The Amazon Kindle Touch has had some updated firmware today that heavily borrows UI elements from the Kindle Paperwhite e-Reader. The main homescreen has been revised and personalized book recommendations are now available.
The latest Kindle Touch firmware update renovates the way collections are viewed and stored on your main screen. The Cover View feature will give you large book icons, that show off the cover art. Books not stored on your Kindle will now show up under “Cloud” and are easily synced to your reader.
When you are reading an ebook you can click on the menu and get a sense on how much longer the book is. If you are reading a particularly riveting tome, you can learn more about the author, with the new author biography system. The one thing Amazon does really well, is offer a few chapters out of books that are classified as samples. If you read a few pages, and decide you want to buy it, when the full version is downloaded you will pick up where you left off in the sample version.
Comic Book lovers now have the guided view technology that the Kindle Paperwhite has enjoyed for the last six months. There is a huge selection of graphic novels available to buy. The guided view makes each comic panel take off the entire screen, making it easier to read the text.
The Kindle Touch was discontinued last year and the Paperwhite is the only dedicated e-Reader the company is currently marketing. It is solid to see older products get the proper loving, and all owners should check out the 5.3.2.1 update.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.