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

[Digriz]

Some enteprising soul could make a small micro usb device that has an sdhc/micro sdhc card slot. That could push books to the Kindle (host mode). Or Kindle could update their firmware to access a micro usb card reader for pulling books in.

This would allow you to carry almost an inifinite amount of books but not have to have them all on the device at once.

Oh yeah and folder support would be nice, also... (Apple needs them also for the Iphone apps)

[ProDigit]

Thanks for the first post!
I had seemingly missed this topic!

I think adding an SD card would not add more then $20 to the price (which is a high estimation of the hardware needed plus installation cost).
Also the battery is just plain crap, I mean, even in a case like this one needs only 2mm of extra space for a latch.

3- 14 seconds to powerdown is a lot!
Better would be 10 seconds.

I agree the internal storage space will be most likely enough, though I wouldn't know what to do if the USB port got damaged! (no charging of the device, plus, when battery=empty all files will not be able to be transferred).

[DanNeely]

any book a Kindle user buys is backed up on Amazon's servers -- and is available to the reader at any time. "There's no need for additional storage."

Does this mean that:
1) They've replaced the cellular datalink with an irridium satphone to give global coverage.
2) Are spending gigagbucks on new land based cell towers and terrabucks to cover building and deploying a network of floating cell towers across the ocean.
3) Are somehow going to prevent you from attempting to using it anywhere a connection to their servers isn't available.
4) In addition to at least one of 1-3, are going to either ban non amazon content or host all nonamazon content on their servers for user access?
5) Are lieing through their teeth?

[Sporadic]

Originally Posted by DanNeely

any book a Kindle user buys is backed up on Amazon's servers -- and is available to the reader at any time. "There's no need for additional storage."

Does this mean that:
1) They've replaced the cellular datalink with an irridium satphone to give global coverage.
2) Are spending gigagbucks on new land based cell towers and terrabucks to cover building and deploying a network of floating cell towers across the ocean.
3) Are somehow going to prevent you from attempting to using it anywhere a connection to their servers isn't available.
4) In addition to at least one of 1-3, are going to either ban non amazon content or host all nonamazon content on their servers for user access?
5) Are lieing through their teeth?

The Kindle has always been considered an American only product and they are talking about content purchased from the Amazon store not user-content.

[courtneyflats]

Originally Posted by Dragoro

Ipods have never had replacable batteries, and the vast majority of its users dont know how/dont care to know how to replace them on thier own. And yet there is no public outcry about that....

The nonreplaceable batteries (plus the policy and price for sending them back) and no sd were why I bypassed the ipods for a Sansa (and before the Sansa any old already out of date mp3 player I came across worked quite well for me). I was looking forward to getting a Kindle but now will wait and see both about more user comments on Kindle 2 and the possible secondary market for a kindle 1 -- I too like to categorize with sds and am as big an audio book fan as I am a reader so 1.4 gb doesn't begin to impress.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Kris777

JetBook has both -SD card and folder support

So does the BeBook.

[Tarma]

I am much more upset about the lack of folders or some way of organizing my books than the lack of a SD card! Still, I would like some way of carrying my library with me without filling the Kindle memory. The USB device sounds like an interesting idea....

[ChelC]

I haven't read all the comments so this may be a repeat, but as someone who was sold on the kindle and waiting for v. 2, the sd slot missing was a deal killer. Because there is no ability to organize books, some people used the sd cards for that purpose. With no organization and no sd card, it just became too much of a hassle for my needs. It isn't necessarily about having thousands of books in your library, but a user friendly way of sorting through them. For education purposes, it's just too much of a headache.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by ChelC

It isn't necessarily about having thousands of books in your library, but a user friendly way of sorting through them. For education purposes, it's just too much of a headache.

The search function works mighty well.

BOb

[Elmo]

removable battery

the question really is how many charge/discharge cycles the battery will handle before going flat.

my recollection is that the iPhone can handle 300 complete cycles.

[Loa]

I've had the Kindle one since it first came out and have grown used to using the SD card system as a means of storing books in sections of interest (i.e. one card for philosophy; one card for popular fiction, etc) and I'm not quite sure I trust Amazon's claim that the content will ALWAYS be available for future downloads on their site. Must be the cynic in me.

Also, I've cared for my battery in the manner specified and have not had to replace it yet, even after heavy use for 1.5 years - but I know many people are in an uproar over having to replace batteries within a couple of months. I also know you can't even get a battery right now or a date for replacement, so I think Amazon needs to address this issue before they ask people to swallow the idea that they will pay $59 to send in for a replacement. They haven't exactly done a good job on the first Kindle.

Other than that, I love the thing. It's certainly made my bookbag much more manageable.

Loa

[Ervserver]

I read the Kindle II has a special chip for managing the battery, ideally the battery should last the life of the Kindle, 2-3 years

Originally Posted by Elmo

removable battery

the question really is how many charge/discharge cycles the battery will handle before going flat.

my recollection is that the iPhone can handle 300 complete cycles.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Ervserver

I read the Kindle II has a special chip for managing the battery, ideally the battery should last the life of the Kindle, 2-3 years

Eeek! I hope the life of my Kindle isn't only 3 years. I plan on using it alot longer than that.

BOb

[pshrynk]

Batteries are now shipping, btw.

[detacht69]

Originally Posted by catsittingstill

Meh.

I care about the SD card and user-replaceable battery. 60$ for a new battery is a lot, but what's even worse is that you have to send your reader--and thus your whole e-book library--away for what, three days? Two weeks? Six weeks? Each way, maybe? to have Amazon put in the battery for you. And that's to make it *thinner*? Who cares how thin it is?

Not only that, but they've "improved it" so that what used to take 2 hours to charge now takes 4 hours.

And *still* no folders? What is so blooming hard about folders?

On the other hand, I hear Plastic Logic is coming out with a reader that will be nearly 8 1/2 X 11, and display PDFs natively.

Amazon better get cracking--it has about a year and a half or so left to get it right.

lol whoa this thing looks like it came straight out of Star Trek!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v226DYqlbHQ