04 Jun 2010 |
|
Amazon Kindle 2 overviewIf you are a voracious reader, the Amazon Kindle 2 is a "dream come true" for you. The original Kindle was Amazon s first attempt at a digital eBook reader so there were some obvious kinks to be ironed out in a later version. Thankfully, Kindle 2 does a lot more than just fix the original Kindle issues. The Kindle is aimed at making your reading experience more comfortable, it s a lot more intelligent than it s elder sibling (The Original Kindle) and it showcases the prospects of how 'open e-book' support can transform the digital publishing and reading industry.HardwareThe original Amazon Kindle did not have a 'user friendly' design. Though it looked stylish, navigation was far from easy courtesy the bizarre combination of slider and click wheel. Buttons seemed to be placed haphazardly and it was a herculean task to avoid accidental taps on previous and next page buttons. Keypad and NavigationThe Kindle 2 looks a lot more user friendly and cleanly laid out device - small and rounded keys, easy to use Previous and Next buttons which are clicked intentionally rather than accidentally. Thankfully, the slider has made way for a 5-way rocker which makes navigation work like a charm Screen
The Kindle 2 screen appears crisp and is as close as it gets to reading a printed paper. There s no glare, no backlight and it doesn't get warm either on prolonged use. The best part is that the e-ink display now boasts of 16 shades as opposed to only 4 on Kindle. The screen refreshes faster by a cool twenty percent and that makes the reading experience more smooth and comfortable Looks and Styling
As far as overall looks are concerned, Kindle 2 is a massive improvement over erstwhile Kindle. However, it is certainly not a reader with "looks to die for" and leaves a lot to be desired for the next Kindle. SoftwareFor a start, the Kindle 2 offers a much faster and better organized Search functionality. There are advanced search parameters which were missing in the original Kindle and you can search easily irrespective of whether you are on the home page or reading a document. The menus appear well organized and less cluttered as compared to earlier. The UI on the whole is a lot more visually appealing and aesthetic - something that was definitely amiss in the previous Kindle. Text to speech works but leaves a lot to be desired. You can browse the web and check your emails as swiftly as you can on a laptop or a desktop computer. When it comes to book selection, no company can beat Amazon. Kindle was a testimony to Amazon s massive book selection resources and Kindle 2 just takes it a step higher with close to 190,000 books being available at the Kindle store. The best part is that it comes with a free 3G Mobile Broadband service so you can read a book anytime, anywhere without requiring a computer. ConclusionIf you bought the original Kindle and are confused whether you should upgrade or not, there s plenty that Kindle 2 offers to you. If you are frustrated with the weird looks and poor usability of Kindle, then an upgrade will make your life much easier. Kindle 2 is not a 'Game Changer' as compared to the original Kindle though it does offer a truly enjoyable reading experience which was missing in its elder sibling. If you are a voracious/ compulsive reader, go grab it. There s no way, you can get 190,000 books free on any other reader. Pros:
Cons:
Technical Specifications
Amazon Kindle 2 pictures
Comments (0)
 |
