Hot New Releases Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" Display, U.S. Wireless) Review
Product Description
At 10.2 ounces, Kindle is lighter than a typical paperback and as
thin as most magazines. Barely a third of an inch in profile, you'll
find Kindle fits perfectly in your hands. Kindle is as easy to hold
and use as a book. We designed it with long-form reading in mind. When
reading for long periods of time, people naturally shift positions and
often like to read with one hand. Kindle's page-turning buttons are
located on both sides, allowing you to read and turn pages comfortably
with one hand from any position. The page-turn buttons now flex inward
to prevent any accidental page turns when picking up or handling Kindle.
Kindle has a new easy-to-use 5-way controller, enabling precise
on-screen navigation for selecting text to highlight or looking up
words. Kindle is completely wireless and ready to use right out of
the box--no setup, no cables, no computer required. With Kindle's 25%
longer battery life, you can read on a single charge for up to 4 days
with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to 2 weeks. Battery
life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle
Store and downloading content. In low coverage areas or in 1xRTT only
coverage, wireless usage will consume battery power more quickly.
Whispernet utilizes Amazon's optimized technology plus Sprint's national
high-speed (3G) data network to enable you to wirelessly search,
discover, and download content on the go. Your books and periodicals are
delivered via Whispernet in less than 60 seconds. And unlike WiFi, you
never have to hunt for a hotspot.Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #520 in Amazon Devices
- Color: Bisque
- Brand: Amazon
- Model: D00511
- Released on: 2009-02-23
- Dimensions: .36" h x 5.30" w x 8.00" l, .64 pounds
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews10141 of 10308 people found the following review helpful.
Kindle Me!
By Robin L. McLaughlin
I'm a new Kindle 2 owner and I did not own a Kindle 1. I was very interested in the original Kindle, but had decided to wait for improvements based on customer feedback after it was released, especially the accidental page turning issue. Since it looked like they made the improvements I was waiting for (one of the others was a bit more free space on the case to hold it) I took the plunge and got the new one.
I thought I'd start with listing my reasons for getting the Kindle, since I think that can sometimes help others who are sitting on the fence to decide if it's for them or not.
* Storage. I'm out of shelf space and all the boxes of books do little to add to the ambience of my one bedroom apartment. On the rare occasions I want to read something again trying to find the book in all the boxes is an exercise in frustration.
* eInk technology. I love books and using an electronic gadget isn't the same experience. The new technology has eliminated that concern.
* Convenience. The Whispernet is great for when you need the next book in a series right away or want to stock up on a few before leaving on a trip. Being able to have several books stored in the Kindle to take along instead of having to pack an extra bag just for my books for a week's vacation is a huge benefit.
* Aging. I'm 47 and middle age is starting to catch up with me! Being able to select larger print to avoid having to use my reading glasses (just started needing them this last year) and having a device that's easier on my hands for holding to read is a boon.
* Less waiting for publication. I don't like reading hardbacks because of their size and weight. But it's agonizing to wait for the latest book in a series to finally come out in mass market format. Now I won't have to wait!
* Environment. The majority of books I buy and read I'll only read once. I feel guilty about the trees needed to make the paper and all the other energy used to produce and ship/distribute the books required to satisfy my reading appetite.
* Saving Money. While the cost of the Kindle up front is steep, in the long run it will pay for itself and save me money since I read on average 8 books a month. With the free classics available it's also going to encourage me to expand my reading material, for no additional cost.
My Kindle was one of the ones that shipped without being pre-registered to my account. After I plugged it in to my USB hub on my computer to charge the battery (the charging cord design is very clever!) I read through the introductory portion of the user guide which told me how to register the Kindle. I followed the instructions and a couple minutes later I was all set!
I thought it would be fitting to christen my Kindle with the Stephen King novella UR, so went to the Amazon site on my computer and clicked on the button to buy it. As soon as I'd clicked the button to confirm my order it appeared on my Kindle almost immediately! I read it while the Kindle finished charging.
First impressions:
When people say the Kindle is sleek they ain't kidding. Everything is very nicely laid out and it just feels and looks cool!
After reading through the introductory guide that loads up automatically at the start and following along it took me almost no time to learn which buttons are where and what each of them do. The intro guide is plenty to get started and I haven't felt a need to work my way through the more detailed guide.
