The Kindle 2 began shipping Sunday, ahead of schedule, and even before customers received the new e-book reader from Amazon.com, many indicated in forum posts that they were ecstatic about its impending arrival.
A few fortunate people have begun getting the Kindle 2. In a forum post, one such customer praised the device for offering faster response times and better navigation features than the original Kindle, but complained that the Kindle 2 was "slippery." Earlier this month, meanwhile, users of the original Kindle voiced complaints that the new model doesn't have a slot for an SD card or a removable battery.
Even so, the overwhelming sentiment in forums was one of excitement about the new reader, which Amazon announced on February 9.
"Oh joy, joy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" a customer using the name Elsi wrote in a Kindle forum on the MobileRead community site.
"Add my voice to the collective cheer, to all who [are] about to get a Kindle 2. Enjoy!" wrote another user going by the name Joobies in the same forum. The thread began on Sunday, when a user named Lilly posted a copy of her Kindle 2 shipment notice from Amazon.
Elsi, Joobies and several other commenters on the forum compared notes on how much they paid for shipping and the exact day that they hope to receive the reader. Others promised to share their reactions once they activated the device.
With the Kindle 2 priced at US$359 on the Amazon Web site , it would cost another US$6.98 for standard delivery through the US Postal Service, plus another US$3.99 for overnight delivery, according to several forum comments. Amazon also lists free Super Saver Shipping options, although such deliveries typically take several days.
Several people in addition to Lilly said in MobileRead posts that they had received confirmation of shipments from Amazon starting Sunday, in advance of today's original shipment date. But only a few customers among the many who posted messages in several forums said they had actually received a Kindle 2 as of today and given it a dry run.