Kindle Facts

In my time writing about the Kindle, and now the Kindle 2, readers have expressed confusion over where to buy a Kindle, how much Kindle books cost, and other basic facts about the device. I designed this page to be an at-a-glance look at the facts about the Kindle 2.

Buying a Kindle

The Kindle 2 is sold exclusively by Amazon.com – it is not available at retail stores like Barnes & Noble or Borders. You may be able to find the Kindle 2 on re-sale sites such as craigslist.org or eBay.com. When using re-sale sites, be extra cautious and read the listing very carefully to ensure you are getting exactly what you’re looking for.

The Kindle 2 costs $259 plus shipping costs (shipping is free if you have an Amazon Prime membership). It does not include a case like the Kindle 1 did. An official Kindle 2 case is offered by Amazon for $29.99, but compatible cases are available from other companies as well.

The Kindle DX costs $459 plus shipping costs (shipping is free if you have an Amazon Prime membership). It does not include a case, but a DX leather “official” case is available from Amazon for $49.99.

Kindle Content

Kindle books vary in price. You can find older books for as little as a few dollars. New titles and best-sellers are generally $9.99, although some publishers have been trying to push the price higher by pricing their books at $11 or $12. However, even at $12, a Kindle book is still substantially less than the $24.99 hardcover price you’ll usually find on physical books. Amazon offers free samples of all Kindle books. The sample is generally the first chapter of the book and downloads wirelessly to your Kindle just like a regular book.

You can get e-books for your Kindle from other sources as well, including eBooks.com and fictionwise.com. The Kindle is also capable of playing audio books, which can be purchased from Amazon or from other sources such as Audible.com.

Magazine and newspaper subscriptions are also available for the Kindle. Magazine subscriptions are generally a few dollars per month, and newspaper subscriptions range from $5.99 to $13.99 per month. All magazine and newspaper subscriptions come with a free 14-day trial. If you cancel before the 14 day trial is over, you will not be charged.

Kindle Specs

The original Kindle could hold 200 books and had the capacity to add a memory card to store more. Kindle 2 can store 1,500 books, but does not include a memory card slot.

Kindle 2 is about the thickness of a magazine – 1/3 inch – and weighs just over 10 ounces. It downloads books wirelessly from the Amazon Kindle Store either on the device itself or via Amazon.com. The wireless connection on the Kindle is free, and works on the same 3G network as cell phones.

The Kindle does not have a backlit screen. Unlike cell phones and laptops, the Kindle screen does not have an internal light. The lack of an internal light is what helps make the Kindle’s screen so comfortable to read for long periods of time. If you would like to read your Kindle in the dark, there are several booklights that are Kindle-compatible.

The Kindle has a full QWERTY keyboard which allows you to search the Kindle Store, Wikipedia and Google efficiently.

Kindle 2 comes with a text-to-speech option that will read content to you using a computerized voice.

Kindle 2′s battery will last for four days with the wireless turned on. Turning the wireless off when not in use increases battery life up to two weeks.

A dictionary and look-up feature is included on the Kindle, allowing you to choose a word from your reading material and look it up in the dictionary and/or Wikipedia.

Kindle 2 comes with a new feature called Whispersync which will allow you to sync content between multiple Kindles.

More Information

For more information about the Kindle 2, visit Amazon’s product page for it or the Kindle Support Page on Amazon.com.

This site also has a Kindle 101 section featuring articles about Kindle Basics, Tips & Tricks on using your Kindle to its full potential, and Kindle Questions submitted by readers and friends.

If you have a question about the Kindle or Kindle 2 that is not answered here or in the Kindle 101 section, please feel free to email me at cj@kindlenewsandreviews.com.