Kindle 2.0 Tips » kindle 2.0

Clean Your Desk with the Amazon Kindle 2

bridgett — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:10 +0000

My wife is an avid reader. From her book group novels to New York Times bestsellers, she LOVES to read. So having a Kindle 2 is a natural for her. She can download books on the fly, can carry it in her purse, and can pick up right where she left off without fuddling with a bookmark.

Me, on the other hand, I do not read very much. As an engineer, most of my reading is work related, e-mail or technical articles. These are very short in nature so having a Kindle which holds thousands of novels really didn’t impress me. What does impress me is that I can use it to store my pdf’s.

So the question is now that we have a Kindle do I use it? Yes, I am surprised to say that I do use it.

Most of the articles I read are either on the web or in print. Many of these articles are available in pdf format, which is supported on the Kindle 2. I have found that I can use InstaPaper to send many of my web articles to the Kindle to read at my leisure. The pdf feature alone makes the Kindle worth its weight (10.3 oz) in gold.

An added benefit of the Kindle’s pdf feature is that it can actually help you declutter your office. Before the Kindle, I would continually print out pdf’s knowing someday that I will read them. Not only was I wasting paper by doing this, I never seemed to get the time to read all of them. They just ended up piling up on my desk. Now my reports, whitepapers and articles are no longer printed and sitting in a pile. They’re all patiently waiting for me on my Kindle.

Kindle 2 Now Priced for Christmas Gift Giving

bridgett — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:02:29 +0000

What do you give the person who has everything? That’s a question that comes up every year at our house. When you have parents and in-laws who can essentially buy themselves whatever they want, what could you possibly give them for Christmas?

For the avid reader, consider the Kindle 2.0. This wireless reading device recently dropped in price and is now available at $259. That price is down from over $300 earlier in the year.

Allow your gift recipient to carry his/her entire library wherever he/she may go. The Kindle 2.0 is easy to read, featuring the ability to change the font size for easy reading. It is lightweight (weighs just 10.2 ounces – lighter than a typical paperback book). You can download books on the go in under 60 seconds.

The Kindle was a best seller last year and quickly sold out when Oprah announced that the Kindle was on her list of favorite items for 2008.

Can the Kindle 2 Pay for Itself?

bridgett — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:00:22 +0000

After looking at the large number of new releases and best sellers at the Amazon website, I began to wonder if my Kindle 2 could actually pay for itself?

Here is my thought process on determining the “return on my investment”:

1. Although I paid more, the Kindle 2 is now priced at $299.

2. A new release usually goes for just $9.99 on the Kindle. Let’s say I buy a bestseller or new release book month. Remember that new books usually only come in hardcover versions which are more costly (than the paperback version). For twelve hardcovers a year, I would probably spend about $240 (12 books at an average of $20 each).

3. Compare that to the $9.99 cost for the Kindle bestseller/new list version and I have save about half. Total cost for those same titles on the Kindle should total about $120.

So, if I were to buy a new book every month for my Kindle, I will save about $120 a year. In addition to that I can pick up quite a few titles for FREE and many others for just a few bucks. Those savings aren’t even included.

My book savings will pay for my Kindle 2 in just over two years.

The question is, should I even be worried about it? After all, I don’t expect my IPod to pay for itself. And my $200 cell phone certainly will never pay for itself.

If my Kindle will save me a few bucks here and there, I’m certainly ok with that!

Kindle 2 Trade In Values

bridgett — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 05:40:50 +0000

When the Kindle 2 was released in February I wondered if ebay would become the place to pick up a cheap Kindle 1. I have two college aged readers and thought that the introduction of a new Kindle would mean that people would be dumping the older version at bargain prices. I was hoping to pick one up for them on the cheap.

Heading on over to ebay, I was surprised. I wasn’t surprised by the lack of Kindle 1’s. People were definitely selling their Kindle ebook readers and moving up to the Kindle 2. However, the Kindle 1 was nearly as expensive as the new Kindle 2.

So with the recent addition of the Kindle DX, I wondered if people would start unloading Kindle 2 units to help finance the new DX purchase.

And I am surprised again. The used Kindle 2’s are still selling for upwards of $275! And you can buy a new Kindle 2 from Amazon for $299!

If this pattern continues to repeat, you may very well be able to sell your Kindle used on ebay and recover a large portion of the original purchase price!

What other electronic device lets you do that?!

Illuminate your Kindle 2

bridgett — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:35:07 +0000

I love to read at the end of the day. It is so relaxing to get into bed and read a good book. But what if the lighting is a bit too low? Or your spouse is sleeping and you can’t power up the overhead light?

You’ll be in the dark no longer with this handy little addition to your Kindle 2. It’s an LED light that clips onto your Kindle 2.

Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Clip-On Light (Black, Kindle Version)

It has received over 500 “5 star” ratings at Amazon.

With its flexible stem, you can direct the light wherever you need it. It has two levels of lighting. Push the little button near the tip once for full “brightness” and again to tone it down a bit. It runs on AAA batteries. Amazon lists this light as an “approved Kindle Compatible product”.

Buy Kindle 2 Today and Save $60

bridgett — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:48:55 +0000

Amazon recently lowered the price of the Kindle: Amazon's 6" Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)">Kindle 2.0 to $299. That is a $60 savings over the regular price of $359. This is the first time we have seen a reduction in the price of any of the Kindle ebook readers.

Not sure if this is a temporary price reduction or not. Amazon does fluctuate prices up and down on many other items.

If you’re on the fence about this purchase, snatch one up while they’re just $299!

Kindle 2.0 – What’s Included?

bridgett — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:17:40 +0000

Here is a great video which covers lots of great features in the Kindle 2.0

Kindle Sales

bridgett — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:11:54 +0000

Just how many Kindle: Amazon's 6" Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)Kindles have been sold?

I’m sure that Amazon is counting but they are certainly keep it under wraps. Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, has refused to release any kind of numbers since the inception of the first Kindle (now lovingly called the Kindle 1).

Many have theorized over the numbers. Analysts at Cowen and Company recently came out with projections for the sale of the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX.

Most notably, they predict that just under 10% of Amazon’s U.S. customer base will be purchasing Kindle items by the year 2013.

Will you be one of that 10% by 2013? Are you a Kindle owner now?

Kindle 2.0 and Kindle DX – a Comparison

bridgett — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:31:42 +0000

It’s the newest member of the Kindle family – the Kindle dx. Larger and with more features than its older siblings, the dx packs a real punch. But is it what YOU need? Or do you need the Kindle 2.0? Here are a few points to consider when making your decision:

Size Matters:

I love my Kindle 2.0 because of its size. It drops right into my purse. It measures 8″X5″. Compare that to the Kindle dx unit, which is larger in size (10″X7″). Now while that may not seem like much of a difference, some reviewers have mentioned that the increased size makes it seem bulkier and it may not fit into your standard purse. For reference, think of the Kindle dx as being quite close to the size of a piece of printer paper (which is 11″X8″).

One of the great things about that added size however is the added screen size. The Kindle dx now sports a screen that is 9.7″ (diagonal). The Kindle dx has a reduced keyboard size and the entire ebook reader is almost all screen. The Kindle 2 has a screen size of 6″ (diagonal). The enhanced screen size makes it a great choice for anyone reading maps, technical drawings, and the like.

How Much Do You Work with PDF’s?

Which brings us to the next Kindle advancement – pdf’s. The Kindle 2.0 allows you to view pdf’s but you must send them through Amazon for “conversion” and then they are sent to your Kindle. I know some folks have issues with the quality/formatting of the pdf’s on their Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 units. Amazon picked up a huge market when they made pdf a part of the Kindle dx. The Kindle dx fully supports pdf’s and seems to have actually been designed to display pdf’s. You can turn your Kindle dx to view your images in landscape mode (great for drawings, spreadsheets, etc.).

Weighing In:

The Kindle 2.0 is lighter in weight, weighing in at just 10 ounces. I can easily hold it in my hand for long periods of time without discomfort. But what about a Kindle dx? It weighs nearly 19 ounces, almost twice as much as the Kindle 2. Would you want to hold on to a 19 ounce unit while sitting at the beach?

In summary, the decision to buy a Kindle 2.0 or a Kindle dx comes down to function.

Kindle 2: If you’re an avid reader and read mostly/exclusively “traditional” books, I think you will find that the Kindle 2.0 has a better overall size and weight for the everyday reader. It is portable and stores easily in a purse or bag. It is easy to hold and the screen size is great for reading books. Just ask the 2700 reviewers who gave it 5 stars on Amazon.
Kindle DX: An Amazon source told me that the Kindle dx was created for a different market and I think that’s spot on. While it certainly does allow you to read your “traditional” books, it really shines when you start to think of the business functions it supports. If you regularly read pdf documents, want to keep spreadsheets on the Kindle for handy reference, or have a need to review technical drawings, this is the Kindle for you. And with the upcoming support from college textbook vendors, I think the Kindle dx will make a big splash on college campuses over the next few years.

After reading my opinion (and it is just that – my opinion), consider what you will primarily use your Kindle for. And then you can decide which Kindle features support your needs.

Unboxing of the Kindle DX

bridgett — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:19:13 +0000

Watch this video to see the unboxing of the Kindle DX. Also gives a very nice comparison of the Kindle DX and the Kindle 2.0

Ignore the comments about chicken breasts and the odd bird noises…

credit for video goes to: http://www.youtube.com/user/gearlogvideo