Kindle 2 Review

There has been a lot of hype and excitement around what Amazon would do to it's second version of the Kindle, and now that it has finally come out I think all those expectations have been met. There were in fact a few trade offs with the new features though. Most notably would be the absence of removable memory and the included protective carrying case. Those few losses are easily shadowed by the Kindle's new sleek design, 2Gb of internal memory, faster performance, built-in speakers and the one sparking controversy, built -in Text-To-Speech audio reading.

Design
The new Kindle is thinner, coming in at 0.36" at the thickest point, although it does not make it the Macbook Air of eReaders, that distinction goes to Sony's PRS-505, which is 0.30" thick respectively. The Kindle 2 also comes in on the scales at a nice 10.2 ounces which is not heavy at all when toting around, but enough heft to make to feel like you are holding a nice paper back in your hand.

The dimensions are just about similar to the original Kindle, with this iteration being only slightly longer than the original 8" long Kindle.

The page-turn buttons on the original Kindle were long and often caused users to accidentally turn the page when picking up the device. Amazon successfully remedied the issue by making the buttons smaller and not so easily clicked like the first version.

This version also has a non-removable battery, just like Apples move to this direction as well. Amazon now charges $60 for a replacement but users may rest knowing that this battery is 25% larger, claiming a few days with wireless on and 2 weeks with the wireless off. Only time will tell.

Amazon also switched from a AC adapter port to a USB charging system. This isn't as good as it sounds since it's the smaller Micro-USB version that shows up on some cell phones and Bluetooth headsets. The Micro-USB cable detaches from the socket adapter and allows you to charge and sync via re USB connector on your Windows or Mac computer.

Keyboard
The new kindle is slightly longer than the old and a good amount longer than the Sony eReader due to it's keyboard. This version allocates a little bit more room to the keyboard. With this version the keyboard keys are circular rather than bar shaped and the space bar is longer, all of this adding up to an easier time using the keyboard.

Some people question the need for a keyboard, but with the Kindle being able to purchase ebooks on the move, having a keyboard to browse Amazons store is essential.

Screen
Kindle 2's screen is defined as a electrophoretic display, which is a type of display that forms visible images by rearranging charged pigment particles using an applied electric field. This technology is also know as "e-ink" paper. This tech makes the letters and words seem like they would as if they were on paper, including easy on the eyes viewing, something a LCD cannot provide due to its harsh back lighting.

Kindle's new screen is a 6-inch diagonal e-paper display, with a 600x800 pixel resolution with a 167 ppi density. It also has 16 shades of gray instead of 4 with does nothing for text but helps images greatly, they will no longer look like old high contrast xerox copies.

The screen also refreshes about 20% faster, which may seem like a moot point, but it actually is noticeable

EVDO Cellular Service (Whispernet)
Just like it's predecessor, the Kindle 2 has a free built in wireless connection which allows users to browse and purchase from Amazons online kindle store. Here in New York the coverage is great and a single download took no more than 15 seconds.

There is also a web browser, albeit slow due to the connection, but it allows you to browse the web, as long as it is a site without Flash or videos.

This web browser allows you to read RSS feeds, newspapers, and magazines

Conclusion
All in all, the Kindle 2 is what they were aiming for, better than its previous self, minus the non expandable memory (maybe Amazon is going to go all iPod'ish on us and offer different models based on size), and sealed battery.

People will still balk at the $400 price tag, and that can be a bit much for an eBook reader. It would be nice if the price came down to $299, but with such a long waiting list at the current price, i doubt Amazon will lower the price anytime soon.


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