The Kindle vs. the Kindle 2
The original Amazon Kindle e-book reader was released in 2007 and was eventually followed by the Kindle 2 in 2009. While both devices were designed to display Amazon e-books, a number of changes were made between the two generations. While some changes seemed purely cosmetic, others were designed to improve the functionality of the Kindle or implement newer technology.
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Appearance
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The most obvious change between the Kindle and the Kindle 2 is the complete overhaul of the device's appearance. While the Kindle featured an asymmetrical, angular design with a divided keyboard set with diagonally oriented keys, the Kindle 2 was designed with a sleeker appearance, accented by rounded curves and reminiscent of products in Apple's iPod product line.
Display
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The display was also upgraded during the change from Kindle to Kindle 2. The Kindle features a 6-inch diagonal electrophoretic display, 600 pixels by 800 pixels and displaying 167 pixels per inch. The Kindle 2's screen was much the same, but the key difference is the level of color. The Kindle has a four-level grayscale display, while the Kindle 2 has a 16-level grayscale display.
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Dimensions
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The redesign ultimately changed the dimensions of the Kindle. The original Kindle was 5.3 inches wide, 7.5 inches long and 0.7 inches thick, weighing in at 10.3 ounces. The Kindle 2 measured 5.3 inches wide, 8 inches long and 0.36 inches thick, weighing in at 10.2 ounces.
Storage and Expansion
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The original Kindle was outfitted with only 256 MB of storage, with 180 MB available for use. It also featured an SD memory-card expansion slot that allowed users to load additional memory and content. The Kindle 2 featured 2 GB of internal memory, with 1.4 GB available for use. However, the SD expansion slot was excluded from this model of the Kindle.
Audio
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Both the Kindle and the Kindle 2 feature 3.5mm stereo headphone jacks and have built-in speakers. However, the Kindle 2 features stereo speakers, while the original Kindle has only a single monoaural speaker. The Kindle 2 also features a text-to-speech program that allows the Kindle 2 to read the book aloud in a synthesized voice, offering male and female voices and three speech rates.
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