Kindle 2 first hands-on! (updated with video and impressions)
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted February 9th 2009 4:02PM
posted February 9th 2009 4:02PM
- The five-way rocker is definitely a step up in terms of navigation -- it makes getting around pages way easier by allowing you to skip through individual words, and you can actually navigate simple web pages the way you're used to.
- The new dictionary pop up (it brings up your definition on the bottom of the screen as you're scrolling through text) is a huge win. It was a pain before, but looking up words is now super easy. Unfortunately -- according to Ross Rubin -- footnotes are still handled in the slow, laborious way they've always been.
- Text-to-speech is a nice touch, but it's still hard to get over that computer voice. We can see using this to hear a recipe or short news article, but we're not convinced it'll be enjoyable for a full novel.
- Screen refresh is way, way faster than the old model (they say 20 percent). The difference is welcome and noticeable. Moving through documents and back and forth between pages is a snap now. If you've been frustrated with the slowness before, this will be a big relief.
- The size difference is pretty remarkable. If you loved the crazy old design, you'll be disappointed, but the tradeoff in thickness is probably worth it. Furthermore, the new button placement is a big improvement, one which will likely make those accidental page turns a thing of the past.
Update 2: We added another longer video after the break with a quick jaunt through the unit's interface and a bit of text-to-speech action.
Does it have a touchscreen? Does it work with HSDPA in Europe? Does it load the Google Books? Is there a Kindle unlimited books/newspapers subscription plan?
Wow! Ease up on the coffee my friend.
I just ordered one. I have been waiting for the next generation device. It is very expensive, however, I travel by air almost every week and I have to pack very tight. Don't have room for books - certainly not for more than one.I think this will be good for light reading (popular fiction, newspapers etc). If the price is too high - you shouldn't buy it, in fact use the library. As for button placement and all this other hoop-la, there is likely a good reason it is the way it is - I am certain they have tested it that much. I agree, you would think the could put together a more design pleasing product (Apple?).However, its a simple device with a simple purpose. You may not be able to have a touch screen with electronic ink with current technology, you need real estate to hold on to the device without smudging the screen etc. By the way, they likely want wireless phone connection so folks are more likely to make spur of the moment buying decisions (gotta have it now society). Its a huge challenge for manufacturers to cram all these things into one device. Just look at mobile phones, even the iphone and Blackberry aren't any where near perfect and they have been building those things for sometime. iphone has lousy calendaring and Blackberry has lousy internet interface (both these things have been refined over the years). This should get competitors busy with competing products and that is good for all of us.
Well, it does seem to remove the SD card (no more MP3s on there) and from what I can tell the battery doesn't seem to be user-replaceable.
Seems like they got more than just design from Apple.
(Not a fanboy, just annoyed that I won't be buying anymore 17" MBPs since the battery isn't replaceable!)
I have a first-generation Kindle and I absolutely love the shit out of it. I don't think I'll jump on the upgrade bandwagon right away, however, since it doesn't really seem like *that* big of an upgrade for *another* $400. The improved screen refresh and 16 shades of gray is tempting, though. Maybe if I can pawn my old one off on a friend for $150 or something... we'll see.
For the purpose of reading books, though, Kindle 1G is certainly more than adequate. Physically ugly, maybe. But adequate.
As seldom as one is supposed to use the keyboard, they should have opted for an onscreen touchscreen keyboard and axe the bottom half of the device. This would put it on or above the SONY reader in terms of elegance, simplicity and portability w/out adding to cost. A touch membrane, either capacitance or resistive and its associated circuitry would've have been such a big deal as the plastic molding and mechanical assembly of those god awful keys.
Oh well.
Still seems too easy to bump the "Next Page" button, which is what everyone bitched about on the first Kindle, right?
Are you sure they didn't bitch about the price more?
KevinKelly: Still seems too easy to bump the "Next Page" button, which is what everyone bitched about on the first Kindle, right?
Patriks7: Are you sure they didn't bitch about the price more?
The people who didn't buy one bitched about the price. The ones who did bitched about the buttons.
I'm with KK, it still looks too easy to "whoops!...wtf* am I?"
(wtf = where the...)
wtfai that is a new internet colloquialism only amongst kindle users
"wtfai that is a new internet colloquialism only amongst kindle users"
Yeah, but it's also used frequently by alcoholics.
having the page buttons on the edge makes it very easy to hold with one hand and still navigate forward...if the buttons were on the face, it wouldn't be nearly as easy.
"Yeah, but it's also used frequently by alcoholics."
Haha! You win the internetz! :p
very impressive, I wish they had created one with just the screen, not so much border, minus the 3G support (for cheaper price). sony ereader is a pretty good competitor but amazon bundles their book collection for great convenience
and torrents will net you any book you want in a format the sony can read.
