Kindle Keyboard 3G Review

Like the iPhone 4S is merely an update to the insides of the iPhone 4, the Kindle Keyboard 3G is simply an evolution of the Kindle 3G that was released last year. It sports the same physical QWERTY keyboard, 6-inch E Ink screen, and soft-touch finish. In fact, if you have a Kindle 3G, you can upgrade the software and people will think you have the latest Kindle. But it's the features inside that software update--combined with new features Amazon has rolled out over the last year--that make this device newsworthy.

Consumer Reviews

My review is now over a year old, as is the "Kindle Keyboard" as Amazon calls it now. There are newer models: the basic, cheapie Kindle and the Kindle Touch, and of course the Kindle Fire quasi-tablet.

Each of these models is an excellent choice. Whichever one is right for you just depends on your preferences.

The 3 e-ink Kindles are Kindle Keyboard (this one), Kindle Touch (the newest "flagship" model), and the basic Kindle. All 3 of them have EXACTLY THE SAME 6" DISPLAY, with the same sharp typeface and high contrast that reads like ink on paper with no eyestrain. The Kindle Keyboard is the oldest of these models, and I got one of the first ones when they came out in August 2010.

I still absolutely LOVE my Kindle Keyboard and use it almost every day. I have read dozens of books on it. I like the newer models, they have some neat features, but the experience of reading a book on them is no better or worse than on my 1-year-old Kindle Keyboard. Page turns are now smoother and faster on the newest Kindles, but the difference is not enough to make it worth the cost of upgrading, in my opinion.

The touch-screen interface of the Kindle Touch is pretty neat. But, unlike my iPad, I only use my Kindle to read books, and reading books is just as nice on any of the current Kindle models. I don't consider the touch screen a "must have" feature, and I'm normally obsessed with having the latest version of every tech product I own.

Pros: Crisp E Ink screen; Full-sized QWERTY keyboard; Library eBook lending; Kindle-to-Kindle eBook lending

Cons: Relatively expensive; Tiny direction pad buttons; Only a basic web browser

The Verdict: The Amazon Kindle Keyboard 3G gets better with new features, such as eBook lending and interface enhancements.

Specifications

Compatability                                           Mac; PC

Electronic Paper Display Size                   6 Inches

Electronic Paper Display Resolution         600 x 800

Internal Memory                                      4GB

3G                                                          AT&T

Wi-Fi                                                      802.11 b/g/n

Headphone Jack eBook Formats            AZW; MOBI; PDF; PRC

Document Formats                                 DOC; DOCX; HTML; TXT

Image Formats                                       BMP; GIF; JPEG; PNG

Rated Battery Life                                  8 weeks (wireless off)

Size                                                        7.5 x 4.8 x 0.3 inches

Weight                                                    8.7 ounces

Warranty/Support                                   1 year limited warranty