71
Amazon Kindle (2009)
$259.00
Released February, 2009
The Pros:Easy to read ePaper display. Improved battery life (25%) - up to two weeks of use on a single charge. Thinner than the previous generation model.
The Cons:No external storage (Amazon removed the original Kindle's SD card reader). No PDF support. Slow page flip.
Officially announced on February 9th 2009, the Amazon Kindle 2 is the second generation Amazon Kindle e-book reader. Featuring the ability for users to download and read digital media over the cellphone tower based Amazon Whispernet, users are not tied down to using a PC or hunting for wireless networks.
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The service is free to use and allows users to some free media, as well as the ability to subscribe to newspapers ($5.99 - 14.99/month), magazines ($1.25 - 3.49/month) or blogs ($0.99 - 1.99/month), or to purchase full books (most New York Times bestsellers are offered for $9.99). Available for pre-order immediately for shipment later this month, the device costs $359. Updates below.
In October 2009, Amazon slashed the price of the US version of the Kindle 2 to just $259. It also released the device in over 100 other countries for a price of $279.
Features
Identical to an image of the device leaked in October, the Kindle 2 features many improvements over its predecessor at the exact same cost:
- 2GB of internal storage (700x that of the original)
- improved battery life of up to two weeks on a single charge (25% more than the original
- 16 displayable shades of gray (4x the original)
- 20% faster page turning
- new text-to-speech feature - 3 speeds in a male or female voice
- 8″ x 5.3″ x 0.36″, weighs about 10 ounces - "25% thinner than the iPhone"
User Reviews (16)
Pros & Cons
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12
easy to read ePaper display
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10
improved battery life (25%) - up to two weeks of use on a single charge
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10
thinner than the previous generation model
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9
encourages reading and learning in the age of new media
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8
2GB of internal storage (700x that of the original) - over 1,500 books
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8
no need for a PC, WiFi or subscription service for fresh downloads
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7
exact same price as the last generation model
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7
now a lot more attractive at $259
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7
no longer US only (now available in over 100 counties)
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6
16-level gray scale - 4x more shades
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5
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2
very lightweight, not top heavy - lighter than the average book
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2
New firmware gives PDF support
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1
firmware update (Nov 24 2009) boosts battery life by 85% - over 7 days with WiFi enabled added
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1
KDK (Kindle Development Kit) released for 3rd party application development
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1
Slim and very lightweight
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5
no external storage (Amazon removed the original Kindle's SD card reader)
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3
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3
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2
still too expensive for mass adoption
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2
Quite slow at times while reindexing books
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0
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0
no removable battery (the original Kindle had this)
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0
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-1
not available outside of the USA
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-4
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