Kindle Touch or Kindle Keyboard

I have a K3 and my wife has a Kindle touch. I will probably be upgrading to a Kindle touch for a few reasons...

1. Smaller than the Kindle keyboard (although not that much)
2. Keyboard on Kindle 3 isn't that great so typing is at least as fast for me on my wife's touch
3. Highlighting is much faster and easier on the touch (I do a lot of highlighting)
4. The buttons can be loud on the Kindle 3 when reading in bed. Obviously the touch is silent
5. For me the touch is more intuitive to use.

That being said, they're both great and some might like the keyboard better

To me the main drawback to the Touch is that it is not compatible with some of the games, especially the word games such as Scrabble and Shuffled Row, which I really enjoy and enjoy having access to on my Kindle. I read a lot and a quick break for a game of Scrabble is really nice. If it weren't for this problem I would probably get a Touch because it is smaller and lighter.

I was so excited when I got my Kindle Touch! Now I'm seriously considering returning it and buying another K3 (we practiced trickle down Kindle-nomics--I gave my daughter my Kindle Keyboard and she gave my husband her K2). The screen sometimes does not respond to the initial touch, sometimes it goes back to the beginning of the chapter and I need to page forward to find my place again. Sometimes it freezes up and I need to do a restart. I'm very disappointed, which is a shame because I was so looking forward to receiving it. I also have some ghosting issues, but I'm going to try changing the refresh to every page. I know most of this is software problems, so I may wait to see if they put out a s/w update before my 30 days to see if some of these issues are resolved--otherwise, sadly, it goes back.

I adore my K3. I don't really use the keyboard but it balances the weight of the device.I like the beveled edge too. It just feels right. I also prefer the page turn buttons . I want to buy another as a backup!

Can I use the ipad ac adapter with my Kindle 3 Keyboard?

I don't know if this has been brought up already, but the Kindle touch DOES NOT support LANDSCAPE. This is a big no-no if you are trying to read PDFs. It is next to impossible to read PDFs in portrait mode, especially if they are double columned technical documents. It also seems that the Kindle touch screen has some "ghosting": old screen renders left an impression on the screen. I had a touch, which I returned for the above reasons, the Kindle keyboard also seems to have a better screen.

I have had my Ktouch since last thursday ( Nov. 17th ) and I have to say there are some features I absolutely LOVE about the KTouch, such as the screen, the fast page turns, the immediate downloads and the " the light feel". But I miss the back button which worked immediately on the K3, ( now the K Keyboard ), the book mark which often is difficult to access by touch, as the word on the top rt hand of the page interferes, and the quickness of the scrolling, which on the Touch still seems difficult for me. I think I will keep the Touch though, but also keep my Keyboard. In fact, since the battery on the keyboard is not the greatest, I might even get another keyboard for a back up!!! Or ask for one for Christmas...... EXtravagant, I know, but I do not want to give up my keyboard......YET.

There are usb wall chargers. We have this one Belkin Mini Surge Protector Dual USB Charger but you can get ones like this, with just usb ports. Griffin PowerBlock Dual Universal Charger for MP3 Players and USB Devices (2Amp - 1A per Port) (Black). So, not computer dependent. However, it wouldn't have killed them to include a power adapter.

With the Kindle 3G keyboard can you use it for email, facebook things like that in addition to reading ebooks?

You can use the Kindle Touch and the Kindle Keyboard to access webmail, Facebook, and other websites. The Kindle 3G Keyboard also allows you to do that while connected via 3G, not only via wifi. Be aware that with any e-ink device, the web access will not be at all like it is on a computer, or even a smartphone. It's slow and a bit cumbersome -- and in b&w. It's a nice extra, but not one of the primary functions of the device.

I have both the 3G KK and the 3G Touch. They both have plusses and minuses. The actual keyboard on the KK kind of sucks, but I so rarely use it to actually type anything other searches, that it doesn't bother me. I think the KK is better for searching than the KT. It also has landscape mode and the ability to turn the page upside-down, which is great for recharging and lying around reading at the same time. Also, in an emergency, one can use it's dreadful browser with 3G.

