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Forget $259: a refurbished Kindle 2 will run you just $219, full warranty included.

(Credit: Amazon)

As you've probably heard by now, Amazon just cut the price of the Kindle 2 to $259. Definitely a step in the right direction, but still too rich for my blood.

Now, $219 shipped for a refurbished Kindle 2? That's a deal worth considering.

This is the first time I've seen a refurb offer on the famed e-book reader, though, as it turns out, you can also get a 1st-generation Kindle for just $149 (!).

Both models come from Warehouse Deals by Amazon, meaning they're eligible for Amazon customer service and covered by a 30-day return policy. Better still, you get the same one-year warranty as for new units.

Consequently, you have nothing to lose by going the refurb route. So this begs the question: Will you pull the Kindle trigger for $219? For $149?

Much as I'm salivating over these deals, I'm still perfectly happy with the Kindle app on my iPhone. Indeed, as I've noted before, a Netbook or iPod Touch can pull e-book duty and a whole lot more.

That said, my bigger problem is with the out-of-whack price of e-books. I can live (sort of) with paying $9.99 for new releases, but older titles should be priced at a buck or two.

I digress. The bottom line is that if you've been itching for a Kindle, here's your chance to score last year's model for $149 or this year's for $219. Verrry tempting.

The cracked Kindle 2 that's at the center of the lawsuit.

Here's quick update to the story we posted the other day on a couple filing a class-action lawsuit over a potential design flaw in Amazon's Kindle 2 involving the company's cover and cracks developing around the clasps where the cover attaches to the device.

Amazon has decided that it will now replace Kindles that have been cracked by the cover free of charge, reversing its earlier stance that the Kindle 2's warranty didn't cover such cracks and required a $200 fee to repair. As expected, Amazon wouldn't comment on the lawsuit itself, which will apparently continue for the time being.

The couple's lawyer, Beth Terrell, told the Seattle Times that the lawsuit would proceed: "If they [Amazon] would like to resolve the matter, I think the way to do it is through a court-approved process."

We'll see how the settlement plays out, but I think the plaintiff is looking at free Kindles for life and lot of free e-books.

Comments?

(Via Engadget via Information Week)

The cracked Kindle 2 that's at the center of the lawsuit.

Amazon prides itself on customer service, but it now finds itself the target of a $5 million class action lawsuit because it failed to replace a Kindle 2 that a customer alleges was damaged by Amazon's own $30 protective case.

Matthew Geise, executive director of a Seattle property management firm, and his wife, Alisa Brodkowitz, are behind the suit (the $5 million sought represents damages for all Kindle owners who are affected by the problem, as well as legal costs).

The story goes like this. Brodkowitz's Kindle 2, which she received as a gift from her husband, developed cracks around around the points "where the cover attaches with metal clips," Geise told Seattle Times reporter Brier Dudley. On July 6, the screen froze and the device stopped working.

In user reviews of the e-reader, other Kindle owners have complained about cracks in the area around the clasps, so the issue is apparently not isolated.

Brodkowitz spoke with a customer rep, who said the screen freeze was covered under the Kindle 2's warranty, but not the cracks, which the rep allegedly said "were caused by improperly opening the cover backwards." A $200 repair fee was required to fix the maimed Kindle.

Instead of paying, Geise and his wife decided to file a class action lawsuit. According to the suit, what seems to have ticked the couple off was an Amazon customer service supervisor telling Brodkowitz that the cracks are a "common problem," but that the $200 repair fee still had to be paid. Brodkowitz says she never did any backward bending of the cover.

Here at CNET, we didn't have any issues with the cover causing damage to our initial review sample, but we only had it for three weeks. ... Read more

(Credit: David Carnoy/CNET)

The one thing you don't see or hear too much about is e-book readers at the gym. But if you're into reading on the treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike, the Kindle 2 and other e-readers are pretty ideal.

The key is there are no real page turns to deal with and you don't have to worry about keeping the book--especially a paperback--flat. You just reach out and press the "next page" button to keep reading.

The only problem I had was that on some machines my positioning put me too far away from the Kindle 2 to read smaller type. But that's remedied by jacking up the font size. True, you have to click the next page button more often because there are fewer words on a page. But at least you can read the type without any trouble.

Of course, people who have access to fancier exercise machines with built-in LCD TVs tend to watch the video rather than read something (and some gyms have that nice wall of TVs to look at). But now that certain hotels have started loaning out Sony Readers to guests, maybe some enterprising, high-end gym will allow you to check out a Kindle 2 loaded with periodical subscriptions for your workout. A company called Octo does make a water-resistant cover that would probably qualify as sweat-proof.

Anybody else think e-readers have a future at the gym?

Additional reading: E-book readers check in to hotels

If you logged onto Amazon Wednesday, you may or may not have noticed that the Kindle 2 had a price drop: it's now selling for $299 instead of $359.

Alas, because Amazon ads for the Kindle 2 (and Kindle DX) are always plastered across its homepage--and are easy to ignore--I actually missed the new pricing until a reader pointed it out to me.

