Have You Ordered Your Amazon.com Kindle 2 Yet?

For my sake and yours, let’s take a break from politics and talk about the coolest new gadget on the market.  The Amazon Kindle 2 is now available for purchase, and it definitely deserves the top spot on your birthday or Christmas list.  The iPod has revolutionized the world, but the Kindle may actually have a more practical and useful purpose.  Let’s explore the reasons why:

• Slim – just over 1/3 inch, as thin as most magazine
• Lightweight – 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback
• Wireless – 3G wireless lets you download books anywhere any time, no monthly fees, services plans or finding Wi-Fi hot spots.
• Books in Under 60 Seconds – get books sent to you in under 60 seconds, no PC required.
• Improved Display – reads like real paper.
• Longer Battery Life – read for days without recharging.
• More Storage – holds over 1,500 books.
• Fast Page Turns – turn pages like a book.
• Read-To-Me – Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog or book out loud to you.
• Large Selection – over 240,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, blogs and magazines available.
• Low Priced Books – New York Times bestsellers and new releases only $9.99.

Why Do You Need a Kindle?

Why do you need an iPod?  Because it’s convenient.  The iPod has revolutionized the way consumers purchase, carry, keep and listen to their music and videos.  The Kindle does exactly the same thing with printed material.  For anyone on-the-go that enjoys reading books, newspapers, magazines and blogs, the Kindle offers a rather inexpensive and environmentally friendly solution.  How many times have you taken a trip and loaded down your carry on bag with 10 pounds of books and magazines?  Now you can bring along your Kindle that only weights 10 ounces and can be loaded with over 1,500 books, newspapers and magazines.

How it Works

Utilizing the latest in electronic-ink display technology, Kindle provides a crisp black-and-white 6″ screen with the same appearance and readability of printed paper. Sharp and natural with no glare or backlight, reading on Kindle is nothing like reading from a computer screen. Those who see it for the first time always do a double-take. The screen works using ink, just like books and newspapers, but displays the ink particles electronically. And unlike a laptop or smart phone, Kindle never gets warm so you can comfortably read as long as you like.

Amazon’s Whispernet technology has partnered with Sprint’s national high speed network to offer fast downloads in all 50 states.  Unlike Wi-Fi you will never have to search for a hot spot.  You can wirelessly search and download books, magazines and newspapers in less than 60 seconds.  The best part – there are no monthly fees, data plans or commitments.

Data Back Up

Not only can you store over 1,500 titles on the Kindle, Amazon.com automatically backs up your library for free on their servers.  In case you ever need to re-download them, you can do so – wirelessly and for free.

Battery Life

The battery life on the Kindle 2 is amazing.  With the wireless feature turned on, the battery will last for 4 days on a single charge.  Once you’ve downloaded your titles, turn the wirless feature off, and the Kindle 2 will last for 2 weeks on a single charge.  If your Kindle does use up its power, it only takes 4 hours to re-charge.  It can be re-charges using the wall adapter of the USB adapter for a computer.

Read-To-Me Feature

Possible the coolest feature on the Kindle 2 the new text-to-speech feature.  The Kindle 2 will read aloud any books, magazine or newspaper unless the feature is diabled by the author or rights holder.  The Kindle 2 allows you to switch back and forth between reading and listening, and will even bookmark your place.  The pages will turn as the title is being read, and you can also switch between a male and a female voice.  How cool is that?

Personal Documents

Another bonus feature of the Kindle is that you can store and read your personal documents.  Kindle supports wireless delivery of unprotected Microsoft Word, PDF, HTML, TXT, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, PRC and MOBI files.  Never leave home again without those important files.

Wireless Access to Wikipedia

Kindle also includes free built-in access to the world’s most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia-Wikipedia.org. With Kindle in hand, looking up people, places, events, and more has never been easier. It gives whole new meaning to the phrase walking encyclopedia.

So what does something like this cost?

The initial reaction to the Kindle 2 is that it’s not cheap.  It is however comparable to an iPod.  For $359, you can own a Kindle 2 today.  If you want my honest opinion, the Amazon Kindle 2 is definitely worth the money.  There are many more practical uses for it than Apple’s iPod.  But you decide.  I’ve just provided the information.

If you happen to own a Kindle, or you purchase one after reading this posting, please let us know below about your experience.  I’ll be getting one soon…stay tuned for a first-hand review.