Kindle 2 has already arrived for some people who had ordered the new Kindle. Also, Kindle 2 hasn’t sold out yet and still showing as In Stock at Amazon. They’re even saying that you can get Kindle 2 by the 25th if you order within 1 hr or so and ask for Next Day Shipping.
You can check out my extended post on actual Kindle 2 reviews for later updates including coverage on the 1st 600 or so Kindle 2 reviews.
Thanks to Richard P for writing in 24th morning (he had ordered it with 1 day shipping) -
“My Kindle 2 arrived this morning at around 10:30am. “.
Also, Kevin at booksummit also got his Kindle 2 already. Its really cool that people are getting their Kindle 2s on the release date itself.
At Amazon’s Kindle 2 Page (as of 1:47 pm on 24th Feb 2009) there were 67 or so Kindle 2 Reviews -
- 5 Star Reviews – 30. So far, 10 are from actual owners who already have them. Of course, they haven’t really had a chance to explore in depth. However initial impressions are favorable.
- 4 Star Reviews - 7. 4 people who actually already have their Kindle 2s.
- 3 Star Reviews – 8. No one here has actually gotten it yet.
- 2 Star Reviews – 3. No one here has gotten it.
- 1 Star Reviews – 16. No Owners. So no one who has actually touched a Kindle 2. Including someone who likes the Kindle and just wants to counter negative opinions. He does make a good point about saving money -
“The price of a Kindle subscription to the Times is $14. At the end of a year the Kindle and the Times will have cost $359+168 ($527). The paper Times alone would have cost $624. “
My conclusion: 14 people who actually have Kindle 2 in hand have reviews at Amazon and 10 give it 5 stars, and 4 give it 4 stars. All the other reviews are from people who haven’t gotten their Kindle 2s yet. In the next few days a much clearer picture should emerge.
It’s interesting that 16 people have given the Kindle 2 1 star out of 5 without ever touching it. This is an exact repeat of what happened when Kindle 1 was released. Amazon really should add a section or a flag to separate owner reviews FROM opinions of non-owners.
My Kindle 2 came this morning via UPS at 9:50AM!
It’s incredible! Absolutely satisfied, so far.
-Kevin
A couple quick impressions from a first time Kindle owner:
The keyboard works much better than I expected. I was “touch” typing with my thumbs before I even realized it. I think I have my cell phone to thank for that, and perhaps mimicking a more cell phone like keyboard was a wise decision (given the market penetration of such devices).
Definitely still wish I had the memory expansion slot from the first version.
Device feels nice and sturdy.
I had no idea the initial power on instructions were in eInk. I just assumed it was a screen stick-on that you would need to peel off. I think that’s a testament to how good eInk looks.
Reading on the Kindle has thus far been great. Very easy on the eyes!
The user interface seems intuitive enough.
Overall, I’m very pleased. I want to use it for a while before I decide how many stars I would give it in a review, but thus far I’m fairly impressed.
My Kindle2 was waiting for me when I got home tonight. I had given my husband permission to open it up and charge it for me. I’m really enjoying it! It’s lighter than I thought it would be but not even remotely flimsy. I will give a review at some point but I do want to spend more time with it first. As method says above, I think the missing memory slot is a mistake but the only one I can see. It’s working beautifully so far.
Thanks for your help. I ordered the Kindle 2 after you responded to my questions (e.g., PDF). I got it today. I will open the box tomorrow and go over it. I had a tiring day. Thanks again.
My wife just received her birthday gift earlier than expected. After I ordered on 1/31 and being given an estimated ship date of 3/2, her K2 arrived today via USPS. It was shipped from the Indiana warehouse on Sunday morning. Guess that’s why BW rates Mr. Bezos “numero uno” for C/S….underpromise and overdeliver. It’s charging up now, but the screen looks very nice and she thought the “Read to Me” feature was quite nice, with decent quality sound….one step in between Mr. Hawking and my Toyota’s GPS assistant..
Somehow, with the early delivery, I’m thinking v2.5 – 3.0 can’t be that far away.