Kindle 2 – Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device review
Rumors about the successor to one of the most popular portable devices for reading e-books, that is Amazon Kindle, kept his fans busy for a long time. The question is: is it revolutionary? We present you the Kindle 2 wireless reader.The biggest changes made in the new generation of devices are: refreshed design, better battery, improved quality of displayed text, and – among others – a feature converting text to speech.
Appearance and color
Kindle 2 in general is very similar to the original. The new version retains the white color of the predecessor, the keypad at the bottom of the panel, and E-Ink on the front panel. The buttons for scrolling text – are now placed on both sides of the device, and there is also a joystick instead of the previously used trackball. The manufacturer claims that the device in the new version offers 5 different ways of navigation in the text. The new reader is less than
0.36 inches thick (about 25% less than the iPhone 3G!) And weighs 283 grams. Kindle 2 can also offer clearer text, with 16 shades of gray, compared to 4 in the previous version. The device uses a 6-inch display with a resolution of 600×800. Kindle 2 has 2GB memory (originally 180MB) which allows to store up to approximately 1,500 books.
Amazon claims that the Kindle 2 extended battery operating time by 25% in comparison to the first generation. Also the speed of page-turning is increased by about 20%. Reader has also full support of 3G.
New Features
Kindle 2 is also equipped with completely new and somewhat experimental features. These include the option to “read-for-me”, handling of books in audio format (the user can quickly switch from text to voice playback), ability to play files in MP3 format, a very simple Web browser and a PDF converter.
230 thousand books in online databases. There will be more
Amazon claims that the Kindle 2 database supports more than 230 books and one thousand U.S. and international newspapers, magazines and even blogs. Company CEO, Jeff Bezos, is proud to add that as many as 103 of the 110 best-sellers listed by the “New York Times” is in the form of an e-book for Kindle 2. Most of them cost less than $ 10 per item.
Whispersync – Sync service e-Bookie on ”Other” Platforms
Whispersync is designed to allow synchronization of e-books for the Kindle 2 saved with other mobile devices. So far, it is functioning in the original Kindle, but Amazon added that in the future, the service may also include other devices, including cell phones.
Unfortunately, the specific date was not given.
All in all, Kindle is optimized for reading. Its screen is the same size as the page, the text is clear, and reading – nice and simple. It seems to be a practical and convenient tool for anyone. Best prices can be found on amazon.com. For now, price has been set at $ 359.