Given some of the frustrations we had with the fourth generation Kindle, it’s great news to know that Amazon has just announced its touchscreen e-ink reader, the Kindle Touch, is available to order in Australia.
Available for $US139, the Kindle Touch features an interactive e-ink display, doing away with the need for dedicated hardware buttons for turning pages and selecting books. The eReader features a simple touch navigation for turning pages, letting you hold the device in either hand and simply touch the screen to move on to the next page. If you want to go back a page, a touch on the left margin will send you back, while pressing the top of the screen will bring up the menu.
With built-in Wi-Fi, you can buy books directly from the device, using the touchscreen to make your selection, while Amazon’s new X-ray feature brings up a description of key characters and plot lines for books you may have started reading and forgotten about.
It’s a slight premium over the 4G, but given it seems to address all the control issues we had with the fourth generation model, the extra price could be worth it.
Price: $US139
Web: Amazon
