Kindle Review

For people who are familiar with version 1.0 of the Amazon kindle, this review compares it with the 2.0 version, so that you can determine which version is the best for your needs.

Ever since Amazon introduced the Kindle, the two versions have accessed a cellular data network for magazines, newspapers, blogs, and books that are delivered to users in just a few minutes. This review of the version 2.0 Kindle presents an unbiased discussion of the most recent features, the improvements, and how the older version 1.0 stacks up.

The profile of the newer version is a little taller: eight inches vs. the 7.5 inches of the older 1.0 version.

The network, WhisperNet, encompasses a broader area of titles and offers about 230,000 titles that include more than seven thousand classics from free public domains.

The newer 2.0 version has the WhisperSync feature, which has been updated on the 1.0 version, so both versions are pretty cool. With this amazing feature, the users can share books, and they can identify a specific place in the book for their friends.

The image quality of the newer version is superior due to the 16-level gray scale it uses, as opposed to the four levels used in the earlier version.

The 2.0 version is also 0.1 oz. lighter than the bulkier 1.0 version.

The newer version has buttons that are more conveniently placed, so that unintentional page turns occur with much less frequency. Where the older version has a scroll wheel, the newer version has a 5-way input feature.

The Kindle has a very convenient dictionary, as well, that is instantly available for users who need to look up unfamiliar words during their reading sessions.

The features that makes the 1.0 version superior to the Kindle 2.0: 

Although the batteries for the Kindle 2.0 are 25% longer lasting, not being able to add an additional battery may be a problem to some.

SD Card removal in the 2.0 version is a real disadvantage. After you consider what is needed for the OS, there is only 1.4 GB memory remaining in the new version.

Those users who want the option of a replaceable battery or additional storage capacity may want to consider the Kindle 1.0.

The latest Kindle to reach the market is the new Amazon Kindle DX.  When comparing it to the Kindle 2 the benefits are that it’s larger and, well, um, it’s larger - ’nuff said.  (You can read the Amazon Kindle 2 Review here)

Sure the Kindle DX does have full PDF support, and more content partners with magazines and newspapers.  And it does make reading certain things like newspapers and poetry easier, and of course it can store up to 1,500 books in its memory, but is it really possible to read 1,500 books?

So let’s go into this review in more depth.

The size of the screen is nice.  It’s 9.7" so it feels more like you are reading an actual book as it has more of the content on the page - being a similar size to most paperback novels.  But the larger size also means it’s harder to hold than the Kindle 2.  Yes it can get heavy if you hold it for a long time.

Amazon has also removed the next page / previous page buttons from the left hand side of the device.  This makes navigating slightly more annoying, and we wonder why Amazon did this as it works so well on the Kindle 2 to have buttons on both sides.

The keyboard buttons on the DX are much smaller than they are on the Kindle 2, and while this looks nice and compact it does make it hard to use them, especially as they are close together.

The screen can be viewed both horizontally and vertically depending on how you hold  your Kindle which is a nice feature - and viewing the screen on the side does make reading certain writings much better (poetry’s long lines don’t bleed over to the next line making it easier to read).

Overall the Kindle DX is really just a Kindle 2 with a larger screen size and more storage capacity.  If you are a serious book lover and have been looking for an ebook reader that holds up to 1,500 books then go for it, but if you are a regular reader then stick with the Kindle 2.

More About The Amazon Kindle DX

If you are looking to buy a Kindle 2 then you probably want to know if it’s any good, and whether it’s worth the money, am I right?  Well hopefully in this post I’ll go over some of the differences and improvements from the Kindle 1 and help you decide whether it’s right for you or not.

Let’s talk looks.  Yes the most obvious improvement on the original Kindle is that the Amazon Kindle 2 looks a whole lot better.  It’s sleeker and not as angular as the first one.  While it’s around the same size physically it has undergone liposuction or something because it’s sleek and slim now.

The buttons are now in much better positions than they used to be, so you won’t accidently hit the next button accidently, and their placement makes better sense.  The keyboard is now much easier to use (the previous buttons were at odd angles) as well.

The new navigation is much better and now uses a five way rocker (as opposed to the slider on the first Kindle) which means you can now navigate through the text up and down and left and right.

The screen on the Kindle 2 is much clearer and crisper now with the help of the 16 shades of grey that it can display.  This means images especially display much better (and you can zoom in if you want).

Amazon has said that the new screen refreshes 20 percent faster, although it’s not significantly noticeable (I’m sure it’s true though). 

One of the biggest improvements is the search function of the Kindle 2.  It’s now much easier to search for what you want without having to go through various screens and menu’s like you did with the first. 

Most of the menu’s are now organised better with a more thorough description of what they mean and are used for.

Overall if you are thinking of getting a Kindle then you should skip the first and go straight to the Kindle 2 as it improves nearly all of the annoyances that people had with the Kindle 1. 

Click Here if you want to read more about the Kindle 2

The original Amazon Kindle 1 has been around about two years now, so it might be time to wonder if it is still a worthwhile ebook reader to buy or whether you should get the Kindle 2 (or perhaps even the Kindle DX) instead.

Let’s have a look at some of the features of the Kindle 1 so you can decide.

For it’s time, the Kindle 1 (or the Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device as it was then known) was revolutionary to book readers.  Sure there were other ebook readers on the market at the time, such as Sony’s ebook reader, but it hadn’t yet reached mainstream usage outside of Japan.

So when the Kindle was launched it was so much in demand that it sold out in about five hours.  It wasn’t uncommon to go on a waiting list and be waiting up to 6 weeks for your Kindle to arrive (which left a lot of people unhappy who wanted their Kindle’s for Christmas that year!).

But the original Kindle had it’s faults.  It was a bit large and clunky and the buttons were not in the most convenient locations.

So when Amazon announced it was developing the Kindle 2, people were excited again.

So how does this help you?  Well if you want my personal opinion, if you are thinking of getting a Kindle then you might want to skip the original and go right to the Kindle 2.  It’s not that much more expensive (at the time of writing there was a difference of only $40) and the improvements in the second edition far out-weigh the original.

Of course, if you find a cheap second hand or refurbished Kindle for less than $100 then go for it because you’ll be reading the same books on the Kindle 1 as the Kindle 2 anyway.

Click Here to find out more about the Kindle 1