An Aussie's take on the Kindle 2
Guest Review by Darcy Moore, a school principal and blogger in Australia. Visit his blog at http://darcymoore.net/
I’ve now read a book on my Kindle and feel the time has come for a brief review. Firstly, I’m glad I purchased the device and have no reservations about the outlay of approximately $300. I am happy with the leather cover and the weight of the Kindle. The fact that one can add documents, as Judy O'Connell explains, is great.
My colleagues at work have been impressed with the potential of this e-reader, especially when traveling, for both general reading and access to travel guides. Most were surprised by the screen and appreciated the ease of downloading and the reduced prices. They found it aesthetically pleasing and liked the screensavers. The ease with which one could garner quotes and makes notes impressed.
You probably read about my first flush of enthusiasm last month and I still feel the same way. However, the biggest disappointments I list in order of annoyance:
1. No power cord. It is just dodgy that one can only charge via a computer/USB
2. The clicking sound when ‘turning the page’ (although heyjudeonline says it is possible to depress the button so it doesn’t ‘click’, I am unable to do this).
3. That many Australian titles are unavailable
4. The current unavailability of Australian newspapers, magazines and blogs at the store
5. The greater price that Australians pay compared to Americans as we pay for the ‘global roaming’ costs).
However, basically, it is a great device and I am likely to use it every night, except when borrowing an otherwise unavailable Australian book from the library.
What do other Kindle readers think?
What is a Kindle 2 Digital Reader?
by Leon Rosa Are you interested in a small compact lightweight device that can store over 1500 books and enables you to purchase new books that are then downloaded directly?
Are your book shelves full to the brim?
Can't decide what books to take with you when you go away on business or on holiday?
Do you want to ease those boring train & bus journeys?
Then The Kindle 2 digital reader may be what you're after so check out some of the specs below in our Kindle 2 Reader Review ...
The Kindle 2 reader is an electronic library the about the size of an average book.
It has built library that can hold more than 1,500 book titles & can be expanded even further by using SD cards & USB memory sticks.
You can hold it in your hand and read just as you would normally.
Amazon's kindle 2 doesn't detract from the experience of reading from a paper book as the screen uses high resolution technology called 'E Ink electronic paper display' it looks and reads like real paper and, with out the eye strain you get from reading from a computer monitor.
The Kindle 2 Digital Reader is even lighter and thinner than a standard paperback - only 10.2 ounces and nearly as thin as a pencil!
You don't have to be a computer buff to be able to use it.
In fact, you don't even need a computer!
It is compact, easy to set up and easy to use. There are no cables needed to use it and you don't even have to sync up with your computer, it has a wireless connection so that you are able to use your kindle to shop direct from the Kindle Store.
So - imagine. Your plane, train, or bus is delayed & you have a long wait, just fire up the Kindle digital reader and the time will pass in what will seem like moments, with your kindle you can buy a book through the kindle store, it is then auto- delivered in less than a minute, to read straight away, or just read what you've already store on the readers internal memory.. How cool is that?
Here are some answers to questions you may now have about Amazons New eBook reader The Kindle 2
Will they have any books that I actually want to read?
Well, the Kindle Store has the Biggest Electronic Book Selection with over 230,000 Books- so there must be hundreds of books to suit you! They also have free book samples, so that you can read the first few chapters before you decide to buy.
How much do the books cost?
The Kindle 2 store stocks 102 of the 111 of New York Times' Best Sellers List, with new releases at $9.99, some books are going for even less!
What else can the Kindle do?
1) Well, you can get all the top U.S newspapers and many European newspapers from France, Germany and Ireland.
2) You can also access over 1000 of the top blogs in business, sport, entertainment, technology etc, which are updated throughout the day and all can stored on your digital reader .
3) you can get free access to everyone's favorite encyclopedia Wikipedia!
4) And - yes there is more! You can even email in your word documents and images (jpeg's, gif's, bmp's and png's) so that they are easier to read!
5) You can take notes which you can edit (like writing in the margins of a magazine or learning paper)
6) With the new 'Read to Me' Text to Speech feature, the Kindle 2 can read your books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers out loud to you with its on board speakers.
What about battery power and the wireless connection?
Kindle 2 has 25% longer battery life than the Kindle 1' With wireless turned ON you can read on a single charge for up to 4 days.
With wireless OFF you can read for an Amazing Two Weeks, although these times may vary depending how much you've been downloading from the Kindle Store (as wireless usage will consume battery power more quickly)
What about charging?
You can charge it from the mains socket or from your computer with the
included USB 2.0 lead.Kindle 2 fully charges in about 4 hours, although you will probably find a quick charger out there sold separately.
How does the wireless work?
Well it uses a high speed data network the same as advanced cell phones - so there isn't the hassle of finding a hotspot like the Wi-Fi connections.
Surely there is a catch? Are there any costs?
No - there isn't! There are no monthly bills or service bills - just choose your book, buy and read!
What will be in my package when I get it home?
Not much by way of extras I'm afraid, you will get the kindle 2 wireless reader, a power adapter and a USB 2.0 cable. However, there is a large selection of Kindle 2 kit available as extras, including, designer covers, carrier bags, chargers, cables, to name but a few.
UPDATE:The Kindle 2 has just been updated to include,3G wireless coverage at home or abroad in over 100 countries.Plus other extended features and specs so click on the link below for more details.
So there you have it a brief look at Amazon's Kindle 2 digital reader.
I think Amazons new Kindle Reader is a vast improvement over the original kindle 1, it has much better looks, longer lasting between charges, Sharper display and improved ebook storage capacity, also theirs a huge amount of Kindle Kit available as extras at http://www.kindlekits.com
Thank you Leon Rosa for answering our questions. He has a nice website called www.kindlekits.com if you want to check it out.
