There's been a lot of anticipation about what Amazon would do for an
encore to its much-hyped e-book reader, the Kindle, and now that it's
finally here we can say that the Kindle 2 is about what we expected it to
be. Talk of it being a
huge leap
forward or going from generation one to generation five in one fell swoop
was really, well, just talk. In reality, the Kindle 2 is a nice upgrade over
the
original Kindle; yes, it leaves off a couple of key items--most
importantly removable memory and a protective carrying case--but it makes up
for it with a slicker design, improved performance, increased internal
memory, built-in speakers, and a new feature, Text-to-Speech audio reading.
Design The Kindle 2 is thinner--it measures a svelte 0.36 inch
at its thickest point--and weighs 10.2 ounces. For the record, it's not the
thinnest mainstream e-book reader. That distinction belongs to the
Sony PRS-505, which comes in at 0.3 inch thick (the PRS-700 is 0.5 inch
thick).
One thing that hasn't changed much is the height and width of the new
Kindle. Some people have complained that the original Kindle should have
been shorter and forgone the keyboard, like the
Sony Reader did. Whether you're a fan of the keyboard or not, it's worth
noting that the Kindle 2 is actually slightly longer than the original,
measuring 8 inches from top to bottom.
The keyboard Part of the reason for the elongation is that
Amazon has devoted a bit more space to the keyboard, with some additional
room between the keys and a more simplified, streamlined look (the keys are
circular and the space bar is longer and better placed). This was a good
move, as the keyboard is easier to use.
The Kindle 2's keyboard is an
improvement over the one found on the original--though some will question the need for
it at all.
As with the BlackBerry and other shrunken QWERTY keyboards, you enter
text using your thumbs. The Kindle 2's keyboard comes in handy when entering
notes and annotations while reading (they're saved), keying in text for
searches in the Kindle Store, and typing in URLs when surfing the Web. We
also appreciated that the home button is now much more prominently displayed
on the side of the device, right in the middle above the "Next page" button.
Before, it was tiny and buried at the button of the keyboard.
The screen In case you haven't heard already, the Kindle 2's
screen is technically considered an
electrophoretic display, describes as "an information
display that forms visible images by rearranging charged pigment particles
using an applied electric field." Like some other electronic paper products,
the Kindle 2 uses "e-ink" technology, which serves to make the letters and
words on the screen look more printlike in their appearance. A lot of
people, when they first see the screen, are genuinely impressed.
The e-ink screen delivers 16 shades of gray and
offers user-adjustable font sizes.
As with most of these types of digital readers, there's no backlight
(Amazon says it causes eyestrain), so you need some sort of light source to
read in the dark. According to the specs, the screen itself is a 6-inch
(diagonal) electronic-paper display, with a 600x800 pixel resolution at 167
ppi. This new Kindle offers 16 shades of gray instead of 4, which really
doesn't do anything for making standard text pop better, but it does add
more detail to images. Visually challenged readers will be happy to note
that the Kindle's font size can be adjusted to six different levels.
Whispernet: Free cellular data access One
of the key differentiators between the Kindle 2 and
other e-book readers is its free, built-in, wireless
connection, "Whispernet," which allows you to tap into
Amazon's vast online Kindle Store from just about
anywhere you can access Sprint's EVDO cellular data
network (sorry, overseas readers, there's no word yet on
a European or Asian version of the Kindle).
For the Kindle 2, Amazon has broadened the device's
wireless footprint by allowing it to also access
Sprint's slower data 1XRTT network when it can't tap
into Sprint's 3G network. (Amazon has posted a
Kindle 2
wireless coverage map as well.) In our tests in New York, the connection
was impressively fast, with quick downloads of books from the Kindle Store
and documents e-mailed to the device in around 10 to 15 seconds. That said,
the Web-surfing experience wasn't all that good (there's no Flash or video
support), but we were able to access Web sites and read articles, albeit
somewhat slowly. Alternatively, you can shop for Kindle books from your
computer and have them wirelessly sent to your Kindle 2 by simply hitting
the one-click "purchase" button.
Aside from making wireless book purchases in the Kindle Store, you can
have periodical subscriptions and blogs automatically delivered to your
device over the air. At the time of this writing, 31 Kindle newspapers are
available for download, including 7 international papers. Unfortunately,
subscriptions are somewhat overpriced. For example, a monthly subscription
to The New York Times is $13.99. It should really be less than $10, because
the fact is you can access a lot of the same articles for free on your cell
phone or the Kindle 2 itself--and the content can be fresher (there's only
one morning-Kindle edition of The New York Times). But pricing complaints
aside, having the newspaper delivered to your Kindle each morning is a nice
option for commuters--and you don't have to worry about getting any ink on
your hands.
