Kindle Touch, the best e-book reader gets even better

So sleek and intuitive the reader forgets it's an electronic device
25 April 2012

Amazon’s Kindle has already revolutionised the publishing market, and become the most successful dedicated e-reader by a huge margin.

The Touch, just released in the UK, is the latest model, adding one key technology - a touchscreen. It works superbly well, and makes the device seem far more intuitive than previous Kindle devices - especially as there is no ugly keyboard, giving the Touch a sleek, minimalist look.

Unlike other touch devices, the touch sensing is actually embedded in the case of the device, and works optically, meaning you can use it with gloves on. This also means there is no film on top of the clear, easy to read screen. Obviously the key to any e-book is the display, and this is a great one. Made by e-ink, it is very similar to those in previous Kindle devices, meaning it is clear, sharp and you can easily use it outside.

Page turning is also noticeably quicker, addressing one of the biggest issues on previous models. It’s still not perfect, but a huge improvement.

The software has also been overhauled, and it's very simple to use - with the online shopping experience to choose new books being slick and fast. Navigation is simple - tap on the top of the screen to access menus, while page turning takes up 2/3 of the main screen, with a smaller section on the right side taking you back a page.

At 220 grams the Touch is incredibly light, and also feels a little more rugged than most other e-readers.

Overall, it’s hard to fault the Touch - this is not a revolutionary upgrade, but does make the best dedicated e-book reader even better.

The 3G version we used also made downloading books very easy, and fast.

It won’t let you do your email, browse the web and play games, and in this case that is a good thing - the instant you pick the Kindle Touch up, you forget it’s even an electronic device and become lost in your book. As the publishing industry struggles to cope with digital, the Kindle Touch is a reminder that technology can actually also get people reading more.

Kindle Touch, £109 or £169 with 3G

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