The newest version of Amazon's e-book reader, the Kindle 2, is out and making its way into the hands of eager customers everywhere. So, how does this latest version of the device hold up? It holds up suprisingly well, which should be good news to anyone waiting to see what others have to say about the experience before taking the plunge themselves.

True to the early hype and presentations, the Kindle 2 does improve on the first generation Kindle with a sharper screen, longer battery life, a sleeker design, and considerably more storage. Owners of the first generation Kindle will notice a missing SD card slot, no more removable battery, and a change in the way you navigate around the screen. The scrolling wheel of the first generation has been replaced by a 5-way pointing device, which turns out to be a better experience. The Kindle 2 is also very compact and thin, making it easy to carry around. Whether putting it in a jacket pocket or in a bag, you won't have any trouble finding space for the Kindle should you want to take it with you on the go.

The screen now displays 16 shades of gray, which means sharper pictures and text to enhance the reading experience. The page turning buttons have also been updated, making them more comfortable to use than in the first generation model, and less likely to accidentally be pressed while holding the device. Buying books on the Kindle 2 is also a breeze. Just enter the Amazon bookstore directly on the device, find the book that you want, buy it, and the book is sent directly to your device in less than a minute. With over 240,000 books and counting available for instant downloading, you'll never have to worry about not being able to find something interesting to read.

Aside from the exceptional amount of content available, the Kindle also stands out from the crowd by providing users with Whispernet technology, a 3G wireless service that comes with every Kindle. This built-in 3G technology is what makes it possible for users to shop for books on their Kindle anywhere that has good 3G coverage, without having to be tied to a computer. There are no monthly data plan fees or charges. All of that is handled by Amazon, so the user can just enjoy their device. Combined with the amount of books available for download, it is the perfect solution to make e-book readers grow in popularity.

Though many have complained about the Kindle 2's $359.00 price tag, if you love to read the price is more than reasonable, considering you can store 1,500 books, download newspapers, magazines, and blogs, and even import your own documents for reading on the go. The Kindle 2 also supports audio books and MP3 files, and features a new text-to-speech function that allows the device to read text back to you in either a male or female voice. For those who still think the price is too high, the fact that Amazon is also bundling in the 3G data service at no cost has to be factored in as well. A monthly data plan fee for users would quickly become too expensive to take on for a device such as this, so the fact that Amazon provides the service at no charge easily covers the cost of the device within just a few months of owning it.