Kindle 2: Experimental Features

The experimental category represents features we are still working on to enhance the Kindle experience even further. Try them out and let us know what you think.

Read-to-Me

With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog and book out loud to you, unless the book is disabled by the rights holder. You can switch back and forth between reading and listening, and your spot is automatically saved. Pages automatically turn while the content is being read, so you can listen hands-free. You can choose from both male and female voices which can be sped up or slowed down to suit your preference. In the middle of a great book or article but have to jump in the car? Simply turn on Text-to-Speech and listen on the go.

Basic Web Browser

Kindle's Basic Web browser works well to read simple, text-centric Web sites such as Google and Wikipedia. Need to find a movie listing or look up a sports score? Now it's easier than ever to find the information you're looking for right from your Kindle.

PDF Document Conversion

You can email your PDF documents wirelessly to your Kindle, just like other personal documents. Due to PDF's fixed layout format, some complex PDF files may not format correctly on your Kindle.

Listen to Music & Podcasts

Transfer MP3 files to Kindle to play as background music while you read. You can quickly and easily transfer MP3 files via USB by connecting Kindle to your computer.

The Amazon Kindle 2 - Right For Students & Academics?

The Amazon Kindle 2 was not just created for reading the latest novel on the go. Business professionals have used the Kindle to consolidate their work documents. Students are also buying the Kindle 2 as an alternative to hauling around enormous textbooks in their backpacks. While it is not a perfect device and certainly won't appeal to everyone, there are some serious benefits when it comes to replacing all of your bulky paperwork with a digital reader.

Like it or not, the world has gone digital in almost every way, even books are available in MS Word or PDF formats. While these documents are typically designed to be read on a home or work computer, the Kindle 2 has some functionality with them as well. PCs and Macs have no problem working with them as they have been doing it for years. However, the Kindle 2 does not have native PDF readers and struggles with certain formats of files.

Here are some common solutions for this problem. The first option would be to send over your files to Amazon and have them converted. This requires only a very small fee but if we're talking about dozens of books here, a student may have to spend a lot of time sending files over to Amazon. Plus, with the issue of college costs, any amount spent would have an impact on struggling students. One could also opt to convert the files himself, but again this would require a lot of time that students could put to better use.

But with the negative aspects come the positive. Obviously, the size difference is more than a little appealing. College students won't have an aching back from their backpack full of textbooks and a businessperson won't have a sore shoulder from a stuffed briefcase. You may even save money with the Kindle 2. When you look at the price, that may sound silly, but digital copies of books can be substantially cheaper and considering how much a college textbook can costs, that is saying something. Most professors have jumped into the digital age and started offering class materials in the form of PDFs, meaning you will need a computer to view some of your work anyways. Switching to the Kindle just gives you another avenue to view that material.

You have to weight the pros and cons to determine if making the switch to the Kindle 2 is worth it for you. If you are put off by the thought of converting you files, you may not be interested in the Kindle. But if lugging your paperwork everywhere is starting to take its toll, it may be worth the extra effort to save yourself from the burden. And there is always the option of upgrading to the new Kindle DX, which comes standard with the ability to read PDF files.

Getting To Know Amazon Kindle 2

Amazon Kindle 2 comes after the original Kindle with much more enhanced features to make the reading experience truly one of a kind. Amazon desires to dislodge the traditional way of reading books by developing an e-Book reader which makes the world of reading even more easy and convenient. This Amazon Kindle electronic book reader is a great replacement to the paper books, computers and other reading sources.

As a matter of fact, this latest edition of e-Book reader has a lot more useful features compared to the first one. Amazon did modify the size of the latter Kindle to a mere 0.9 cm, which only weighs 0.3 kilogram. This obviously makes it even much lighter than the 3G cellular phones. Thus, the Kindle eBook Reader is quite portable and mobile; you may bring it anywhere you go. Kindle 2 has a sharp body and it appears natural when you start reading through it. The device doesn't have the tendency overheat, thus, it is good for long hours of reading.

The device is relatively different compared to the other electronically made products. There is no need for a cable from the device to be connected to an outlet to get started in reading. That alone makes Kindle 2 a hassle-free e-Book reader. With Amazon Whispernet, you will have the wireless connection anywhere you go. Where to buy Kindle 2 is not a problem at all because it is always made available at Amazon and also through eBay.

The user interface of the product has been customized to make it look better. This time, it is easy for anyone to handle it with just a single hand. In addition to that, the device is improved by having the brilliant hi-contrast screen which is based on E-ink technology to make it appear like a normal paper print. Thus, it protects the readers from experiencing eyestrain since the texts are clear enough for the readers even with the intense sunlight. You may also adjust the font size of the text whenever necessary.

Amazon Kindle 2 is definitely portable to the point that you can take it anywhere you plan on travelling. You don't need the paper books anymore to continue learning anything from reading them. Different kinds of books can be read using your Kindle electronic book reader. All sorts of books are store up in just one amazing e-Book device. Other features include the optional USB cable and the accident proof buttons with the 5 way controller and the joystick.

This second edition of Kindle eBook Reader is just everything that you need for an e-Book reader. It is without any doubt a user-friendly device. This time, you no longer have to buy books from the bookstores. With Amazon Kindle 2 everything is done via online from shopping to downloading of books. It is quite fast and less complicated. You will have all the books you like in just a few minutes. The cost of Kindle 2 is worth the services it offers to all the readers.