Amazon Kindle 2 review
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Feb 26th 2009 11:02AM
posted Feb 26th 2009 11:02AM
Hardware
The look of the previous Kindle was, frankly, jarring. It was an angular, odd looking device that appealed on some strange, sci-fi level, but certainly wasn't immediately approachable. And it wasn't just the jutting body design; the original Kindle dismissed any kind of familiar navigation for its bizarre slider / click wheel combo with a silver-backed LCD strip, which was good for moving up and down through menu options, but not much else. Then, of course, was the issue of button placement. There's probably not a single Kindle owner who hasn't been frustrated by the low, easy-to-accidentally-tap placement of the next / previous page buttons, which were not only extra sensitive, but impossible to avoid.
The Kindle 2 does away with almost every awkward convention introduced in the original version. The device is now cleanly laid out, very much shaped like a large iPhone; a big rectangle with rounded edges. The keyboard has gone from that unnatural, slanted arrangement to a standard, familiar keyboard layout, and the keys are now small and round instead of rectangular pellets. The next / previous buttons occupy a very similar location, but are much smaller (as opposed to taking up the entire side of the device), so the threat of constantly hitting them is noticeably alleviated. They've also been stiffened up, so even if you do accidentally brush past one of them, it takes a little more effort to engage.
As we said before, the slider control is gone, replaced with a five-way rocker, which allows for horizontal as well as vertical movement -- a huge help when you're navigating through text (we'll get to that in a minute). We like the new navigation, but it's not as speedy for jumping through lists -- which is how a lot of the Kindle's menus are presented. Instead of smoothly sweeping up and down, you have to notch, notch, notch till you get where you're going.
Along the side on the upper right is a volume rocker, and down along the bottom is a microUSB port. The back is now flat and smooth bushed aluminum, with a set of stereo speakers along the bottom, and a strip of gray rubber up top. Up on the top of the unit is a 3.5mm headphone jack and a slider power / sleep switch.
The screen itself is looks somewhat clearer than the original version, helped largely by the fact that the e-ink display can now show up to 16 shades of gray as opposed to the previous four. You can definitely see those differences in font smoothing and on images (which, incidentally, you can now zoom in on). Additionally, Amazon says the new screen refreshes 20 percent faster, and in our tests, that seems to be true -- though it's more noticeable in cursor movements and text display rather than full page turns. That faster refresh means the Kindle 2 gets one step closer to acting less like a static page, and more like a slow computer; and it's an improvement, without question.
Inside, Amazon has axed the SD slot in favor of putting 2GB of storage onboard. We would have preferred that they had given us the option of both, but 2GB should be more than enough for most people's book / newspaper needs, and since you can offload as you like while retaining the material, it doesn't strike us as a huge issue.
All in all, the hardware has been seriously streamlined, and the result is nothing short of gorgeous. Besides being evened out and pulled in, the Kindle 2 is also astonishingly thin -- just 0.36-inches -- which makes it a pleasure to carry, though we miss some of the bulk of the original for reading duties. It's not a huge deal, but besides the frequent mis-tapping of buttons, we still feel the original more closely replicates the "book holding" experience. But ultimately, the question that will be nagging most people here is, "why didn't they do this stuff the first time around?" and it's a valid one. It's amazing to consider how many (original) bad hardware choices have been overcome with this new design, but also somewhat vexing if you were an early adopter.
Software
Not a ton has changed in the software of the new Kindle, but what has changed makes a world of difference in ease of use. Some of the alterations are clearly just mutations spurred on by moving from up / down navigation to a full four-way experience, but others seem like no-brainers that we wish had been included on the first pass.
The first big change we noticed was in the search function. In the original Kindle, you had a dedicated search button which would bring up a text entry field, then transport you to a page to select how you wanted to search, then to your results. Now, you've got search tool in your menu that you can jump into from the home screen which gives you a load of options for how and where you want to look -- a slightly more familiar format. This seriously streamlines the process of finding what you want, and proved to be a big help on more than one occasion. Additionally, searching your own content is handled much better, allowing you to begin typing in your query while you're on your home page -- the same goes for finding text while you're in a document.
Using the dictionary while in a document to look up words used to be a huge hassle; you had to select an entire line of text and see a definition for every word... on a separate screen. Whether that was a bad UI decision or a limitation of the navigation is anyone's guess -- but it's fixed here. Now you can use the cursor much like you'd expect, to jump through a document word by word, and your definition pops up along the bottom in real-time, like a little alert.
