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Kindle Touch

This is a fourth generation of Kindle readers and it is represented by two versions of readers, one is the regular Kindle reader and the other is a Kindle reader with touch capabilities. The second one can be simply described as an upgraded version of the regular version.

The basis of this device is still the E-ink Pearl screen, which has been around in the previous versions, but the main new thing is that you can navigate the screen with touch. The real situation is that it works on a system that is called Neonode, which is based on infrared receivers and transmitters placed along the frame of the screen. This was seen almost a year ago in Sony’s model PRS-650. This system eliminates the problem with reduced contrast and increased reflection, which are constant pain to the traditional devices where the touch capability is provided by placing another layer over the display.

Kindle Touch is a bit thicker than the model Kindle 4, but it still fits in the hand comfortably. The slider for startup is replaced with a classic button. The button “Home” found its home below the screen. That is the second and the last button on the gadget.The whole navigation including the flipping of pages is done especially on the screen. The integrated speaker, the outlet for headphones and the MP3 support and audio books are back and they are with the same quality as in the model Kindle3.

The simple navigation is much different experience in accordance to the previous models. Because of the touch capabilities the reading is more comfortable. The screen responds really well, but the landscape view is out without an explanation by Amazon. There is also a function that scans the page content and searches Wikipedia for an explanation for the words. The surfing is still slow and uncomfortable.

For a price that is $30 more than the basic model, it is a much nicer reader providing the audio support and easier navigation, so it is a recommended investment.