Amazon has released Kindle 2, and you might wonder why I would write a brief review of it for a digital photography site.

Believe it or not, there are already more than four dozen popular books on Photoshop available in Kindle versions. For example, some of Scott Kelby's books are ready for download.

I was an early adopter of the Pocket PC, largely for the ability to download and read eBooks with Microsoft Reader. The Kindle experience is completely different from any eBook reader I've ever used.

The screen does not emit light, like the LCD or TFT screen of a laptop or a Pocket PC. It reflects light. The surface is matte. So the Kindle has the look of paper and ink, and you can view the Kindle screen without glare in bright sunlight. My Pocket PC phone is almost impossible to read outdoors in bright light. Now, if you want to use it in a dark room, there is no backlight. No problem for me, I use a little LCD reading light.

The Kindle has a sturdy feel, but it weighs just 13 ounces. It's the size of a small notepad. Buy the leather cover and it even has the size and look of a small notepad.

You don't need a computer. Kindle versions of books and newspapers download via the Sprint 3G network. The wireless access for Kindle services is free. Books come with free sample chapters to read. If you like the sample, you can download the book. The Kindle also includes free wireless access to Wikipedia, access to around a thousand blogs, etc.

The Kindle will even read to you. Any book. Even documents you create, like .PDF files. You can choose a male or female voice and even adjust the pacing. The audio is nowhere as good as the narration you receive from Audible.com or on CDs, but it is quite good.

Like a lot of photographers, I travel a lot. The Kindle can hold around 1000 books, each a few hundred pages. On a single charge, you can get around two weeks of reading time when you turn off the wireless. I love the idea of carrying a handful of books in one small device that takes up less room than a single paperback. With my middle aged eyes, the ability to select from six different font sizes is wonderful. No eyestrain with Kindle 2.

This is the first dedicated eBook reader I've bought. I didn't buy the original Kindle or the Sony reader they sell at Borders. I was skeptical about the availability of titles. For the Sony reader, the electronic titles seemed overpriced, too. There are now more than 240,000 titles available for the Kindle. Most are very reasonably priced. I like to read science fiction, and the Kindle versions for most science fiction titles are just five or six dollars. Less than the paperbacks themselves and not a lot more than buying them from a used bookstore.

If you've been curious about Kindle 2, it's simply brilliant.

Highly Recommended

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