# Amazon comments on lack of SD card and user-removable battery in K2



## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

I found this on the Mobileread.com forum. One of their posters, Sporadic, discovered this article:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9127739

*Kindle fans upset that Kindle 2 drops SD slot, replaceable battery
Amazon calls the changes improvements, not a downgrade

Matt Hamblen

February 10, 2009 (Computerworld)* Users of Amazon.com Inc.'s original Kindle are registering disapproval that the Kindle 2, due out Feb. 24, doesn't have a slot for an SD card or a removable battery.

"I'm pissed at Amazon," said one person named Vicki, commenting on an Amazon.com forum after the Kindle 2 was unveiled. "I've had my Kindle for almost a year and I really like it. When it dies, as all electronics do, the 'upgrade' will be a downgrade that won't be as useful as my current Kindle."

She joined more than 20 other current Kindle fans on the Amazon site voicing concerns about the Kindle 2's lack of an SD slot and its use of a battery that's not user-accessible.

Elsewhere on the Amazon site, other fans griped about how the online retailer has given less-than-ideal treatment to original Kindle users with the announcement of Kindle 2. Amazon offers more than 1,000 Kindle-related discussion topics, underscoring the e-reader's popularity.

Many of the complaints that have bubbled up since the Kindle 2's unveiling Monday came from users who like to add an SD card to the original Kindle so they have enough storage for plenty of books. Some said the 2GB of storage offered in the Kindle 2 won't be enough.

Users also criticized the new battery, saying they have grown accustomed to removing the battery in the original Kindle to reboot the device. After a year, many said the battery needed replacing anyway because it wouldn't hold a charge.

While the changes seem like downgrades to some, Amazon's Kindle unit director, Charlie Tritschler, said both moves will actually improve the Kindle 2. "Compared to the original Kindle, the Kindle 2 makes it convenient to keep content in one place," Tritschler said today. And the built-in 2GB of storage in the Kindle 2 means 1.4GB is available to the user -- almost eight times the 180MB of storage offered in the original Kindle, he said.

"That's room for 1,500 books," Tritschler said, noting that any book a Kindle user buys is backed up on Amazon's servers -- and is available to the reader at any time. "There's no need for additional storage."

Some users complained that Amazon might be eliminating the SD slot to force its Kindle customers into buying only Amazon content. But Tritschler said the Kindle 2 still allows users to access non-Amazon books, text files and even some music that is not protected by Digital Rights Management systems. They can do so via a USB cable connected to the Kindle 2 or through e-mail, since each Kindle has an e-mail address, he said.

As for the battery, Tritschler said it was made nonremovable to accommodate the Kindle 2's thinner size. "We really pushed to make it as thin as possible," yielding a device that is just 0.36 in. thick.

A nonremovable battery does not require solid casing like the removable kind do, meaning they take up less space, he said. And Kindle 2 now has a chip for active battery management that was not in the original. That chip regulates charge flows and helps make the battery last for two weeks when not in wireless mode, or four days when connected wirelessly, he said.

Tritschler announced today that the Kindle 2's battery can replaced under warranty for a year. After that, it can be replaced in the Amazon factory for $59.

Asked how users can reboot Kindle 2 since there's no removable battery, Tritschler said a new command takes care of that problem. "We've solved that as well," he said. "You hold down the power switch for 14 seconds."

Expanding on Amazon's explanations about the changes, Gartner Inc. analyst Van Baker noted that Amazon -- and all device makers -- constantly seek to cut down on the cost of materials. An SD card slot on top of the added built-in storage might have cost too much, Baker conjectured. "With any new product, you always get some complaints about how 'stupid' the manufacturer is for not doing something," Baker said.

Tritschler's final take on the SD card/battery brouhaha: "The Kindle 2 is a better product in both respects."


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## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

Interesting but why 14 seconds to reset? That's an awfully long time. Looks like anything longer than 5 seconds would be sufficient.


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## Dangerosa (Dec 5, 2008)

CS said:


> Tritschler announced today that the Kindle 2's battery can replaced under warranty for a year. After that, it can be replaced in the Amazon factory for $59.


Not loving that part. I wonder what the life expectancy of the battery is. I'm worried it's not much longer than a year, given they really seem to be pushing the 2-year extended warranty.


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## KindleKid (Feb 11, 2009)

I dont know why people are so bent out of shape about this. The storage is more than enough..


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

KindleKid said:


> I dont know why people are so bent out of shape about this. The storage is more than enough..


