Does anyone on Fluther own the new Kindle 2 or know someone who does and if so, could you give me your opinions on it?

I don’t own one, but I’ve held one…

The screen is very clear. I mean it. Very clear.

It felt weird to me, holding it in my hand. I’m used to holding books differently than I would something that rigid. That said, it wasn’t uncomfortable. Didn’t play with the UI too terribly much. What I did see didn’t look bad, though.

Bottom line, if you like what you’ve seen so far, then you’ll probably like the Kindle 2.

I do feel obliged to say, however, that you have to buy books from amazon. Take that for what you will…

I owned the Kindle 1 and now own the Kindle 2. I love the first one, but I adore the second one. The form factor is perfect. The Kindle 2 feels good in your hand. The keyboard (that many people complain about) really doesn’t get in the way at all. The buttons are recessed and I’ve never once accidentally pushed one (not that it would matter if I did).

Here’s what makes the Kindle 2 (or 1) worth it in my mind:
1. The screen and e-ink are amazing. I know many people say, “Just get the Kindle App for the iPhone—it’s free.” But I have an iPhone and, while it’s great for a lot of things, it’s not the best screen for reading in lengthy sessions. The Kindle (not backlit) is just like a book, in that regard. You can read forever on it, and, while you’ll need to have a light when you’re reading in the dark, you can go outside and read in direct sunlight with no problem.
2. The very best feature of the Kindle, in my view, is the ability to download a book, magazine, newspaper, on the spot—immediately. There’s just something wonderful about being able to get a book instantaneously and start reading it (you can’t do that with the iPhone app—yet—downloading books to it requires getting on your computer or going out of the app and into Safari). The other thing I really like is being able to get samples of any book you want to try. That way, you can see if you’re interested enough to buy it. Being able to shop in the Kindle store from your Kindle is great. It works like a charm (i.e. be prepared to spend lots more money buying books!)
3. Other nice features: I really like being able to look up a word on the spot. You just put the cursor over it and a definition appears below. I like being able to search individual books or my whole collection. I love the clipping feature. If I read an article, for instance, in the New Yorker, and I want to keep it, I just click a button, and the article is saved in the clippings folder (which can then be transferred by USB to your computer).
4. Things not to like: I’ve not tried the “text to voice” thing and doubt I ever will. The web browsing (experimental feature) is cumbersome, and I haven’t been able to get it to work on Kindle 2. I’ve read on forums that others are having problems with it too). But, I didn’t get a Kindle to browse the web, so this doesn’t really bother me at all. You’ll discover that not all books have been Kindle-ized, so that can be frustrating. OMG! I have to buy a print version! Oh no!

All that said: if you love reading books, the Kindle is definitely worth it. I’ve found that most books are cheaper at Amazon (whether in print form or e form) and e books are almost always cheaper than their print versions. I find myself reading tons more with my Kindle (in fact, I have four or five books going at a time, and I never used to read more than one at a time). I’ve been spoiled by the immediacy of it (downloading books), and I’m so spoiled I typically refuse to buy books at bookstores anymore because they are invariably more expensive and they are bulky! I can carry all my books with me on my Kindle and it’s 10 ounces.

Feel free to message me personally if you have any other questions. I absolutely adore my Kindle and have no regrets purchasing it. And, I much prefer Kindle 2 over Kindle 1, but if you want basically the same features (and don’t care about the form factor) you can probably find a Kindle 1 much cheaper on eBay or Craigs List.

I want one..but they are unavailable in Canada..damn!

@dannyc. Can’t you just order one off of Amazon?

Nope. The downloads that you require to get content are not available. I am not sure why. Apparently you can use the kindle on a stand alone basis if you can get the content. We had the same problem with the iPhone. Our socialist government has their tentacles on anything to make them money.

Sorry to hear that. I’ll have a talk with your Prime Minister and Governor General up there and see what I can work out to make things better. =)