# Very Impressed With the Touch



## Guest (Nov 23, 2011)

I finally got mine today and I am really impressed. I wasn't sure I'd like a touch screen but it's great. Very responsive! I also love the speed and event the web browsing is a huge improvement. The screen is perfect-sharp, clear and great contrast. I upgraded from a K2 and so far I have no regrets.


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm so glad yours arrived!  I got mine today as well, I've not played with it too much but so far it's quite nice.  

Isn't it amazing how small it is?


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

NYCKindleFan said:


> I finally got mine today and I am really impressed.


After all the trouble & grief that you went through just to get your touch, I am so glad that you like it!
Through somewhat odd circumstances, between Nov 1 & Nov 18, I wound up getting a Kindle Keyboard, Kindle Touch & Kindle Fire. (The Kindle Keyboard will be given to my DD in the Peace Corps in Benin, Africa & the Touch will be my eInk reader; the Fire is my "toy").

Since the Fire is so much fun, I haven't spent as much time with my Touch as I should have, but I am reading on it & it is very nice.


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## linda~lou (Mar 29, 2009)

I love mine too. I had 1,2 and 3 and really loved 3. Got the Touch with SO just cause it was so cheap and well just cause..  

For about 5 minutes I didn't care for it as much as 3, well until I figured it all out and learned the different gestures. I have a iPad so it came pretty easy. 

Now I LOVE it, so much more than the 3. Love everything about it.  I'm a fan!


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

I love my KT as well. The only thing I miss is pressing the right side button of the five way to jump to the next chapter on the K3 & the K4. Now I have to "Go To"the chapters to tap on. Easy enough, just more steps.


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## Neo (Mar 30, 2009)

Toby, you can just swipe in an up or down motion (instead of side to side) to directly jump back and forth from chapter to chapter (found that one out by accident, and had actually a hard time finding my place again in my book, lol)


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## Evenshade (Aug 12, 2009)

I *really* like the Touch as well.  I have a DX and a K3 and both of them have their places, but the Touch is lots of fun.  I must say I'll be glad when my cover comes, though...I think it will make it much easier to hold.  But, I think that's true for all 3 kindles.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

When mine arrived yesterday, I'll admit I wasn't sure about it; I didn't hate it, but I wasn't all that impressed with it either immediately out of the box.

After a few hours use though, count me in the Like column. I much prefer not having to use buttons. The touch screen is responsive, maneuvering around is much easier than with the joystick of the K2 or the 5 way pad of the K3, and the contrast of course is way better than the K2 (even with the screensaver hack). My only real disappointment is that it doesn't work well (or at all, in some cases) in any kind of waterproof sleeve, so it's not going to be a great bathtub reader. Haven't decided how I'll work around that yet.

But otherwise, I'm well pleased!


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## PaulGuy (Jul 9, 2009)

A big thumbs up from me on the Kindle touch. Loved it right out of the box. I have a K2, K3, DX graphite and the touch is my favorite by a long shot. They just got it so right it's perfect IMO. I tried the Sony when they first came out with the touch screen, really wanted to like it. Well the concept was great but in practice it just didn't work quite right. Amazon has nailed it. 

PaulGuy


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## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

I love my KT too!

My wife and I shared a K2 for about a year, then I won a K3 in a giveaway and we each had one for a while. Now she has a K4 and I have my KT. Although I also like the K4, the KT is my favorite of the bunch. By quite a bit. It's _so_ nice to be able to select something at the bottom of the screen without having to press the down button a million times. And I love being able to hold the side bezel without worrying about accidentally turning a page. And although I hardly ever use the keyboard, I much prefer the Touch's onscreen keyboard. I can type at least twice as fast on my KT as I could on my K3.


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

Count me as a "love my Kindle Touch", too. I love that there are no buttons, and the "home" button doesn't even look like a button. I think the places to touch on screen are responsive and intuitive.  Being a touch model it's so much smaller and lighter than my K2, and so much easier to slip in my purse. It seems to add almost no new weight.

Mine did have some ghosting the first day, but even that has disappeared now.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk


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## CoffeeCat (Sep 13, 2010)

Yay! I'm so glad you got your KT and that it's exceeding your expectations. Happy reading!


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## 16205 (Jun 8, 2010)

Thanks for this post! It's been helpful along with the responses.

I've been eyeballing the Touch, too. I wondered how different it was compared to the keyboard Kindle. Does the Touch have ads, and if so, how distracting are they?

