(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.
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)Even before the Kindle 2 launched, there was talk of an even newer, larger Amazon digital reader that would be geared more toward reading textbooks and periodicals. We all assumed it would be bigger, but it was unclear exactly what form it would take. Well, now that it's finally arrived, what is a little surprising is how much the Kindle DX--bigger face aside--is a dead ringer for its little sibling.
In profile, the two devices appear equally svelte: the 0.38-inch-deep DX is just a tad thicker than the 0.36-inch Kindle 2. Obviously, the big difference here is the Kindle DX's 9.7-inch e-ink display, which technically offers 2.5 times more screen real estate than the Kindle's 6-inch display. That extra screen comes at a price, both figuratively and literally, as the DX weighs almost twice as much (18.9 ounces) as the Kindle 2 and costs $130 more, at $489.
That said, while the DX is significantly larger and heavier, when you pick it up, it doesn't feel too burdensome to carry or hold. However, it clearly isn't as portable as the Kindle 2; its larger footprint requires a larger bag or briefcase for stowaway purposes. Most women's handbags, for instance, just won't be big enough to contain the thing.... Read more
Patch time: Amazon updates the Kindle with version 2.02 firmware.
(Credit: Amazon)Amazon released a firmware upgrade on Thursday night that fixes some minor glitches with the Kindle 2. Some blogs are calling the release the first firmware upgrade for Amazon's latest e-book reader, but it's actually the second.
Contrary to some reports, this version (2.02) has nothing to do with the text-to-speech option that publishers were upset about; that was addressed in the 2.01 release. Rather, this upgrade appears to center on page refreshes and some ghosting issues.
With this tweak, Amazon doesn't appear to have done anything about addressing some readers' concerns that the text on the Kindle 2 isn't dark enough (at least compared to that on the Kindle 1).
If you have a Kindle 2 and have any observations about the new update, please post your comments. Your Kindle 2 will automatically update when you turn on the wireless Whispernet connection.
Related story: Kindle 2's lighter text causing headaches?
Via Engadget
If you don't feel like spending more than $300 on the Kindle 2, Amazon's free Kindle ebook application for the iPhone and iPod Touch may be a much more affordable, if imperfect, solution.
We compared the Kindle 2 and the Kindle application for the iPhone/iPod Touch, and came to the conclusion that the Kindle iPhone application is great for reading short passages, but the Kindle 2 is better for longer reading.
Also, you can't get subscriptions on the iPhone version and you can't buy books from within the application. Still, $359 is a lot to pay for an e-book reader (though the addition of free cellular Web access and a basic Web browser does make the cost slightly more palatable), so the Kindle for iPhone app may still be the preferable e-book reader for people who already have iPhones or iPod Touches
.For more information about the Kindle for iPhone application, check out our video first look or read our extensive review.
Tim Geisenheimer joins the show today along with our favorite former intern, Mark Licea. We talk about Tim's new Kindle 2 and how Amazon decided to release a free iPhone app. That's $359 down the drain for Tim. Along the way, we discuss the Red Ring of Death for the Xbox 360 and a surprise guest appearance by Justin Yu himself, who reveals he's been suffering from multiple outbreaks of yet-to-be-classified STDs.
The Geisenblogger himself shares a little bit about his online persona in the form of his Tumblr, Wordpress blog, and Twitter. "Thriller" has got to be one of the best albums ever made, but Michael Jackson apparently has a stash of songs he won't release to the public until after his death. While we're not too excited about that after the failure of his "Invincible" album, we are excited that he is trying to make right with Sir Paul McCartney for supposedly bequeathing the Beatles collection to him after his death. Take this all with a grain of salt as this is coming from the Internet and The 404.
A woman in Florida gets more than she bargained for when she calls 911 three times to report that McDonald is not giving Chicken McNuggets to her. It sounds crazy until you realize that McDonald's tried to offer her a cheeseburger called the "McDouble" instead of a refund. Finally, if you're a Sprint customer, the company is offering $100 in the form of a Visa gift card if you refer a new Sprint customer. For those of you who managed to sneak in the SERO plan, here's a way to get three months of free service.
... Read more
Amazon introduced a Kindle application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Lee/CBS Interactive)I bought a Kindle 2 last week, after a year of waiting for the second iteration of Amazon's e-book reader. I was hesitant at first, as I still love reading hardcover and paperback books, but the free cellular Web access and the addition of magazine subscriptions from publications like The New Yorker had me convinced.
I've had it for a week now, and I love it. It feels great in my hands, and the e-ink screen creates the illusion of reading a real book. I can hold it in my hand and read from it for hours.
I also have an Apple iPhone. I've tried e-book applications like eReader and Stanza, but I just didn't find the reading experience very satisfying.
