Welcome to another Good e-Reader Comparison Video! Today we do a side by side comparison with the Kindle Basic 2013 edition with D-PAD and the enhanced 2014 model with a touchscreen. In this video you will get a sense on how they perform with eBooks, PDF files, Shopping and check out the main differences.
The Kindle Basic 2013 model has physical page turn buttons, a D-Pad for navigation and hardware buttons to bring up the virtual keyboard or access the home screen. Typing on the virtual keyboard is a real pain, especially when you have to enter complex WIFI passwords or to take notes when reading an eBook. It also lacks a true home screen and main navigation menu to access the store or library. This is as bare bones as you can get, there are no translation features, X-Ray or GoodReads.
The Kindle Basic Touch 2014 edition has the same firmware as the Kindle Paperwhite 2. This gives you a true home screen, with a UI at the top that can easily grant you access to the Kindle Store, GoodReads Search or access your settings. The touchscreen is really refined, I remember not to long ago they were completely woeful.
If you have an older Kindle Basic, without a touchscreen this video will give you a compelling enough reason to upgrade. It costs a paltry $79, with Special Offers, which is a fancy way of saying it displays advertisements on the home screen and screensaver.
Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and Verge.