Aside from the 1XRTT support, Amazon hasn't made any other changes to
Whispernet, though it did make one important design tweak. The wireless
on/off button on the original Kindle was a physical switch on the back of
the device that was kind of a pain to access if you had the Kindle in its
cover. Now the wireless on/off is a toggle in the menu system, which is
better. Also, to wake the device from its sleep mode, you now just slide and
release the power button instead of having press the Alt and Home keys in
tandem. That's an improvement, as well.
Both Kindle devices now include a new feature called Whispersync (the
internal software on your original Kindle should have automatically updated
itself to access the new feature). Whispersync gives you the ability to send
books you bought on one Kindle to another, as long as both are registered to
you (this would enable you to share books between family members). You can
also sync two or more Kindle devices and switch back and forth between them
while keeping your reading location synchronized. Basically, you can start
reading the book on one device and continue where you left off on another.
The word is this feature will eventually apply to other wireless mobile
devices (read: perhaps the iPhone), though no details were given at the
launch.
Additional features What else is new? Well, Amazon has upgraded
the processor in this model, so the screen refreshes about 20 percent faster
between page turns. All and all, the thing just feels zippier, but it's
important to note that while you'd think that a monochrome system would be
lightning fast at this point, the Kindle 2 still exhibits some slight lag.
One gripe that Amazon has clearly addressed is the issue with the
page-advance button. On the original Kindle, that button was extra long and
easy to depress, which meant it was very easy to accidentally turn pages. On
the Kindle 2, the page-turn buttons are smaller, and in playing with the
device we noticed that it took a bit more effort to actually click the
button and advance a page.
In another nod to Apple, Amazon has also sealed the battery into the back
of the unit, so you can't replace it yourself (Amazon charges $60 for
battery replacement). That's the bad news. The good news is Amazon says the
battery now delivers about 25 percent more battery life, which should give
you a few days of reading (with the wireless on) and two weeks with it
turned off. (We're still testing the battery and will add our results to the
review when we're done).
If you're a user of the original Kindle, you'll notice a few other design
changes. The on/off button and headphone jack have been placed at the top of
the device, which makes both easier to access (the volume control is on the
top right side of the device). And there are two tiny speaker ports on the
back of the Kindle 2 that give you external audio. Because the speakers
don't sound great, you probably wouldn't want to listen to music this way,
but they do just fine with Text-to-Speech, a new "experimental" feature that
allows you to have text read to you (this would come in handy if you were
driving, for instance). While there's still a pronounced robotic element to
it--you can switch between male and female digitized voices--it sounded
better than we expected. In short, don't expect to get a true audiobook
experience along the lines of what Audible offers (and yes, the Kindle 2,
like the original, does support audiobook downloads from Amazon's Audible
subsidiary), but it's usable.
In other changes, Amazon has gone with a new charging
system. Instead of an AC adapter port, there's a USB
port at the bottom of the device. However, it's not your
standard Mini-USB port; rather it's the smaller
Micro-USB variety you'll find on some new cell phones
and Bluetooth headsets. The power adapter is actually
one of the more impressive parts of the package: it's
small, not much bigger than a standard plug, and the
Micro-USB cable detaches from it so you can also charge
the Kindle by connecting it to a USB port on your Mac or
Windows PC. (It's a nice improvement over the most
recent Apple USB charger.)
Storage and file compatibility Amazon has upped the amount of
onboard memory to 2GB (from 256MB), so you can store up to 1,500 books or
assorted newspaper and blog subscriptions, as well as JPEG images. But
unfortunately, taking a cue from Apple, it left out an expansion slot for
additional memory. Using that same Micro-USB port, you can transfer files to
the spare memory on your Kindle 2 (it shows up as a standard USB storage
drive when connected to a computer). Like the earlier model, this one can
play back MP3 and AAC files (as well as Audible audio book files), but 2GB
is pretty skimpy when you start getting into multiple albums with high bit
rates--so think in terms of storing only your favorite songs or albums and
not your entire music library. You can drag and drop the music files into
the "music" folder when connecting the Kindle to your computer via USB. But
the audio support is a convenience, not a fully developed feature. The
skimpy storage and lack of playlist support means you won't be getting rid
of your iPod anytime soon. Too bad--perhaps a future Kindle model will offer
an easier way to support podcast subscriptions as well.