The touch screen works very well, and once used to it, it's really quite nice. Supposedly the battery is much better, but I've been downloading so many books from my archives and reading so much, that it's hard for me to make a comparison. My battery was actually draining while turned off and plugged in. CS said to reset to factory settings, which I did and seems to have helped, but meant I had to redo the whole book download / collection process again, which was a pain in the butt.

I think if I could only have one Kindle, I'd probably go with the 3G KK. Now, if Amazon fixes the whole landscape issue, I'd probably go with the touch.

My wife and I have been sharing a KK for a couple of months and both love it. I picked up a KT a week and a half ago and have decided to return it and get another KK. Preferences will vary depending on what you want from the device, but here's my judgement:

The KT looks great, and the touch navigation works great for browsing your library or shopping in the Kindle store. It's also great if all you generally do when reading is to page forward and back. But if you frequently use other features, such as highlighting text, checking the dictionary, checking end notes, etc., I find the KK controls to be much more efficient. For example:

1) Highlighting. It can be maddening trying to select the beginning and end of a passage on the KT. I also discovered that you cannot continuously highlight a passage that carries on to the next page. I have to first reduce the font size until everything is visible, then highlight (and it becomes even more difficult to accurately select the beginning and end when the font is small). The KK has no problem selecting a passage across two pages.

2) Viewing end notes. Again, it can be difficult to accurately select the small superscript number on the first try.

3) Placement of the "Back" control on the KT so that you have to tap the top of the screen to reveal the menu, then reach to the top corner to select the back arrow. The button at the bottom of the KK (and the bottom of the new Kindle 4) is much better.

4) Using the dictionary. I find it easier to click down to a word on the KK, which reveals a small definition box at the bottom of the screen. On the KT you have to rest your finger on a word long enough to highlight it (you can't tap), and then the large definition box appears in the center of the screen.

5) Onscreen Keyboard. I initially thought this was much easier to use than the physical keyboard. It is very responsive and makes it much easier to access numerals or special punctuation. However, it is so sensitive and the keys close enough together that it is very easy to mistype. So after accounting for correcting repeated mistakes I don't think it's actually any more efficient.

I think the KT design was modeled too much on the iPad/iPhone. The single home button and touch navigation works well on a multi-use device designed for exploring different kinds of content. The strengths of that lean design can become weaknesses on a device designed for a specific task such as reading and navigating a book. With the KT I found myself having to move my hands around over the screen more than I wanted to. On the KK I can perform the navigation tasks efficiently without having to move my hands from the bottom of the device. That better suits my own preferences, but others may find they enjoy the touch gestures more.

My cell phone, a Verizon LG, uses the same charger as my Kindle. I love that fact, because I can also charge my Kindle in the car with my car cell phone charger. I have never needed to charge both at the same time.

TinNC, OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I too have a Verizon LG phone and never thought of looking at its wall charger. Same end on the cable. The amperage is 0.7 for the LG vs 0.85 on the Kindle wall charger but that shouldn't make any difference in charging time!

THANKS!!!!!!!!!

I just went to Staples and they had a hands-on display of three Kindles, including the Kindle Touch and the Kindle Keyboard. I already have a KK and like it a lot, but I wanted to see the KT for myself because I am trying to figure out which one to buy for my husband.

The KT is a bit smaller--not much--but touching the screen was awkward for me, and the screen didn't change easily, maybe because placing my finger on an exact spot was not always accurate. The salesman said that the one on display probably wouldn't work as nicely as a new one--go figure! I don't think I like touching a screen to flip pages as much as using my right thumb or side of my right thumb to click the tall buttons on the right side of the KK to flip pages, and I can see the exact location of the forward and backward buttons. If I hold the KK with my left hand, I can do that as well on the left side. Another plus for the KK is that I can eat something with one hand and use the hand I am holding the Kindle with to flip pages without reaching into the screen with a finger. The keyboard can be brought up on the KT, but you have to go through a few more touches to get where you want to go, browse, etc., so I found it a bit confusing. You would have to remember how to get to the other features. I like seeing the controls at the bottom with the keyboard: menu, back, selection wheel, etc. The KK seems more user friendly because you don't have to go through a tutorial to know how to use it, and then remember what you learned.

For the above reasons, I am going to be getting a Kindle Keyboard 3G for my husband.
Good luck!