In general, menus seem cleaned up and organized a bit better, with less items to move through and more succinct descriptions of functions. Additionally, the look and feel of the UI has been given an update, forgoing some of the more extraneous graphic bits and more clearly defining sections, like the info bar up top and the page information along the bottom.
Kindle 2 menu (left) vs. the original model (right)
We did, however, have some troubles trying to use Whispersync, a new feature that Amazon is touting which allows you to keep your books and articles continuous across devices (as well as the spot you stopped reading in). While trying to sync an issue of the New York Times, we could get the management section of Amazon to tell us it was sent to our original Kindle, but it never showed up in our list of content. For books it seemed to work as described, though we're at pains to understand why you'd be going back and forth between an old Kindle and a new one. Now, going back and forth from a Kindle to, say... an iPhone -- that we get.
Of course, there's been a lot of controversy about one of the new functions of the Kindle 2, namely its "read to me" mode, or text-to-speech. This item has been the subject of a heated debate, sparked mostly by an accusation from the Author's Guild that the technology infringes on author's copyrights by turning your regular text into what amounts to an audio book. Something tells us if the Guild took a moment to listen to this voice, they might reconsider the accusation... because it's an insult to voice actors. For our money, the text-to-speech option is a nice novelty, but not remotely useful for prolonged readings, or readings of anything but the most simplistic material. This is the "computer voice" we've come to know and love -- nothing more, nothing less, and it's not exactly pleasant. While it is available in male or female varieties, and can be slowed down or sped up, it's hardly a stand in for an actual human (recorded or otherwise).
Wrap-up
When you step back and take a look at the device, it's clear that the most notable changes have come in the form of hardware tweaks. Besides the text-to-speech function, there's not much you can do on the new Kindle that you couldn't do on the old one. Books still cost just as much to download, and you still have largely the same set of options when you get them on the device. The buy-in for the unit itself is $359 -- not cheap -- and everything you put on it is going to cost you a little bit more. After a while, that can start to add up, and we're not convinced it makes sense for just anyone. Ultimately, it boils down to a question of needs, because -- like the first Kindle -- the Kindle 2 doesn't represent such a sea change in technology that we think everyone should run out and buy it.
A lot of people are fond of calling the device an "iPod for books" as if that's just what most people want or require, and we're not so sure of that. Still, the Kindle 2 delivers an enjoyable experience with noticeable leaps in usability, and big leaps in industrial design. If you travel lightly, are a voracious reader, and absolutely love gadgets, you'll probably get this device. Is that everyone? No... but it's a lot of people we know.
I kind of miss the shape of my Kindle one.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/legendmedia/3307477599/
Though I've never touched either, I was a bit intrigued by the Kindle one. I like the shape a lot. I agree with Joshua, "It was an angular, odd looking device that appealed on some strange, sci-fi level". There's something about it that I really like. The new curves don't quite do it for me.
Yeah. I had to buy the cover for it, because without that, it feels like it's going to slip out of my hand.
Yeah, right! I kind of like the older shape too. It felt good in my hand. Just my opinion.
I prefer a proper book I think.
That's why I thought the Sony Reader was a better design from the beginning. It's just a screen w/ a little bezel for the "bare minimum".
But their content is so poor that you really don't find much usability if you're not truly into the mass consumption titles (which I can't understand why anyone would buy when they can get it free from their library).
If you like more obscure authors, publishers, subjects either will have major gaps.
Me too. I've been trying to fold this thing for 10 minutes and I'm have no luck whatsoever.
I'm loving mine so far! If it were for 100% casual reading, I probably wouldn't have bought it at the current price, but my school uses a LOT of Ebooks and text documents. The Kindle will make it a lot easier to get my reading done without have to be tethered to my laptop for hours at a time. Traveling and reading on a plane will be easier to as my Dell XPSM1730 isn't exactly portable :(
Can you modify the text size? I am thinking about getting one for my elderly mother and I think the larger type would be better for her. I read in the review that you can "zoom" in, but I am guessing that means needing to pan from left to right to read a sentence. I am hoping that you can just select a text size. Can you?
Thanks for taking the time to reply...
~Ana
I said it once, I'll say it again. This thing should not be a cent above $150...
And Sony's OLED tv shouldn't cost as much as it does. You know what though? It's a moot point because that's how much the tech costs right now.
They could probably make it that price, and then you'd be paying a monthly fee for the wireless service. I like it this way better.
@Richard: And new hardware manufacturing aside, let's not forget the initial throwing of some money at the folks who worked hard to make the new tech possible.
