It was a dead giveaway, you know, it really was. All I did was pick up the new Kindle that had just arrived and I knew that it was different. It was new.
What were the exact giveaways that something new was afoot, Lets see:
BARNES AND NOBLE APPLETON WI
• It was smaller
• The space on the front was put to much better use
• There were new buttons
• There was a new color
This Kindle is small and comfortable to use, at just under 9 ounces. And, now its not the smallest or lightest on the market - Kobo is lighter, while the Barnes and Noble Nook is heavier, but the new Kindle is still roughly 15 percent or so lighter than its predecessor, which makes it a good deal in my book. (Indeed, the dual pricing points for the Wi-Fi and 3G/Wi-Fi versions are more honest to me and point out that the company marketing the Kindle - Amazon - does know how to set its prices with the Wi-Fi version coming in at 9 and the 3G/Wi-Fi version at 9, both very reasonable, especially when you look at the functionality of the Kindle).
The Kindle design team has really done some nice work with the new generation as it does feel much more balanced. In addition, the designers managed not only to add to its capability - it features a 50 percent faster screen refresh rate which means that things move much more quickly and come into focus more quickly - but they also managed to redesign its keys so that inputting data is easier and with the re-layout of the keys, the cursor keys have also been moved closer so that data input is quicker.
Incidentally, the designers managed to cut 20 percent from the size of the Kindle 2, although they did retain the rubber-style backer that makes it easier to hold. With the relocation of the navigation keys, the designers took a really big step forward in its usability. They completed the step by reversing the navigation key activation so now you press the keys away from the display which does it easier to move around.
Two other changes I liked particularly were the ability to change the font sizes and line spacing as I used the Kindle. These thoughtful changes alone made this a pleasure to use. Another change has doubled the internal storage to 4GB of memory or enough to store 3,500 books and there is a Web-based reader that is nice to use.
The new Kindle, as you would expect, is compatible with all of Amazon's existing options and I have to say they really did a nice job n this design, it going to be a hard one to top!
The Next Generation Kindle - Smaller and Faster But is it Necessary? My Review! BARNES AND NOBLE APPLETON WI