Got my K2.

Zoot · 02-24-2009, 03:26 PM

It's quite nice, but so far in no way revolutionary compared to the K1.

It definitely is smaller than the pictures lead you to believe. The thinness is the first thing you notice, along with the cool smooth metal back.

Not sure whether I like the buttons better yet or not. The K1 page buttons were kinda silly, but the new ones are almost too small and I don't think they are well engineered. They hinge from the outside of the case meaning you have to press on the inside edge of the button (basically the seam between the button and the main central part of the case) to get the most leverage. I rate the new buttons just mediocre.

The five way switch is fine. The clever little LCD over mirror display is gone, so navigation requires using the 5-way switch to move around the display, which is actually slower due to the slow display updates relative to the old vertical indicator display.

Moving the 5-way switch on a page jumps from word to word in the text, and when you pause, a short dictionary definition of the word appears at the bottom of the screen (obscuring the position within the book display) and you can press the <return> key on the keyboard to jump to the full dictionary entry. If you move the pointer onto a hyperlink then it turns into a hand cursor and pressing the 5-way button will follow the link.

The display is faster, but not a LOT faster (but I don't have the K1 to compare against here right now). I would not buy a K2 just for the display improvements. I think greyscale images look better, but again it's not going to make things practical that weren't before.

There's no hard switch for the radio any more, just a software toggle. Also the main power switch is gone too, and all you get is a momentary switch to suspend and resume, so there's actually no way to completely turn the unit off at all that I can see. We'll have to see how the battery life is in the real world.

There are tiny speakers in the back. Haven't tested to see how loud they can get, but in a quiet room the default volume made it possible to hear the text-to-speech.

The text-to-speech feature works about as well as good PC-based text reader programs. The voice quality is good, but books-on-tape it's not. Supposedly there is more than one voice to choose from? If so I can't find this setting anywhere.

I have no idea how much memory the thing has, and I can find no place to see how much memory is currently in use.

The home screen navigation and control is much less intuitive. You have to use left and right on the 5-way pad to delete or get to details on an item, and do the same on the header line at the top of the screen to change the sort order. None of these options exist under the menus any more.

The web browser is still experimental, but starts with a nice list of bookmarks for mobile news sites etc. You can still browse to arbitrary URLs.

The USB cable/power adapter is small and cute. It's basically just a USB cable with a removable USB power adapter on one end. Very small, very nice.

No case or cover whatsoever is included, thus ensuring a market for $30-$100 leather covers. The K1 cover/case was funky, but it did work. This is definitely a major price-increase for the K2. I'll probably order the Amazon leather one based on the good reviews, but I'm not too happy about needing to.

So, initial thoughts: It's nicer than the K1 in several ways, but again not revolutionary. If you're happy with your K1 then you definitely do NOT need to rush out and buy a K2 immediately. If you don't have a Kindle yet, this is the one to get, but if you want to save a few buck then a used K1 will pretty much have all the same functionality and experience.

Will try to post additional comments after I get it side by side the K1 later.

Z.

desertgrandma · 02-24-2009, 03:29 PM

Great........if you haven't done so already, please participate in our poll.....

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40001

JSWolf · 02-24-2009, 03:40 PM

Please post your message over at the My kindle2 has arrived!!! It's GORGEOUS! thread (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40004) instead of starting a new thread. Thanks.

tlrowley · 02-24-2009, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoot

There's no hard switch for the radio any more, just a software toggle. Also the main power switch is gone too, and all you get is a momentary switch to suspend and resume, so there's actually no way to completely turn the unit off at all that I can see. We'll have to see how the battery life is in the real world.

Thanks for the detailed review - I'm excited for mine to arrive - it's "out for delivery"

In the K2 users guide, it mentions that you slide the switch and hold for 4 seconds. If you hold for 15 seconds, you'll do a reset/reboot.

Tracey

02-24-2009, 03:26 PM	#1
Zoot Connoisseur Posts: 89 Karma: 34 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: Amazon Kindle	Got my K2. It's quite nice, but so far in no way revolutionary compared to the K1. It definitely is smaller than the pictures lead you to believe. The thinness is the first thing you notice, along with the cool smooth metal back. Not sure whether I like the buttons better yet or not. The K1 page buttons were kinda silly, but the new ones are almost too small and I don't think they are well engineered. They hinge from the outside of the case meaning you have to press on the inside edge of the button (basically the seam between the button and the main central part of the case) to get the most leverage. I rate the new buttons just mediocre. The five way switch is fine. The clever little LCD over mirror display is gone, so navigation requires using the 5-way switch to move around the display, which is actually slower due to the slow display updates relative to the old vertical indicator display. Moving the 5-way switch on a page jumps from word to word in the text, and when you pause, a short dictionary definition of the word appears at the bottom of the screen (obscuring the position within the book display) and you can press the <return> key on the keyboard to jump to the full dictionary entry. If you move the pointer onto a hyperlink then it turns into a hand cursor and pressing the 5-way button will follow the link. The display is faster, but not a LOT faster (but I don't have the K1 to compare against here right now). I would not buy a K2 just for the display improvements. I think greyscale images look better, but again it's not going to make things practical that weren't before. There's no hard switch for the radio any more, just a software toggle. Also the main power switch is gone too, and all you get is a momentary switch to suspend and resume, so there's actually no way to completely turn the unit off at all that I can see. We'll have to see how the battery life is in the real world. There are tiny speakers in the back. Haven't tested to see how loud they can get, but in a quiet room the default volume made it possible to hear the text-to-speech. The text-to-speech feature works about as well as good PC-based text reader programs. The voice quality is good, but books-on-tape it's not. Supposedly there is more than one voice to choose from? If so I can't find this setting anywhere. I have no idea how much memory the thing has, and I can find no place to see how much memory is currently in use. The home screen navigation and control is much less intuitive. You have to use left and right on the 5-way pad to delete or get to details on an item, and do the same on the header line at the top of the screen to change the sort order. None of these options exist under the menus any more. The web browser is still experimental, but starts with a nice list of bookmarks for mobile news sites etc. You can still browse to arbitrary URLs. The USB cable/power adapter is small and cute. It's basically just a USB cable with a removable USB power adapter on one end. Very small, very nice. No case or cover whatsoever is included, thus ensuring a market for $30-$100 leather covers. The K1 cover/case was funky, but it did work. This is definitely a major price-increase for the K2. I'll probably order the Amazon leather one based on the good reviews, but I'm not too happy about needing to. So, initial thoughts: It's nicer than the K1 in several ways, but again not revolutionary. If you're happy with your K1 then you definitely do NOT need to rush out and buy a K2 immediately. If you don't have a Kindle yet, this is the one to get, but if you want to save a few buck then a used K1 will pretty much have all the same functionality and experience. Will try to post additional comments after I get it side by side the K1 later. Z.

02-24-2009, 03:29 PM	#2
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Great........if you haven't done so already, please participate in our poll..... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40001

02-24-2009, 03:40 PM	#3
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 78,968 Karma: 144284074 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Please post your message over at the My kindle2 has arrived!!! It's GORGEOUS! thread (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40004) instead of starting a new thread. Thanks.

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