Amazon comments on lack of SD card and user-removable battery - Page 10

jreuschl · 02-23-2009, 12:59 AM

Does sending PDFs and Docs over to it with images get compressed or are they in a similar original format?

There's really no excuse for removing the SD slot. As another member suggested, even a micro SD slot would be fine. Overall size of the device is not the reason -- many small cell phones have micro SD slots.

fugazied · 02-23-2009, 07:11 AM

No SD card does not bother me at all, I have plenty of ways to move media around. On an e-book reader I'd only carry 10 books max and recent newspapers. The non-removable battery might be an issue when it original battery dies (is it easy to replace?)

heatherk22 · 02-23-2009, 08:54 AM

I think the lack of expandable memory is a major downfall of the Kindle 2. You can never have enough memory. I have no idea why they didn't keep the SD slot? Makes no sense to me. I love storing books on the SD card and only transferring them to kindle memory when I'm ready to read a particular book to keep my kindle clutter free. Since we still don't have folders!

desertgrandma · 02-23-2009, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fugazied

No SD card does not bother me at all, I have plenty of ways to move media around. On an e-book reader I'd only carry 10 books max and recent newspapers. The non-removable battery might be an issue when it original battery dies (is it easy to replace?)

If your battery dies, you have toreturn the Kindle to Amazon for replacement. They want $59.95 to do so, plus you will pay shipping both ways.

With the original, replacement batteries are $19.99, and you replace them yourself.....

NavyDad6 · 02-23-2009, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

If your battery dies, you have toreturn the Kindle to Amazon for replacement. They want $59.95 to do so, plus you will pay shipping both ways.

With the original, replacement batteries are $19.99, and you replace them yourself.....

That is if it dies after the warranty is up. If it dies under warranty then there is no cost associated for replacement.

bwaldron · 02-23-2009, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heatherk22

I have no idea why they didn't keep the SD slot? Makes no sense to me.

My guess is that it is related to the problems with indexing and thus battery life that a small minority of users experienced with SD on the K1. Rather than fix the software, they eliminated the hardware.

Again, just my guess.

NavyDad6 · 02-23-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwaldron

My guess is that it is related to the problems with indexing and thus battery life that a small minority of users experienced with SD on the K1. Rather than fix the software, they eliminated the hardware.

Again, just my guess.

I would add that in addition to battery life, getting the K2 down to the width of a pencil might have been a factor also.

Ervserver · 02-23-2009, 12:13 PM

I guess thats why they decided not to add a floppy drive as well

Quote:

Originally Posted by NavyDad6

I would add that in addition to battery life, getting the K2 down to the width of a pencil might have been a factor also.

pilotbob · 02-23-2009, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ervserver

I guess thats why they decided not to add a floppy drive as well

How will I transfer books from my IBM PC XT?

BOb

Sporadic · 02-26-2009, 12:07 AM

Just read this in Wired's review

Quote:

And it flaunts a more powerful built-in battery: Amazon claims that the Kindle lasts four to five days with the wireless on (I got 4.5 days in my first test) and up to two weeks with it off. After a week of limited wireless, my meter is around 50 percent. Amazon also says that after 500 charges, it will hold 80 percent of its original juice. That means that most users won't have to replace the battery (a $60 procedure) for about a decade or so.

http://www.wired.com/reviews/product/kindle2

Ervserver · 02-26-2009, 12:30 AM

a decade eh

MattEcho · 02-26-2009, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sporadic

Just read this in Wired's review

http://www.wired.com/reviews/product/kindle2

That makes sense to me.

Amazon has kicked some butt with the new Kindle. I expect I'll be on to a newer device before I ever have to worry about a stupid battery.

SharonLM · 02-26-2009, 10:18 AM

Well, I'm new on the forum and just ordered my first Kindle last night. Of course, it's the Kindle 2. I almost didn't get it because of the battery issue, but I read in Wired (think that's the name of the consumer report) that the battery has 500 charges and could last up to 10 years!

Now, after reading through this thread, I wonder if the above is true.

Elfwreck · 02-27-2009, 02:01 AM

Re: removal of card slot:

Quote:

Originally Posted by NavyDad6

I would add that in addition to battery life, getting the K2 down to the width of a pencil might have been a factor also.

