The first thing you notice on the Kindle is the excellent screen. Although only black and white, the E Ink pearl screen used in the Kindle Special Offers is extremely crisp and clear with no jagged text or rough edges. It’s about as close as you can get to actually reading a paper book. The new pearl screen has 50% better contrast than the original Kindle.

Because there is no backlighting, the screen is easy to read in bright sunlight. Just like a paper book, it requires a lamp or light in the room for reading at night.

The bottom of the Kindle holds all of the controls. From left to right, they are the volume control, the standard 3.5 mm headset jack, the microphone, USB port, and power switch. The power switch is a slider that also has a light that indicates battery power. The microphone has no current use, but has future potential.

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Figure 4: The bottom of the Kindle

The left side of the Kindle is shown in Figure 5. This side has two holes for attaching the cover. You can also see the edges of the two buttons that are used to turn the pages. In addition, the right side has two identical page-turning buttons. The top of the Kindle has no buttons or openings.

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Figure 5: The left side of the Kindle