The 5-way controller is teensy! I was a bit taken aback at first by this. Though after a bit of practice it's surprisingly easy to use. For people who have dexterity issues it could be a potential stumbling block. If that's you I'd recommend seeing if you can find someone with a Kindle 2 to try it out for yourself first to see how it works for you.
Being able to change the font sizes is awesome! It's done on the fly with just a couple button clicks.
When starting to read for real for the first time I was VERY aware that I was reading on an electronic gadget and was a bit disappointed that it didn't immediately "disappear" as per the advertising. However, it really didn't take too long for that feeling to lessen. I imagine once the Kindle is no longer my exciting new toy and is just what I use to read books that I'll have completely lost the gadget awareness thing.
It took very little time to get used to having to push a button to turn pages and the screen flash as they turn only really startled me the first few times. I can see how it might bother some people, but it was a non-issue for me almost right away. The page turns are very fast.
The Kindle design allows for holding it in several different comfortable positions with either hand. Normally when reading books I only like holding them in my left hand and during a long reading session it often starts to get uncomfortable, or even painful. I found myself easily switching my Kindle off between hands and into different positions in each hand without even really noticing I was doing it.
I ordered the Amazon case and am quite pleased with it. It's fairly sturdy, looks and feels well-made, and the design is perfect for how I'll likely be using the Kindle most of the time.
Unlike a lot of people in these reviews I think having the case as a separate purchase right from the start was a good move by Amazon. If a case was included, as with the Kindle 1, that would have been reflected in a higher price. But I'd imagine that probably 50% or more buyers end up buying a different case they like better, which means you end up paying for two cases. The way it's been done with Kindle 2 means you can pick which case you want right from the start and only pay once.
Overall I'm thrilled to finally be part of the Kindle community and expect to be spending many, many, many pleasant hours absorbed in books on my new best friend. Kindle me, baby!
Update 3/23/09:
I feel a bit guilty adding more to an already long review, but felt that since I've now had the Kindle for almost a full month it would be appropriate. I'm completely in love with my Kindle!
Like pretty much everyone else I feel that the Kindle 2 is in dire need of a user customizable folder system for organizing books. That's the biggest negative for me so far.
The dictionary function is absolutely fantastic and now that I'm accustomed to having it I found it's frustrating to be reading a paper book and not be able to use it!
I didn't think I'd be using the highlight and note features much or at all but actually have been and they're an extremely nice extra. People in book discussion groups would find these to be a huge benefit.
The search function is also surprisingly useful for a wide variety of uses.
I've definitely lost the gadget awareness thing. This is just how I read most books now.
One of the unexpected great things is not having to deal with my bookmark falling out and having to find my place again. Or being able to just set the reader down for a couple minutes without bookmarking or losing my place because I bumped the book and it closed. It's little things like this that really elevate the reading experience.
Update 6/22/10:
Yes I'm back to add even more! I can honestly say the Kindle is one of the best purchases I have ever made. I haven't read a paper book in over a year.
The reason for this update is because I now have the 2.5 software upgrade and wanted to comment on it.
As I mentioned previously, the Kindle was in dire need of a way to organize books and documents. We now have it in the form of Collections, which is a tagging system. I think it could have been implemented a bit better, but I don't know what sorts of constraints the designers are under. Even with its limitations it's still a HUGE improvement to the Kindle and corrected the one glaring flaw it had.
The Collections are all managed on the Kindle, no computer or software needed. It's very easy to create (or delete or rename) collections and to move books between them. You can name them whatever you like, have as few or many as you like (or none at all if you don't want them). Books can be put into more than one Collection. You can't make nested or sub-collections. Your collection info is backed up on the Amazon server just like the rest of your book info, such as last page read.
Other features added (all of them are optional):
Password. This is most useful for those who want to keep confidential documents on the Kindle. The password has to be entered to return from sleep mode or to access the Kindle from a computer. That's a bit of a hassle for reading at home, but provides excellent protection when traveling or for other uses.
Social networks. You can now send passages you have highlighted in a book you're reading to your Facebook account or Twitter. (I don't use either of those services, but some who use the feature say it's pretty neat.)
