I'm still on the fence about the Kindle 2 after reading this from its
wikipedia entry, maybe I'll wait until the next version:
Technical limitations
Hardware
There is concern based on the specific hardware choices made for the device.[37] For example, the Kindle 2 lacks the memory expansion slot which was part of the original Kindle, which not only affects the potential number of e-books which can be stored on the device, but also removes potential capabilities to import e-books onto the device via memory card. Another hardware decision which has been questioned is the non-availability of WiFi functionality on the Kindle. Instead, the device relies on Sprint's EVDO and 1xRTT data services[38], which, critics argue, does provide a large amount of geographical coverage, but also drives the price of the device up considerably.[39] E-books can be downloaded from anywhere over the Internet and transferred to the Kindle over a USB connection, but must be paid for with a US payment card.[4]
Poor contrast
Among users of the Kindle 2 (7:1), the most frequent criticism concerns the light text/poor contrast as compared to the original Kindle.[40] One user complained that the lighter text has caused eye strain or mild headaches after reading for long periods of time, but the side-by-side comparison showed slight differences attributable to factors such as slightly darker background and different fonts on the two devices [41] Some Kindle 2 users have become so disgruntled with the lighter text/poor contrast of the second generation device that they have downgraded to the Kindle 1.[42]
Limited organization ability
The Kindle does not allow the user to organize books into folders.[43] There is one option which sets whether Your Documents, Subscriptions, Books, or everything shows up on the Home Page. Another option orders the items on the Home Page according to title, author, or download date. None of these options are useful for a user who has more than a few pages worth of titles on the Home Page. Books may also be tagged with one or more keywords by inserting the tags into notes added to the book. Books may then be searched for by tag.[44]
[edit] Business model
Other criticisms involve the business model behind Amazon's entire implementation and distribution of e-books.[37][45] Amazon recently introduced a software application allowing Kindle books to be read on an iPhone (or iPod Touch).[46] Due to the book publisher's DRM policies, there is no right of first sale with the e-books. Amazon states they are licensed, not purchased. The e-books are bound to the Kindle, and users must repurchase e-books after downloading the e-book past an undisclosed limit, or being banned from Amazon Kindle/e-book platform for too many returns, preventing use of already purchased e-books with the account.[47][48]
A reviewer from CNET expressed concern with the presentation of the device despite its ergonomic appeal.[49]
File format and DRM
Amazon owns Mobipocket[50][51], and the Kindle AZW file format and DRM scheme are almost identical to the Mobipocket file format and DRM scheme,[52] yet Kindle is not able to read DRM-protected Mobipocket books without resorting to third-party conversions tools. This situation has led to great frustration for Kindle users[53].
Pricing
Another claim is that the price of the device is too high[54] – especially given that by design the Kindle is closed to the kind of expansion and customization available to many other consumer electronic devices in the same price range.[55][56]
The Kindle 2 was also criticized for its high original retail price of US$359, compared to the $185.49 it allegedly costs to manufacture.[57] On July 8, 2009, Amazon reduced the price of the Kindle 2 to $299. On October 7, 2009, Amazon reduced the price of the Kindle 2 further to $259.
[edit] Remote content removal
On July 17, 2009, Amazon.com withdrew certain Kindle titles, including Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by George Orwell, from sale, refunded the cost to those who had purchased them, and remotely deleted these titles from purchasers' devices after discovering that the publisher lacked rights to publish the titles in question.[58] Notes and annotations for the books made by users on their devices were left in a separate file, but "rendered useless" without the content they were directly linked to.[59][60] The move prompted outcry and comparisons to Nineteen Eighty-Four itself. In the novel, books, magazines and newspapers in public archives that contradict the ruling party are edited or destroyed, long after being published; the removed materials go "down the Memory Hole", Newspeak for an incinerator chute[citation needed]. Customers and the press strongly noted the resemblance to the censorship in the novel, and described Amazon's action in Orwellian terms. Some critics also argued that the deletion violated the Kindle's Terms of Service, which states in part:[61]
"Upon your payment of the applicable fees set by Amazon, Amazon grants you the non-exclusive right to keep a permanent copy of the applicable Digital Content and to view, use, and display such Digital Content an unlimited number of times, solely on the Device or as authorized by Amazon as part of the Service and solely for your personal, non-commercial use."
Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener stated that the company is "… changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers' devices in these circumstances."[62] On July 23, 2009, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos posted an apology about the company's handling of the matter on Amazon's official Kindle forum. Bezos said the action was "stupid", and that Amazon "deserve[s] the criticism [it] received."[63]
On July 30, 2009, Justin Gawronski, a Michigan high-school senior, and Antoine Bruguier, a California engineer, filed suit against Amazon in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Gawronski argued that Amazon had violated their TOS by remotely deleting the copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four he had purchased, in the process preventing him from accessing annotations he had written. Bruguier also had his copy deleted without his consent, and found Amazon "deceit[ful]" in an email exchange. The complaint, which requested class-action status, asked for both monetary and injunctive relief.[60][64] The case was settled on September 25th, 2009, with Amazon agreeing to pay $150,000 divided between the two plaintiffs, on the understanding that the law firm representing them, KamberEdelson LLC
http://kamberedelson.com/, "...will donate its portion of that fee to a charitable organization...".[65] The settlement also saw Amazon guaranteeing wider rights to Kindle owners over their eBooks:
For copies of Works purchased pursuant to TOS granting 「the non-exclusive right to keep a permanent copy」 of each purchased Work and to 「view, use and display [such Works] an unlimited number of times, solely on the [Devices] . . . and solely for [the purchasers'] personal, non-commercial use,」 Amazon will not remotely delete or modify such Works from Devices purchased and being used in the United States unless (a) the user consents to such deletion or modification; (b) the user requests a refund for the Work or otherwise fails to pay for the Work (e.g., if a credit or debit card issuer declines to remit payment); (c) a judicial or regulatory order requires such deletion or modification; or (d) deletion or modification is reasonably necessary to protect the consumer or the operation of a Device or network through which the Device communicates (e.g., to remove harmful code embedded within a copy of a Work downloaded to a Device).[66]
On September 4, 2009, Amazon offered to restore the deleted ebooks to affected users or offer an Amazon gift certificate or check for $30."[67]
[edit] Web browser limitations
The Kindle International Wireless version has restricted access to the experimental web browser. In many countries, Kindle owners cannot access any web content such as blogs and websites. The wireless access in these countries can only be used to access Amazon's e-book store to view and purchase books and magazine subscriptions.[68] The Kindle iPhone app is also currently unavailable outside the USA.
由 BrianHuang » 週日 11月 15, 2009 10:16 pm 
That's OK 'cause I detoured to Grand Hyatt Hotel to get a copy of International Herald Tribune this morning AGAIN. Every time I do this, I have to leave home 30-minute earlier and spend NT$65-NT$100 to make sure I can read something good on the MRT train. The appearance of Kindle 2 is kind of my salvation.