I really hope you're just parodying the article, because less than 2GB is *not* enough for me or most serious readers.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

For me, the storage capacity of 2GB is indeed sufficient.


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## noblesrus (Oct 29, 2008)

I am a serious reader and I have yet to fill up my original Kindle. The reason is because I delete the books after I read them and store them on Amazon. Anytime I want to reread one I just download it back to my Kindle. The sd card that I bought when I first got my kindle has yet to be used.


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't know... 2GB is a lot if you only have ebooks. I could live with only ebooks but some people uses the kindle for audio books and mp3.


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

KindleKid said:


> I dont know why people are so bent out of shape about this. The storage is more than enough..


Why?
Because first you are NOT getting 2 gigs of open memory to hold the books. Its less then 2 gigs.
Secondly everytime the firmware updates where do you think the firmware will go? It will take up MORE of that memory. EVERYTIME your K2 updates its firmware more and more of that onboard memory goes bye bye..
Why not 10gigs ,20, 40??
I got a $10 mp3 player at KMart that has 4gigs of memory. It seems pretty bad they are selling the K2 for 359 with only 2gigs ram..


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Just a note on the Firmware. When I upgraded to 1.2, I started with 28mb free. When the upgrade was over I had 37mb free. I actually had more room on my Kindle after the Firmware update. Honest. I was shocked when I saw that, but it's the truth.

Just remember, you also have unlimited storage on Amazon for all the books you have purchased from them. You're still able to access those books from your kindle. 

I was initially one against the no SD card slot. I've had a 2GB SD card in my Kindle since I got it. I had more than 30 pages of books/samples/documents and 4 CDs of music and still was nowhere near 1.4 GB used. I don't think it was even 1 GB to be honest. 

For me, I think the 2GB or 1.4GB that it really is, will be more than enough. Especially with being able to keep so many books on Amazon. And this is coming from someone with a full 32 GB ipod and over 160 GB worth of media on an external hard drive. (I just had to buy a bigger one.)


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## Dedalus (Feb 11, 2009)

More than enough memory esp when you consider that your computer can store books, just like an SD card. The battery is another issue -- wish we could change them ourselves. And how about not getting a cover? Sneaky way to add $30 to the cost of K2.


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## TM (Nov 25, 2008)

Dedalus said:


> More than enough memory esp when you consider that your computer can store books, just like an SD card. The battery is another issue -- wish we could change them ourselves. And how about not getting a cover? Sneaky way to add $30 to the cost of K2.


Yet... how many people detested their original cover and got a new one with the Klassic Kindle? This way you choose your cover and don't get sent one Amazon chooses that ya may want replaced.


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## MonaSW (Nov 16, 2008)

CS said:


> 1
> "That's room for 1,500 books," Tritschler said, noting that any book a Kindle user buys is backed up on Amazon's servers -- and is available to the reader at any time. "There's no need for additional storage." ... ... ... Tritschler announced today that the Kindle 2's battery can replaced under warranty for a year. After that, it can be replaced in the Amazon factory for $59.


No need for additional storage? Maybe for him. Not for me.

And $59 to send it to Amazon to have the battery replaced vs. $20 for a battery I replace myself. I know which I prefer.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Dedalus said:


> More than enough memory esp when you consider that your computer can store books, just like an SD card. The battery is another issue -- wish we could change them ourselves. And how about not getting a cover? Sneaky way to add $30 to the cost of K2.


Cover: If I could have returned the cover that came with k1, I would have. It was worthless. I'm very happy they didn't include the cover. I have the option of choosing which one to buy. I think Amazon saw the huge market and demand for aftermarket kindles and got fed up with all the complaints they were getting on the cover.

Battery: I'm an ipod user. The battery isn't that big a deal. I had a spare battery for my k1 and used it twice in a year and that was before I bought a car charger. Once I had the car charger, I didn't need it. If it fails, its no worse than the screen going belly up or a button breaking. Plus, you can now charge via a USB port. Another big plus.


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## libro (Dec 3, 2008)

Dangerosa said:


> Not loving that part. I wonder what the life expectancy of the battery is. I'm worried it's not much longer than a year, given they really seem to be pushing the 2-year extended warranty.


I agree about that. I'm considering the extended warranty for that very reason. One thing I don't like is having to send the Kindle to Amazon to get a new battery. That's what we have to do with K2 if the battery goes out, right?


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

I'm curious about all the people complaining about the lack of an SD card.  How many of these people have actually filled up their Kindle?

