About The Different Kindles, And Why I Bought The Kindle Touch

There's an awful lot of ereaders out there on the market today.  While there are some worthy competitors out there, I decided to limit my choices to the Amazon models.  Why?  Great selection, and Amazon's awesome customer service.

Of course this still left me with a lot of thinking to do, as Amazon currently offers 5 models of the Kindle. Yikes!   Here's a brief summary of each one:

Kindle- A basic model for $79 (with ads).  The smallest and lightest of the current Kindle models.  Has a 6 inch e-ink screen, and you type using a toggle switch at the bottom of the screen.  No speakers on this model.

Kindle Touch- A touch screen model starting at $99 (with ads). Slightly bigger and heavier than the base Kindle, its touch screen makes it easier to use.  It has more memory than the Kindle, and also has a speaker- you can play music and audio books on this device.  Also available with 3G.

Kindle Keyboard 3G- This is basically the old style Kindle with the buttons at the bottom.  Bigger and heavier than the other models, but with the same 6 inch screen.  Priced at $139.

Kindle DX- The largest (and most expensive, at $379) Kindle on the market.  Has a 9.7 inch screen, and buttons at the bottom

Kindle Fire- At $199, the Kindle Fire has a 7 inch color screen, and is much more than just an ereader.  You can watch movies, play games, and browse the web in full color.

A couple of notes here- the first four models mentioned also allow you to browse the web, but it's very basic black and white browsing.  It'll do in a pinch.  And regarding Amazon's 3G models-  be aware that a Kindle's included 3G will ONLY allow you to access Amazon's marketplace.  You won't be able to use it to browse the web- you need wifi for that.

So with all of these choices, which one did I pick for myself?  I liked the small size of the basic Kindle, but I thought that typing in titles with that little toggle button would drive me nuts.  The Kindle Keyboard and DX?  Too bulky for my needs.  I really liked the Fire, but it too was bigger and heavier than I wanted, and after all I have lots of other electronic critters for web browsing, etc.  I was looking for an ereader, and for me the Kindle Touch fit the bill.  Nice size, easy to use, not too heavy, plenty of memory.  That's the one I picked, and after using it for a few weeks now, I know I picked the right one for me. :)