The Kindle is dead. Long live the Kindle.

kingtermite · 03-17-2012, 12:31 PM

<Rant>

I got my first Kindle (and first e-book reader) about 3 weeks ago. I settled on a Kindle Touch after looking at the specs.

I read 3 books on the Kindle Touch and was impressed at how much faster I could read on it versus a real book. However, I was having a few issues.

1) Every once in a while it seemed to randomly jump many pages forward or backwards when I tried to touch for next page. I'd have to tinker for a bit to figure out which direction it went and work my way back.

2) The "previous page" area was touchy. If I was just slightly low (I'm guessing that was the problem) it would go forward instead of backwards (even though the instructions said nothing about touching on the left anywhere to go forward).

3) A couple of times it just went completely wonky. I'd hit the on button and it wouldn't turn on. I'd fiddle with it for 10 minutes before finally realizing holding the power button in would reset it. Sometimes that would bring it back (sometimes it needed the reset a few times).

4) Sometimes you hit the area of the screen (lower right) to page forward and nothing would happen. So you are sitting there wondering if it registered the touch or you need to press again. Many times I give up after 5-10 seconds and touch again, then it forwards 2 pages (because it was "just" about to turn page for the first touch). Even normally the page turn could be anywhere from 1-20 seconds with it probably average on about 4-5 seconds.

So I finally decided yesterday that since it was only 3 weeks I'd return it and get the Kindle 4 NT instead. I've always had bad luck with touch screens, so I thought maybe a standard button interface would be more solid and less prone to those nuances.

I was trying to get into the Kindle to reset it to factory condition and as if the device sensed my feeling it really played hard ball with me. It rebooted and every time I got back in to hit any menu item or anything, it would go back into reboot again. It did this over and over about 15 times before I finally got in long enough to reset to factory defaults.

I had no troubles returning and came home with the Kindle 4 NT last night. So far, this Kindle seems MUCH better. Buttons are much more responsive. It turns on in about 1 second instead of 5-10. Paging forward while reading is no longer iffy. I press the button it forwards. No more waiting to wonder if the touch registered or not. When it does change page its typically immediate...no more long waits to find out if its going to happen or not.

</Rant>

From my experience - stay away from the Kindle Touch and get the regular Kindle 4 NT.

ixtab · 03-17-2012, 01:33 PM

Funny, my experience is the exact opposite

Had a K3 before, accidentally broke it and got a KT instead. I have never experienced any of the issues you mention, and I find the Touch interface far superior to the fiddly buttons, especially for menus etc.

trekchick · 03-17-2012, 01:53 PM

I have both, and you're right, the cheaper Kindle offers the better reading experience. Kindle Touch gets bogged down and then the screen stops updating, even though it's still processing screen taps, so when the screen catches back up, you're not where you left off. ... and that's the least of my issues with it.

RainingLemur · 03-17-2012, 01:54 PM

Maybe you were a little heavy-thumbed on the screen. I had that problem a little bit with the touch model when I was playing with it, just not too sure how sensitive it was. While I don't really care much for the touch screen, it didn't seem too bad. Either way, glad you settled for an ereader.

DiapDealer · 03-17-2012, 02:03 PM

Touch screens hate me. So I've chosen to hate 'em right back. They started it.

kingtermite · 03-17-2012, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Touch screens hate me. So I've chosen to hate 'em right back. They started it.

I'm in that same category. I don't know why I second guessed myself in the beginning. I should have known that and opted against it from the beginning for that very reason.

Skydog · 03-17-2012, 03:05 PM

I've not experienced problems navigating on my Touch (I also use my DXG and have the KK). The only occasion when a fast-foward of multiple pages occurred was due to my heavy-handed thumb. In your case it sounds like a matter of operator error with the touch screen.

emellaich · 03-17-2012, 03:38 PM

I had some of these problems originally with my KT. However, with the software update it seems to be behaving much better. No more skipping forward pages, quicker page turns, and better registration of touches.

mikeschr · 03-17-2012, 03:48 PM

If you'd tried swiping instead of tapping, you might have had better luck. Some of the problems you were having wouldn't have occurred, like finding the line between previous/next page.

Rizla · 03-17-2012, 04:44 PM

Touch is not a replacement for buttons.

AintLDS · 03-17-2012, 05:20 PM

Returned my Touch and kept the K4NT which I like a lot.

lukeroge · 03-17-2012, 06:15 PM

I have the touch and I've never had any issues at all. Works like a charm. On the other hand, my older (and very short lived) Kindle 3 screen broke after only having it for a week, which really sucked. (I got the touch as a replacement for this gifted K3)

DiapDealer · 03-17-2012, 06:59 PM

My Kindle 2 will outlive them all.

pidgeon92 · 03-17-2012, 07:38 PM

I haven't had any problems with the touch screen on my Kindle. At least no problems I didn't cause.

Dr. Drib · 03-18-2012, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

My Kindle 2 will outlive them all.

Mine, too. This old antique sits in a drawer and does nothing. I'm thinking of sitting on it, just so I can say it doesn't work anymore.

Oh, well......