You'd think since this is not really an input device that a soft keyboard (a la iPhone or Storm) would be a better choice - make the screen larger and get rid of that large keyboard.
These things would be a must-have if they cost ~$100. $350, no friggin way.
Exactly!
Agreed. The price point is just too high for me to justify.
Yup I agree - i wasn't too into the first kindle, but this one seems to be a major improvement in every way, except for price. Given my reading habits, it's much easier to continue to buy paper books. Plus, a side perk is that I get to put books on my bookshelf to make myself "appear" intelligent and well read :-).
Too expensive. Get a big touchscreen smartphone and run an ebook/pdf. If you need a definition, with the Pre u can "start typing from the homescreen" and with any other phone, the browser is a click away.
Haha, Kevin.
Yeah, it's way too expensive for what it is. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice device with a respectable purpose and function, but it's still in that in-between stage where it's not exactly the most practical, but we all know it will be the standard in a few years.
I'm waiting for the Plastic Logic reader. Now THAT I might pay $350 for. But after that, I'd expect by the time I needed a new one, I'd be looking for it to be much improved and ~$200-250.
[continued] ... and the Kindle should be about $150 by then.
Whether or not we'd like to admit it, we'd probably spend $199 (maybe event $249) to own this if for no other reason than to have another cool looking gadget in our "collections."
At $350, I agree it's too much, even for a "show-off" device to impress your friends.
They should make a version that doesn't do any wireless book buying. That might make things a bit cheaper. I wouldn't mind syncing this device to my computer ever time i wanted to add a book. But I certainly do mind paying extra for a radio that i could do without.
I'd buy one in a moment if they were on sale in the UK. $350 is no big deal for something cool.
Even eBook readers without wireless, and without the large library of books aren't near that price point. So keep living in your dream world. The latest sony reader is $400 and the older model is $300.
You gotta be on crack to expect these devices at $100, its already competitively priced.
Here's how you justify the cost:
1. Take the price of a typical smartphone without carrier subsidy. (for iPhone this is like what? $600?)
2. Remove the voice communication hardware.
3. Replace the 2-4 inch lcd with a 6 inch epaper display.
4. Make it flat. (This adds more plastic to the cost.)
5. Connect it to an OTA content distribution service.
What do you have? An amazon kindle. Considering how much an unsubsidized smartphone costs, I'd say the kindle has a very reasonable price for the hardware you get. I bet it's not even priced to make a profit. I bet all the profit comes from the sale of content, not the device.
Out of all things that have a touchscreen these days, IMO this is one thing that desperately needs one.
For what?
Right, but people already bitch enough about the $350 price, imagine how much worse it would be if they jacked the price up to accomodate a touchscreen?
The Sony Reader has one, and it's only $40 more expensive. Now, if they'd make the books I want/need available for it (textbooks, for instance), I'd buy one immediately.
to be able to make the screen bigger and get rid of the keyboard and buttons on the side. i dont know, just my opinion.
The problem with touch screens is that they reduce screen contrast. But if they can compensate for that, an edge to edge touch screen would be ideal.
Touch screens typically descrease contrast as in the PRS-700. The iRex device gets around this by using a stylus and electromagnetics, but that WACOM technology adds further to the price.
like one of the other e-readers where you can take notes on the pages. that's pretty cool.
The sony natively displays PDF's, so a lot of textbooks are available for it. The 505's are available for about $250. No touch, no annotation, but handle several formats natively, in 16 grays, just drop them on the device in Finder/FileManager: Sony/BBeB, epub, PDF, .txt, .rtf
The kindle2 is not really a next generation device; the next gen will probably be coming in the late fall of 09 through winter (jan-mar) '10, with larger screen devices.
The requirement with the kindle1 to convert PDFs was why I went sony.
Backlight?
Good question. Would be freakin great to have one.
Learn a bit about e-paper, google it, wikipedia, library.
No. I don't think it has a front light either. For now you'll need stuff like the GameBoy Advance did (wormlight). They will probably have a front lit model like Nintendo eventually did with the SP.
I did e-paper, but I also like light, as I often read with a book light (which looks like a wormlight).
yeah, obviously backlights wouldn't work, but a frontlight would be nice (a la GBA-SP). screen seems to be small enough to do it.
Is there a video showing the faster page transition? I have seen the sony reader and the first few page "turns" were shockingly abrupt.
If this thing was $200 I would have already preordered one. The price as-is is pretty steep, but the fact that I'm still considering it says a lot.
Did we need a version 2? (Is the world ready?)
i wish it was cheaper =(
in for college student discount
Just wait until Apple brings out it's touch-screen, tablet computer....
well it's only been fantasized about for the past 7 years with absolutely no progress/hints or leaks so I can safely assume that we'll be seeing such a product in the range of wildest dreams to never ever.
If it were cheaper I might actually pick one up...... Since Ill still need a book light to read on it......
Can it play Doom?