Comments on: Kindle 2 eBook Reader Review

By: C.S.

C.S. — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:19:19 +0000

Hope you can help. It’s my wife’s kindle, a gift. I don’t use it. A problem she has, presumably after an automatic software upgrade, is in scanning the bookstore. If you go to the kindle store, go to books and go to fiction, you are told that there are over 22,000 pages. If you start scanning through the list and find a book that you would like to preview and/or read the sample, you go there. Then when you’re finished, you would like to go back to the same page you were on before you left to preview. You cannot do this. You have to go back to the beginning and start on page one again. Is there any way around this or a way to go to the place where you left off? The ‘back’ button does not do it nor does the ‘previous page’ button. Thanks for your help.

By: Ken

Ken — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:53:34 +0000

I love the Kindle app on my iPod Touch!

I get the touch screen… battery life – it can stay on longer than I can stay awake to read a book.

And the app is free.

By: Vicky P

Vicky P — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:42:21 +0000

While I do believe that some books are not meant to be electronically delivered (i.e. textbooks), I feel like a great injustice would be made by those of you on the fence about getting a Kindle. Just do it! You’ll be reading more than ever because of the ease and portability. And for those of you who own iPhones, Amazon has made it almost impossible to escape your Kindle. Forget your Kindle at home? Pull out your iPhone and read from your last page read – it syncs automatically (with the wireless feature on) to the last page you’ve read.

My first charge out of the box lasted 3 weeks, with minimal wireless usage. The more you search for books, the more you use your battery. But if you surf online for your purchases and only turn it on to download the books, you can easily get 2 or 3 weeks on a charge.

A definite purchase for the gadget-freak/bibliophile.

By: Ron Mandsager

Ron Mandsager — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:03:18 +0000

Just downloaded the Kindle app for my iTouch, and it rocks!!! Easy to use, fast – and backlit!

By: Dave Traweek

Dave Traweek — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:31:53 +0000

I love my Kindle 2 and most of the books I’ve downloaded to it thus far have been free (an very good price indeed). One drawback to the Kindle occurs when reading books with endnotes, etc. With treeware it’s easy to flip back to the endnotes and read ‘em in context with their place in the story. This is nearly impossible to do on a Kindle. Until this is rectified I can’t see reading technical/textbooks on a Kindle. However, for “routine” fiction the Kindle is great.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:14:19 +0000

There are books out there from free on up. The pricing of the books has more to do with the publishers than Amazon. Yes, Amazon like Apple has clout, but there are still authors, editors, agents etc to pay not to mention 3g / whispernet service costs. There is also the cost of keeping the free and cheap stuff around for folks. It costs them money, even though they are offering it for free. Gotta make up that cost somewhere.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:08:22 +0000

1. PDF is out now – software update was a week or two ago.

2. Backlighting – I think this has more to do with the easy on the eyes liquid ink as opposed to battery life.

3. Color would be great. There are some books you want in color – ie: cookbooks, art books etc.

4. Downsides: Not being able to share or pass on a book. Some books are designed in such a way that they don’t work well on a Kindle. Books with ‘text box’ inserts on pages. The print is sometimes lighter or smaller and the Kindle can’t enlarge the text in them like the regular print.

By: Jon.Hersh

Jon.Hersh — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:04:45 +0000

I like the iPhone App and have bought several books to read on it. But I think the pricing is way to high. Compared to a new hardcover edition, sure, $9.99 is a great price. But that’s also the price on books that are in paperback and have been for a while. Considering they have no real physical overhead (warehousing, handling, shipping, etc.) I think the price should be a log less for, say a 10 or 20 or more year old title.

By: Steve K

Steve K — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:15:26 +0000

Very nice and fair review… I read a lot of books and have been using the kindle app on my iPhone – i need to use my reading glasses – but I need to use them for most reading anyway… Same implementation as kindle device – wireless download, all content stored and archived by Amazon, so you can always get it back if deleted or some catastrophe happens. I’d encourage iPhone users to try kindle on the phone (it’s free – and books are generally way cheaper than actual books) then if you like it you can decide if $299 for the Kindle device would make your life better.. For me the answer was “no”…

By: Mark Olwick

Mark Olwick — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:09:12 +0000

I know you’re a Mac guy but please remember that you can read all of these on your PC with the Kindle for PC app. Works very well. Great for netbooks and tablets too!

By: Jeannie

Jeannie — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:43:20 +0000

I am impressed with the Kindle, but it’s going to have to stand up to the Sony readers as well as the B&N nook. There’s a nice side-by-side comparison chart at:

http://ebookreader.compare2save.net

By: Paul H

Paul H — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:46:58 +0000

Nice review – my wife loves the fact that it reads to her during the daily commute.
The Kindle for PC app from Amazon is great for windows users, and I am hoping that the Mac version will follow soon.

By: Terry White

Terry White — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:03:32 +0000

yes, they say it’s an “experimental” feature.

By: Gene H

Gene H — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:06:02 +0000

Is it true that the Kindle has an option that allows it to read books out loud?

By: Bruno Alexandre

Bruno Alexandre — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:13:42 +0000

Thank you for the feedback

I’m really waiting for what Apple can bring, and all new devices that are starting to appear, my main reading will be owned PDF books (developing/programming books).

I like the Sony device, but very expensive, as the new Kindle 2 is available in Europe as well, I was really with my hand on the “Buy now” amazon button but I preferred to wait some month as my books go nowhere

in February I will decide, but once again, thank you for your opinion.