I obsessively highlight and add notes when I read so in the end I'll go with the touch. The $79 one is desperately calling to me, but I absolutely hate using the annoying five-way controller to type. I really like the physical buttons of the previous generations, but I'll gladly compromise since I can easily look up words with the touch versus clicking a lot on the K3 to get to the word. I'm just a tad bit lazy, haha.

I'm the same way with highlighting and was disappointed with the Touch. I found it much harder to accurately select the beginning and end of a passage, and it won't let you continue a highlight onto the next page. I think the ease of use will vary a lot depending on the size of your finger and the font size you are using.

I purchased a Kindle Keyboard 3G a little more than a week ago and I'm still learning about, and being amazed by, all of it's capabilities. Also, from what I've learned on the forums, the keyboard version does have the advantages of email access and web browsing beyond Amazon and Wikipedia.

After a few weeks I just returned my Touch. While navigating to a phrase you want to highlight can be a bit tedious with the 5 way on the Keyboard model, I found it very hard to select text accurately with the touch screen. There was also a bit of trouble with the page not turning, or double turning. Oh, and if you get a crumb on the screen you can't brush it off without something happening. I use an android phone, so it's not that I'm not used to touch screens at all, but in the case of the kindle I just found it too annoying. It's kind of disappointing, because I was very excited about X-ray and liked having a faster processor, but in the end I decided I'd rather stick with my K3 for now and just spend the money on more books.

Oh, and as a side comment, with a virtual keyboard there's really no excuse for not putting a number row on top. I can understand the reduced size of the K3 might have necessitated giving up the # row, but come on it's virtual!!!

I travel a good bit and have found mt KK 3G useful for checking email or general web info when there is no wireless available. I don't have a smart phone, so is a nice convenience for me. The KT is much easier to use for email, but if I find a wireless hot spot I'm more inclined to pull out my iPod Touch than to use the Kindle.

Thanks, cristobal! Last night my KK was running low on battery, so I flipped the screen to landscape on my KK, AND chose the selection for the cord to come off to the right of my KK, so that the cord would reach and not get in the way while I was reading in bed. It was perfect! I keep learning more benefits of the KK!!

TinNC - right? It's the best thing ever! If the Touch could let me flip, it would be, hands down, the best. But it doesn't, so for now, while I am happy with the Touch, I still kinda prefer the KK.

I just checked out the Kindles in the store tonight. I was sure I wanted the Kindle Touch but after handling it I'm having second thoughts. First, I found the black outline around the screen to be very distracting, second, the eInk was more faded and less crisp than on the Kindle Keyboard (possibly could be improved in the settings but that was grayed out on the demo model so I couldn't try adjusting), third, the screen showed phantom words from previous screens in the white areas of the page which I also found to be distracting, and lastly the menus weren't as easy to use as I'd expect. I'm sure if I spent more time with it, or read the manual the menus would be fine but overall I was let down with the Kindle Touch. Definitely thinking about the Kindle Keyboard. Many friends I know have it and like it. Would be nice to have some of the newer features but I don't want to sacrifice reading quality!

Does anyone with the $79 or $99 Kindle 4 have a hard time with the page turner buttons? I looked at the dummy model at Office Max today and the buttons seem to be a bit small and at an awkward angle compared to the kindle w/keyboard that i love.

I've tried to test several e-readers in stores and have had a miserable time. I decided not to trust what I saw in the store. Many units looked as though they had been roughed up anyway. We decided to buy our 10 year old daughter a touch for Christmas and it came as scheduled. The idea was to keep it in the box (uh, of course, right?) Then we started seeing some negative posts and that got us worried. So, we opened it this evening after the kids went to bed. Holy cow! Maybe my standards are low? Maybe I'm missing something? This thing is awesome. Oh, and it does everything the manual says it does. None, and I mean NONE of the problems noted in posts are here. I'm truly sorry that some people are not getting what they had hoped for in this model, but now I can hardly wait for my kid's Christmas morning. It doesn't hurt that mom will use this opportunity (unboxed unit) to make a personalized quilted bag for the kid to keep it in. Good stuff. Bottom line on the kid's Kindle Touch - It's a keeper.