I had 17 pages of books on my K1 and wasn't anywhere near full.  I know a lot of people had/have more than that.  I can't imagine anyone actually needing that many books on the K at one time.  Granted, if you are into music, 2 gig isn't much.  But if you are into music you probably won't be using the Kindle for your listening.

Is it because so many people are used to seeing computers with hundreds of gig of space and they think that's what's needed for everything?


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

I got to the point where i needed to put some stuff on my SD card.  Right now I have 40mb available on the internal memory and 3.6 gigs available on the SD.

I do think I'll be able to live with 2gig but having been around computers since 1969, you can never have too much storage or memory and what sounds like a lot will in time be laughably small.

Nevertheless.. I ordered K2.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

No one thought they would ever fill i gig memory on their computers a few years ago,now a terabyte isn't enough for many.


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## nicuknitter (Dec 28, 2008)

I agree that the K2 has tried to make improvements.  For me, the lack of an SD slot is a downgrade.  It depends on how you use your Kindle.  If you are the type of person who like to reread books, the ability to have up to 1500 books (without a user defined way of sorting them) would be impossible to manage.  Whispernet is not always available to just re-download something, nor is a computer to transfer it.  I am often doing research on various topics and don't always know exactly what I will need.  I bought the Kindle with the ability to to carry large amounts of information and books with me.  I also got it planning to keep my books with me.  It was supposed to become my "portable library".  It is a change that I wasn't planning on, but will certainly find ways to adjust to when my present Kindle dies.

I also don't consider the battery an improvement in the long run.  I think there will be less problems with the new battery.  But when there is a problem, you have to send your Kindle away to be fixed.  If it ends up functioning like Apple; you might not, or probably won't get your own Kindle back.  Any skins you paid for would be gone.  I may be wrong, but I understand that all of your samples would be gone.  Only your last ten transactions are backed up on Amazon.

Still, I will definitely try to replace my Kindle when it dies.  I love it and use it more than I ever thought I would.


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## ricky (Dec 24, 2008)

With all my items on the Kindle, I have 22 pages, and it comes very close to filling the available space without the SD card.  I really like the SD card.  I can carry it with my Kindle and have access to lots of books that I got from the free sites, and are not saved within the Amazon servers.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2009)

1500 books on your Kindle at once _isn't enough_? If you read a book a day, that's four year's worth of reading.

I can understand keeping books you've already read on your Kindle if you are going to spend four years someplace with no Whispernet and no Internet access... but..... if I want to find a book to re-read when I'm here at home, it takes me a fraction of the time to pick something out of the bookshelf and start reading as it does to page through 150 pages of Kindle Menu and select one.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2009)

intinst said:


> No one thought they would ever fill i gig memory on their computers a few years ago,now a terabyte isn't enough for many.


That's due to the increased size of applications/programs and porn/video/music that is being stored. Neither of which have anything to do with the Kindle.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2009)

intinst said:


> No one thought they would ever fill i gig memory on their computers a few years ago,now a terabyte isn't enough for many.


And you never responded to my whole Wichita biography.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> And you never responded to my whole Wichita biography.


Sorry, I am supposed to be painting and tiling the bathroom this week and my wife suggested  that maybe I had spent enough time on the computer earlier. Didn't mean to ignore you.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2009)

intinst said:


> Sorry, I am supposed to be painting and tiling the bathroom this week and my wife suggested  that maybe I had spent enough time on the computer earlier. Didn't mean to ignore you.


Good excuse, and you managed to squeeze in a response anyway. All is forgiven.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2009)

nicuknitter said:


> I may be wrong, but I understand that all of your samples would be gone. Only your last ten transactions are backed up on Amazon.


I am not sure about the samples, but Amazon saves all of the books that you purchase, not just the last ten.


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

intinst said:


> No one thought they would ever fill i gig memory on their computers a few years ago,now a terabyte isn't enough for many.


The difference there is the type of content changed. Programs became more and more elaborate, graphics libraries for games went from a few megs to 10s of gigabytes as the resolution rose from 640x480 to 1920x1200 or even higher. Digital music, pictures and video became huge. And the resolutions of pics and video rose, just as the video games did. Computers by design, support all this stuff. That's why the progressively larger need for storage/RAM/processor power is never-ending (though thankfully, we're finally at a point that capabilities are increasing faster than most people's need for them).

Here, we're talking about text. Yes, it can do audio, but that isn't its focus. It can't play games, can't edit word processor or spreadsheet documents, doesn't play video. The Kindle 2's primary focus will ALWAYS be reading eBooks. And they just don't bloat up the way software does.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

LuckyRainbow said:


> I am not sure about the samples, but Amazon saves all of the books that you purchase, not just the last ten.


