If only the Kindle 2 were cheaper! Despite its other shortcomings, Amazon’s new and improved digital-book reading device does enough right that it could become the Model T of e-readers, capturing the imagination–and discretionary spending–of the masses. But in this wretched economy, in which most of us will purchase only nonessentials that save us money or make us money, I doubt folks will pony up $359 for a pleasure-reading gadget. And thanks to Amazon’s mysterious pricing policies, the old argument–that digital books are so much cheaper than their hide-bound ancestors–no longer holds.
Before a recent visit to my dear old mum, I purchased The Kindly Ones, by Jonathan Littell, a 992-page Nazi-palooza that, given the nearly 3-lb. weight of the new English translation, makes for an ideal Kindle selection. But when I got ready to buy it on Amazon, I blanched at the $16.19 price. Every Kindle text I’ve purchased since Amazon started selling the device in November 2007 has been $9.99. Indeed, that was one of the Kindle’s main draws: you could buy books wirelessly, on demand and at a fraction of the cost of their printed peers. Case in point: Littell’s book was listed in Amazon’s Kindle store with a hardcover price of $29.99, making the digital version seem like a real bargain. But later I discovered that Amazon’s bookstore was selling the new hardcover for $17.99. So the Kindle saved me all of $1.80. Big whoop.
After spending a week with Amazon’s $360 Kindle 2, I’d like to say we were wrong about it not being a big step forward, but for better or worse, it’s the same Kindle as before.
The annals of gadgetry are littered with revisions that just aren’t meaningful, like the 3rd Gen iPod with its solid-state buttons, or the slimmer, lighter but substantially unchanged PSP-2000. But after waiting a year and change for Amazon to get serious about its Kindle platform—serious enough to keep the thing in stock—I was surprised at how banal the modifications were. Why didn’t they just lower the price of the $400 original to something like $300 or $250, and build more?
We’ve spent a few days with the Amazon Kindle 2, which has been the talk of the gadget world this week. We know some of you are wondering if you should pick one up, so we are here to give you our thoughts on the latest iteration of Amazon’s e-book reader. If you’re like us, you already know that the Kindle 2 is available for purchase now, and you likely have one in your hands - but for the rest of you, join us for our full review of the Kindle 2 (and if you missed it, check out our Kindle 2 gallery.)
Okay, so while we were working on the review, we sent a couple of questions out to some of our Twitter peeps asking what they thought of the device, and Lisa from EllisLab hit us back with so much info, that we are using her feedback to break this down for you. Sometimes you need the point of view of a “real world” user anyway, as opposed to one of us gadget fiends. So what we will do is give some of our thoughts on the Kindle 2, and then bring in Lisa’s thoughts as well.
Slideshow|All ShotsBoth Loyd Case, editor of ExtremeTech, and Jim Lynch, forum moderator and commentator extraordinaire, recently bought Amazon Kindle 2 ebook readers. What follows is Jim’s review of the Kindle. He focuses on the hardware, plus the store and the experience of using the Kindle 2. Loyd talks about reading on the Kindle 2. It’s not, despite Jim’s thoughts, like reading a book. It’s not better or worse, but it is different. First, let’s look at Jim’s take.
In my last column I talked about what made me buy a Kindle 2. This week I want to share my impressions of the Kindle 2 after finally buying one. My overall feelings about the Kindle 2 are positive but there are some problems and drawbacks with it that I couldn’t help but notice.
Amazon.com has fixed the worst design flaws in the Kindle, its popular electronic-book reader, while maintaining the excellent book-buying experience that made the first Kindle model tolerable despite those problems.
This week, the company released the Kindle 2, a new version that is much thinner, a tad lighter and a bit taller. It has much more built-in memory, better navigation controls and a slightly improved screen. I’ve been testing the Kindle 2 for a few weeks and consider it a vast improvement over the first Kindle, released in late 2007, which was clumsy and annoying to use. Overall, I found the Kindle 2 to be a well-designed, satisfying piece of hardware.
At half the thickness of Amazon’s first e-book reader, the Amazon Kindle 2 ($359) is pretty inviting — it’s a, sleek, curved tablet that you can easily hold in your hands. But even though 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.
To protect that $359 investment in the likable Kindle 2, buyers should consider at least one accessory: a cover. The first Kindle shipped with a cover, the new one does not.
Apple used to include a hard case with the iPod when that music player first came out. No longer. Now there is a billion-dollar market to dress up the iPod, including so many cases that one gentleman sold his business—for a nice sum, I hear—because “we were just another company making condoms for the iPod.”
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.
I didn’t buy Amazon’s first Kindle e-book reader when it premiered in late 2007 for two reasons. First, I rarely buy first-generation hardware. Why pay to be a beta tester? Second, I look at a computer screen all day. I didn’t want to look at yet another screen for night reading.
But when Amazon’s new Kindle 2 was announced, my first reason for holding out evaporated. And the Kindle’s new features eroded my resolve: It can store 1,500 books; it can go for up to two weeks without a battery recharge; it has a crisper screen.
Back when the original Kindle was announced I hesitated about buying one because I wasn’t that impressed with the form factor. A few days later I decided I would probably enjoy the device only to then find out they were sold out for quite some time. Josh Bancroft then posted an article that further aided in my purchase justification so I bought my Kindle a few months after they were released. This time around I decided to order the Kindle 2 as soon as it was announced a couple of weeks ago and yesterday it arrived. I didn’t want to be stuck waiting for them to come back in stock again, but see they are actually still listed as In Stock on the Amazon site so either the demand is not as great as last time or the supply is better than last time. In today’s economy, I can see more people hesitating to buy such a device so believe the demand is less than the Kindle 1.
Home of the most complete resource on the Internet for Kindle 2.0 reviews. Check back daily for frequent updates on the Kindle. Amazon Kindle 2.0 has a new sleek and thin design. This wireless reading device is lighter than a paperback, has seven times more storage and now holds over 1,500 books. The display is more crisp for a better reading experience along with improved battery life.
Price for the Kindle 2 is $359.
Please support our site by clicking on our Google ads or buying from our Amazon link below. :)