It's OK for short chunks of reading, while waiting in line or sitting on the bus, but not on a lazy Sunday afternoon around the house. Holding a small device like that for long periods of time just isn't comfortable, plus the small LCD screen can be hard on the eyes after a while. And, of course, there are books only available for the Amazon Kindle that are not at any other e-book store. It's this last criteria that really forced my hand when purchasing the Kindle 2.
So when I first heard that Amazon released the Kindle application for the iPhone (download), I immediately second-guessed my purchase of the Kindle 2. Did I make a foolish buy? Why wasn't I patient enough to wait for the iPhone application? A free iPhone app is definitely a lot cheaper than the $359 for the Kindle 2. So I downloaded the Kindle for iPhone application to find out whether I should send my Kindle 2 packing with a return slip.
... Read moreSEATTLE--Amazon wanted to make the Kindle 2 hot, but not too hot.
It gave it a slimmer design and more storage, but there are a lot of things Amazon could have added, but didn't. Things like a color display not only would make the device pricier and give it a shorter battery life, but would also make the gadget uncomfortable to hold.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos holds up a Kindle 2 at the device's recent launch in New York City.
(Credit: David Carnoy/CNET Networks)"One of the great things about Kindle is it doesn't ever get hot," Amazon Vice President Ian Freed said in an interview at Amazon's downtown office here. That's important, Freed said, given that the company has one main goal with the Kindle--making the product as invisible to users as possible when they are reading.
"The most important thing for the Kindle to do is to disappear," Freed said. That was the goal with the first device and was also a key factor in deciding what would go in the sequel, which started shipping on Monday. There are the obvious factors, like the thinner, sleeker design. But there are also things like an improved cellular modem. As a result, Kindle users will find themselves out of range in fewer places to get updates or buy a new book.
... Read moreLet me start by saying that I agree with you on one thing: $359 is a lot of money. I just don't agree that it's too much to pay for an Amazon Kindle 2.
In the wake of the announcement of the Kindle 2, the general response is that it's nice and all, but the price is just too high. A price breakdown of the original device found that you'd need to buy about 60 books to make up the price difference (all while paying to get delivery of newspapers and periodicals you could read online for free). And analysts complain that Kindle is a niche product with a small, upwardly mobile target audience. And here's my question: what is the problem with that?
Isn't the Kindle, fundamentally, an early adopter's device? And aren't we usually pretty tolerant of that in the tech space? You all know this story. In the evolution of technology, devices start expensive, they target a niche audience that can afford the price and care passionately about the product, and then they either adopt more mainstream features or become mainstream through a combination of obvious value proposition and gradually lower prices.
Even though the Kindle is on its second iteration, it's still very much in early-adopter territory. Does anyone really expect that an e-book reader is going to take the entire world by storm and become the iPod-like gadget commodity of its day? Of course not; so why should it be priced like bread and milk?
Then there are the features. ... Read more
Last month Boy Genius Report got its hands on some photos of what appeared to be the Kindle 2, so speculation was rampant that Amazon would release a new Kindle for the holidays. However, Amazon has continually denied it would have a new Kindle in 2008, and it seems clear that no new device is imminent. Today, though, Crunch Gear, which put out the original rumor on the Kindle 2, is now saying that it has it on good authority that the Kindle 2 will show up early next year.
Crunch Gear's founder Michael Arrington writes, "It was scheduled to be released in October in time for this holiday season, but Bezos himself reportedly pulled the plug for last minute changes to the software. Our sources now say it's tentatively scheduled to go on sale in 'early next quarter.'"
Crunch Gear turned out to be wrong last time, but the good news is everybody's expecting this thing to come out early next year, so chances are Arrington's probably right--or at least tentatively right. And heck, it doesn't take a Boy Genius to figure out that a Kindle 2 (and maybe even a Kindle 3) will come out in 2009.
What's a little lost in all this is that people haven't been all that impressed with what they've seen from the leaked images of the Kindle 2 (if it is indeed the Kindle 2). On the surface, it doesn't seem to be that much of an improvement over the original Kindle, but perhaps Amazon has been able to lower the price on the unit and add features we don't know about.
In the meantime, Sony's $400 PRS-700 Digital Reader is now available for sale. Our review is due to post shortly, and while the new Sony is sleeker than the Kindle, has a touch screen, and plenty of other other improvements, a couple of screen issues prevent it from truly giving the Kindle a run for its money. Perhaps if Sony really had a Kindle-killer, Bezos would have been more aggressive about releasing a new model.*
See, this whole speculation thing is easy. Please feel free to comment.
*Correction: As a reader points out, the Kindle is sold out through the holidays and Amazon isn't,"sitting on a ton of Kindles it has to move during the holiday season" as I originally suggested.