Samples are not saved. You can see your last 10 transactions in the "pending/sent" list but you'd have to go back to the book page to get a sample again.

L


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> 1500 books on your Kindle at once _isn't enough_? If you read a book a day, that's four year's worth of reading.





geko29 said:


> Here, we're talking about text. Yes, it can do audio, but that isn't its focus. It can't play games, can't edit word processor or spreadsheet documents, doesn't play video.


BJ & Geko - Thank You, I'm glad somebody get's it.

I tell ya, if someone needs 1500 books at their fingertips every second of the day, they sure use books different than the rest of the world. I admit an SD card may be a good organization tool, but come on, who really needs 1500 books at once.


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## EyeMc (Nov 11, 2008)

But what about those of us that use SD cards as a sort of Quasi-folders system that K2 still doesn't have?  :-0


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## mwvickers (Jan 26, 2009)

EyeMc said:


> But what about those of us that use SD cards as a sort of Quasi-folders system that K2 still doesn't have? :-0


It couldn't necessarily go with you as easily, but you can create folders in a flash drive and store Kindle books there.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

ricky said:


> With all my items on the Kindle, I have 22 pages, and it comes very close to filling the available space without the SD card. I really like the SD card. I can carry it with my Kindle and have access to lots of books that I got from the free sites, and are not saved within the Amazon servers.


The difference is your K1 only had 128 MB of storage, not 1.5 GB or so. That you means you can easily get over 100 pages of books on the K2. That is more than I want to flip through!!

The comparison to computer memory increases is apples-oranges. We need terabytes of memory for large video files and mp3s. .AZW ebooks are unlikely to begin hitting the multimegabyte range in size.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

Apple did the same thing with the non-removable battery with the new 17IN MacBook Pro.  It improves battery life. All the space that allows for the removal can now be utilized with more battery.   But there were complaints there too.  Of course, there would have been complaints if K2 if the user could replace the battery but the life was not greatly improved.  

The SD slot makes sense too.  I keep extra books on the SD, but don't usually put the SD in the Kindle.  Too many pages.  Now if there were folders...  then I could really see the need for an SD.  I can read 8 to 12 books per month.   At maximum speed, that is almost 2.5 years of reading in my hand.  If you are doing a lot of research with a lot of books, then maybe yiu can a real beef.  Other than that, it is just jaw music.  

Every wants something to be unhappy about and everyone wants something else

I want a ....

touchscreen, colorscreen, no DRM, cost under $200, cheaper books, deeper discount for K1 users, folders, more functions like the iPhone, wah wah wah wah.

Since it is almost President's Day, maybe people should think about what Lincoln said about pleasing all the people all of the time.  It can apply to K2.


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## bernilynn (Nov 22, 2008)

I like having an SD card.  I find it easier to organize my books, especially since I take it out of my Kindle and use a card reader connected to my Mac.  In fact, I did the firmware upgrade that way- downloaded the upgrade directly to the card, and then put the card back in my Kindle.  VERY easy.

I also like the removable battery.  I spend a lot of time on boats, where charging, even with the DC charger, can be a problem.  It's comforting to be able to just pop in a fresh battery when needed.

That being said, I'm sure if someone handed me a Kindle2, I'd be thrilled.  The form factor is yummy!  But it's not enough to make me switch.

Berni


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

Replace a battery myself for 20 dollars or send it into Amazon.com for 59 dollars...hmmmmmmm...

Have up to 16gb of space available for audiobooks (read by actors, not a GPS voice), classical music to listen to while I'm reading, and as many books as my little heart desires or only 1.4gb of usable space...hmmmmmm...

I don't know. It might be just me, but that article doesn't change a thing about how I feel.


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

Mikuto said:


> Replace a battery myself for 20 dollars or send it into Amazon.com for 59 dollars...hmmmmmmm...
> 
> Have up to 16gb of space available for audiobooks (read by actors, not a GPS voice), classical music to listen to while I'm reading, and as many books as my little heart desires or only 1.4gb of usable space...hmmmmmm...
> 
> I don't know. It might be just me, but that article doesn't change a thing about how I feel.


I can't imagine not listening to World War Z. I hate audio books but that is one of the few audio books I own. But I bet text to speech for WWZ wouldn't be the same!

You know what scares me? That I will never be able to upgrade Phoebe later. If this the the 2nd gen kindle and people love the shape/size so much it will only get smaller and smaller ..


