Amazon's Kindle 2.0 could have better screen, longer battery life, sleeker design [UPDATED]
Is a Kindle 2.0 on the way? Amazon.com today set the stage for fingers to start tapping out online rumors about a new version of its e-book reader. The Seattle company sent out invitations for a Feb. 9 press event at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York. The last time Amazon held such an event was in 2007 to introduce the Kindle.
"We're fairly sure that it will be a new Kindle, one that will feature an improved black-and-white, grayscale screen and a better battery life," said Richard Doherty, a consumer electronics analyst with the Envisioneering Group.
Doherty, who keeps close tabs on companies that supply parts for the Kindle and other devices, said Amazon had been working for much of 2008 on a successor to its unexpectedly popular reading device. But Amazon's plans to release the product in time for Christmas were derailed when the online merchant was overwhelmed with orders, Doherty said. As a result, those who ordered a Kindle in December were told to wait until February or March for the device.
The Boy Genius Report has some photos it says are of the next version of the Kindle.
Another possible change: a sleeker design that relocates the page-forward and page-back buttons so users would be less likely to hit them accidentally. That's a major complaint about the current Kindle, said Tim Bajarin, electronics analyst with Creative Strategies.
"The first generation was too clunky," he said. "I would have to believe they've improved it."
Still, the Kindle caught on despite its flaws, mostly because "it did its job," Bajarin said. The $359 device, which is the size of a thin paperback book, lets users wirelessly buy and download books, blogs, magazines and newspapers (including the Los Angeles Times). Amazon offers a library of 225,000 books for the device. Its primary competitor, Sony's eReader, has a library of about 100,000 books but also gives users access to "millions" of digital titles lent out by public libraries and sold by independent book merchants. Sony's device costs $299 ($399 with a touch screen), but does not have wireless service.
-- Alex Pham
Corrected, 8:55 a.m: A previous version of this post incorrectly quoted Richard Doherty as saying the next Kindle could have a color screen. In fact, he said Amazon has prototyped a color screen but that he expects the next version to feature an improved black and white screen.
Photo: Amazon.com
>"The first generation was too clunky," he said. "I would have to believe they've improved it."<
Oh really? Such insight. Who would have thought that the second generation of a device would be an attempt to improve the first generation device?
Thanks for the cutting-edge analysis.
Posted by: semi | January 28, 2009 at 08:21 AM
A color screen would be a definite improvement.
I created an illustrated guide to my historical novel "Brazil" cross-linked to Kindle text and hosted on my website:
http://erroluys.com/Kindle/KindleIllustratedGuide.htm
Besides color, a more user-friendly design platform.
Errol
Posted by: Errol | January 28, 2009 at 08:43 AM
What about native PDF support? This is -- at least to my needs -- the most obvious feature that is missing from the Kindle.
Also, I'd like a color version. I'd still use it 90+% of the time in black & white mode in order to save power, but I'd like to have the option of reading/viewing something in color, especially when there are graphic elements.
And Amazon's charges for subscribing to blogs is just plain ridiculous; bad idea. I don't mind paying for premium content, especially for content that I'd have to pay for anyway. I wouldn't even mind paying a little bit for items that are free online, but have paid subscriptions for their print counterparts. But blogs (i.e., 99+% of blogs that are free; I'm not referring to RSS feeds from premium content sources)? This is silly. Charging for the likes of TechCrunch or ReadWriteWeb doesn't make any sense at all, as long as TC/RWW/et al can still serve ads as part of their revenue stream(s).
Posted by: David Scott | January 28, 2009 at 10:00 PM
Clunkier or not. Improved or not. Who cares? I cannot get Kindle in India. I won't mind the Kindle 1.0.
Amazon is missing out on the huge e-reader market available outside US. We don't need the wireless download. Download using Internet connection is more than sufficient.
Is someone at Amazon listening?
Cheers!
Posted by: Amitabh | January 28, 2009 at 11:40 PM
Great concept, ok design and terrible delivery. Amazon could have hit a grand slam with this but will have to settle for a double.
Posted by: sally | January 29, 2009 at 04:51 PM
Really, I have to say LA TImes-- what a cutting edge analysis.... Semi is right.... who would have thought that version 2 would be an improvement on version 1...
Time waster...
Posted by: Semi 2 | January 29, 2009 at 06:03 PM