[Cindy Borgne]

When I first got my Kindle, my daughter (who is used to her iPod) tried to move the screen with her finger..lol. She was bummed when it didn't work (she is 10 years). Anyway, I have heard some rumors that there might be a touch screen Kindle. Or is that just rumors? Would you even want one?

In some ways, I think it would be cool as long as it doesn't change anything else. However, would it cause a finger print problem?

 

[J.R.Mooneyham]

Yes, I'm sure there will be a touchscreen Kindle. But I hope there will remain a model similar to today's Kindle as well. For I hate the touchscreen keyboards, and the weight of things like the iPad, for an ebook reader. I also don't like dirtying up my screen, as you mention. The iPad also has terrible battery life compared to today's Kindle, and I definitely don't like that either.

 

[history_lover]

I'll bet the next model is a touch screen. B&N have announced their next model will be an eInk touch screen, Sony already have one and I think I read that Kobo is coming out with one too. So if Kindle don't have an eInk touch screen on their next model, they'll be the only ones and they'll probably suffer for it.

 

[NapCat (retired)]

NOT having a touchscreen was a selling point of the K3 for me....hate fingerprints...

 

[telracs]

I hope not.  I like my kindle the way it is, and as Napcat says, I hate fingerprints.  Also, I'm not sure how e-ink will work on a touchscreen and I don't want a backlit e-reader.

 

[drenee]

I have a Sony touch.  After I have been reading on it and then switch to my Kindle it takes me a while to quit swiping the screen. My Sony screen does not get fingerprints like my iPhone.  I hope the next K has a touch screen, but not if it sacrifices other conveniences. 
deb

 

[WayneBowyer]

Fingerprints......a little Windex on a soft cloth is all it takes.

 

[Jan Strnad]

The new Kobo and new Nook are both touchscreen, e-ink readers (not tablets). If the design appeals to people, I imagine a similarly designed Kindle will follow. First, though, I think we'll get the color tablet, more like the Nook Color.

 

[kimdle]

If they do come out with one, I hope they have an option for people who don't want one.

 

[Doug Lance]

There are designs for touch eInk with color and fast enough refresh rates to display video. There are eInk LCD hybrids that can display either at any time. There are many possibilities for what Amazon and Bezos will decide to do next, but that's all speculation for now. Though, they did say that something new is coming for the holiday season.

 

[mooshie78]

With the Amazon tablets coming out, I kind of doubt they'll do a touch screen e-ink device.  They'll just keep the e-ink Kindle series as simple and cheap as possible and have the tablets as the touch screen option.

Hopefully in a few years they can do a tablet with a Mirasol screen that has an e-ink like mode and an LCD mode, as that's my ideal device personally.

 

[Cindy Borgne]

My concern would be the e-ink not looking the same and price. It sounds like touch screens add cost. Yet, why not offer both if people are willing pay?

 

[Ann in Arlington]

Though, they did say that something new is coming for the holiday season.

With the Amazon tablets coming out, . . . .

Just to be clear, Amazon has not made any definitive statement about their forthcoming product offerings. In fact, when specifically asked about Amazon branded tablet devices, Jeff Bezos said only "stay tuned".

There is tons of speculation: that they are working on a tablet; that it will be available for the holiday shopping season and maybe even by the 'back to school' shopping season. Consensus seems to be that it will be a backlit screen vs reflective screen device, most likely Android based; it's extremely likely there will be a Kindle App for it. There have been articles indicating it will be a 7 inch screen; others that it will be a 9-10 inch screen. Even that there will be one of each.

Bezos has also said, even fairly recently, that he doesn't see the reflective color screens as yet ready for commercial use, though they're coming.

To answer the question posed by the OP: I think there will, eventually, because that seems to be the way of the world. I'm pretty certain that it won't happen, though, until they solve the 'smudge' problem. Presumably the infrared touch that the new Kobo and Nooks use, go a long way toward that. I won't be surprised if there are page turn buttons as well so people can use it as works best for them. They could even produce a new touch screen model but keep making the existing version too, but that would depend on satisfactory demand of both of two fairly different products.

 

[history_lover]

With the Amazon tablets coming out, I kind of doubt they'll do a touch screen e-ink device.

Why not? With B&N's latest announcement, they will now have both a tablet and a touch screen eInk device. I don't necessarily want a touch screen either but to the market, it will look like Kindle is behind.

 

[Tess St John]

I don't want the touchscreen...my son has a touchscreen computer and I'm always messing it up!

 

[StephenLivingston]

There's bound to be sooner or later.  Flipping the page with a swipe of your finger seems pretty intuitive to me.

 

[shalym]

There's bound to be sooner or later. Flipping the page with a swipe of your finger seems pretty intuitive to me.

One of the things I love about reading on my Kindle is that I can lay in bed and read with one hand, with my thumb on the page turn button. I know that with the tablets, I can just touch the side of the screen and turn the page, but the problem is that if you touch the left side of the screen it goes to the previous page, and the right side goes to the next page. This isn't a problem if I'm lying on my right side and holding it with my right hand, but if I roll over onto my left side I have to swipe. Also, if I want to go back to the previous page to check something, I have to take my other hand out from underneath the nice warm covers to turn the page back. It seems like a petty thing, but it's important to me. The few times I've tried to read in bed on my tablet, I end up lying on my stomach, and waking up with a backache.

Shari

 

[mlewis78]

I have a Sony PRS-350 with touch screen, but I prefer the Amazon K3 page turn buttons.

 

[Linjeakel]

Fingerprints......a little Windex on a soft cloth is all it takes.

I don't want to stop and wipe the screen after every page turn. And when engrossed in a book, it's less distracting to have your finger resting on the page turn button and pressing rather than to have to move your hand to tap or swipe the screen. You have to do that on the Kindle app on the iPad and, along with the LCD screen, is one of the reasons I prefer reading on my Kindle.

I can understand Amazon wanting to keep up with their competitors, but I hope going forward that they also continue to offer a non-touchscreen version with any new features.

 

[mooshie78]

Why not? With B&N's latest announcement, they will now have both a tablet and a touch screen eInk device. I don't necessarily want a touch screen either but to the market, it will look like Kindle is behind.

That's true. My guess is Amazon isn't going to make a cheap, Nook color like tablet though. If they come out with one I think it will be separate from the Kindle line and be more of an iPad competitor.

But it's all speculation, so time will tell.

As for being behind from not having a touch screen, there have been Sony Readers with touch screens for years, and that never pressured Amazon into making a touch screen e-ink devices. So I'm not sure the new Nook will either. But again, time will tell. I'd be interested in one, though I'm more likely just wait for tablets with Mirasol or similar screens rather than upgrading my K3 to a touch screen dedicated reader. I'd really like to get a tablet that's good enough to read eventually so I don't need to own and carry around two gadgets.