What happened to the keyboard

jbcohen · 09-26-2013, 09:47 AM

I guess the keyboard was not real popular, it seems that it has been dropped from the kindle family. Not that there is any love lost between me and the keyboard, since my three died approximately a year ago I am very happy with my paperwhite.

Mike L · 09-26-2013, 10:40 AM

Well, I still use a keyboard model, and am glad that I do. I often use the physical keyboard to search for words within the text. I know that I do that with the screen-based keyboard, but it seems much simpler to do it "for real".

Just my humble o.

Mike

jbcohen · 09-26-2013, 11:45 AM

I don't see it on the list of kindle offerings, I guess Mike and people can't get a keyboard any more.

JoHunt · 09-26-2013, 02:25 PM

I understand it's been discontinued. You can still buy used ones on Amazon for around $60 for WiFi or $90 3G.

HarryT · 09-26-2013, 02:38 PM

All products have a lifecycle. The KK has reached the end of its.

spellbanisher · 09-27-2013, 01:31 AM

If number of reviews roughly reflects how well a product has sold, the kindle keyboard is byfar the best-selling kindle device, with almost twice as many reviews as any other kindle eink reader and nearly twice as many reviews as the most reviewed fire model. Last i checked it also had the highest customer rating of any kindle device.

jbcohen · 09-27-2013, 08:52 AM

Personally I was not a fan of the kindle keyboard, never really used the keyboard. I guess that Amazon felt that it needed to move to virtually all touch screen. The kindle basic keeps it from being entirely touch screen.

ucfgrad93 · 09-27-2013, 10:36 AM

I really like my Kindle Keyboard. I don't use the keyboard all that often. It is over 2 years old and the batter life seems to be taking a hit, so I'm hoping that Santa will bring me a new Paperwhite in December.

Mike L · 09-27-2013, 11:14 AM

There does seem to be a general trend away from physical buttons and lights, and towards touch.

We just installed a new laser printer. The old one had a control panel consisting of a few LEDs and buttons, sensibly located on the top of the machine. The new one has a touch screen, mounted on a stalk.

With the old one, I could see the LEDs from almost anywhere in the office. I knew if there was a a paper jam or a printer error, just from peering at the machine from my desk. Now, because the touch screen only faces the front, I've got to get up and go right up the machine to see if it's working.

It's not a big problem, but it does show how design is being influenced by technology rather than the overall user interface.

Mike

ametzler · 09-27-2013, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike L

There does seem to be a general trend away from physical buttons and lights, and towards touch.
[...]

I guess a big part of this is cost. Display + physical buttons is going to be more expensive than display with touch functionality.

jswinden · 09-27-2013, 01:53 PM

Buttons break. Adding four buttons (two on each side) to turn pages is asking for issues. I miss the page turn buttons too, but I understand why they had to go.

DiapDealer · 09-27-2013, 01:59 PM

I still love my Kindle 2 and its full keyboard for proof-reading ebooks. It makes it a breeze to take notes for later corrections/modifications. I can get by doing the same thing with an onscreen touch keyboard, but it's certainly more ... unwieldy.

Barbara1955 · 09-27-2013, 02:47 PM

What gets me is the other eInk readers Dont have the speak ability. They are READ ONLY divice which I hate since I need both! My K3 is dying .... hate to go with used.

HarryT · 09-28-2013, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I still love my Kindle 2 and its full keyboard for proof-reading ebooks. It makes it a breeze to take notes for later corrections/modifications. I can get by doing the same thing with an onscreen touch keyboard, but it's certainly more ... unwieldy.

Interesting - I find that I can type a lot faster on the soft keyboard of the PW than on the rubber keys of the KK, especially given the rather convoluted method of getting at non-alphabetic symbols on the KK.

HarryT · 09-28-2013, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie1

What gets me is the other eInk readers Dont have the speak ability. They are READ ONLY divice which I hate since I need both! My K3 is dying .... hate to go with used.

