The Kindle 2

The Kindle 2 - Amazon's update for their electronic book reader came out today. I ordered mine early and got it yesterday. The new design has a lot of improvements including a thinner profile, better battery life (although the old one was never a problem) and a software update that I think will bring the device even further. In exchange for that the new model does not allow use of SD cards to add memory and has a sealed (iPod like) battery. Neither of those changes should be a problem.

The best innovation on the Kindle 2 is the software update. It has a new feature which allows you to update your position on all your Kindle devices. That may sound like a small feature not applicable to many users but I think it is an important change. The second improvement in software is the ability to highlight and note sections exactly - the former allowed you to not be specific about your notes - now you can. There is also a contextual implementation of the dictionary. That is wonderful and not at all obtrusive.

I bought our first Kindle for my wife who is an avid novel reader. She seemed to enjoy it so I bought a second one for my use. The one problem I had with the device was its cover, which the new version fixes. But she and I, as we did in the print versions of literature, often read the same book. Kindle has always allowed you to shift content among devices. That recreates the metaphor of sharing a hard cover book (RIAA take notice about an appropriate version of fair use). But the new feature works like a book mark. So for example, if I have read a particular book at the office and left my device there, I can now use my wife's device at home and begin at the same spot in the book.

Walt Mossberg argued in his review that the device is pricey. I disagree. Part of the cost is the capitalization of the wireless connection used to download books. This morning my wife and I were preparing for a trip and she said she did not have any books. In just a few minutes, we downloaded her a couple to keep her occupied for our travel. That instant ordering is worth a lot.

A couple of other comments on form. First, I am very sure I would not like to read books on my iPhone or iPod. I like the size of the screen for this purpose. Second, the packaging is Apple like but still a bit more robust than it should be. Third, the new screen is an improvement. I don't like to read in the dark - so don't think that lack of back-lighting is a defect rather it is a recognition about how most people read.

The first generation of this device was a good product. This generation makes it a great product.