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

(shrugs) I get that 1.5 GB holds a large number of books. I have not come close to using all of my space on Tavar but that is because I am deleting books after reading them. If we had folders, I wouldn't delete them but I hate looking through 10 pages of books to find what I am reading. bleech.

If someone wants to use their Kindle to listen to music and read then 1.5 GBs is not enough space. For someone using the Kindle for Audio books, 1.5 GB is not enough space. Sony has an SD Memory card slot on their reader and it is pretty thin. I fail to see why the SD card slot was removed. I might not be using it but I can see why it would be nice to have. 

I would much rather pay to buy the replaceable battery then have to send it in and have the battery replaced at a higher price point. I am fine with recharging my battery once a week instead of once every two weeks.


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## Lizzy (Nov 26, 2008)

I still think they took two steps backwards. I could understand if k1 had a non replaceable battery and no extra storage. Then the selling points of the new k2 would be that you can now replace the battery for 20.00 instead of 59.00 + shipping and time wasted waiting and now you can have all the storage you need for books, audiobooks and music with a new sd card slot that can hold up to 16GB storage. They just simply went backwards instead of forwards.


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## h73325 (Dec 13, 2008)

I also think that they downgraded the K2. I wonder if they listened to the complaints on the K1 about a way to organize the books. 
They seem to have just ignored us on that. I don't care about the looks. I use it to read books. I would have bought a K2 if they
had included folders. I think a lot of other people would have too. What good is the ability to have 1500 books with no way to organize them.


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## bkworm8it (Nov 17, 2008)

Ok, my 2cents.  . I can understand both arguments for SD and no need for SD. If they had folders, for me it would be a mute point but I don't like sifting through 4 pages of samples.  I keep my samples on the SD card so I don't see them until I want something that is not in my list of books already bought then I go through the samples to see what I am interested in getting.

So If it had folders or they finally upgrade it with folders and not k1 and I can get a thick enough cover to hold the thinner size, I would buy it. As for the battery, well, I have a watch that I am not allowed to change the battery on myself. It has to be sent in (or voids the lifetime warranty) same with my ipod. Though I would have to admit I'd be a little grumpy without my Kindle so hopefully they would have a fast turn around time. Then again there are still several DTB's I'll need to get to.

Theresam

Ok so it was 3 cents


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## k_reader (Feb 7, 2009)

I will never use all my memory in my Kindle 2.  However, I totally get that the SD Card was really loved by many users and I think its a downgrade for them to have removed it.  No way its an "upgrade" to take away a feature, especially since the price of the Kindle is the same as K1.  Usually the second generation is cheaper than the first........not in this case.

The battery is also a downgrade, however, more understanding and forgiveable, if it was removed to improve the thickness of the Kindle.

Both these issues are not important to me personally, but I can totally see how they would bother people that enjoy these features.


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

bernilynn said:


> I like having an SD card. I find it easier to organize my books, especially since I take it out of my Kindle and use a card reader connected to my Mac. In fact, I did the firmware upgrade that way- downloaded the upgrade directly to the card, and then put the card back in my Kindle. VERY easy.


To argue in Beelzebub's favor for a moment, It's MUCH easier to plug a USB cable into the bottom of the Kindle than to turn it off, remove it from the case, take the back off, pop the card out, put it in a reader, take it out, reinsert it into the Kindle, put the case back on, put it in the case, and turn it back on.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

KindleKid said:


> I dont know why people are so bent out of shape about this. The storage is more than enough..


I completely agree! I do not understand the need to hoard books on your Kindle. Especially when you have them backed up on Amazon or in the case of your downloads from other sites, on your computer.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

Octochick said:


> I completely agree! I do not understand the need to hoard books on your Kindle. Especially when you have them backed up on Amazon or in the case of your downloads from other sites, on your computer.


Disregarding everything I've said about mp3 storage, I don't keep all of my books on the Kindle because I'm a packrat, I keep them there so I can have a variety. If I'm on a plane and suddenly want to read one of the books I ended up leaving on my laptop, I'm SOL. The Kindle was supposed to SOLVE that for me.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

You can have an excellent variety with 100 books. Outstanding variety with 1,000.

If there were a proper desktop interface most of this would be moot. For whatever reason, Amazon chose not to have a desktop interface as an option. It would have made implementing "folders" much easier, similar to the iPod interface. Nobody makes playlists on the iPod, it is all done in iTunes, and then transferred to the iPod. Amazon seems to be focusing more on the instant gratification of WhisperNet than they do on making a great user interface.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> You can have an excellent variety with 100 books. Outstanding variety with 1,000.


