Product Design
The
first thing that struck me on opening my Kindle Touch is how light it
is. It weighs a mere 213 grams, which is significantly lighter than a
lot of the books that I read. The design is very simple but I feel that
it has a sleek, modern feel to it. It has a 6 inch screen, with a dark
grey surround. There is a button at the bottom (in the same position as
it would be on an iPhone / iPad) which you can press to access the menu
screen and a tiny on/off button right underneath this. At the top of the
surround, it says 'kindle' - apart from that there are no other
features. On the screen, the advanced e-ink display means that you can
always read the text clearly, even in bright sunlight.Setting Up and Usage
The
Kindle Touch is very simple to set up. There is a tutorial feature when
you turn it on which takes you through the set-up process in simple
steps. You need to link the Kindle to your Amazon account to be able to
download books. It has wi-fi connectivity so, assuming you have a decent
wireless broadband connection,
you can purchase a book from Amazon and start reading it on your Kindle
about a minute later. If you have the Kindle app on a phone or iPad,
you can also access previously purchased Kindle books through the Kindle
Touch - these will appear on the menu screen as 'archived items' (as
they are stored on the Cloud), but clicking on a title will allow you to
open it. You charge the Kindle with the charger that is provided in the
box - once fully charged, you can expect to get many hours of reading
time before you need to charge it again. With the wireless connection
turned off, Amazon estimate that you can read for half an hour a day for
two whole months before you need to charge the Kindle again.Once
you have connected the Kindle to your Amazon account and purchased your
first book, it is time to start reading. All purchased books are
displayed on a menu screen which appears as soon as you turn on your
Kindle. You can click on the chosen book and you will instantly be taken
to the first page. You move from one page to the next by lightly
tapping the screen (on the right hand side to go forwards, touching on
the left side will turn back a page). You can also adjust the text size
by touching the middle of the screen with two fingers and swiping them
apart - this brings up a text size menu where you can select your
preferred size. I tend to read on the second smallest size as, due to
the relatively small screen size, I find that having the text any bigger
means that I am constantly having to change pages. However, if you have
any issues with your eyesight, the ability to make the text much bigger
is probably a very valuable feature. I find it very comfortable to read
on the Kindle as the text is very clear and the e-ink technology means
that there is no issue with glare, unlike the Kindle app on the iPad. It
is just as easy to read in bright sunlight as it is sitting on the tube
commuting to work.Purchasing Books
As previously mentioned, all books for the Kindle need to be purchased through Amazon. There are many free books in the Amazon Kindle store, including a significant number of classic novels by authors such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Amazon also do a 'Kindle Deal of the Day' where a previously full-price book is discounted for a limited period. I have found that generally books are cheaper on Kindle than they are in store, although some new books remain relatively expensive even in Kindle form. I usually use the Amazon one-click system for purchasing books and they literally appear on the Kindle within a few seconds of completing the purchase. Amazon are also rumoured to be launching a library which will give you a free 'library' book for your Kindle every month if you subscribe to Amazon Prime - I'm hoping this is launched before the end of my current free trial period so that I can check it out before commiting to a subscription.
Other Features
To be honest, I really only use my Kindle for reading books, but there are several other in-built features that seem worthy of a mention. You can email PDFs directly to your Kindle which may be useful for people who work on the move, as it is much easier to read documents on the Kindle than on a phone. There is also an 'x-ray' feature which Amazon claim allows you to 'explore the bones of a book' - this allows you to pick out all the passages which mention a particular character / historical figure / place. I feel that this would be a very useful feature for students using the Kindle for their set books as you would be able to choose a protagonist and then find all mentions of them for inclusion in an essay. It also has 'Whispersync' technology which synchronises your last read page across all devices, meaning that if you go out without the Kindle and find yourself with a few minutes to spare, you can pick up your book where you left off on the Kindle app on your phone. Finally, the Kindle has a built-in dictionary and instant translations which means you don't have to Google any unfamiliar words as you come across them.
Price
The Amazon Kindle Touch has actually now been replaced by the even lighter Kindle (which retails at £69) although they are still available from some sellers. To be honest, the features of the Kindle Touch and the features of what Amazon are now simply calling the 'Kindle' (as opposed to the Kindle Fire or Paperwhite) look very similar so I would assume the points in this review will largely cover both devices.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, I would wholeheartedly recommend my Kindle. It is fantastic to be able to carry a whole library of books around with me, particularly for long journeys and holidays. It will make a massive difference to the weight of my holiday suitcase too - I don't really go in for minimalist packing as it is, but the big summer reads I tend to take away with me push me very close to my baggage allowance. It is small enough to fit into most handbags, light enough not to make your shoulders ache and comfortable to read wherever you are. The only minor downside is that sometimes it is a bit 'too' sensitive and you will end up flicking through several pages at once, but this is something that is easily remedied and not a big deal. I don't tend to read in the dark so the issues with it not working as well in dim light don't really apply in my case, but it is possible to purchase cases with reading lamps, or possibly to use a cheaper, clip on reading light. There are still times where I would prefer to hold a proper book but I love my Kindle too.
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