The Kindle 2 was scheduled to be released in October, just in time for the holiday season; however, the plug was pulled at the last minute by Bezos for changes to the software. The Kindle 2 is now set to go on sale in “early next quarter”.

Last month we reported that Kindle 2 will not shrink in size, but retain the overall functionality of the first version. There is still a keyboard, which has been slightly redesigned, there is a joystick that replaces the scrollwheel and keys have been redesigned to avoid accidental page-turning. The new Kindle uses a standard mini USB cable to charge the reader’s battery – instead of the previous external adapter.

Amazon also plans to release a larger-screen student version of the device in the first half of 2009.
 
The company has been slow to release new versions of the Kindle, but this isn’t a big surprise seeing as how this is their first jaunt into making actual devices. With all of the new e-book products hitting the market, Amazon might have to pick up the pace.