Since I got my Kindle in Jan, I keep trying to touch the screen to select things, so I'm thinking the Touch would be a great upgrade for me.


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## PaulGuy (Jul 9, 2009)

Danielle Bourdon said:


> Does the Touch have ads, and if so, how distracting are they?


Danielle I have the touch with ads, $99. The ads are fine. You only see them as a banner on the bottom of the home screen and as the screensaver when turning the Kindle off. (Instead of the "dead writters".)
During reading you never see them. Well worth the $40 savings IMO. The best news? If you find the ads not to your liking you can "upgrade" by paying Amazon the $40 later and they'll make the ads go away with a firmware upgrade on your machine. No need to return/exchange it. But hey sometimes there are some good deals on those ad screens. Try it! Then have it your way.

PaulGuy


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## CrystalStarr (Jan 17, 2011)

I have loved, loved, loved my KT since the moment it arrived!  I simply prefer the navigation over my K3.  Absolutely elegant in every way.


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## PaulGuy (Jul 9, 2009)

CrystalStarr said:


> I have loved, loved, loved my KT since the moment it arrived! I simply prefer the navigation over my K3. Absolutely elegant in every way.


Well said Crystal, elegant. I second that emotion.


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## jconc1941 (Nov 20, 2011)

my friend has one and i am def quite jealous, the thing is sweet !


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## 16205 (Jun 8, 2010)

Thanks for the help, Paul!  I love the idea of being able to upgrade if/when I want to. The ads don't sound too intrusive, either. 

Now if I can just talk Santa into it...


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

Well, I came here to tell you all that I discovered that swiping up/down will give me the next chapter on the Touch. I read this thread tonight, & Nero told me how to do it.  Thank you, Nero!


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2011)

Danielle, is there a reason you haven't gone to Amazon and read the product page? It's very detailed and answers every question you've asked so far. It even has a graph comparing all of the available models and their features. Very handy.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Danielle, let us know if Santa comes through for you!  One of the things I love about KBoards is one can get user's feedback on features of the various Kindles (and almost anything else, LOL!)  i've enjoyed reading new Touch owners' initial impressions here, even though I'm not planning on getting one myself.  Being able to get info direct from owners is one of KindleBoards's strengths!

Betsy


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## sixfeet (Nov 28, 2011)

I'm so happy! Mine is on it's way!
Are you guys happy with it?


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## tnt (Aug 17, 2010)

I like the Touch so much I actually named it something other than Amazon's default... you know, TNT's 4th Kindle or whatever.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

sixfeet said:


> I'm so happy! Mine is on it's way!
> Are you guys happy with it?


Congrats! And Welcome to KindleBoards! Join the fun!

Betsy


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## Sunset (Nov 10, 2010)

I think the Touch is good, but I kind of shrug because I was perfectly fine with my K3. An upgrade wasn't absolutely necessary, not that I won't be able to live with it or anything.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

And that's why it's great there are so many choices right now!  It's a great time to be an ereader owner.

Betsy


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## JetJammer (Jan 18, 2009)

Well, I have to say, now that I've finally downloaded all my books onto the new KT I'm even happier with it.  I have almost 1500 books on my Kindle (plus another 800 or so in the archive).  The K3/keyboard, as much as I liked it, was seriously bogged down by that many books.  Inside a book was fine, but flipping through the home pages or collections was extremely slow.  

While I can notice a small difference on the KT between 15 books and 1500 books, it's only because I was looking for it.  I was worried because, even though I downloaded them in batches, it definitely felt sluggish while it was indexing them.  Now that it's indexed everything, it's much, MUCH better than the K3 at handling that many books.


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## Lee (Nov 7, 2008)

I played with a Kindle Touch in a Staples a few days ago.  I really liked it.  I have a K3 now so I can't justify the expense, but if anything ever happens to my K3, I'll buy the Touch in a heartbeat.

But is there anyone else out there who thinks the Touch looks drab?  If I even try to look at it, it's like my eyes just slide right off it!  I know they want the device to disappear while you're reading, but this device disappears even when you're not reading.  The B&N Touch across the aisle in Staples is a much more esthetically-pleasing device, and I say that as a Kindle/Amazon fan.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Drab? I think it's surprisingly attractive, actually, enough so that I hesitated a few days before buying a skin for it. And ALL my devices are skinned--I've been known to have the skin in hand before the device arrives. I especially like their implementation of a home button, and I'm so glad they finally stepped fully away from the white.

