back to article Amazon names date for Kindle Touch touchdown

Amazon has announced the release data for the second of its latest-generation Kindles in the UK: the Kindle Touch. The gadget will go on sale on 27 April priced at £106. A version with 3G connectivity as well a Wi-Fi will cost £169. Both sport the same 6in E Ink Pearl display seen on the Kindle 4 - aka the Kindle Touchless - …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I prefer...

    The standard kindle, where I can hold the screen and place my greasy paws and fingers on it without accidentally changing a page.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm very happy with my Kindle Fire. Works well as a reader and web browser. Now if they would only remove the idiocy that I cannot download free apps because my credit card does not have a US address, I would be even happier. (Although I have now found a way to load some apps which has considerably improved things.)

  3. DM2012
    Thumb Down

    Meh

    The Touch arrived in Oz a couple of weeks ago. I was desperate for one before Christmas, and would have ordered online if they delivered outside of the US. But, having now played with one in store, I'm glad I didn't get it. It feels slow and clumsy, and unlike the older Kindle, it feels cheap. Refresh times really haven't improved in years too.

    Also, the web browser is still "experimental". I know it's just an e-reader, but still I think it could have been better polished.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The New iPad...

    ... will put out the Fire.

    We all know which screen we want to look at photos and videos.

    Would it be true to say that only those who read in bright sunlight want an Amazon product?

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Re: The New iPad...

      Yeah the web is awash with videos in 2048x1536 resolution.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: The New iPad...

        Who's selling a 1920 x 1080 resolution tablet ?

        Most of my photos are above the iPad 3 resolution.

        1. JDX Gold badge

          Re: The New iPad...

          So what? I don't ever remember hearing complaints that the iPad1/2 screen was "too fuzzy". Retina displays are just a gimmick.

  5. Manny Bianco
    Megaphone

    Fuck the Kindle Touch

    Where's the CD I ordered from Amazon last Wednesday on NEXT DAY DELIVERY, eh, Jeff? Where?!

    1. It wasnt me
      Happy

      Re: Fuck the Kindle Touch

      +1 Upvoted for the sheer and utter irrelevance of your post. Really got me chuckling. Ive got this picture of you trawling the internet looking for somewwhere to spleen-vent, and then stumbling on this article and thinking " sod it, this'll do". Thanks, you've made my day.

      Who's Jeff ?

      1. Code Monkey
        Headmaster

        Re: Who's Jeff ?

        Jeff Bezos - Grand Poobah of Amazonia

  6. Wile E. Veteran
    Thumb Down

    And how many...

    ... shares of Apple stock do you own? How much iCrap? Fanboi!

  7. ThomH

    And a nice part of it is...

    In the US the price is $139 (the $99 is the ad-supported version). $139 is £87.13. £87.13 + VAT is £104.56. So Amazon are charging pretty much exactly the same price in the UK as in the US.

    1. Toxteth O'Gravy
      Stop

      Re: And a nice part of it is...

      So what you're saying is that the US pre-tax price is the same as the UK pre-tax price, give or take a pound or two? What the heck's wrong with that?

      Save your spleen for the many instances where UK pre-tax price is way more than the US pre-tax price - and there's still VAT to pay on top of that.

      1. ThomH

        Re: And a nice part of it is... (@Toxteth O'Gravy)

        I suggest you reread my post and save your spleen for the many instances where people actually complain about price differences.

    2. Robert E A Harvey

      Re: And a nice part of it is (@ThomH 23:37)

      That is a long overdue development, isn't it.

      I am quite tempted. People have said it is slow and unresponsive, but hey it's just over a hundred quid...

  8. jai

    Batteries?

    What's the battery life like in the touch?

    The 4 has half the battery life on the Keyboard. Amazon says it should last a month on the 4, but that's only based on 30 minutes of reading per day. My other half reads for hours a day and has noticed she's charging it nearly all the time compared to the Keyboard.

    If the Touch has more memory, does it also have better batteries?

  9. LordWilmore

    as an owner of an imported (and rooted (many times)) kindle fire I am extremely happy with it - I can browse t'interwebs, read emails, and play crappy freebie android apps, and that is _all_ I got it for. however i'm not sure that it will ever be a "killer" tablet for mort without bluetooth, camera, mic, etc.

    suspect amazon have worked this out and blighty will not see the fire until the next gen model is ready, and sellable under £200.

  10. David Evans

    its all about the content

    Fire only makes sense as an Amazon content play. Since Amazon's digital content strategy in Europe is way behind their US offering, there's no point in selling the Kindle Fire. No great mystery.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Most of my photos are above the iPad 3 resolution."

    So what - it's still the highest resolution tablet / display you can get for any realistic price so your 200 million pixel pictures will show more detail on it than probably anything else.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The basic (cheap) Kindle is popular as it just replaces a book and does it pretty well. But... anyone wanting anything more will buy a proper tablet and not sure it would be a 'Fire' - Amazon seem slow about releasing it (which is rather un-Amazon-like) to the UK / other countries. The price is likely to be very close to the iPad 2 and when people try them out they are going to buy the iPad - even if it were just to run the Kindle app.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Fire only makes sense as an Amazon content play. Since Amazon's digital content strategy in Europe is way behind their US offering, there's no point in selling the Kindle Fire. No great mystery."

    ... and as they essential make nothing on the hardware no point releasing it - so don't hold your breath for the Kindle Fire until Amazon has a lot more 'video' content available to buy / rent (as they do on their US site). They could hook it up to Lovefilm streaming but I suspect they want to sell the downloadable files.

    Gives even more of a lead to the iPad. The other option is they will can it and just develop content and an app for the iPad (as the Kindle e-reader app).

  14. UncleMike987

    Already available.. in Switzerland

    It's odd. Here in Switzerland, life, healthcare, beer...everything is expensive (and our salaries reflect this) apart from electronics.

    And for the past few weeks, one of the main online retailers has Kindle Touches and Fires available, in stock, and at (as near as damn it) the same prices as in the US.

    What makes this bizarre is that this is a tiny country, Amazon doesn't even have a Swiss website (it redirects us to the German one) so we don't even have a place to buy Amazon movies and media to fill our Fires with.

    So, anyone coming over here for a skiing trip, have a look at www.digitec.ch. I don't work for them, but I do use them, they are reliable and have shops where you can collect goods.

    Oh, and bring lots of cash with you when you come to Switzerland.

    Pint of beer for £6 anyone...?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Already available.. in Switzerland

      £6 a pint. A litre surely ?

  15. Crisp

    Bugger!

    Now I wish I'd held out and not bought the missus a Kindle for xmas. Do they offer a part exchange on old inferior Kindles with buttons?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Bugger!

      Not sure I agree with your description of the Kindle with buttons being inferior... I deliberately went for that one for my wife's present, as it includes text-to-speech capability, which the other Kindles don't. My wife is dyslexic and finds the ability to switch that on a godsend when she struggles with some books.

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