Shaped like a large iphone!!?? Give me a break. Just because the thing is rectangular with round edges. My table looks like an iphone! Apple haters for this comment i give you permission to flame on engadgets favoratism.
Dude, you've got issues. How is this favoritism towards apple?
10 Reasons Why Kindle 2 Misses The Mark? ;)
mcfluglbutt,
On this site, there is a heated debate among bloggers that engadget favors the iphone alot. It is argued that they favor it so much so that they prefer it over many other things. I try to stay neutral but end up disagreeing with this argument for the most part, but with this one quote i would say that there is some sort of favoratism.
So McNoobbutt, thats thats the issue.
lol, mcfluglbutt
but isn't Josh a Palm fanboy and not an iPhone fanboy?
So...wouldn't Josh have said 'It's like a large iPhone clone'?
When I read that line about being shaped like the iphone, I stopped reading the review. There are a many viable ebook readers on the market, why is this thing being compared to the iphone right of the bat, instead of other ebook readers. Its as if anything with a touchscreen, plays music, is white, and now apparently is rectangular, reminds people of either the iphone or the ipod. What about sony's reader for a comparison?
@jonathans
Exactly my feelings. When I got to this line "shaped like a big iPhone", I lost all interest to the review. As much as I respect Joshua, this comparison undermines my trust to the whole article. Let's compare everything to iPhone, yeah, right.
Just of the curiosity I searched the article for the word "iPhone". I found another line in Joshua's article:
"...Now, going back and forth from a Kindle to, say... an iPhone".
...
...
:)))
LOL
No vavoritism, huh? Maybe it's a marketing strategy - compare everything to iPhone to become a success. Even Jon Stewart did that in interview with Bezos, right?
Anyway, I will finish reading the interview, but those iPhone comparisons... LOL, just LOL.
wow, can someone explain to me why it's OK to be an iPhone hater, but not an iPhone lover? Isn't that a little childish and one-sided?
Maybe engadget likes iPhones, or maybe they're comparing it to an iPhone because there are 20 million of them in the wild, and commercials on prime time TV every 10 minutes. People know what an iPhone looks like, and nobody freakin knows what a Sony eBook reader looks like.
I have an iPhone. I have a Kindle2. The Kindle 2 does look like an iPhone, especially from the back. It's aluminum with a plastic band across the top. It's as thin as a #2 pencil. It's nice. I've only had it a couple days, but so far, I love it. And I can stop reading eBooks on my iPhone...
This thing would be perfect if they had simply left the SDHC card slot and if they did away with the DRM on the kindle books. Or presented a .azw reader for the computer. Anyways I won't even consider it until those two things are done.
I believe it's possible to read .azw books through the mobipocket reader (PC software) if you do a simple rename of the file. You can also download the books directly to your machine through the "manage my kindle" link.
What surprised me is that a lot of the e-books aren't much cheaper than the regular books--at least for current titles. There are no printing costs, and no transportation costs, so you'd think they could seriously discount the material. For me, unless they radically lower the price of their e-books, it's just not worth it.
For most new releases the price is far cheaper for the ebook than the real book.s new books cost between 20 and 30 bucks, where the ebooks are 10.
"For most new releases the price is far cheaper for the ebook than the real book.s new books cost between 20 and 30 bucks, where the ebooks are 10."
And the second the book is released on paperback it drops down to $3. The ebooks are based off of the price of the cheapest current paper format rather than having a price based on their own costs and profits. Ebooks would be a lot more compelling if their price matched what was delivered (just like I have a hard time paying $10 for a digital album that costs $10 on CD).
Production actually accounts for very little of a book's cost. (especially with a hardback)
Most of it goes to the author and various other people involved.
I am sure that the publisher gets more money than the printing costs. Things like the Kindle mean that we will one day be able to do without publishers. Books will be cheaper then.
@Dave
From what I heard this is the issue with publishers. Some publishers just don't want to reduce the price for ebook in comparison with paper version, but some publishers do. This is why some ebooks on Amazon are much cheaper than paper versions and some are almost the same price.
I heard Amazon has tough times to deal with this Publisher's greed.
Cost of books production is not as insignificant as Plothole said. Remember the article about NY Times saying that it will be cheaper for them to give Kindle for free to each of their subscribers and distribute newspaper electronically, than printing it? Here is a link for you:
http://www.businessinsider.com/2009/1/printing-the-nyt-costs-twice-as-much-as-sending-every-subscriber-a-free-kindle
So paper cost is not a small thing, rather opposite.
