As expected, Amazon.com announced the Kindle 2 in NYC today. And as expected, the pictures that were leaked prior to the announcement were the real thing.kindle-2

So what’s new in the Kindle 2? Short answer: not a whole lot.

Here is a summary of what’s new in Kindle 2:

  • Slimmer profile (0.36 inch compared to 0.7 inch)
  • 1/10 ounce lighter
  • New 5-way joystick to improve navigation
  • Pages turn 20% faster
  • 25% more battery life
  • 2GB storage compared to 256MB
  • E-ink display improved from 4-shades to 16-shades of gray
  • Button layout improvements and new look that’s better or worse depending on your taste
  • New text-to-speech feature that can read books to you

These are nice evolutionary improvements, but not hit-it-out-of-the-ballpark type of stuff that we were looking for. No touchscreen, no real aesthetics improvement, and still the same $359 price tag. We were hoping that the leaked pictures were fake and that Amazon was hiding something from us. We are disappointed by today’s announcements (but we still love the product).

So what do we think of the Kindle now? It’s still the best e-book reader out there. The free wireless connectivity combined with Amazon’s vast e-book library makes it a clear winner. Kindle 2’s improvements are minor but nice nonetheless. We still love the Kindle.

If you want to be among the first to get the Kindle 2, you can place your pre-order now. They start shipping on Feb. 24.

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