The Kindle Touch has TTS.

09-26-2013, 09:47 AM	#1
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	What happened to the keyboard I guess the keyboard was not real popular, it seems that it has been dropped from the kindle family. Not that there is any love lost between me and the keyboard, since my three died approximately a year ago I am very happy with my paperwhite.

09-27-2013, 01:31 AM	#6
spellbanisher Guru Posts: 826 Karma: 6566849 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bay Area Device: kindle keyboard, kindle fire hd, S4, Nook hd+	If number of reviews roughly reflects how well a product has sold, the kindle keyboard is byfar the best-selling kindle device, with almost twice as many reviews as any other kindle eink reader and nearly twice as many reviews as the most reviewed fire model. Last i checked it also had the highest customer rating of any kindle device. Last edited by spellbanisher; 09-27-2013 at 01:34 AM.

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09-26-2013, 10:40 AM	#2
Mike L Wizard Posts: 1,479 Karma: 3846231 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Kindle 3, Samsung Galaxy	Well, I still use a keyboard model, and am glad that I do. I often use the physical keyboard to search for words within the text. I know that I do that with the screen-based keyboard, but it seems much simpler to do it "for real". Just my humble o. Mike

09-26-2013, 11:45 AM	#3
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	I don't see it on the list of kindle offerings, I guess Mike and people can't get a keyboard any more.

09-26-2013, 02:25 PM	#4
JoHunt I am what I am Posts: 6,625 Karma: 62235665 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: iPad3, Voyage	I understand it's been discontinued. You can still buy used ones on Amazon for around $60 for WiFi or $90 3G.

09-26-2013, 02:38 PM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	All products have a lifecycle. The KK has reached the end of its.

09-27-2013, 08:52 AM	#7
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	Personally I was not a fan of the kindle keyboard, never really used the keyboard. I guess that Amazon felt that it needed to move to virtually all touch screen. The kindle basic keeps it from being entirely touch screen.

09-27-2013, 10:36 AM	#8
ucfgrad93 Wizard Posts: 2,360 Karma: 9026681 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Colorado Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2nd Gen	I really like my Kindle Keyboard. I don't use the keyboard all that often. It is over 2 years old and the batter life seems to be taking a hit, so I'm hoping that Santa will bring me a new Paperwhite in December.

09-27-2013, 11:14 AM	#9
Mike L Wizard Posts: 1,479 Karma: 3846231 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Kindle 3, Samsung Galaxy	There does seem to be a general trend away from physical buttons and lights, and towards touch. We just installed a new laser printer. The old one had a control panel consisting of a few LEDs and buttons, sensibly located on the top of the machine. The new one has a touch screen, mounted on a stalk. With the old one, I could see the LEDs from almost anywhere in the office. I knew if there was a a paper jam or a printer error, just from peering at the machine from my desk. Now, because the touch screen only faces the front, I've got to get up and go right up the machine to see if it's working. It's not a big problem, but it does show how design is being influenced by technology rather than the overall user interface. Mike

09-27-2013, 01:53 PM	#11
jswinden Nameless Being	Buttons break. Adding four buttons (two on each side) to turn pages is asking for issues. I miss the page turn buttons too, but I understand why they had to go.

09-27-2013, 01:59 PM	#12
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,549 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I still love my Kindle 2 and its full keyboard for proof-reading ebooks. It makes it a breeze to take notes for later corrections/modifications. I can get by doing the same thing with an onscreen touch keyboard, but it's certainly more ... unwieldy.

09-27-2013, 02:47 PM	#13
Barbara1955 Non-Techy Posts: 4,454 Karma: 15499273 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: WV---USA Device: Samsung Cell Phone & Amazon Fires & Kobo eReaders	What gets me is the other eInk readers Dont have the speak ability. They are READ ONLY divice which I hate since I need both! My K3 is dying .... hate to go with used.

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