February 11, 2009
By Gülay Birand
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Welcome, Kindle 2
Amazon released it’s much slimmer and sleeker looking Kindle 2 for pre-ordering. I always thought the hardware packaging needed a “cool” factor and it finally got some. In addition, it looks like the angled chiclet keys are replaced by round keys placed on a straight grid which fit much better with established keypad patterns and the edges of the device now have more room to hold the Kindle easily without inadvertently turning pages. These two issues were pet peeves of mine and I’m glad to see improvements were made.
I’m however, still waiting for the day when it becomes feasible to make Kindle wireless, world-wide. I could be vacationing in Bodrum, Turkey and order books and newspapers from a sailboat out in the middle of the Agean. My dream project for Kindle, if this ever happens, “One Kindle Per Child” might just become reality. The possibilities become endless.
Here are the specs for the new Kindle:
Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines
Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback
Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images
Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging
More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books
Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns
Read-to-Me: With the new Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud to you
Large Selection: Over 230,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available
Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise
Gülay Birand said on March 31, 2010
Kalar, you should be able to get books from your desktop if you have a Kindle account. The Kindle easily connects with a micro usb cable to your computer and once you’ve downloaded the books from Amazon, you can move them onto your reader. Enjoy!
Al Kalar said on March 31, 2010
This thing is selling for under $100 now. Can it get books from your desktop computer or laptop? Or are you limited to Amazon downloads only?