Product Review of Amazon's Kindle Portable eReader

This review of Amazon's Kindle will try to give you an unbiased opinion on all the advantages and disadvantages of owning this wireless reading device. I'm hoping to give you the information you need on the Kindle, so that you can make an informed decision to either purchase it or not to purchase it.

As you know, Amazon has now come out with the second generation Kindle, so this is the device the review will be centered around, and I will list some of the major differences between the two models...the changes that are good, and those that aren't so good.

The second generation Amazon Kindle is still a slim one third inches in size, and weighs an astonishing 10.2 ounces. For those of you who happen to live within a Whispernet area, you can still download, search and find content that will be delivered to your Kindle, depending on the size of the file, in less than 60 seconds.

However, some people who do not live in the Whispernet area, have had to travel to other cities or areas where it is possible to download the content they need. So before you purchase this product, you need to make sure you are in an area where you can download the information you want, and if purchasing the Kindle will be worth the effort.

An excellent feature of Amazon's Kindle is that it is wireless and you can download books whenever you want, and there are no service plans and monthly fees. If you love reading the newspaper, then you won't have a problem, because the display has 16 shades of gray that deliver text and images that are clear and crisp.

For those of you who love books, you have access to science fiction, thrillers, romance, classics, biographies and investment guides. The Kindle can hold up to 1,500 books, and you even get to read the first chapter for free... before you purchase it! The price for these books is much lower than regular paper-back books. You can find New York Times best sellers for as low as $9.99, some other books are as low as $0.99, and there are over 350,000 international and U.S. books, blogs and newspapers you can choose from.

What you have to look out for in the Amazon Kindle however, is the life of the battery. You can recharge it from your computer using the USB cable that comes with it, or you can charge it using the power adapter. If you leave the wireless on, you will be able to read at least 4 days on a single charge, and you can get up to 2 weeks of reading time if you turn the wireless off.

But the life of your battery will depend on how much you use the Kindle, how much content you download and if you are in a low coverage area. All these things will affect the life of the battery.

Reading on the next generation Amazon Kindle is much easier than on the first Kindle. It now has a high-resolution screen, a control to increase the size of the fonts, and sunlight glare is no longer a problem. It also has a read-a-loud feature... if your hands are busy doing something else, let the Kindle read your content for you.

The reports on the read-a-loud feature are rather mixed however, some people like it and others have complained about the voice being a mechanical, droning sound that has no inflections, stops or pauses and has a tendency to put you to sleep. This is a feature you will have to decide about for yourself.

Apparently the last generation Kindle had a tendency of accidentally turning pages, even though you didn't push the button. Now, they are located on the side and this makes it easier and more convenient to turn pages. The pages also turn 20% faster than the old Kindle.

Other features include zooming in, a built-in dictionary, access to wikipedia, audio books, search, music, podcasts and a web browser. When you order Amazon's Kindle, you will receive the Kindle electronic reader, the power adapter, and the USB 2.0 cable. The price for this is $299 dollars, but you can purchase a refurbished one for about $219 dollars.

As part of the Kindle review, there are some other things you should be aware of before making your decision to purchase. A few people complained about not being able to transfer content from their computer for Kindle 1 to their Kindle 2. They also said all their newspaper and magazine subscriptions that were paid for, were lost because Amazon only backs up subscriptions for 6 days.

Also know that some books that were purchased for Kindle 2, were actually for Kindle 1 and couldn't be read. There is no longer a "jump ahead" feature. So if you want to get to page 300, you will have to go through 299 pages to get there. You won't find a right or left justification button, and you won't have an SD card, in case space or storage becomes an issue.

Unless you purchase an extended warranty, you will not have a replacement battery. When the battery dies completely, you must send your Kindle back to Amazon and they will replace it with a new Kindle. Also know the price does not include a cover, that is a totally separate cost.

This completes my unbiased Kindle review. I hope I included enough information for you to make your decision. As stated above, some people love the Kindle from Amazon and some people didn't. If you decide to purchase it and you aren't satisfied, you can always return it, get your money back and wait for the Kindle 3 to come out. Thank you for reading this review of Amazon's Kindle.