Introduction

Front

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Back

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Sides

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Size Comparisons

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In the Box

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Much like every other Kindle, the {{product.model}} comes packaged in Amazon's hallmark brown cardboard box, along with a microUSB cable.

Handling

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Much like the previous iterations of the Kindle eReader, the {{product.model}} is small, light, and easy to hold with one hand or two. You are unlikely to suffer from fatigue from holding the {{product.name}} over an extended period of time, and a several hour long reading session would not be any more taxing than it would be with a paperback.

Screen

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The {{product.name}}'s screen is the same eInk Pearl screen we've all come to know and love in the eReader world. Though the measurements of the screen aren't really going to impress those used to LCD-screened tablets, the {{product.name}}'s picture is jarringly clear, often described as "looks fake," until the user realizes that no, that's not a decal on the screen, that's just how crisp eInk looks. Though the 3.56 x 4.81 inch screen is a bit small, you can always adjust the font size to your liking as well, so the screen size shouldn't be much of an issue.

Indoor & Outdoor Use

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When we review eReaders with eInk screens, possibly the first thing we notice is just how well they are able to be seen in the outside world. Because the eInk screen relies on ambient light to be seen, rather than a backlight, eReaders like the {{product.model}} can be seen in an absolutely mammoth range of lighting conditions, so they're perfect for taking to the beach or any other well-lit area. Unfortunately, that also means that they can't be seen in badly-lit areas, so keep that in mind if you're looking for something to use in bed.

Controls

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With the exception of the lone menu button and the power button on the bottom of the unit, all of your interactions with the device will be conducted via the touchscreen. Not to worry, though, as the IR grid on the {{product.name}} is exact enough to pick out finger taps on the virtual keyboard, as well as swiping motions and taps on small links. It can get a bit difficult for those with huge hands, but overall the control interface is very intuitive and easy to use.

Connectivity

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There are two iterations of the {{product.name}}, the WiFi only version, and the 3G variation. While the difference in cost is enough to sell some on the WiFi only version, globetrotters who find themselves in countries with an AT&T presence should know that the 3G version will allow you access to your cloud storage and the Amazon Kindle eBook store anywhere you can find a signal, which is a huge plus.

Owners of the {{product.name}} WiFi only version will be pleased to know that the onboard 802.11/n wireless card is quick enough to download books very quickly, hitting a download speed of almost 1.2 MB per second in our labs. Aside from the wireless connection the only other option available to you for the purpose of transferring content is the same USB cable used to charge your device. Simply drag and drop files to put on the {{product.name}}'s tiny hard drive before you go on a new adventure.

Battery Life

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Like the previous iterations of the Kindle eReader, the {{product.name}} lasts well over 24 hours on a single charge both reading eBooks and listening to audio files. What is different is how much battery life is left after each; after 24 hours of reading an eBook, only about 10% of the battery had run off, meaning that if you had enough caffeine and a death wish, you could conceivably read a eBook for 10 days straight.

Reading Books

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Reading books on your shiny new {{product.name}} is a very interesting experience. For starters, Amazon has minimized the "dip to black" effect that plagued earlier models of eReader at the cost of having teeny tiny artifacts in the white space of the screen (that really only can be found if you're looking for them).

This occurs simply because the {{product.name}} doesn't fully refresh the screen after every page turn. It's not very noticeable, but the issue is there.

Beyond all that, the Amazon Kindle eReader is more or less the leader of the pack in terms of eReading platforms go, with apps available for every major tablet on the market, it is easily the most ubiquitous platform for eBooks you can find. Keeping with a philosophy of "if it 'aint broke, don't fix it," Amazon kept the iconic interface with only minor changes that don't really affect the performance at all. You can still select text, highlight passages, and even post quotes to your facebook or Twitter feed. Should the font size be too small, you can also change the size with a couple taps of the finger.

Buying Books

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Once you've registered your device and entered your billing information to your account, buying books via the Kindle Store is very simple. After you've located the title you wish to buy, you can simply tap the "buy" icon and your account will automatically be billed, and your download started (and finished within very short order barring problems with your connection).

eBook Formats

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The {{product.name}} does provide support for a decent range of eBook formats if you have a bunch on your computer already. Among the file formats supported are: Kindle (.azw), Audible, non-DRM MOBI, HTML, DOC, TXT, PDF, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and bitmap. If for some reason you would like to convert an eBook file that is not one of the supported formats above, you can always use software like Calibre to do the trick.

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Newspapers & Magazines

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In addition to books, you can also buy periodicals in single editions or even subscriptions, and the method for purchase follows the same layout: after you've entered your billing info in your account, simply tap the icon corresponding to the title you would like, and your account is charged immediately, and your download starts momentarily.

eBook Battery Life

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Music & Audio Controls

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To be frank, the controls for the MP3 playback are just plain bad. They work fine enough, but due to limitations with the screen's inability to animate, the controls are not only limited, but slow as well. There's a reason this feature is under the "experimental" section, along with the bad browser.

Music & Audio Management

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Music files are stored in their own separate folder on the hard drive, managed by the MP3 player function in the experimental menu. You can't view what files you have on your kindle, nor can you browse in any other way but the "next track" button. We look at the MP3 playback function more as a sidenote, and not something that is a main feature or draw for the {{product.name}}.