Larger fonts. Two new font sizes were added (for a total of 8). They are Humongous and Gargantuan (my terms). For anyone who has failing eyesight and is in need of text that large I'd recommend getting a DX for the larger screen. On the largest font size on my small Kindle there are only 5-8 words on the entire screen. Yeah, it's that big!
Sharper font display. My Kindle has always had a pretty good display and I never had the problems that some units did with greyish text or lack of contrast. I can discern a small difference though and it's definitely an improvement, most noticeable on the middle font sizes.
PDF Zoom & Scan. To make reading PDFs with teensy print or images easier you can now zoom in and pan around PDF pages. I don't use PDFs so can't report first hand. Others say that while the feature is helpful and a big improvement, it can still be frustrating to try and use PDFs on the Kindle natively.
International browser access. Kindle owners in many other countries report that they now have access to unlimited internet browser use. International users up til now have had no internet access, or only wikipedia access. Amazon never announced this as an added feature, but many of the country information pages have changed, so it must be an intended benefit. Great news for our international Kindle friends!
9594 of 9835 people found the following review helpful.
Kindle 2 : First Impressions from a Kindle 1 owner
By P. Inhofer
On the one hand I love my Kindle 1... I use it everyday, I subscribe to my favorite newspaper, I mark up my books with annotations, highlights and bookmarks.
On the other hand my Kindle 1 annoys me... unintended page changes, the awkward way I sometimes have to hold it to keep from hitting buttons, the sometimes slow page refresh, and the screen freezes that now has me traveling with a paper clip lest I need to do a reset while commuting on the train.
I've had the Kindle 2 in my hands for almost a day and have carried it on one commute. What follows is my "first impressions" review of the Kindle 2 from the perspective of an owner of the original K1. What's different, what's better and what's worse?
5 big things I immediately noticed as different:
First, when taking the K2 out of the box I immediately noted that the back cover is not easily removable (if at all) and won't slip off in my hands - as was frequent with the K1. The keyboard is also much much smaller and less obtrusive.
The second thing I noticed is power management. No longer do I have to press and hold two buttons to put the device to sleep. The switches for On/Off and Wireless On/Off are gone. There's a single small switch at the top of the K2 that handles Sleep.
The third thing I noticed - where's the silver strip? In fact, the entire navigation structure has been completely revised - I'm still getting used to it but it's a huge step forward. The silver strip has been replaced by a 4-way rocker that can also be pressed for "OK" commands, creating bookmarks, and doing highlighting.
The fourth thing I noticed - while page changing doesn't seem to me to be particularly faster - almost every other interaction on the screen is vastly accelerated... scrolling the cursor, looking up words, highlighting text, and typing text.
The fifth thing I noticed - a new power cable. This unit uses USB cables that are not compatible with K1. It's a bit of a bummer since I was hoping my wife and I could share power cables (she's taking over my K1).
What's better:
Navigation is a huge improvement. Moving the cursor to a word and having the definition of the word immediately pop up on the bottom of the screen is terrific. Using the rocker to move between articles in a newspaper makes scanning the paper much faster and enjoyable. Calling up the Menu strip is much faster and interactive. Clearly, Amazon was hard at work to make navigation quicker and easier. The hard work is apparent.
Buttons: The K1 was a constant struggle with inadvertent page changes. The design was flawed from the beginning. The single best improvement in the K2 took a few minutes of concentrated reading to realize... the button hinges are on the outside - at the edge - of the K2. You need to press on the interior of the button to get it to click. This change alone has saved me from several inadvertent page changes. Combine that with the smaller button sizes and one major source of frustration has been instantly eliminated!
Size: The K2 is thinner than the iPhone. It feels denser and maybe a tad heavier - although I did buy the premium cover which snaps into the K2 and adds to the weight (btw, I love the premium cover and think it's worth the investment).
Network Speed: The K2 can use G3 cellphone connections and when it's activated it makes a considerable difference in interactivity to the Kindle Store and when downloading Archived content.
Power Management: The little power button at the top of the Kindle is really a power slide. That is, slide it to toggle Sleep mode on and off. Slide and hold to do a full power down. And the K1's wireless on-off switch has been replaced by a menu choice in software. Works for me. Also, compared to the K1 waking from sleep is super-fast.
What's worse...