Unfortunately you're talking to a brick wall when it comes to me. I'm the type of person who likes to carry my entire collection around, and I'm also the type of person who likes to amass a LARGE collection.

One could say that 10 gigabytes of music gives you a good selection, but I have over 100gb. What if I want to listen to something in the 90gb not on my iPod nano or whatever the small ones are called. Same concept here. I know that books are, in general, MUCH smaller than Mp3s, but the concept remains the same. The thing I liked best about the Kindle was that you could carry the library of congress with you if you so wanted to. Limiting the memory makes this impossible.

I'm just trying to give arguments as to why an SD slot or expandable memory is better than small fixed memory.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Mikuto said:


> Disregarding everything I've said about mp3 storage, I don't keep all of my books on the Kindle because I'm a packrat, I keep them there so I can have a variety. If I'm on a plane and suddenly want to read one of the books I ended up leaving on my laptop, I'm SOL. The Kindle was supposed to SOLVE that for me.


One reason why I want all of my books on the Kindle is to use the search capability. If I want to find something in my digital library then I will need to search both on the Kindle and on the computer. I will not be able to search the contents of books bought from Amazon on my computer. I suspect I might also need to save my notes for books not purchased from Amazon on my computer as well if all my books do not fit on my Kindle. This might not be a problem for me soon but it will be eventually. At least I know now that I will need to plan for the memory size limit.

I did a quick estimate of the number of the hardcover fiction books in our home library last night. 20 books per shelf * 6 shelves per bookcase * 8 bookcases = 960 fiction books. Over 95% of those have already been read at least once. (That does not count the many bookcases of classic books, reference books, and boxes of paper back books.) Knowing I will not now have an SD card on my Kindle-to-be means I need to rethink what will be kept on the Kindle.

Anna


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## jmeaders (Jan 8, 2009)

Annalog said:


> I will not be able to search the contents of books bought from Amazon on my computer. I suspect I might also need to save my notes for books not purchased from Amazon on my computer as well if all my books do not fit on my Kindle.


Perhaps between Whispersync and whatever upcoming mobile device coverage they will do, maybe we'll get the capability to read on the computer.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

jmeaders said:


> Perhaps between Whispersync and whatever upcoming mobile device coverage they will do, maybe we'll get the capability to read on the computer.


I doubt that, I really do. However it would be a good move on amazon's part to open up the awz format to other devices, be it computers or iphones. Then the people who don't like the Kindle (for reason I'll never understand!) can still buy ebooks from Amazon.com. It's a win-win for Amazon.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Yes I like having all of my books on the SD or kindle. But I can adjust on that.

BUT the dragon-slayer is the BATTERY!! Amazon is *ignoring* it's international users, and there are quite a few of us from Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Europe, etc., and obviously not trying to cultivate any more of them. Sending a kindle into Amazon for battery replacement? $59, shipping? duty? without your kindle *forever*? I originally got my kindle because I was going to be moving far far away and it would be easy for me to get books via those wonderful invisible internet waves in the sky. I have several back-up batteries because I felt I needed them, the first battery lasted one day - but so far they are still in my kindle basket. I don't want to send my kindle into Amazon from Mexico much less Brazil or Thailand for a battery? Give me a break


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I've replaced the non-replaceable battery on my iPod.... I think replacing the Kindle battery will not be very difficult, no matter how the manual phrases it.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> I've replace the non-replaceable battery on my iPod.... I think replacing the Kindle battery will not be very difficult, no matter how the manual phrases it.


But how do you get a hold of the replacement batteries?


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Google..... All can be found in the mighty Google... I don't remember where I bought it, but it was ~$30 a couple of years ago. They even sent a little tool to use to open the case, and complete instructions.... The little tool didn't do much, I ended up opening it with a butter knife. It took a while to open, but once that was done replacing the battery and popping the case back together was very easy.

Battery prices seem to have dropped a bit since then, here's an example: http://www.ipodbattery.com/


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

Well there you go. I knew you could replace iPod batteries if you needed to, though it's not like just popping open the Kindle 1 and pulling out the battery. 

That voids your warranty though doesn't it?


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

jmeaders said:


> Perhaps between Whispersync and whatever upcoming mobile device coverage they will do, maybe we'll get the capability to read on the computer.





Mikuto said:


> I doubt that, I really do. However it would be a good move on amazon's part to open up the awz format to other devices, be it computers or iphones. Then the people who don't like the Kindle (for reason I'll never understand!) can still buy ebooks from Amazon.com. It's a win-win for Amazon.