Besides, most people (not me) seem to immediately put it into a book-style case anyway. But to each his or her own!


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

The color is kind of drab since it's a lighter gray than the graphite Kindle which is closer to black.  Design wise it's pretty decent looking IMO.  Not big on the color, would prefer black personally.


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

I have mine in a case, and I think I have decided not to skin it. I like the color and it goes with my case. I skinned my white K2 immediately because I hated the white. FWIW, I haven't skinned my Fire either. I think they're both sharp looking devices.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk


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## ibrewalot (Dec 22, 2009)

I'm about to order one for my wife and one for my 8-yr old son...does the power adapter from the K2 work with the Touch?  It says on Amazon it doesn't come with one, but if I can use my current power cord I won't bother ordering a new one.  Thanx!


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## jazzy1721 (Sep 12, 2009)

I got the touch over the weekend and I am really happy with it.  I have the windows phone so I am use to swiping to change the pages.  Mine seems to be really sensitive hoping when I get the screen protector on that it will help with going not going back to chapter 2.  My kindle keyboard the forward button no longer works on the right side so it was time to upgrade.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

ibrewalot said:


> I'm about to order one for my wife and one for my 8-yr old son...does the power adapter from the K2 work with the Touch? It says on Amazon it doesn't come with one, but if I can use my current power cord I won't bother ordering a new one. Thanx!


Yes, your current one will work fine.



jazzy1721 said:


> I got the touch over the weekend and I am really happy with it. I have the windows phone so I am use to swiping to change the pages. Mine seems to be really sensitive hoping when I get the screen protector on that it will help with going not going back to chapter 2. My kindle keyboard the forward button no longer works on the right side so it was time to upgrade.


Keep in mind that the screen is very different technology-wise from that on your phone. The touch mechanism is facilitated by IR mechanisms in the bezel, not sensors below the glass the way smartphone screens work. Therefore, a screen protector should have no net effect on it. You're best off retraining yourself to use a light touch. I know mine takes a lighter touch than my phone or iPad, but three books in, I almost never advance further than intended.

If you're swiping to advance pages rather than tapping, make sure you keep your swipes fairly horizontal, rather than at an angle. At an angle, the Touch may interpret a swipe as being a vertical one, and either advance you a chapter or back one (depending on direction).


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## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

I did not think I would really use the x ray feature, but I have to say that I love it!! I am so in love with my touch!


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## John Forrester (Nov 20, 2011)

I bought the Kindle Touch as a second Kindle (also have the K2) and really am loving the simplicity of the touchscreen with the same great digital ink screen. I need to buy a cover for the Touch though! Still shopping around for a cool cover/case.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

I went and played with one at Target today. My question for those that have one, is the text lighter and does the screen seem to refresh slower than the K3? I also saw the Kindle Fire today from one of my coworkers. I'm a gadget person but I'm not sure I like it that much. If anyone has both I would love to know which you like best. I have an iPad2 so I'm not sure I would use it for more than reading which I love on the e-ink screen.


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## PaulGuy (Jul 9, 2009)

Kathy said:


> I went and played with one at Target today. My question for those that have one, is the text lighter and does the screen seem to refresh slower than the K3? I also saw the Kindle Fire today from one of my coworkers. I'm a gadget person but I'm not sure I like it that much. If anyone has both I would love to know which you like best. I have an iPad2 so I'm not sure I would use it for more than reading which I love on the e-ink screen.


Hey Kathy,
I got my touch this past Friday and I have a K3. One of the first things I did was compare the screen. At least with the two samples I had in my hand I determined the screens were absolutely identical, both in contrast and sharpness. The refresh rate is something I did not measure or do a side by side comparison. However my impression is the refresh rate is faster on the Touch. Not by a lot but faster. Certainly not slower. 
I have an iPad 2 which I use for Internet and short form reading. I love the WSJ app on the iPad, much better than WSJ on the Kindle. But when it's time to curl up with a book for the evening I prefer E-ink by a long shot. So I agree with your assessment of the Fire as an eReader.

