Kindle 2: Ultra Thin, Ultra Low-power

March 2, 2009 Amazon's latest version of the Kindle e-book reader continues to generate consumer excitement even in a bad economy, and was selling out at $359 a pop even before its official ship date in February 2009. The Kindle 2 is slimmer than its predecessor at just over a third of an inch. It stores 1500 titles to the original model's 200, and has a 25% longer battery life. According to Amazon, the new unit will enable customers to read for four or five days on only one charge with the wireless feature turned on, and for more than two weeks with wireless turned off..

The Kindle 2's 6-inch, 600 x 800 electronic paper display, which is based on technology from E Ink Corporation, now has 16 shades of gray, as compared to the original's 4. The device's new e-paper will also enable pages to turn an average of 20 percent faster.

Reviewers have praised the Kindle 2's revised navigational buttons (it's less easy to inadvertently advance a page), the USB charging capability, and the new text-to-speech function (though the latter has generated a partial stir about authors' audiobook copyrights). One less popular change includes the lack of a protective cover (the original shipped with one) that must be purchased separately.

What's in store for the next Kindle, Amazon isn't saying. When asked about plans for larger screens, color versions, or other new features, the answer is that there is no answer. One thing is for sure; this little monochrome e-reader is a bright spot in a mostly dismal retail environment.

--Information Display staff

Kindle image courtesy Amazon