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The latest Kindle forgoes bells and whistles such as a touchscreen or physical keyboard, making it one bare-bones device. Still, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better e-reader at this price.

The $69 Amazon Kindle is an excellent no-frills e-book reader for anyone who’s willing to forgo a built-in light or a touch screen.

If you don't want to spend the extra $20 to upgrade to the forthcoming touch-screen version, the entry-level 2011 Kindle is a great choice for an ultraportable and superaffordable no-frills e-ink reader.

Should I Buy This? Maybe, if you want an ereader for under or around a hundred bucks. But there are a bunch of caveats. ... If all you care about is ease of use, you might want to take a look at the $99/$139 Kindle 3, Nook Touch, or wait a bit and check out the Kindle Touch in November.

... Amazon must be congratulated for creating the perfect ebook reader for today’s hard times. Not only is the Kindle's $79 price-tag incredibly reasonable for such a flexible product, the constant trickle of free mini-apps and books creates goodwill, and the integration of digital lending...

Not much has changed on the entry-level Kindle since the price drop. It's still got that amazingly sharp and easy-to-read screen, along with all the Amazon features we've come to love over the years. It's well-built and stylish while being one of the most affordable eBook readers on the market.

The bottom line is that if you're already committed to Amazon and need an inexpensive e-reader (as opposed to the flagship $119 Paperwhite), this model will do the trick, but its software is trapped in a timewarp.

The Amazon Kindle 2012 doesn't change all that much in the blueprint laid down by the excellent not-touch 2011 model. It's light, it's affordable and it's better-made than many an entry-level ereader.

If you want a straightforward dedicated ereader, it's hard to see past the neat form factor, superb book choice, amazing screen and eye-catching price of the Amazon Kindle.

It's basic, but the price is spot on and the screen quality is excellent. If you want a device for pure reading, this is it.