Paul


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

PaulGuy said:


> Hey Kathy,
> I got my touch this past Friday and I have a K3. One of the first things I did was compare the screen. At least with the two samples I had in my hand I determined the screens were absolutely identical, both in contrast and sharpness. The refresh rate is something I did not measure or do a side by side comparison. However my impression is the refresh rate is faster on the Touch. Not by a lot but faster. Certainly not slower.
> I have an iPad 2 which I use for Internet and short form reading. I love the WSJ app on the iPad, much better than WSJ on the Kindle. But when it's time to curl up with a book for the evening I prefer E-ink by a long shot. So I agree with your assessment of the Fire as an eReader.
> 
> Paul


The text on the one I saw at Target seemed lighter. Do you have a choice of fonts on the Touch like you do on the K3?


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## leigh7911 (Sep 16, 2011)

Kathy said:


> The text on the one I saw at Target seemed lighter.


The two demos I've seen had ridiculously light text too. Don't have a touch but have played with a friend's, and it was perfectly fine.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

leigh7911 said:


> The two demos I've seen had ridiculously light text too. Don't have a touch but have played with a friend's, and it was perfectly fine.


My biggest fear with the light text is going through the same issues I had with my K2. It took 4 before I got one that didn't have a text problem. I know that with the K3 you can choose the font you like best. I'm wondering if you have the same options on the Toucth.


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## Sage (Dec 29, 2010)

Yes, the Touch has the same options for choosing fonts, line spacing, and words per line as the K3.  And my Touch's screen looks every bit as good as the one on my K3.  I love it!


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Sage said:


> Yes, the Touch has the same options for choosing fonts, line spacing, and words per line as the K3. And my Touch's screen looks every bit as good as the one on my K3. I love it!


Perfect. Thanks for the info. I loved the size and weight of the Touch. I think Santa may have to get me one.


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## ayuryogini (Jan 3, 2010)

I, too, love my Touch.  I wasn't so sure at first, and a few days ago had decided to send it back, but the more I used it, the more I loved it. I'm getting to know the short-cuts, such as the one Neo mentioned above (swiping up and down to get to chapters) and touching the upper left corner to bookmark.  It's just so easy and intuitive, I hardly ever use my K3 any more, which I've always loved.


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## overtheedge (Nov 16, 2011)

I don't have a kindle yet, but I wanted to say that I'm really enjoying this thread. I've been going crazy trying to decide between the KT and the K4. I've never had a kindle at all so I don't know if the buttons would be important to me, and I really wanted the touch because I'm a note taker (the buttons for the keyboard would drive me mad) and for the audio & text-to-speech. But some of the reviews on amazon are making me really nervous about it. I know I can send it back, but don't want to pay the shipping, lol. I think you guys convinced me to give it a go. I love this board, so informative! 

-Crystal


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

If you anticipate taking LOTS of notes, you may be more happy with the Keyboard version. . .it's actually the 3rd generation device, (the current Kindle and Touch are at least 4th gen) but has a full keyboard.


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## PaulGuy (Jul 9, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> If you anticipate taking LOTS of notes, you may be more happy with the Keyboard version. . .it's actually the 3rd generation device, (the current Kindle and Touch are at least 4th gen) but has a full keyboard.


Just another point of view here, but frankly I've found the virtual keyboard on the KT to be better than the real one on the K3.
The K3 buttons are small and stiff. I'm faster with the touch keyboard. Your mileage may vary.

Paul


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## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

PaulGuy said:


> Just another point of view here, but frankly I've found the virtual keyboard on the KT to be better than the real one on the K3.
> The K3 buttons are small and stiff. I'm faster with the touch keyboard. Your mileage may vary.
> 
> Paul


I agree with you, I'm able to type much faster with the touch then I was able to with my Kindle 3.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

PaulGuy said:


> Just another point of view here, but frankly I've found the virtual keyboard on the KT to be better than the real one on the K3.
> The K3 buttons are small and stiff. I'm faster with the touch keyboard. Your mileage may vary.
> 
> Paul


Ditto here as well. The keyboard was one thing I thought I'd miss, coming from the K2. Turns out, I don't miss it at all.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I could see that.  My previous phone had a physical qwerty keyboard and I thus expected to hate typing on the iPhone's virtual keyboard.  But I'm actually faster on it and love it once I got used to it.

Moot for me on Kindle as I pretty much never use the keyboard as I shop on line and don't use the browser or notepad features at all (iPad is my note taking device--if not just using a legal pad and pen!).


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

Easier to get my book's Pg./Loc's on the kindle & kindle touch. I never liked using both hands to press the Alt button & a letter, representing a number. I use the keyboard all the time. I don't always do the check & sync with the wifi on.


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