There isn't much I liked better in the K1 than the K2. One thing: calling up clippings and notes. In the K2 these items only list the first sentence or two of my highlights. In the K1 it displays the entire highlight - which makes reading through them much easier and more like reading Cliff Notes. The new interface in K2 is annoying and makes the feature much less useful. I'll be writing to Amazon to see if we can get that changed.
Closing thoughts...
The K2 is a big refinement over the K1. It feels as easy to read as the K1 but doesn't seem any crisper to my eyes (I usually read at point sizes 3 & 4). In this regard, as a book, the K1 and K2 are comparable. I wouldn't run up my credit card to buy the K2 from a belief that it's fundamentally easier to read. However, in my short time with the K2 it's a more enjoyable device to use. The change in the hinging and size of the buttons is major plus and would make it hard to go back to the K1. Amazon broke a few paradigms that K1 users are accustomed to and I found myself going to the K2 User Guide to figure out some content management issues that have been changed in this release.
Why 4 stars and not 5? The Kindle will never get 5 stars from me until Amazon implements the notion of a lending library where I can lend another Kindle user a book; which would have the book would disappear from my Kindle and appear on theirs. After x number of days the book would automatically be returned to me and taken off the other person's Kindle. Amazon says they want the device to disappear and content to stand out. I say: Until I can lend a friend a book the Kindle will never quite live up to that standard and will be, in my book, stuck at 4 stars.
396 of 403 people found the following review helpful.
The Dinosaur & the Kindle
By Susan Tunis
I am not a gadget girl. I am not an early adopter. I am a dinosaur. I am in love with books. I like the feel of them, the smell of them, and I am a passionate supporter of independent booksellers. I am the last person in the world who would buy a Kindle. However, Amazon likes me. They gave me a Kindle 2 as a reward for services rendered. Well, who would turn that down?
Here's the shocker... I LOVE it! I can't even believe how much I love my Kindle. A friend of mine wrote a detailed critique of the first Kindle, and I have to say that the new design is a vast improvement. Aside from being slimmer and sleeker, there are plenty of places to hold the device comfortably without activating any functions. The screen is easy to read off of, and I honestly believe that I can read faster on a Kindle than I do with a traditional book. I'm not sure why. Faster page turns? What I can tell you is that it's exceedingly comfortable and easy to read off the Kindle anywhere, but especially when you have limited space--like on public transportation. You can easily hold the Kindle and turn pages with a single hand.
The Kindle has several features that could best be described as... cool. My eyesight is fine, but I can choose the font size that suits me best. Likewise, I love the text-to-speech feature. A big frustration in my life is that I can't work on my embroidery (I'm a dinosaur, remember?) and read at the same time. Now, I can have the Kindle read to me while I stitch. Yes, it's sort of tinny and mechanical, but it's still a really nice option to use occasionally. In addition to reading published books, I read a lot of unpublished manuscripts. It's not uncommon to see me schlepping around 600 pages of loosely bound paper. The other day I had the amazing experience of forwarding an email with a manuscript attached to my dedicated Kindle address. Within seconds, the entire MS was in my Kindle, formatted and ready to go. Amazing! I can even make notes on the MS in the machine.
However, possibly the best thing about the Kindle is the fact that I can get internet access for free, almost anywhere. I use it to check my email all the time now. I wouldn't want to write a novel on the keyboard, but it's sufficient for brief communications. Now when I go away for the weekend, I can leave my laptop at home! It also works fine for basic internet surfing.
One last thing I was unaware of is how much free or nominally-priced content there is for the Kindle. I've got plenty to read, and I haven't purchased one $9.99 book yet. My first Kindle "purchases" were all free public domain titles. Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle--how can you do better than that? I also read the Kindle Daily Post in the Kindle store religiously. You never know when you'll be offered free content like a back-listed Lee Child novel or some contemporary fantasy. Other authors such as Boyd Morrison and J.A. Konrath are offering novels at prices ranging from $1 to $2 dollars, as a way to find new readers. One more favorite is the free Amazon Daily blog, which is like a fun, timely magazine with short articles that update constantly. The perfect entertainment for brief snatches of time.
No, I never would have bought a Kindle. And "real" books will still be a big part of my life, but I will never be without a Kindle again. This dinosaur is evolving. Click here
Product Description