Kindle 2: Smaller, sleeker, faster, better… but still $360
by Stevie Smith - Feb 10 2009, 13:00
1,500 books, two weeks of battery charge, improved e-ink screen and an even better price. Well, three out of four ain't bad. Image: Amazon.
Surprising absolutely no one during yesterday’s New York media event, online retailer Amazon made something of a show as it yanked the covers of expectation away from its second-generation Kindle e-book reader. So, how does Kindle 2 differ from its popular predecessor and will it further tempt the book-loving masses over to the wonders of e-ink?
Before dealing with performance-based differences, the new Kindle is likely to grab attention from an aesthetic angle; mainly in that its smoothly rounded corners and more palm-friendly design all-but eradicates the somewhat clunky and angular feel of Amazon’s original portable library. The Kindle 2 actually looks more like a pseudo paperback book.
In terms of its portability and storage advantages, the second-generation Kindle outstrips the original device seven fold by offering enough data space to hold an astounding 1,500 books. It also weighs in at a positively lightweight 10 ounces (283 grams) and boasts a super-skinny thickness of just 0.36 inches.
“The Kindle 2 is designed to disappear so that you can enter the author’s world,” enthused Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos during the official presentation. Clearly thrilled with the updated e-book platform, Bezos described the Kindle 2 as “a seamless, integrated reading experience – it’s not just a device.”
According to Bezos, the new Kindle has faster page-turn speed and an improved e-ink screen that, while retaining its value for strain-free reading on the user’s eyes, has now shifted from four shades of grey to 16 for even crisper delivery.
Other improvements and new additions include: vastly enhanced battery performance that enables users to enjoy up to two weeks of reading on a single charge; the inclusion of a new navigational interface for improved note taking newspaper reading; and also the unveiling of a text-to-speech function that reads Kindle content aloud for the user.
While clearly a step up from Amazon’s original device, a retail tag of $360 USD sees the Kindle 2 retaining the original’s pricing, which may swing interest in many technophile buyers eager to put the little platform through its paces and sample the 230,000 titles available for download.
However, considering the economic climate, it remains doubtful that traditional book lovers will be prepared to hand over such a substantial amount of cash for the Kindle 2, which is likely to be held back from true iPod-like success until Amazon drops the pricing below $200 USD at the very least.
The Kindle 2 is scheduled to begin shipping to U.S. customers on February 24 of this year and product pre-orders are already being accepted.
Despite the New York fanfare, Amazon did not disclose any plans that involve bringing the Kindle to Europe, where its dedicated Whispernet download service is not supported.
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