October 17, 2009 7:10 PM

So, here is my second “1 Year Later” review. I’ve had the Amazon Kindlesince September 2008. It was a gift from my wife and kids. So I have the 1st Gen device, not the 3rd generation Kindle that was released just last week. So, for the purposes of this review, I’ll stick to functionality that still exist in the new model.

The screen is perfect for reading books. I’ve read books for up to 7 hours straight (mostly long flights) and it feels like I’ve read a regular book. I can only read off a backlit screen for a couple of hours at most. I like that the Kindle keeps track of where you left off, and it also has the capability to do multiple bookmarks. There is an icon in the upper right corner of the page that looks like a folded corner. This allows you to have multiple earmarks so you can easily go back to another page for references. This works well in new novels where you want to reread a section to review a character or another similar reason. You can also add comments to specific pages. These comments can be accessed in two ways. The first method is by downloading the text file through a USB cable. The second way is by going to kindle.amazon.com. This website will contain your comments along with a quotation of the referenced section. I’ve used this feature multiple times with my technical manuals/books during the times that I need to email information.

The battery on my 1st Gen Kindle lasts about 7 days with the wireless off. With wireless on, it’ll last 3 to 4 days.

The final piece I want to talk about is the Kindle store. This store can be accessed through the Kindle and also through amazon.com. I do most of my purchases from Amazon’s website, where I can purchase the book just like any regular book. I can then go to my Kindle, turn it on, and the book will be automatically downloaded and ready to be read. The second method is by going to the Amazon store straight from the Kindle itself. This is an awesome feature as it allows you to purchase a book directly from the device, which is very useful if you’re at a place like an airport or hotel. The Kindle hooks up to the cellular network, which is included in the price of the device. The 3rd Gen Kindle released last week is International (the 1st and 2nd gen Kindles are US only). This will allow you to download a book in almost every location in the world that has GSM cell phones. By having this cellphone like data package, you won’t need to bring your laptop or hunt for a wireless hotspot. I use the amazon.com method mostly due to search working faster on the website, but the store on the Kindle itself works very well.

I’ve always considered myself to be a descent reader. I go through 20 to 40 books a year. Since I’ve had my Kindle, I’ve already read 60+ books. This is mostly due to me reading series, and the Kindle allows me to buy the next book immediately after I finish the current one. I highly recommend the Kindle to anyone who reads a lot. The prices of the books are usually less than $10. Also, paperbacks are usually at least $1 cheaper than the physical books.

~rb