At half the thickness of Amazon’s first e-book reader, the Amazon Kindle 2 ($359 as of 3/5/09) is pretty inviting–it’s a, sleek, curved tablet that you can easily hold in your hands. But while Amazon has made some successful enhancements to its e-book reader, other tweaks fall flat or miss the mark entirely. And the company has done little to advance the gadget beyond its single trick: reading digital books.

In the e-book universe, the Kindle retains a significant edge. Offering built-in Sprint 3G wireless (at no extra cost to users) and tight integration with Amazon’s shopping engine, the Kindle handheld delivers a cohesive reading and shopping experience (even the Kindle for iPhone application doesn’t allow you to shop within the app itself). Its nearest competitor, Sony’s PRS-700 Reader, can’t come close: Amazon’s library of Kindle e-books, all available for immediate delivery, gives new meaning to the concept of instant gratification.

Continue reading the Kindle 2 Review.