I doubt that Amazon will open the DRM awz format for the computer due to publisher objections. I suspect my strategy for entire digital library search may eventually be to have one search on the Kindle (with all DRM awz files and whatever else fits) and non-DRM format searches (mobi, etc.) on the computer for files that will not fit. I am not worried about it as it is sure to be better than trying to search my current DTB library (with human memory assist). 
Anna


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Mikuto said:


> That voids your warranty though doesn't it?


Probably. However, if the battery fails within a year, Amazon _ought_ to replace it for free (haven't check on this). Unless you buy the extended warranty, you'll be out of warranty in a year, anyhow.

The iPod I replaced the battery in was more than three years old, way past the warranty period.


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## jkent (Oct 28, 2008)

for me a problem with keeping everything on the kindle is that is slows down any search that you do.  it also tends to drain the battery very quickly as it kills itself trying to index everything.  i should add that i have many, MANY books from sources other then amazon so going back there to download again is frequently not an option.  they are on an sd card for easy retrieval anywhere without slowing down my kindle all the time.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

I have 48 pages of stuff on my Kindle (mostly samples/freebies I haven't gotten to yet: my theory is download now and sort'em out later!) and my battery lasts for what seems like forever, so long as I don't turn whispernet on.


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## Diana (Nov 9, 2008)

I have read this post and dozens of other posts debating this issue and it isn't black and white--_it's personal preference._ I see people here telling others they don't need the space and the same exact opposite in response. Everyone uses their Kindles differently, they do different things, some use files (I do--to have things easily accessible), some play mp3's--there is nothing wrong with it. No one is wrong, no one is right. For some people they only have a few books and would never need an SD card, but they shouldn't tell others that that is wrong and the people who want the SD card can't see why someone would be satisfied with so little. People just need to respect each other's opinions and realize there is no definitive answer.

Amazon is the only party that needs to concern themselves with this issue. They aren't affecting the people who are happy with less storage, but they have invoked ire among those who want more. I am sure they will take the response in consideration for the next generation Kindle, but at present, it leaves the consumer with the choice of K1 or K2.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Tarma said:


> I don't intend to keep every book I own on my Kindle! Besides the fact that most are not yet in electronic format yet, the technical books not suited to the text only format. Also, as was mentioned previous, the Kindle is way too slow and the battery drain too high to make this a feasible option.
> 
> I use a computer database to keep track of my books. My choice was BookCAT from FNProgramvara. It is an extremely powerful and customizable program, but some might find the learning curve daunting.
> 
> ...


I've been using Calibre on my Mac which does a good job of keeping ebooks organized, especially with multiple formats


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## Gruntman (Feb 9, 2009)

I don't think lack of SD will bother me, but I would love to see folders in the future.   1500 books is to many in one spot without proper sorting. IMHO

So I'll be storing on my computer for now.


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

I am MUCH more concerned with battery life than storage.  When it comes to storage, I can always store books on my pc/laptop, but if the battery dies--I've got who knows how many days without a device that I don't leave the house without.  AND its going to cost me more than the item I'm replacing.

However, with that said, neither my iPhone nor iPod have died yet so that may be a moot point


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## Gruntman (Feb 9, 2009)

Jesslyn said:


> I am MUCH more concerned with battery life than storage.


That is a question we can all agree on. Guess it will be a race to see who loses their K2 to battery problems first.

I hope I come in last in that race.


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## Arby (Nov 5, 2008)

I know this has been talked to death, but I would still like to weigh in on this issue. I was surprised that with 12 pages of items (not all were stored on the Kindle) I only had 27 mb left. I had no music stored on the Kindle - that too was on the SD card. I became aware of the issue when it took forever to get the software upgrade and then I read that there was a minimum of 30 mb needed.  I was able to resolve the problem by quickly moving more content to the SD card.  I did this without needing to use a computer.  That is one of the big selling points of the Kindle, but it seems like most of the proposed solutions focus on using a PC to organize content or to simply do without content.  If your access to Whispernet is at all limited then you are even more dependent on a PC.  This is no big deal for some,  but this feature was also mentioned for the Kindle2.  Why should I have to play musical chairs with content (now including music and audible books) and needing more PC resources to keep from having capacity issues?  I do not want to have to travel with a notebook, an MP3 player and the Kindle to enjoy the features I can have right now on the Kindle 1.