Don

03-17-2012, 12:31 PM	#1
kingtermite KingTermite Posts: 31 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Bellevue, WA Device: Kindle Touch	The Kindle is dead. Long live the Kindle. <Rant> I got my first Kindle (and first e-book reader) about 3 weeks ago. I settled on a Kindle Touch after looking at the specs. I read 3 books on the Kindle Touch and was impressed at how much faster I could read on it versus a real book. However, I was having a few issues. 1) Every once in a while it seemed to randomly jump many pages forward or backwards when I tried to touch for next page. I'd have to tinker for a bit to figure out which direction it went and work my way back. 2) The "previous page" area was touchy. If I was just slightly low (I'm guessing that was the problem) it would go forward instead of backwards (even though the instructions said nothing about touching on the left anywhere to go forward). 3) A couple of times it just went completely wonky. I'd hit the on button and it wouldn't turn on. I'd fiddle with it for 10 minutes before finally realizing holding the power button in would reset it. Sometimes that would bring it back (sometimes it needed the reset a few times). 4) Sometimes you hit the area of the screen (lower right) to page forward and nothing would happen. So you are sitting there wondering if it registered the touch or you need to press again. Many times I give up after 5-10 seconds and touch again, then it forwards 2 pages (because it was "just" about to turn page for the first touch). Even normally the page turn could be anywhere from 1-20 seconds with it probably average on about 4-5 seconds. So I finally decided yesterday that since it was only 3 weeks I'd return it and get the Kindle 4 NT instead. I've always had bad luck with touch screens, so I thought maybe a standard button interface would be more solid and less prone to those nuances. I was trying to get into the Kindle to reset it to factory condition and as if the device sensed my feeling it really played hard ball with me. It rebooted and every time I got back in to hit any menu item or anything, it would go back into reboot again. It did this over and over about 15 times before I finally got in long enough to reset to factory defaults. I had no troubles returning and came home with the Kindle 4 NT last night. So far, this Kindle seems MUCH better. Buttons are much more responsive. It turns on in about 1 second instead of 5-10. Paging forward while reading is no longer iffy. I press the button it forwards. No more waiting to wonder if the touch registered or not. When it does change page its typically immediate...no more long waits to find out if its going to happen or not. </Rant> From my experience - stay away from the Kindle Touch and get the regular Kindle 4 NT.

03-17-2012, 01:53 PM	#3
trekchick Lurker Posts: 226 Karma: 9245 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Walton, KY Device: Sonys and Kindles and Nooks, oh my!	I have both, and you're right, the cheaper Kindle offers the better reading experience. Kindle Touch gets bogged down and then the screen stops updating, even though it's still processing screen taps, so when the screen catches back up, you're not where you left off. ... and that's the least of my issues with it. Last edited by trekchick; 03-17-2012 at 01:55 PM. Reason: clarity

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03-17-2012, 01:33 PM	#2
ixtab (offline) Posts: 2,907 Karma: 6736092 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: K3, K4, K5, KPW, KPW2	Funny, my experience is the exact opposite Had a K3 before, accidentally broke it and got a KT instead. I have never experienced any of the issues you mention, and I find the Touch interface far superior to the fiddly buttons, especially for menus etc.

03-17-2012, 01:54 PM	#4
RainingLemur Spork Connoisseur Posts: 2,355 Karma: 16780603 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	Maybe you were a little heavy-thumbed on the screen. I had that problem a little bit with the touch model when I was playing with it, just not too sure how sensitive it was. While I don't really care much for the touch screen, it didn't seem too bad. Either way, glad you settled for an ereader.

03-17-2012, 02:03 PM	#5
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,549 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Touch screens hate me. So I've chosen to hate 'em right back. They started it.

03-17-2012, 03:05 PM	#7
Skydog Wizard Posts: 2,243 Karma: 7400001 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Circling Earth @ Mach .83 Device: Elipsa 2E, Sage, Forma, Libra 2, Clara 2E, Kindle Oasis3, Voyage	I've not experienced problems navigating on my Touch (I also use my DXG and have the KK). The only occasion when a fast-foward of multiple pages occurred was due to my heavy-handed thumb. In your case it sounds like a matter of operator error with the touch screen.

03-17-2012, 03:38 PM	#8
emellaich Wizard Posts: 1,101 Karma: 4388403 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis	I had some of these problems originally with my KT. However, with the software update it seems to be behaving much better. No more skipping forward pages, quicker page turns, and better registration of touches.

03-17-2012, 03:48 PM	#9
mikeschr Connoisseur Posts: 63 Karma: 60 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Portland Device: Scribe, Oasis, Clara	If you'd tried swiping instead of tapping, you might have had better luck. Some of the problems you were having wouldn't have occurred, like finding the line between previous/next page.

03-17-2012, 04:44 PM	#10
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	Touch is not a replacement for buttons.

03-17-2012, 05:20 PM	#11
AintLDS No soliciting Posts: 55 Karma: 505122 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Utah Device: Kindle Voyage and iPhone 8 Plus	Returned my Touch and kept the K4NT which I like a lot.

03-17-2012, 06:15 PM	#12
lukeroge Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Kindle Touch	I have the touch and I've never had any issues at all. Works like a charm. On the other hand, my older (and very short lived) Kindle 3 screen broke after only having it for a week, which really sucked. (I got the touch as a replacement for this gifted K3)

03-17-2012, 06:59 PM	#13
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,549 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	My Kindle 2 will outlive them all.

03-17-2012, 07:38 PM	#14
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	I haven't had any problems with the touch screen on my Kindle. At least no problems I didn't cause.