However, I did have a feeling Amazon needed to do something to spur demand, because I just haven't been seeing too many Kindle 2s on the New York City subway (the number seemed to be holding steady and not increasing). I know that's not a very scientific way of charting sales, but we started to get the feeling around here that after the initial wave of publicity and a somewhat lackluster response to the larger and more expensive Kindle DX, interest in the Kindle was waning a bit. (Since Amazon doesn't release sales figures for the Kindle, we have no way of knowing how well it's really doing).

Chopping the price to a more palatable $300 will certainly attract some fence-sitters who've been contemplating a purchase, but it's also bound to upset a few folks who bought the device fairly recently. The good news is that if you bought a Kindle 2 in the last month you should get $60 back. According to an Amazon PR rep, "If the product was shipped within 30 days of purchase, customers are eligible to receive the price difference as a credit."

Anybody ready to buy at $299 or is the Kindle 2 still overpriced?

Additional reading: Top Kindle 2 covers and accessories

Updated July 7, 2009.

While the Kindle--and now the Kindle 2--haven't created the huge accessories market that Apple's iPod and iPhone have, there's a small cottage industry of Kindle accessories forming. Here's a quick look at some of the top cases and accessories. In the comments section, feel free to suggest any products you think we missed. We'll add to the list as new accessories come out.

Slideshow (click any product image to begin):

Top Kindle 2 covers and accessories photos

1. Amazon Kindle 2 Leather Cover ($29.99)

2. Belkin Neoprene Sleeve Case for Amazon Kindle 2 ($24.99)

3. Patagonia Book Case for Kindle 2 ($39.99)

4. Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Clip-On Light ($16.00)

5. iGo Everywhere Universal Wall (AC) and Auto (DC) Charger with retractable cable ($19.99)

6. Cole Haan Hand-Woven cover ($119.99)

7. Cole Haan Pebble Grain cover, Black ($99.99)

8. Cole Haan Pebble Grain, Saddle-Tan cover ($99.99)

9. Amazon Kindle 2 Replacement Power Adapter ($14.99)

10. GelaSkins Protective Skin for Amazon Kindle 2 (Bookshelf) ($19.99)

11. GelaSkins Protective Skin for Amazon Kindle 2 (Gold Flowers) ($19.99)

12. M-Edge Prodigy for Kindle 2 ($44.99)

13. M-Edge Platform Jacket for Kindle 2 ($44.99)

14. M-Edge e-Luminator light ($14.95)

15. Octovo sleeve ($21.95)

16. Oberon Design Kindle 2 covers ($75)

17. Decalgirl Kindle 2 skins (14.99)

18. CaseCrown Double Memory Foam Pouch Case with a front pocket ($21.21)

19. Incipio Technologies underGROUND Case for Amazon Kindle 2 ($19.99)

20. JAVOEdge Amazon Kindle 2 Flip Case ($49.95)

21. JAVOEdge Amazon Kindle 2 Book Style Case ($49.95)

22. M-edge GO! Jacket ($29.99)

23. OCTO Metal Stand ($14.99)

24. OCTO Splash Proof Case ($19.99)

25. Flex Neck Reading Light ($14.99)

(Credit: RapidRepair)

RapidRepair is at it again. Last week it took apart the Palm Pre, and now it's dismantled the Kindle DX.

No word on how much it costs Amazon to build the DX (read full review here), but I'm sure we'll have that soon enough (anybody want to guess?). For those interested, here's a list of chips on the circuit board:

• MCIMX31LDVKN5D, M91E, CTAK0915B
• Samsung 916, K4X1G323PC-8GC3, EMA188A5
• Samsung 907, KMBLG0000M-B998
• MC13783VK5, AM86D, CTRE083B
• Samsung 840, K4M28323PH-HG75, AAH055BE
• Epson D135211B1, F09090125. E-INK

"Simply follow these steps in reverse to put your Amazon Kindle DX back together! The Kindle DX has many replaceable parts inside. In many ways this product is user serviceable."

Good to know.

Check out another picture after the break. ... Read more

Like the iPhone, the Kindle DX will automatically rotate the screen from portrait to landscape mode when you flip the unit on its side.

(Credit: CNET)

You now have a choice between two different Kindle models, and the big question is whether you should spend the extra dough on the larger DX or opt for a Kindle 2. In our humble assessment, the majority of buyers will--and probably should--favor the smaller device, the Kindle 2. Why? Well, we have some concerns over the DX being more of a two-handed e-reader; yes, you can hold it in one hand for a short time, but you really need to keep both hands on the device to support its weight for a while. Meanwhile, the Kindle 2 is easier to hold for longer periods of time with just one hand.

The other factor to consider is that when it comes to periodical reading (newspapers and magazines), the advantage of having more text and images on the screen is a nice perk, but the reading experience isn't enhanced as much as you might think.

Read the full review to get all our hands-on impressions.