From what I understand, the problem is not Amazon, but greedy/paranoid publishers. Otherwise ebooks would really cost much less than paper versions.
@Electromodo
Books and newspapers are not the same thing though. There is a different cost breakdown.
If this thing had an apple logo at the top, i wonder how many more people would buy it. just speculating though.
If it had an Apple logo, I would buy it. Sad but true.
If it had an Apple logo, it would probably be a different and (sadly) better product. No matter how well Amazon makes and markets the Kindle, it doesn't have the same mass appeal as AAPL products...
Nah, if it had an Apple logo, it would be the same product with a different but equally restrictive DRM back end.
This wouldn't have an Apple logo on it because Apple would not release this product. They tend release new products by waiting until a market is more mature, then release a refined product that delivers a noticeably better user experience. In other words, if Apple made one of these, it would be after e-ink was fast enough to behave close to a normal screen and touch-screen or other technology was available to remove that awkward keyboard and allow the computer functions to be largely hidden.
Amazon is in a different position. They're releasing the Kindle to speed the transition of the industry to more paperless reading, which will be likely to both increase consumption of books and dramatically cut down on storage and transportation costs. Amazon makes most of its money selling books; Apple makes most of its money selling hardware/software integrated devices.
I am dying to get one, but the price is really high, and makes me wonder if I should get it or not.
I do read a lot, but my first use for this would be for school. I teach French in college, and I have to carry around at least two books a day that feel like bricks in my bag. My main concern is that these books are not eBooked yet (did I just invent a new verb? Yay).
When text book publishing co. will understand that I don't need to carry around a 300 pages book every day just to teach classes, I will be a happy man!
I have a new riot call: eBook Text Books... eBook Text Books...
Ipod for books, huh? Im sorry, but i paid 209 dollars for my Ipod, and it serves very well as an "Ipod for books" as well as a *GASP* IPOD! Stanza is a great program that allows me to load my personal files with little fanfare or difficulty.
If you've ever used an e-ink device you would know the comparison is silly. The iPod/iPhone isn't even even the same league as a true e-ink device for reading plain text. We happen to have an iPod Touch, iPhone, and Kindle 1 in our home and the Apple devices simply don't compare. In fact, after using all three, the thought it sitting down to read for a couple of hours on an iPhone is simply absurd. They may work phone for scanning through some work docs during a commute, on the road, etc..., but no serious reader is going to want to use them for extended reading... at least not after using an e-ink device.
Yeah, but the iPhone doesn't take almost a second to even START redrawing the screen like the Kindle 2 does. And if there are grey-scale pictures on the screen the Kindle 2 does this 3-stage or so refresh to draw the image.
It's really weird. And coupled with the $360 price, it makes it very hard to justify one.
Sure, e-ink has lots of room for improvement, but the fact it takes a second for the Kindle to draw a new page doesn't change the fact that small LCDs are complete shit for extended reading and have terrible battery life in comparison to e-readers. Waiting for the page to redraw isn't that much different than physically turning a page and the advantages for extended reading are worth it IMO. As I said, we got all three of those devices in out home... the Kindle arrived last and I was blown away at how good it was for reading books. It looks amazingly like real paper and looks even better in bright light (the opposite of LCDs). The Apple devices are simply terrible in comparison.
Yeah, but those other devices can do the job and lots of other jobs too. $360 for the Kindle and all it can do is read books and already with problems at that that we both mention.
I guess if you're loaded, why not have another device, you'll be well prepared for the overpriced content (that you can't loan out or sell) too.
If I had to buy every book I read, even at a discount, it would triple my reading material budget. Most books I buy are loaned out at least once and over half of the ones I read are borrowed.
Well, first of all, you've changed the tracks on me here. You've gone from defending using an iPod to arguing for used/borrowed books. Technically, both an iPod and Kindle would have the same issues are far as buying used or loaning goes. The used/borrow route is going to be cheaper for most things you can think of. If you're someone that does than then obviously a device like the Kindle isn't for you.
But I generally read serveral hardback books a month. I'm caught up on all my series and authors and I generally don't like to wait for the paperbacks, so I end up buying new hardbacks most of the time. I also don't usually sell books so I have to invest in bookcases. As I stated elsewhere in these comments I dropped nearly $400 on a bookcase a couple of years ago. As with anything, it just depends on your personal situation. For me a Kindle is actually worth the price even at the current level.
All that aside, I'd still never read any novels on an iPhone. I'd rather use the actual book long before I'd ever think of using a device like the iPhone. It may be multi-purpose, but that doesn't mean it's well suited for every purpose. In this case it amounts to nothing more than an inferior stop gap.
