Kindle 2.0 new rumored release date: Q1 2009

[Alexander Turcic]

Remember last summer when CrunchGear announced that the next Amazon Kindle device would be released around October this year? Well, guess what, it turned out that it didn't happen. Apparently, according to their super-well-informed sources, Amazon chief Bezos wasn't satisfied with the software and thus postponed the release.

It was scheduled to be released in October in time for this holiday season, but Bezos himself reportedly pulled the plug for last minute changes to the software. Our sources now say it’s tentatively scheduled to go on sale in “early next quarter.”

The same CrunchGear sources claim that a Kindle student device, featuring a larger screen, would be targeted for the first half of 2009.

Related: Kindle 2.0 in October 2008?, Not one, but several Kindle successors in the works!

[Elsi]

I'll be interested in seeing the next generation of Kindle. But I can assure you that I am *not* interested in a Kindle that looks like the picture that Crunchgear released.

[TadW]

Wait a sec... he wasn't satisfied with the software... but no word on the hardware? If the leaked image depicted here is real, then I must seriously question his sense of taste...

[zelda_pinwheel]

i'm quite intrigued by this bit :

from what we hear a bunch of new ebook products are about to hit the market, and some of them may be real competition to Amazon.

i wonder what exactly they've heard ???

[wallcraft]

Chunchgear still says this is the real device:

The images that surfaced of the new Kindle in October are real - it’s a longer device but not as thick as the original Kindle, and fixes some of the button issues that plague users (like accidental page turns).

Some of us concluded that it had to be fake, because it is so poorly designed. However, I agree that the software is everything and I wonder how much of the new software will work on the Kindle 1.0? The Kindle 2.0 could have a significantly more powerfull cpu and more memory, and this would limit backward compatibility.

[TadW]

Yes, a more powerful CPU (without sacrifying battery life) and more internal memory would be most welcomed. Other than that, I am not sure how software plays such an important role with the Kindle to justify the supposed release delay.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by TadW

Yes, a more powerful CPU (without sacrifying battery life) and more internal memory would be most welcomed. Other than that, I am not sure how software plays such an important role with the Kindle to justify the supposed release delay.

Folders, support for additional formats (pdf)...

[Daithi]

I still can't believe that the device pictured and described is going to be the next version of the Kindle -- it is a significant step backwards from the current version.

It is bigger than current version but with the same sized screen. Who wants that?
Instead of a leather case it comes in a bag. Once again, who wants that?
It doesn't support SD cards. I love my 4gb SD card with tons of books. I also have a backup SD card.
They may not be pretty, but I also like the big buttons. Sue me.

The only thing I see from this device that I would want is support for folders, and I really can't see why a software update wouldn't allow the current Kindle to support folders.

IF the rumor that a Kindle 2.0 will be released in Q1 is true then I really doubt that it will be the device that is pictured.

[Elsi]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Chunchgear still says this is the real device:

Some of us concluded that it had to be fake, because it is so poorly designed. However, I agree that the software is everything and I wonder how much of the new software will work on the Kindle 1.0? The Kindle 2.0 could have a significantly more powerfull cpu and more memory, and this would limit backward compatibility.

I wonder if Amazon is trying to live up to the reputation for "ugliest" reading device.

Thinner is good, but not essential. Longer is bad. There's too much *white* plastic around the screen; which wouldn't be such a bad thing if the eInk screen had a white background instead of a grey one. The frame needs to disappear rather than stand out.

[Nate the great]

I really don't think there will be a new Kindle next quarter. Amazon is very good at customer satisfaction. Do you really think that they would to piss off the people who are buying it right now (thanks to the Oprah effect)? Remember, there is currently an 11 to 13 week shipping delay for the Kindle.

And besides, software features isn't a good reason to delay shipment so long as the new Kindle can match the features of the old. You can always add new features in a firmware update.

[daffy4u]

I wonder if longer is required to make room for the parts that are "stacked" in 1.0.

[vivaldirules]

I've been wanting a Kindle for a couple of months (since I finally decided that Sony isn't serious about the business). If the Kindle student device isn't crippled and there's an indication that textbooks for it are forthcoming, I'll be at the front of the line to take that plunge.

[Nate the great]

Then again, this device could be using the new Epson controller chip. The screen might be fast enough to make a typing program practical. It's possible that this might be a multifunction device.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

And besides, software features isn't a good reason to delay shipment so long as the new Kindle can match the features of the old. You can always add new features in a firmware update.

But why buy if the new package has the same software as the old? If 1.0 can get a software update, I think eBay prices will go even higher for it. Losing user battery replacement and SD card support is not a good thing.

I will still buy whatever they put out.

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by Daithi

I still can't believe that the device pictured and described is going to be the next version of the Kindle -- it is a significant step backwards from the current version.

Yeah, that's it, "De-evolution" in these harse economic (recessionary) times may just be a marketing ploy to gain sympathy/support...