gdgt

I own both a Kindle 3rd gen (KB) and the new 4th gen. The form factor and weigh difference is a bit staggering. Still can't believe how tiny this thing feels in the hand. I was never fond of Kindle's turning page buttons, but it works well for me in the latest model.

The Touch is very close in dimension and weight to the 4th gen, so if I had to choose between the Touch and the keyboard version, I would choose the Touch. However, I personally am annoyed that the Touch has no physical page turners like the latest Nook. I have greasy hands so I'm afraid of smudging the screen just from page flipping.

I own 2 Kindle keyboards and I'm planning on buying a 3rd (this one for my mom). I have no issue with touch screen or dpad but my mom and wife find more comfort with a keyboard. I also like the fact that it has audio (if ever needed)

I don't own either yet, and after playing with each in a Staples for annoyingly long periods of time (it's hard to concentrate with all that noise), I am sitting solidly on the fence.

Intuitively, Touch seems the better way to go - after all, keyboards and buttons wear out... but I have yet to see anyone post a problem with this. Also, the letters on keyboards eventually wear off - but again, no problems posted. As for navigation, it seems klunky on the KK - but it really isn't much better on the KT.

One quirk I noticed on the KT is that "turning" the first page is slower than subsequent pages, which I can't explain. I also had instances where the KT didn't register my touch so nothing happened... but then again sometimes it was too sensitive and turned multiple pages at once. I couldn't purposely recreate these phenomena - they just happened at random. Was that because I was using a store's display unit, or is it something all KT's will eventually start to do?

So that's issue #1 - asI read a lot, what's the bigger negative: the concern that the buttons and keyboard on a KK will start to wear out, or the fact that the KT's "touch" is sometimes a bit funky.

Issue #2: the speed of page turns and the distractions that go along with them. When it comes to reading, I'm an analog guy in a digital world - I want turning pages in my e-reader to be as close to turning pages in a physical book as possible - in other words, as seamless as possible.

In turning pages, I found the KT to be noticeably slower than the KK - if you want seamless reading, you'll have to train yourself to touch the screen when you're half way through the last line on a page. I also noticed that sometimes the KT leaves artifacts from the previous page that take a second to go away after the page turn - which is distracting. Oh, and if you thumb slips anywhere near the edge of the screen, you can turn a page without meaning to - though this, too, seemed to be random - when I tried, I couldn't do it on purpose.

On the other hand, though the KT turns a page about as fast as you can with a physical book, it has the infamous black flash of the screen refresh that happens with every page turn (KT only does this every five or six pages). Up front, I'm not a fan of the flash... but I have to wonder if that is sopmething I'd just get used to.

Then there is the voice of experience that says never buy the first generation / initial release of anything - let them get the bugs out first.

OK, as with all technology, I'm seeing that there is no perfect answer or perfect choice when it comes to Kindles. That said, when weighing all the pros and cons between KT and KK, as much as I want to say I'll go with the Touch (I loved the virtual keyboard, btw)... I am coming to realize that I am trying to talk myself into it. So, I'm thinking I may have to go with the Keyboard... for now, anyway. We'll see what KT II brings to the table in a year or two.

Both form factors are good. You really need to play with both of them, and don't impulse buy either, it is beneficial to touch and use both of them, hold them how you see yourself reading most of the time. See which works for you. The KK is a bit heavier, but it also gives you more leverage to position the device. The KT's Bezel could be a little wider, however it can be held much like the KK, just with a little less "control" of the physical device. Page turning in your reading position also is greatly impacted, depending on how you hold it, and which device you are using. If you really want to buy through Amazon, play with it in the store first, try BOTH, use them significantly in store, and you will make the decision for yourself. They both have benefits, and downsides. It just depends on your reading style, and personal preference. Also, the battery is the same, the screen is the same, the processor might be different. Most of the advantages are going to be in the software updates Amazon releases. As some features (X-Ray) will likely not be ported to the KK.

The Kindle Touch is apparently using a new "two points of contact" IR touch system, rather than the capacitive layer most tablets use. Presumably cheaper and doesn't hurt contrast. But I'd want to wait for reviews of how responsive it is since you're going to be using it all the time for page forward/back.

That said, I assume its probably pretty good, and making the device smaller, lighter and cheaper is always a good idea. The touch interface allows for more options going forward as well--one device, multiple languages, even simple games or whatever are possibilities. The keyboard on the existing device is usable for typing book titles but that's about it. I'd go with the Touch given the same price.

I've used the keyboard on my kindle 3 very seldomly. However, i dont think touch screen is good for e-readers... Having the kindle on one hand and using your thumb to flick pages is more practical than havig to swipe or even just touch the screen.
If I were to buy a new kindle today, I would go with the simple one, without keyboard and touchscreen.

I've been meaning to get an e-reader but waited for Amazon's announcement to make any decisions. Now that it's all clear, I went with the Kindle Keyboard 3G for a number of reasons:

1. Kindle over Sony because the latter can't get their software game together. Plus, Amazon now has library lending, so that's one less advantage for the competitors.
2. I like free international web access (who doesn't?), and that's what Amazon gives the Keyboard 3G. Word on the new models is that this access is only available for Wikipedia and Amazon.com.
3. For reason number 2, having a physical keyboard is a plus (e.g. composing an email at the hostel). I also don't think you get much in return for giving one up. The screen is the same size, so you're just getting a stubbier device. Kindle 3 is already plenty small for my purposes.
4. The new feature where the screen only refreshes every six pages has not exactly been getting rave reviews. The artifacts from previous pages are visible, and the contrast is poorer. They even added an option to revert to the traditional behavior. This also seems like the kind of hack that somebody could implement on the Kindle 3.

My girlfriend likes the free-hand note-taking capabilities of her Sony Reader (which uses the same IR-based touch sensing), but for me, I'd rather have more versatility.

I prefer this design after playing with the touch screen nook. It seems to get out of you way a lot better than the keyboard version.

Great question. For now, I'm leaning towards the touch just because the prices are the same, but I'm not leaning strongly enough that I wouldn't go for the keyboard model if the price drops significantly between now and the end of November.

I tried Kindle's keyboard and really did not like it. If the Touch's keyboard is accurate and responsive, then I would go that route. However, that is a big if and I will be waiting for the reviews before I commit.

If it is at responsive as the Nook Simple Touch Reader...

gdgt.com­/barnes­-noble­/nook­/simple­-touch­-reader/

...then I would go with the Kindle Touch. Can't beat the form factor.

The resolution and contrast of the Kindle Touch has been deemed inferior to the Kindle Keyboard.

On the Kindle touch for $99 can you play games like the old Kindle with the keyboard? Is the keyboard in a touch screen?