Amazon’s (AMZN) new Kindle 2 e-book reader, unveiled today in New York, is more attractive than its predecessor: It’s thinner, has a sleek metal back, and nicer buttons. And it has some improved features: More storage capacity, better page-turning functions, and the screen displays more shades of gray.
But Amazon did not do much today to make the Kindle significantly more attractive to mainstream buyers: It’s still $360 and it’s still only really good for one thing — reading books.
Looks like those Kindle 2 photos we published back in October were spot on. Additional official-looking photos of the Kindle 2 have emerged and the new e-reader from Amazon looks sweet! If the pencil comparison is accurate, then the new Kindle appears to shed much of its width, coming in as thin as the Sony PRS-505 reader, and little bit longer than both the original Kindle and the Sony Reader. As we reported earlier, the Kindle 2 also appears to have a metal back with built-in speakers. Start putting those pennies aside as the Kindle 2 is expected to hit Amazon on the 24th of February for $359, the same price as the current Kindle. No apparent price increase, yay! This is still all unconfirmed but the information seems to jive with previous rumors and the source of the leak, MobileRead, is well-known in the e-book world. We will all get the skinny on this reader and its features on Monday, until then enjoy the photos after the jump.
While Amazon isn’t doling out review samples of its new Kindle 2 digital reader for a few weeks, I did get a chance to play with it at the launch event and come away with some first impressions.
Let me start by saying that the Kindle 2 is a nice upgrade over the original Kindle, but we’re not talking a jump from, say, black-and-white television to color, so early adopters who own the original Kindle shouldn’t feel too dejected.
Yes, the Kindle 2 is thinner–it measures a svelte 0.36 inches at its thickest point–and weighs in at 10.2 ounces. It also has 25 percent improved battery life and is about 20 percent faster, thanks to an upgraded processor. And it’s got 16 shades of gray instead of 4, so the text pops a little more. But this is an evolution, not a revolution.
I had the chance to do a brief hands-on with the Kindle 2 after its introduction today; in contrast to last time around, review copies were not available to the press. I’ve gone on record with a list of complaints about the first generation version, and suggested that there may have been little Amazon could do, given its reliance on E-Ink for that hardware. It appears that E-Ink has come through for them in a big way, and the Kindle 2 is a far better device as a result…
I want a Kindle 2. In fact, I’ve wanted a Kindle for almost a year now. The fever reached its height right around the holidays when I thought I’d buy my wife one. My attempts failed, but my techno lust for the device did not. When I heard about the new Amazon Kindle 2, I tried to ignore it. I was still smarting from Amazon’s rejection. Of course, in the days leading up to the Amazon Kindle 2 announcement, you couldn’t turn a virtual corner without stumbling over leaked information about the second-generation e-book reader…
• Hey, it’s downright iPod Touchy. Nice rounded aluminum back with a plastic top. Will it stay on the toilet seat?
• Controls are almost exactly the same as Kindle 1, just slightly re-arranged, for the better. You can still page forward from both sides. Although now, with more non-button room on the sides, you can definitely pick it up without turning the page. They nailed the buttons.
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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.
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