Kindle Revisited

And so it goes, a mere 3 weeks of owning my Kindle and it's already obsolete. Today Amazon announced plans to release the all new Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire. I'm just thankful I talked myself out of the optional cassette tape drive while I had the chance... Having just finished reading my first complete novel on my new Kindle, I originally planned to discuss my thoughts on the experience. I'll probably get to some of that too, but instead I guess we'll look at the new models. As they are slated for release in November, this comparison is based entirely on specs given on Amazon having never personally seen or used the new line... So what gives me the credentials to give you such a review? The internet, my friends. The internet.

The Kindle Fire is Amazon's more affordable answer to the iPad. Unlike all previous Kindle releases, this model features a full color display and touch screen technology. While this seems to be a promising new addition to the tablet family, those seeking the readability of the e-ink display should pass this one by. As far as reading material goes, Kindle Fire seems more suited for magazines and comics. As with the iPad and other tablets, reading in sunlight will most likely be more difficult than the e-ink display, even with glare reduction.

The Kindle Touch seems to be a more intriguing concept for the literary crowd. It features the same easily readable display of e-ink with one big difference: touch screen capabilities. It's hard to say whether this feature is worth the hype without actually using one, but I foresee trouble if Amazon didn't take time to accommodate the sausage-fingered folk. These folks might want to swing more for the new standard Kindle, which features a smaller, more lightweight design with the side mounted buttons for page turning.

Even with these new releases in mind, I still stand by my purchase. What was formerly known simply as Kindle is now the Kindle Keyboard. In contrast to these new models, the Keyboard holds more books (3,500) than the Touch and new Kindle, which hold 3,000 and 1,400 respectively. With touch screens gaining more popularity, the use of keyboards and buttons seems to be going the way of Latin Pop, but I don't mind having them while they're around. I'll get a little more excited once they find a way to integrate touch technology onto a color e-ink screen. Until then I have some more reading to do!