In addition, the  new battery scenario might improve battery life but if I have to replace a battery shortly after the one year warranty, I am going to feel ripped off -  not to mention the risk of damage in sending the Kindle in for replacement.  I know the additional warranty can be purchased but I just added $100 (including the cheapest cover) to have any peace of mind and after one year I may still need to pay $60 bucks for a new battery if the original one dies. 

I fully appreciate these issues may not exist for everyone, but these "improvements" will likely generate more dollars from the consumer.  I think that is the primary reason for these design changes - the customer's sense of loss (to me this is a real loss) is a much lesser concern.


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## libro (Dec 3, 2008)

Arby said:


> ....... In addition, the new battery scenario might improve battery life but if I have to replace a battery shortly after the one year warranty, I am going to feel ripped off - not to mention the risk of damage in sending the Kindle in for replacement. I know the additional warranty can be purchased but I just added $100 (including the cheapest cover) to have any peace of mind and after one year I may still need to pay $60 bucks for a new battery if the original one dies.


Hi Arby -- I don't know which warranty you're referring to, but someone at Kindle Support told me today that the battery would be no charge under the K2 Extended Warranty if it needed replacement in the second year. I feel uncertain about this only because I don't see that written in print on the extended warranty page. Has anyone else heard about this?


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## Arby (Nov 5, 2008)

CS said:


> Tritschler announced today that the Kindle 2's battery can replaced under warranty for a year. After that, it can be replaced in the Amazon factory for $59.


Thank you for sharing that, Libro - I did not see anything about battery replacement in the extended warranty description being offered by Amazon. Perhaps you may not have to spend battery money until after 2 years. Hopefully Amazon will update the warranty information.


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

Arby said:


> but these "improvements" will likely generate more dollars from the consumer.


Remember, that is why businesses are in business


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## Arby (Nov 5, 2008)

kim said:


> Remember, that is why businesses are in business


This is true Kim, but in truth, I would have seriously considered buying the Kindle 2 if the SD card and replaceable battery were intact. Now I fear that the necessity to upgrade in the future will be based on needing to fill in the widening gaps in functionality and/or that the upgrades will continue to revolve around cosmetic issues (Sleeker and thinner). I also feel much less inspired to recommend the Kindle to others. I lost a little bit of my Amazon spirit with these changes - they seem to be following the Apple model. Maybe this will work, but I do not really think the Kindle has the same massive appeal of an IPOD or IPHONE. Besides, there is tremendous potential for revenue increases in ebook sales. I am probably in the minority here regarding these issues, but I truly love the Kindle. I just can't seem to justify the expense of this upgrade. Sure hope the Kindle 1 (8 months old) lasts a while.


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

Arby said:


> This is true Kim, but in truth, I would have seriously considered buying the Kindle 2 if the SD card and replaceable battery were intact. Now I fear that the necessity to upgrade in the future will be based on needing to fill in the widening gaps in functionality and/or that the upgrades will continue to revolve around cosmetic issues (Sleeker and thinner). I also feel much less inspired to recommend the Kindle to others. I lost a little bit of my Amazon spirit with these changes - they seem to be following the Apple model. Maybe this will work, but I do not really think the Kindle has the same massive appeal of an IPOD or IPHONE. Besides, there is tremendous potential for revenue increases in ebook sales. I am probably in the minority here regarding these issues, but I truly love the Kindle. I just can't seem to justify the expense of this upgrade. Sure hope the Kindle 1 (8 months old) lasts a while.


I 100% agree with this.

I don't like the IPod looks my house is a Zune house so I was VERY disappointed with the looks over substance approach Amazon took.

Since Amazon decided to go the IPod route does everyone realize that eventually , heck I bet in 6 months, there will be a 4gig or a 10 gig Kindle coming out and I bet it will eventually come in colors.

What happened to it being 'book like' ??

I'm sorry that Amazon decided to go for looks over performance. Maybe the K3 will be better but sadly I'm thinking its going to just be smaller and smaller, cuter and cuter but no major jumps in technology.

I'm sorry to be a downer and I hope everyone enjoys their K2. I just love my clunkier, smarter K1.


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## Arby (Nov 5, 2008)

I apologize for getting so serious -  I work for a supplier of General Motors and our group is physically located at a GM plant.  You can imagine the fun atmosphere at work right now. It has seemed to seep into my personal life a bit. 
I am very grateful for the Kindle - it has improved my life, honest!  I really enjoy reading the KindleBoards and I hope that everyone loves their new Kindle 2s.

Thanks for letting me vent.  

Happy Kindling!!


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## Gruntman (Feb 9, 2009)

Vent away.

I don't mind


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