Music & Audio Formats

Music & Audio Battery Life

Email

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Web Browsing

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The included browser with the {{product.name}} is just plain terrible. Though the screen delaying refresh makes the experience less painful than it used to be, eReaders of this size and type of screen were never meant to handle this type of application, nor should they. Not only is it ridiculously sluggish, but it's hard to browse and manipulate the image size. Should you be looking for a tablet that can handle this, you're better off finding one with an LCD screen than an eInk eReader.

Internet Apps

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Other Internet Features

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What the {{product.name}} lacks in apps, it makes up for in services. While eReaders typically aren't given as much support as the {{product.name}}, it's very interesting to see what Amazon is doing to put its products ahead of the competition in addition to the huge drop in price. Not only did Amazon roll out the long-awaited public library loan program (allowing you to borrow eBooks from your local participating library for free), but it also introduced the world to the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, allowing its users to act as their own massive crowd-sourced library. You'll need to manage this with your computer via Amazon's webpage, but it's still a very cool feature.

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Device & Specs

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Though they both bear the Amazon Kindle branding, the {{product.name}} and the Kindle Keyboard are very different tablets. Though they have much of the same software, an IR grid touchscreen and the lack of a physical keyboard makes the {{product.name}} a much more user-friendly tablet. Some people still prefer the buttons, so if you don't trust the screen, you may want to stick with the Kindle Keyboard.

Screen

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Both screens are remarkably similar in performance, and it's no mystery why: both employ very similar eInk Pearl screens. The biggest difference between the two is the IR grid touchscreen used by the {{product.name}}.

Battery

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Both the Kindle Keyboard and the {{product.name}} have impressively long battery lives, and will not let you down on a long trip.

eReader

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Because of the near-identical software and the ease with which one can hold their Kindle, the most drastic changes as eReaders have to do with the differing screen technology. The {{product.name}} has a touchscreen that doesn't refresh as often as the Kindle Keyboard, but it also has more artifacts left over from page turns as well.

Internet

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Amazon supports both the Kindle Keyboard and the {{product.name}} with the same online support, though the browser on both is absolutely terrible and hardly worthy of any special mention. Both have stellar support from their maker, and the new features like the library loaning are absolutely remarkable.

Device & Specs

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Differences between brand and hardware aside, both tablets are very similar in dimension and weight (the Nook is a little clunkier), but the big difference is that the Nook has physical page turn buttons where the {{product.name}} has none.

Screen

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Both eReaders have similarly sized IR grid touchscreens and refresh rates. There isn't much difference between each eInk screen. Both produce a similarly crisp image that can be seen in a huge range of lighting conditions.

Battery

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Both devices have similarly amazing battery life, and neither will need to be recharged within a span of 24 hours, no matter how much you might try to destroy the battery life.

eReader

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As eReaders, you don't get much more similar than these two units, but where the {{product.name}} really shines is in the value. Not only do you have access to the huge library of eBooks in the Amazon eBook store, but you also can borrow books from your local library or even lend a book to another Kindle owner. All of this for less than the cost of a Nook Touch.

Internet

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Device & Specs

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Because of the different screen technologies and device capabilities of each eReader, you can expect a very different experience with either. The Nook Color's LCD screen enables it to do a lot more with things like web browsing and even a limited assortment of apps, whereas the {{product.name}} has only the eReader function worth anything. You certainly pay for the extra features, but users who want more of a tablet experience may want to spring for the Nook Color.

Screen

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While the {{product.name}} has an eInk touchscreen, the LCD touchscreen of the Nook allows it to better animate different functions, and skirt all the problems of an eInk display at the cost of all of its upsides. The Nook Color has an extremely reflective screen.

Battery

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Because LCD screens draw a lot more power than eInk to display an image, it's no surprise that the battery life of the Nook Color is far worse than the {{product.name}}. The Nook color does have impressive eBook reading battery life for having its LCD screen, but it's definitely handicapped by its screen technology in terms of battery life.

eReader

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As eReaders, it's hard to speak against a dedicated machine, and we're not about to buck that trend. With vastly superior support, the {{product.name}} takes this one in a landslide, as the Nook Color was designed to be a jack of all trades, not as an ace of eReading.

Internet

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The Nook Color takes this one simply because it has a browser that isn't terrible. That's really all it takes; the {{product.name}} doesn't have any browsing or email options worthy of note that won't make you want to tear your hair out.

Conclusion

Among the latest salvo of affordable eReading options is the {{product.name}}, a touchscreen eInk eReader that not only is very impressive, but at a price point that undercuts the rest of the market by a decent margin with superior library support and features that just blow everything else out of the water at the moment.

That's not to say that this is a perfect eReader, but as far as we've seen, this is the new gold standard in the eReader market. Some people may get annoyed at the almost-invisible artifacts left by the screen not refreshing every time you turn a page, or the fact that there is no longer a keyboard. Other people will lament that the touchscreen isn't as quick as an LCD screen, but really, there hasn't been much of anything released as a pure eReader to dethrone the {{product.name}}.

In addition to the latest salvo in the tablet and eReader market, Amazon has unveiled its revamped cloud storage platform, along with a massive user lending library, as well as partnerships with over 11,000 local libraries for lending eBooks. No other tablets but the Amazon Kindle family has access to anything quite like this, and when you take this into consideration, it's hard to posit that another eReader has better value than the {{product.name}}.