Kindle Electronic Book Reader Review

The The Kindle 2 is here, and its bigger and better than ever before. Pre-order now!

Back in 2007, Amazon's new wireless reading devise sold out within days after the online retail giant launched their product -- just in time for Christmas gift giving. Clearly, the public was captivated with this new technology gadget.

Now, Kindle2 is ready to go. It has some nifty new features you won't want to miss.

Do you need one?

Okay, let us be honest here. Nobody needs a Kindle. But many of us want a Kindle. What a fun new technology toy to play with.

The Kindle is Amazon's electronic book reader that's released after a three year development phase. At approximately the size of a paperback novel, the second generation of this wireless gadget can now hold fifteen hundred electronic books. Currently, users can chose from among 230,000 books, blogs magazines and newspapers. This includes best sellers and new releases. And, happily, the Kindle's screen is a technology called electronic paper which is easy on the eyes and much different than the unforgiving glare of a computer monitor.

Designed to be simple to use, the Kindle utilizes Sprint's EVDO high speed wireless technology. This is the same powerful data network that high technology cell phones use.

This wireless feature means you can download an entire electronic book in a minute or less, and you don't need to be connected to a computer to do it.

That's surely happy news for travelers and commuters. No more packing twenty books in a suitcase when you head for your beach vacation. No more running out of reading material when you're stuck on that commuter train.

What's New with Kindle 2?

1. Slim & Lightweight. Books in sixty seconds or less without a PC.

2. Improved Display with 16 shades of gray for crisp images and text; even reads well in bright sunlight

3. Longer Battery Life:

4. More Storage: Holds over 1,500 books

5. Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns

6, Text-to-Speech feature means Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud.

7. No Wireless Bills: No monthly wireless bills, data plans, or commitments. Amazon pays for Kindle's wireless connectivity so you won't see a monthly wireless bill.

8. Whispersync sync's the reader with a range of mobile devises. You can hop back and forth between the Kindle and your Blackberry, for example, and still keep your place.

The Kindle's screen makes reading a pleasure, thanks to the E Ink technology. The pictures on Amazon's web site show this -- sort of. Remember when you look at the display via Amazon's web site, you're viewing the image on a glary monitor. However, when you see the gadget face to face, the on-screen text resembles black ink on light gray paper. Goodbye to backlight, glare and eye strain.

And another compelling aspect is that you have no need to turn off the display. E Ink uses power only when you turn a page. When you turn a page, E Ink draws the letters and text on the page via a brief electronic charge. The page remains indefinitely, even if you remove the battery. In other words, you don't turn the Kindle off. You set it down somewhere -- just like you would do with a real book.

The "page" looks so natural that you can almost forget that you are not reading a book or magazine.

This electronic book reader comes with the same service that Sprint's corporate laptop users pay $60 a month to use. Kindle owners get Amazon's WhisperNet free -- meaning you can dowload books from any location and no need to find yourself a wireless hot spot.

An ebook downloads in less than sixty seconds. Picture it. The guy on the subway tells you about a new book he's recommending -- and a minute later, you are reading it. Amazon lets you download the first chapter free so you can decide whether you want to purchase the entire book or not.

The Kindle even has a crude web browser and a small keyboard. They're not great for surfing the web, but you can use them to check web email, monitor your blog or book a flight.

You can even email documents or pictures to your Kindle from your own computer. Amazon's network charges you ten cents per email document.

Although there are many good features about the Kindle, it is not perfect. Some of these issues will undoubtedly be resolved as Amazon brings out updates.

Here are some complaints:

1. The Kindle is on the pricy side. However, expect to see the price drop as is typical for electronic products.

2. Not all areas of the US have Kindle's wireless coverage yet. This will likely be corrected in time. For now, check Amazon's map to see if you're in the covered areas.

3. Unlike a paper book, these electronic books cannot be given away or resold.

4. The Kindle does not read PDF files. A converter for Windows is availalble. There is nothing for the Mac at this time.

5. The lack of a built-in back light is aggravating to some. Others point out that paper books also lack a built in reader.

6. The ergonomic design is functional but not especially aesthetically pleasing.