While Amazon is generally considered the lead manufacturer to release the “first everything” in eReader technology, they were beaten to the touch screen eReader punch by their two major competitors, Kobo and Barnes & Noble. Both of those manufacturers released a touch screen eReader before Amazon announced pre-order availability of their new Kindle Touch Wi-Fi only and 3G + Wi-Fi eReaders. Retailing for $99, the Kindle Touch Wi-Fi only eReader lowers the retail pricing bar substantially when compared to similar models in the eReader marketplace. Similarly, the Kindle Touch 3G plus Wi-Fi eReader retails for $149, and undercuts the prices of comparable 6 inch touchscreen 3G eReaders.
Jeff Bezos had his Amazon Kindle crew work to make the overall size and weight of the device lesser without diminishing the 6 inch display that the Kindle 3 offered. The Kindle designers effectively delivered on that order, and the new Kindle Touch eReaders are 11% smaller and 8% lighter than the Kindle 3, but still retain the 6 inch Pearl E-Ink display, which now supports capacitive multitouch gestures. The free built-in Wi-Fi on both models delivers books in 60 seconds or less, and several million e-book titles, applications and games are available through the Kindle marketplace.
Both the Wi-Fi and 3G versions of the Kindle Touch eReader received another feature recently that will be attractive to those eReader shoppers who visit their local library a lot. The Amazon Library Lending program was rolled out last month to 11,000 locations across the US, and Bezos stated that new libraries are being added to the program on an ongoing basis. Using your Kindle Touch eReader, you can now “check out” digital content from your local library without leaving the comfort of your living room. You receive a notice three days before the software license expires, and it simply disappears from your Kindle Touch eReader on the expiration date. You can pre-order the Kindle Touch eReader starting at only $99!
The resolution on that 6 inch E-Ink multitouch display in 600 x 800 pixels, and page turning has been quieted down and sped up. The new Kindle Touch eReaders offer 4 GB of built-in storage, or the equivalent of 3,000 e-books, but Amazon includes free unlimited Cloud storage for all Amazon content, meaning the Kindle Touch has virtually infinite storage capabilities. Stereo speakers are mounted on the rear, there are micro USB 2.0 and 3.5 mm stereo out ports built-in, and the Kindle Touch can run as much as 8 weeks on a single battery charge when using Wi-Fi. Learn more in our detailed Amazon Kindle Touch Review.