Great review! Grrr...The instant availability sold me. I'm waiting UPS overnight thanks to Amazon Prime. :)
If i could get all my text books for it id be sold in a second. Lugging books isn't fun. Im not holding my breath tho.
Other then that holding a book at home is a huge pleasure in this digital world. This isn't needed outside of uni's imo. That coming from a gadget freak like me too.
Got mine in last night and I dig it. I offered to trade mine with my wife's 1G Kindle and thankfully she loves (as the put it) the "Battlestar Galactica feel" of the G1 and I can keep my slick little G2.
Well, when you put it like that, I'd probably want the K1, too. I wonder if BSG eBook readers had beveled corners?
Kindle 2 rocks
Kindle 2 is a very good tool.
Are they offering a deal where you can buy a real book and get the electronic version at a discounted price?
I'd buy that..
This price tag is much too high. When a product (books for kindle) depends so much on network externalities it seems ridiculous to charge so much for usage hardware. I'll be waiting to pick up a used on on eBay for $100, or for the price to drop to $150 or so.
The flaw in your logic is that you aren't paying a regular fee for those "network externalities", so the price of the hardware is not actually just the price of the hardware. Most devices that utilize cellular technology would force you to pay for the network access itself in addition to the content.
The problem with calling the Kindle an "iPod for books" is that people don't consume books the same way they consume music. People will happily listen to the same songs and albums over and over again; that's the joy of music. Most books are a read-once type of thing. Sure, hardcore fans of books like the Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter or whatever will read those books many times. And sure, I might want to go back and re-read a book I read a few years ago and have largely forgotten. Or I might have some textbooks or reference books that require constant re-reading. But by and large, I have very little desire to own a large collection of novels. That's what the public library is for. If the books were as cheap as iTunes songs (99 cents) then the convenience of the Kindle would be worth it. But to spend $10 on a book that I'm only going to read once and could get for free at the local library? And $359 for a device to read it on? No thank you.
Sure, it's not going to be as popular as an iPod, but I don't think "iPod for books" directly implies that. I think the "for books" is key there. And while you may not have a large collection of books, quite a few people do. I dropped roughly $400 on a new bookcase a couple of years ago. So, for me, a device like the Kindle, which can replace the need for a bookshelf, isn't that crazy of an investment even at the current cost. Plus you have the convenience factor. Even though you can go to the library to get books, many people styill buy them. The Kindle simply allows you to buy them and have them instantly without the need to go anywhere. The same way many people now buy music through services like iTunes rather than going to a physical store.
Oh, and while I do think the books should be a bit cheaper your comparison with 99 cent songs is unfair. A single song track is something that used to be sold as part of complete and more expensive album. It would be similar to buying a chapter or section from a complete book, but books don't work that way. You're still buying the whole book.
To put a finer point on what you are saying:
When I got my first iPod, I had hundreds of songs ripped from my own CDs ready to put on my iPod. This expensive thing I bought had immediate value.
When I get a Kindle, I don't have anything to put on it. I have to start shelling out $$$ just to put an already expensive thing to any good use.
Actually I know two people who the Kindle is perfect for. My girlfriend reads about 3-4 books a week, when we go on vacation she brings 4-6 books. A ton of weight in the suitcase (Many of them are hardback). The other person is a friend of mine who literally reads about 8-10 books a week. Now, considering that most Kindle books are at least $2 cheaper than their mass paperback counterpart and in most cases the books the GF and friend are reading aren't in mass paperback yet so the cost savings is around $6-$8 per book, the cost savings add up pretty damn quick.
That's definitely an plus, but that's more about the differences between printed and digital media than about how an iPod is better than a Kindle. Technically you could scan any book you own and put it on an e-reader, but the time it would take would likely mean it wouldn't be worth the effort. I don't think many people are going to re-buy all their old books, maybe a few favorites. I think most people buying an e-reader would simply start buying any new books in digital format.
You have two friends who read that many books and they are buying them all?
Don't they at least share books with each other?
The "$2 savings" isn't real for me, since so many books I read are borrowed and virtually all my books are loaned out. Saving $2 a book isn't an advantage if I end up having to buy 3x as many books because I can't borrow or loan them.
"in most cases the books the GF and friend are reading aren't in mass paperback yet so the cost savings is around $6-$8 per book, the cost savings add up pretty damn quick."