It's no thinner than the Sony PRS-505, which has two card slots. (.36", compared to Sony's .3 estimate--both are about a third of an inch, or ~9mm thick.) I have trouble imagining an electronic device of that height/length being any thinner, regardless of the processing tech--it'd be too fragile. Unless they make them with tungsten frames, I don't think they should get them down to the size of the credit-card calculators.

I find myself agreeing with "hardware caused software problems, so we decided to tell the customers they didn't need that hardware rather than fix the software." That's what the official brush-off note reads like; if size constraints were an important part of the decision, it would've been mentioned. (Unless they're dodging with "you don't need a card" to avoid saying "our wiring tech is just not as compact as Sony's, so we couldn't do what they managed." Which I don't believe is the case.)

stevenmoy · 02-27-2009, 02:11 AM

User accessible removable storage is always hotly debated... The liability to have users eject the flash card when the data is being accessed is possible. For DSLite, since the data card is just being read, sure. But Kindle 1 demonstrates that it writes to that removable media as well, data loss will be a nightmare.

Then there is the where do you want to cut a hole in the chassis. Personally I dread to have my devices to have all these holes. But that comes down to the industrial designer vision and taste. You may suggest let's put a door in front of the slot: 1) soft rubber breaks off, hard plastic snap off. Now I do like iPhone pretty SIM card door, and that may work for Micro-SD.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Random House comments on Amazon Pricing	Daithi	News	82	05-17-2011 05:53 PM
Kindle battery life question from a first time user	DesiLinguist	Amazon Kindle	8	06-14-2009 07:48 PM
Bad Amazon Customer Service; Not for Lack of Trying	SpiderMatt	Amazon Kindle	12	05-11-2009 07:06 PM
$70 off Amazon Kindle w/ Amazon Visa Card	avalon6	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	12	02-13-2009 07:32 PM
Amazon Comments on 2.0 sorta...	jerryleejr	News	1	07-21-2008 12:11 AM

02-23-2009, 12:59 AM	#136
jreuschl Member Posts: 10 Karma: 70 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: PRS-500	Does sending PDFs and Docs over to it with images get compressed or are they in a similar original format? There's really no excuse for removing the SD slot. As another member suggested, even a micro SD slot would be fine. Overall size of the device is not the reason -- many small cell phones have micro SD slots.

02-23-2009, 07:11 AM	#137
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	No SD card does not bother me at all, I have plenty of ways to move media around. On an e-book reader I'd only carry 10 books max and recent newspapers. The non-removable battery might be an issue when it original battery dies (is it easy to replace?)

02-23-2009, 08:54 AM	#138
heatherk22 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maryland Device: Kindle 1	I think the lack of expandable memory is a major downfall of the Kindle 2. You can never have enough memory. I have no idea why they didn't keep the SD slot? Makes no sense to me. I love storing books on the SD card and only transferring them to kindle memory when I'm ready to read a particular book to keep my kindle clutter free. Since we still don't have folders!

02-26-2009, 12:30 AM	#146
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	a decade eh

02-26-2009, 10:18 AM	#148
SharonLM Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Sony ereader 700bc	Well, I'm new on the forum and just ordered my first Kindle last night. Of course, it's the Kindle 2. I almost didn't get it because of the battery issue, but I read in Wired (think that's the name of the consumer report) that the battery has 500 charges and could last up to 10 years! Now, after reading through this thread, I wonder if the above is true.

02-27-2009, 02:11 AM	#150
stevenmoy Zealot Posts: 133 Karma: 348 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Kindle 2	User accessible removable storage is always hotly debated... The liability to have users eject the flash card when the data is being accessed is possible. For DSLite, since the data card is just being read, sure. But Kindle 1 demonstrates that it writes to that removable media as well, data loss will be a nightmare. Then there is the where do you want to cut a hole in the chassis. Personally I dread to have my devices to have all these holes. But that comes down to the industrial designer vision and taste. You may suggest let's put a door in front of the slot: 1) soft rubber breaks off, hard plastic snap off. Now I do like iPhone pretty SIM card door, and that may work for Micro-SD.

Advert

Advert