwagen @ Feb 6th 2009 9:04PM]

I have an original Kindle too (love it). My thoughts exactly.

[mewyn @ Feb 6th 2009 11:29PM]

Put me on the me too bandwagon. I love the form factor (and dare I say, the sharp-edge design of the current Kindle, things are just too curvy these days) of the current Kindle. Although, my beef with this design is that the screen is too small to the rest of the device. I'm hoping for an upset on release day.

[bobartig @ Feb 6th 2009 7:56PM]

I'm calling fake. I don't think Amazon can make it that thin, and the big metal plate is sort of an iPhone/iPod Touch copy. I'd be glad to be wrong on this one!

I still hate the 'speak and spell' giant keyboard on it. Get rid of that crap, get a bigger screen, and figure out text input some other way that doesn't bulk up the device so much.

[linuxamp @ Feb 6th 2009 8:20PM]

Design and marketing (pencil) by Apple Inc.

[Steven Garrad @ Feb 6th 2009 8:49PM]

You ever seen the Sony Reader? That is as thin as this.

[Ricardo @ Feb 6th 2009 10:14PM]

Hey! I kind of like the keyboard. Think about it, when you hold a book you usually need some blank space at the bottom so that your thumb doesn't get in the way. Too little space, and it gets unconfortable, or you need to move the book/magazine around your hands to keep reading, in every page. So having that "screen free" area at the bottom (and a little at the edges) seem to be the most comfortable way to have it. And since there's a free area on the bottom -- might as well stick a thin keyboard in there, right?

[MastrCake @ Feb 7th 2009 1:05AM]

I really hate to piss off those against the keyboard but, I must admit, Ricardo makes an excellent point.

Yes, having all that bezel at the top and sides may seem dumb, but it is probably neccesary... most likely stuff under there that is new and makes the Kindle 2 better than its predecessor. I can't wait for somebody to crack this thing open and prove my point.

That keyboard is a ton better looking than the scattered-rectangular-scrabble-piece design of the old one. It probably feels better too.

I am willing to plunk down the money on this sexy piece of product. It looks better than before, "might" perform better than before, and will cost the same as before.

But I must note the striking similarities between this and apple products.

-It's white!
-It has a metal back with a plastic-looking strip (iPhone, anybody?)
-It costs the same, but adds more sexy and/or performance (Apple is famous for doing things like this)
-It is simplistic(ish), yet functional-looking (Macbook Pros are famous for their simplistic fuctionality)
-Did I mention that it's white? Oh...

[blog.techflaws.org @ Feb 7th 2009 11:07AM]

So when I try to hold the device by the screen free are I inadvertantly type stuff on the keyboard?

[Tagbert @ Feb 7th 2009 1:02PM]

The keyboard can be used to hold the Kindle. Most of the keys are inactive while you are reading. (at least in the current version). The keyboard is useful in the bookstore and for writing notes. Making it slide in and out would add mechanical complexity, weight and cost. Making a virtual keyboard on screen would require adding a touch screen which adds cost, complexity, eats batteries, and (in the Sony 700) makes the screen less legible.

[Alex Linhares @ Feb 6th 2009 7:57PM]

Thin and fugly

[oghowie @ Feb 6th 2009 7:57PM]

Wow, it actually looks pretty nice.

[Heshmati4 @ Feb 6th 2009 7:57PM]

Looks great! But $359! I can get my self a nice ipod touch for that which does much more. It's not a great e-book reader but it does the job.

If Amazon wants people reading again, they need to keep the price under at least $249.

[MaX PL @ Feb 6th 2009 8:11PM]

really? REALLY? you'd read a book from your ipod? go read a few hundred pages and tell us how that goes.

[Haste @ Feb 6th 2009 8:15PM]

This is just to expensive. Its nice, and i do want one, but i cant really justify that much money.
I currently read all of my books on my Iphone 3G and although im aware its not the best option available, its perfect for me. I really do think that the stanza app is the best option for ebook reading at the moment.

[hoohoo @ Feb 6th 2009 9:10PM]

@Max Pl

have read thousands of pages on my touch, and thousands more on my psp before that. no problems here. i'll take a high quality lcd with adjustable back light over slow e-ink any day . e-ink is the most over rated tech out there right now. limited use, limited functionality, in limited conditions, = limited device.

[Nomi @ Feb 6th 2009 10:41PM]

@hoohoo

Those thick glasses on your face look sexy.

[billav @ Feb 7th 2009 5:58PM]

really? REALLY? you'd read a book from your ipod?

Reading a book on your iPod/iPhone is a dream compared to reading one on a Palm - which I'd been doing since 2001.

[Plothole @ Feb 6th 2009 7:58PM]

Oy, this whole obsession with "thin" annoys me. Ergonomics should come before style.

[oghowie @ Feb 6th 2009 7:58PM]

Btw, they need a new hand model.

[JimJ @ Feb 7th 2009 2:11AM]

What is under that guys nail....

[pars @ Feb 6th 2009 8:02PM]

Definitely cut the price, too many buttons, and too thin, why are companies so keen on having really thin products? i wouldn't want something that thin, I'd rather risk a little thickness for improvements. Looks like it'll snap in half

[Derek @ Feb 6th 2009 8:07PM]

I am so with you on this. Although I think the Kindle looks ok at that thickness, I think in general we are getting too obsessed with thin. Apple is so guilty of this. Sometimes its fine just as thin as it is, or maybe a little thicker. Just give us a bigger battery, more storage, whatever.

[MastrCake @ Feb 6th 2009 8:14PM]

Looks good. I will probably buy one... if I'm not broke when it comes out.

But I'm guessing I will be broke, and so will many of us.

DAMN THE ECONOMY!!!

[MegaBite @ Feb 6th 2009 8:15PM]

What's up with the huge screen bezel? Having a huge bezel wastes space. Most people want a small device with a big screen. This would give you a big device with a small screen. Also this "thin" craze (probably lead by Apple) is dumb.

[MastrCake @ Feb 6th 2009 8:19PM]

Well, as they say...

"Thin is in".

And I think it's here to stay.

[L @ Feb 6th 2009 8:17PM]

From ugh to sexy in just one revision - not bad, Amazon!

Love that image: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=22756&d=1233965915

Now, next revision: less buttons, bigger screen, priced at 250$ and available world-wide. BOOM!

[Plothole @ Feb 6th 2009 8:25PM]

But what we consider "sexy" these days is so impractical.

[L @ Feb 6th 2009 8:36PM]

And how can you say that without even holding the thing at least once? Right, you can't.


Really, this "too thin!!!!" bitching is beyond me. Get a damn case if want it to be thick and be done with it.

[Plothole @ Feb 6th 2009 8:49PM]

True I haven't held this device specifically. But I have help enough devices with about the same thickness. And even devices that are a tad thicker, such as the Sony PRS500. The story is always the same: My hands start to cramp after a few minutes!

Manufactured cases generally don't add a whole lot of thickness to the device.