This is how it is with me. I'm caught up with most series and authors I read, so unless I'm trying a new author most of the books I buy are hardback. Which means they are more expensive, bulkier to carry, and take up more physical space on the bookshelf. The Kindle solves or minimizes all these issues. There's no doubt that at the current price a device like the Kindle isn't for light readers that may only go through a few book a year, but those of us that go through several a month or even more (like your GF and friend), the savings and convenience to make the Kindle attractive.
I still can't talk my wife into buying one, and she has at the moment 2016 books in her collection, which is growing weekly....
good review, sir.
now, if only it didn't cost so much...... I agree that $150, or maybe even $99, is the pricepoint this thing needs to get down to before the masses will buy it, and furthermore, I'd bet that it needs to get down to the $49 pricepoint, and come with some free books, before we see it replacing printed text with any noticeability.
That said.... I disagree that this thing doesn't have the potential to do to the book industry what the iPod did to the music industry... it's simply the issue that the thing costs too much. Granted... we'll be waiting 5 to 10 years before this happens, but it WILL happen.
Maybe I'm just ignorant, but I really don't understand what the big deal is about the Kindle...it's cool I guess but seems pricey for a black and white display for the sole purpose of reading off of...maybe I'd have to actually use one? Maybe I don't do enough reading to appreciate it, *shrug*
Monochrome Sucks, why not get a cheap tablet. I feel sorry for the poor saps who buy this product.
http://www.linuxhaxor.net/2009/01/19/ubuntu-based-200-tablet-by-techcrunch/
I know. That's why I only buy books with multicolored text and pop-up pictures. BTW, will that thing go a week on a single charge?
that tablet is not even compatible with pop-up books as it can only display 2D pages :(
FAIL
I think this guy made some great suggestions for the Kindle...
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/02/reinventing-the-kindle-part-ii.html
What do you think?
I agree, I thought these were great suggestions. I hope he's forwarded them on to Amazon.
My girlfriend is not exactly in love with technology. She is an avid reader and commuter. I bought her the kindle one and her skepticism morphed into love after only one day of use. Just got our kindle 2 (selling the kindle one to a friend) and it really does feel better. Feels solid, smooth, polished, zippier, just...better! It confuses me how so many "gadget lovers" on these kindle posts complain about the e-reader concept itself being ridiculous. All gadgets aren't for everyone. After playing with this thing I think its quite fantastic but I wouldn't own one myself because I don't read or commute as much as my girlfriend and on the occasion that I do as mentioned by a few others, I can use my phone netbook etc (or a real book for that matter). Also, I DO think the ipod comparison that many have brought up to compare this reader with others on the market actually holds up. The ipod (first or second generation for that matter), may have not been the only or best mp3 player on the market, but it did what it did well and made it incredibly simple for the masses to play and acquire legal content. The amazon kindle does the same thing. It does what it does well. Its very easy to pick up and use and very easy to acquire legal content. It's not of course the only e-reader in town and may not even technically be the "BEST" for some, depending on what your needs are (if you read tons of pdf manuals for example). But for most people, like my girlfriend, it is hands down the "BEST" choice. A solid product. A good Gadget :)
Jeez, enough with the price comments. It really gets old. On another note, has anyone at all remarked on the noisy page turning buttons? I just got mine yesterday, and while much improved, it has very loud buttons that click twice for each page turn. It would disturb your partner to no end in a quiet room. I also have the Sony, and it makes nary a sound. I also much prefer the Sony for staying on all the time. I can put it down and read a page every few minutes or hours as the opportunity arises, especially at work, but the Kindle goes into power saver mode after xx minutes, and the power switch has to be flipped and you have to wait for it to come back to life. I understand the battery issues, but it would sure be nice to turn the wireless off and set the Kindle to stay on all the time like the Sony does. Otherwise, it is almost useless for occasional reading like I do sometimes. The Sony just sites on my desk at work for weeks on end with whatever page I left it sitting on, and doesn't run down.
The power issue is strange. The Kindle 1 goes into screen saver mode and you just press home and AA to wake it back up. Do you always have to turn the K2 on with the actual power switch to get it out of "sleep"?
Yes, you now just flip the switch. It is spring loaded and you flip it to the right and let go. Similar to the Sony, but the Sony comes back in 1 second, whereas the Kindle takes maybe 10 seconds to fully come back? I haven't timed it, but it is danged annoying and it also only displays one photo from the set of screensaver photos each time. It doesn't rotate through them while in that mode like the old one did. More power saving, I guess. that is probably what the longer battery life is mostly about. More aggressive power saving. If anyone knows how you can make it stay on, let me know. It isn't in the users manual. Steve
I've never played around with one of these, but am I right in thinking that every time a cursor moves the screen has to update? If so is it not painfully slow to navigate? Hopefully the next gen of these will have a touch screen to get around this problem.
