Amazon’s first-generation Kindle e-book reader was a frustrating
device. The promise of an always-on connection to a vast e-book library
and a decent book reading experience was ultimately diminished by
design and interface decisions that were mystifying, and the whole
package came with a set of additional features that performed so poorly
that they detracted from any warm feelings generated by the central
book-reading experience. In the time since Kindle’s launch, Amazon has
been as forthcoming about its plans for the reader as the NSA is about
its monitoring capabilities, leaving lots of open questions about
whether it even agreed with reviewers that there were problems with the
device.
But actions speak louder than words, and now that the Kindle 2 is
out, it’s clear that Amazon was listening. We’ve had a chance to spend
some time with Amazon’s next-generation book reader, and nearly
every aspect of the device is a big step up from the first version.
There’s little that’s truly new about Kindle 2, but the result of the
evolutionary changes is far more than the sum of its parts: Amazon has
made a good device, and in the process, shown that it has what it takes
to make an even better one.
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