More problematic is the fact that the Kindle can't natively view any text
or image files (Word, PDF, TXT, JPEG, GIF, and so on) that you copy over to
it. Instead, you'll need to e-mail those files to your special Kindle e-mail
address for conversion to Kindle-friendly formats. This is a pain,
particularly because you also get charged 10 cents for every document, PDF
file, or image you send to the device. Here's what Amazon has to say about
the whole thing, which strikes us as weird:
Kindle makes it easy to take your personal documents with you,
eliminating the need to print. Each Kindle has a unique and customizable
e-mail address. You can set your unique e-mail address on your Manage Your
Kindle page. This allows you and your approved contacts to e-mail Word, PDF
documents, and pictures wirelessly to your Kindle for a small per document
fee--currently only 10 cents per document. Kindle supports wireless delivery
of unprotected Microsoft Word, PDF, HTML, TXT, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, PRC, and
MOBI files. You can e-mail your PDFs wirelessly to your Kindle. Due to PDF's
fixed layout format, some complex PDF files may not format correctly on your
Kindle.
The interface The original Kindle had a little rolling wheel to
assist with navigation. The Kindle 2 moves to a five-way rocker button
that's more straightforward and helps solve some--but not all--of the quirky
navigational issues the device has.
Amazon has made some nice tweaks to the interface and has made it easier
to access the embedded dictionary to look up words, but it's far from a
total revamp. You're still left with moments when you're not sure whether
you should go forward or backward, or which button you should hit to get to
where you want to go. In other words, it's not entirely intuitive. Kindle
newbies will have to play around with the device for a day or two to really
get the hang of it (that's pretty good, all things considered).
In many ways, these types of devices lend themselves
to touch-screen interfaces (that way, you can go to a
virtual keyboard and shrink the device) and Sony went
that route with its
PRS-700 Reader. Unfortunately, in going to a touch screen, Sony managed
to lose some contrast and has run into some snags with glare issues. So,
until the engineers improve the e-ink touch-screen technology, Amazon has
made the right choice with its nontouch display, though some CNET readers
are waiting for color, especially when it comes to Web surfing. (It's worth
noting that the Sony PRS-700 allegedly has the same processor as the Kindle
2, so they should run at very similar speeds.)
While we're comparing the Kindle 2 to the Sony
PRS-700, we should mention that though the Amazon
product has a big advantage with its built-in wireless
connection, the Sony does have a couple of advantages.
The one thing that the Kindle 2 just doesn't do as well
is handle PDF and Word files. With the PRS-700, you can
zoom in and out on PDFs. With the Kindle, a PDF seems to
get broken into pages, so you often can't see the
document as a whole--just in pieces.
Another warning: as we mentioned in the intro, the Kindle 2
doesn't ship
with a protective carrying case. The case that was included with the
original Kindle was mediocre at best, but it's too bad Amazon has chosen to
ship the Kindle 2 completely naked. So, while the price of the Kindle 2 is
$359, you can expect to tack on another $20 to $30 for a protective case. On
a positive note, Amazon's official Kindle 2 case, which costs $29.99, is
nice: the device clips in securely and the whole package looks elegant.
Conclusion We'll end by saying what we expect a lot of other
reviewers will say: the Kindle 2 is clearly better than the original Kindle,
particularly if you're willing to forgive the sealed battery and lack of a
memory-expansion option. And while it's not without its shortcomings and
quirks, the Kindle 2 is a sexier device now, and the overall experience of
reading, buying, and even listening to electronic books has taken a nice
step forward.
Of course, many people think $400 is a lot to pay for an e-book reader.
We agree and would like to see the Kindle 2 come in at $299 and, ideally, at
less than that. We'd also like to see e-books and subscriptions to Kindle
newspapers, magazines, and blogs cost less. Eventually, of course, natural
market forces (read: supply and demand) and the size of the Kindle's overall
user base will dictate where prices go--both for the hardware and the
software.
But for now, the price of admission to Amazon's
electronic book world is what it is, and when you
combine the new design and built-in wireless connection
with enhanced syncing features for multiple Kindles, and
the impressive integration with Amazon's online Kindle
Store, the Kindle 2 is simply the best e-book reader out
there--for people who live in the U.S. anyway. Sorry for
that caveat, but for the rest of the world, which can't
tap into Sprint's network, it's a harder call, and the
door remains wide open to other manufacturers.
Devices / Reader / E-Ink /
