User review: Great upgrade for Kindle 1 users

May 6, 2009 by Martin Schmidt

I recently upgraded from Kindle 1 and it’s totally worth it. I have a big library of physical books (several shelfs in my living room) and the first version of the Amazon Kindle did not convert me from curling up in bed with a physical book.

But Kindle 2 did it! Amazon corrected several problems I had with the Kindle 1, they really did a good job on that new device. For those still stuck with Kindle 1 check out the Kindle 2.

Some problems I noticed that are fixed in Kindle 2:

- Excellent integration of the dictionary, just have to use the new five way button to highlight the word and it shows up at the bottom without leaving the page.

- The new five way control is awesome. Just like Blackberry went from wheel to trackball, Amazon went from wheel to five way.

- Significant improvement over Kindle 1 regarding the button layout. Forward and previous buttons are very intuitive now.

- Text to speech is surprisingly good

- The white case and design - super nice aesthetics!

Well, there are still some things I would like improved in the next model:

- Better graphics for pictures. Images just don’t look good on the ink display.

- Personal dictionary where looked up words can be stored.

- Color! Possibly hard to realize without hurting the battery life, which is also great by the way, but color would still be a nice long-term goal for Amazon.

In short, I like the Kindle 2. Buy this thing now!

Pro & Con

Pro	Con
Great usability, new five way control very intuitive Long battery life Excellent integration with the Amazon book store	Better graphics for pictures Colors would be nice

Rating

Rated by Martin Schmidt

Buy online

Buy for $259.00

...read more user reviews