The latest word on the street -- or screen, in this case -- is that Amazon plans to ship the second version of its digital book reader come October.
According to CrunchGear, an Amazon insider leaked information on two new upcoming models of Amazon's Kindle.
The first model will be a minor upgrade to the original Kindle, which featured a 6-inch screen. The second model is the bigger deal, literally -- measuring 8 1/2 by 11 inches, like a sheet of letter-sized paper.
Considering the Kindle sold out on its launch date in November 2007, it would appear the device is popular, although Amazon has suspiciously remained tight-lipped about releasing sales numbers.
I just don't see the appeal in the Kindle. Like my father's new girlfriend, it's aesthetically displeasing, expensive and a hassle to take places. I find it tiring enough to read off a screen on my computer after some time, and the thought of reading a book off an even smaller, lower-resolution (800-by-600 pixel) screen than my laptop's makes me want to consider laser-eye surgery.
It makes sense that Amazon is coming out with such force with the
Kindle, considering the state of the newspaper industry. But still, it's difficult to imagine that digital book readers like the Kindle will bring about the death of paper books. Call me a luddite, but I -- and I think many bookworms -- find reading lengthy material from a paper book so much more enjoyable than scrolling down a screen.
If Amazon wants to see a widespread mania of Kindles like we're seeing happen with the iPhone, it's going to have to do much more than increase the size of the device. The Kindle might be cooler if it featured a fully functional web browser like that of the iPhone. And if the screen were in color. And if it weren't so ugly. All we've heard so far is that the cases will come in different colors, but that won't help with reading.
And even if Amazon heeded my suggestions, I still don't see this thing taking off. There's just something grandiose that's missing from the Kindle -- and I can't pinpoint what.
Kindle 2.0 Coming Around October 2008 [CrunchGear]
(Photo credit: troyh/Flickr )
