Amazon Kindle 2 Review

By Jim on March 4th, 2009

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In my last column I talked about what made me buy a Kindle 2. This week I want to share my impressions of the Kindle 2 after finally buying one. My overall feelings about the Kindle 2 are positive but there are some problems and drawbacks with it that I couldn’t help but notice.

Before I get into the review, I want to express my annoyance with Amazon for making me wait two weeks or so after the official announcement to actually get my Kindle 2. Next time, Amazon, please announce it on the day it will be shipping so we don’t have to wait so long to actually get the product.

My Kindle 2 Arrives
When I got my Kindle 2, I eagerly ripped the box open to snag it. I was surprised to notice that it was smaller than it looks in pictures. And it’s also quite skinny, skinnier than my iPhone 3G. It feels very light to the touch and, as I’ve found out after using it for a while, it’s very comfortable to hold while reading.

One of the things that’s of lesser importance but still neat are the illustrations that get displayed when your Kindle 2 goes to sleep. You’ll see Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, and other authors (among other things) displayed on your e-ink screen when your Kindle 2 sleeps. It just adds to the sense that the Kindle 2 is all about reading. That’s what it was designed to do and Amazon has been very careful to wisely focus on that one, critical function.

Book Selection, Buying and Sampling
One of the reasons I’ve not been happy with other ebook readers for regular use in the past has been the lack of modern books. Yes, I love the classics. They’re great. But ebook readers that can only access public domain books are too limiting. I want to read current books, I want today’s bestsellers in my hands when I want them.

Amazon says the Kindle store has around 240,000 books and, so far, I have not been disappointed in the selection for my own reading needs. And Amazon seems to be aggressively trying to get more and more books available in the Kindle store, so what we’re seeing there now is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of book selection.

But what happens when there are so many books that you don’t know what to read? Simple. You use your Kindle 2 to sample them. Sampling is one of the biggest advantages that ebook readers have over print books. With the Kindle 2 you can browse the Kindle Store and have samples of books sent right to your Kindle.

Frankly, I’ve found sampling books to be addictive. I was sitting here on my iMac with Amazon.com in my browser and I kept rapid-fire sampling one book after another. It’s amazing how nice it is to get a taste of a book before you buy it. I’ve already bought a couple of books I might not have bought otherwise. Sure, you can browse in a regular book store too but it’s not nearly as easy or comfortable as doing it on your Kindle 2.

Buying books is easy. You can do it in your Web browser on your computer and have it sent to your Kindle 2 or do it on the Kindle 2 and never go near your computer. The books are sent over Amazon’s WhisperNet service which you get free access to when you buy your Kindle 2. An entire book can be put onto your Kindle in less than a minute.

As a compulsive reader, this is both a blessing and a curse. I have tried to control my purchasing but it’s hard sometimes. It’s all there and with one click I can have a book delivered to me in seconds. Oh man. My poor credit card! Well I guess it’s the price you have to pay for convenience and the Kindle 2 is very convenient indeed.

Note that there are also magazines and newspapers available in the Kindle Store. I bought an issue of the Wall Street Journal and found it very readable although it took me a few minutes to realize how to navigate around. I can’t see myself subscribing to it but it’s nice to know I can get a newspaper delivered to my Kindle when I want one. You can buy individual issues or purchase a subscription.

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