The latest generation display controller, which is what the Kindle 2 uses, is designed to only update parts of the screen that need to be updated. This speeds up the process considerably.
Hmmm. I haven't noticed the entire screen having to redraw. Good question, though. It doesn't seem too painful to havigate around on a page or menu with the cursor, but I have noticed one thing; it doesn't always even erase all the old data on the screen when you pull up a menu. You can still vaguely see the words in the background until you finish what you are doing, then the whole page refreshes. Maybe they have figured ways to get around the full refreshes when it would slow things down too much. I will have to play around with it some more, though. I have only had mine in my hands for a couple of hours so far.
There are a number of minor, yet exceedingly important, improvements. For example, on Kindle 1 you removed content by going into Content Manager, finding the book in the huge list of everything you've ever bought, selecting it, opening the menu, deleting it, and confirming. Moving deleted content back to Kindle 1 was basically the same.
On Kindle 2, you select the book on the home screen, jog left, and push - deleted. Your "Archived Content" list is all the stuff you've bought that is not on your Kindle: Go in, select an item, jog right, and push - and it transfers back for reading. It's a vastly simpler workflow. A number of other simpler navigation concerns have been cleared up in this fashion, too. I did a short write up at http://concentratedtech.com/content/index.php/2009/02/kindle-2-review/ of some of the other easily-overlooked improvements.
And yes, the price of the hardware is too high. We're still in "early adopter" phase with this technology, and prices will stay high until sufficient volume and momentum is achieved. That's the case with any technology - witness iPod, for example, which is now available in $150 variants but started at almost $400, if I remember correctly. If you're not an "early adopter" type, you'll never understand why those of us who are paid so much. Just accept it :).
I handed my (non-technical) wife her new Kindle 2 yesterday, and within 5 minutes, she had downloaded her first book without reading the instructions. I am encouraged!
What direction will Kindle 3 take? Here are some ideas:
http://www.innovationinpractice.com/innovation_in_practice/2009/01/the-lab-innovating-the-kindle-with-task-unification-january-2009.html
My biggest concern about the Kindle, aside from it’s weird, book-buring-esque name, is that it compromises the integrity of the written word. A printed book may be unwieldy, but you know that once it’s on your shelf, not one letter is going to change. Can’t say the same for the Kindle.
Also, when I spill coffee all over a book, I’ve only ruined that particular book :)
Here's an expanded version of that thought: http://urbzen.com/2009/02/09/amazon-kindle-privacy-fail/
Anathem was actually the first book I searched for on the Kindle - I like that you also used it in these examples.
Although I'm left wondering how much the text-to-speech would completely mangle Stephenson's bizarre vocabulary.
I bought it, I love it.
Great review and pictures to help those of us who dont' have one. I am very interested in Kindle, but am still waiting for these books to be DRM free. It's just so much easier and "thought-free" when I don't have to worry about DRM and how I use something. The higher the resolution, the better it is too. We are nowhere near true 300-dpi but that's a technical limitation at this point.
Speaking of DRM-free, Amazon does have an awesome MP3 store that is DRM-free with a large selection and often good prices. It would be nice if they had the same thing with books.
On the note about Amazon, I recently came across an interesting table that details the discounts on Amazon. Maybe someone will find it useful too. It is at http://www.uberi.com
Anyway, Amazon appears to be quite serious this time. We will probably see faster advancements in this area in the near future as competition heats up.
Too much keyboard, not enough screen.
The wireless is what makes this a winner though!
Still too expensive. Still doesn't support non-Amazon content enough. Still too much wasted space--either make the display bigger, or shrink the size of the thing.
p.s. I might be wrong about that last bit. Would have to hold it in my hand I guess, and see how much space around the sides I need to curl my fingers around, though I suspect I would quickly get a cover. Somebody else who's actually used one?
comments from one who did not have the first kindle and just got the second.
first, everyone is absolutely right, it is far too expensive...that being said there are those of us in the world that cannot live without a good book to read. if you are one of these people, this device is perfect for you. I know, no matter where i am, I will not have to worry about not having something to read. i can order books instantly and get an awesome selection (it's all about the content and not the hardware) why do people forget this fact!!!
I will never recoup the cost of this device in the few dollars of savings on each title and guess what, i don't care because now i never have to make a trip to the bookstore, carry around a huge paperback or hardback, and i never have to save my place in a book again because it always remembers where i left off. It is a device for booklovers with money, period!! if you are not one of these don't buy it, if you are you won't regret it for a second.
The Kindle 2 kind of reminds me of a big iPod. I'd even say that, at some level, it could be called an "iPod for books".
I'd love to get one, but $350 is a lot of scratch.
Bot
iPod-Lovin Mac FanBot
Kindle should be price $199 with current digital book price or $359 and much cheaper book price. If it has Zune feature wifi share to other Kindle for maybe 3-4 weeks then auto delete the book. I might digg that, or allow to upload any pdf to that device is cool too(Sony ebook do that without any problem). And why would anyone want carry, so many different device around? Apple give us iPhone 3 with 5 mega pixels camera, higher res. screen, some how put e-ink to that thing and problem solve :)
I'm still waiting on the 3rd, 4th, or 5th generation of this type of device. When will the background actually be 'white' like a 20 lb bond piece of copy paper with 97 whiteness?
How about a display size of 8.5"x 11"?
How about color?
How about 3 months between battery recharges?
This thing still reminds me of an oversized LCD watch with 150 dpi;)
We don't really need colour. It would be nice, but it's not a core feature. Let's assume you have many hundreds of books in your house (if you don't, you're not in the market for an eink reader). How many of them are colour?
Making greyscale e-paper better is much more important (re your other points). The contrast is not so bad, but could be better, especially if it degrades over time. Resolution could be higher too.
As for this device, I'd prefer:
1) get rid of mobile phone communication and use normal wi-fi instead; this could potentially reduce the price of the device or of books and remove any obstacles to full free access to content, and reduce battery consumption too. we don't need to have the capability to buy books every second of every day.
2) get rid of keyboard, focus on the screen/book. make the smallest bevel possible.
but for those who wanted Amazon's offering this definitely looks like a huge improvement.
Does the Kindle 2 support landscape mode?
My first three words:, "GlassAlloy Hyper-Infused LCD", then "WEP Enabled" and "Realtime". Before you Mass Produce, you should also get a all-in-one Carrrying Case/BatteryPack for charging and Mobile usage. Then "You Have Liftoff".
I see kindle 2 review is nice on http://www.2dayplaza.com/amazon-kindle-2/ and http://www.2dayplaza.com/amazon-kindle-2-review/ Hope you will benefit.
Meaw
None of you people get it. The kindle is a STATUS OBJECT. People who buy it are not particularily concerned about the price as long as they can justifiy it to themselves. They are forgiving about the functionality because the of the novelty. The kindle is a status object dont fool yourselves.
Funny, that's what people say about the iPhone.
In fact the Kindle is a READING OBJECT. It is designed for readers and it is well suited to that task. The price is well worth it to a serious reader. Yes, there are some savings on the cost of books. There is also savings and benefit from not having to store all of those books. Good bookcases cost a lot of money. The biggest benefit is the convenince. It is much easier and nicer to read a book on the Kindle than it is on a printed book. Major benefit.
I find the price of a Xbox to be high since I would not get any use out of it, but understand that it has value to those who play games. The price of the Kindle may be too high to you. That doesn't make it a status object, just an object that you don't want to spend money on. We don't all have the same needs.
Kindle 2 is a very good tool.
I am sure that the publisher gets more money than the printing costs. Things like the Kindle mean that we will one day be able to do without publishers. Books will be cheaper then.http://www.cheapdvdmovies.us/
If you are STILL trying to decide whether or not to buy a Kindle, you might try http://www.shouldyoubuyabookreader.com
If you have a public Amazon wishlist and enter your e-mail or the Wishlist link, it will calculate your savings for buying Kindle editions instead of print editions.
If you are not a serious reader, this item is not for you. I am amazed at the number of people talking about how they never buy books, and thus, the Kindle makes no sense. If you don't buy books, the Kindle is not for you. As for the tablet suggestion, you can't read a novel on a tablet. I mean, you can. But it's a miserable experience. The only reason anyone would suggest that is if they launched an eBook reader on a tablet to verify it worked, then closed it, secure in the knowledge that it's something that is possible to do, while they then use the tablet for computer functions.
The area where the Kindle is like the iPod (and I mean the original, not the iPhone or touch) is that it's designed to do a small number of things well. It is not designed to be all things to all people. It happens to be aimed at a smaller niche (readers, as opposed to music listeners). Fortunately for Amazon, that niche is affluent and loyal.