# Kindle Touch update -- major revision
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 28, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203 "2013-03-28T19:11:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/21 "2013-03-29T16:05:14Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#):
>
> Since the kindle can display in many font sizes, each “page” you are reading doesn’t correspond to a printed page. That’s why “page” isn’t included automatically. I think the publisher has to provide the information as to how the print version maps to the kindle version, and most don’t.
It’s becoming increasingly common for them to do so; nowadays it seems fairly common for professionally published ebooks to have page numbers.
This is one of the features that was added by popular demand. The Kindle I have (what is now called the Kindle Keyboard, though at the time I bought it there weren’t any Kindles without “keyboards”) didn’t originally have the ability to display page numbers, but it was added in a software update. (It still won’t tell you how many pages are left until the end of the chapter, though.)
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### Author:  [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/22 "2013-03-29T23:12:55Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> ETA, regarding the update, I coulda done without it. It’s nice to have the book covers, but I’ll probably end up turning them off for two reasons. First off, I can’t even tell what some of the books are since you have to be able to read the cover, which isn’t always possible on the tiny black and white screen and second, it only shows three books on the first screen so it can run a row of Deals along the bottom.
You can turn off the row of Amazon suggestions. Go to Settings-\>Device Options-Personalize your Kindle. Turn off “Recommended Content”.
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### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/23 "2013-03-29T23:49:45Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> Probably the last one since they’ve already discontinued the Touch. ☹
I don’t understand what you’re sad about. What is it that won’t happen which you wish would happen? In other words, what difference, in practical terms, would it make to you whether the Touch were discontinued or not?
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2013, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/24 "2013-03-29T23:54:06Z")
The attitude that what they sold me 18 months ago is obsolete. After another year or two you can’t even give away obsolete tech at a garage sale. It’s like trying to sell a flip phone you bought in 2010. No one wants it.
I know it’s the Tech world we live in now. But it still stings.
I’ll continue enjoying my Kindle. AFAIK it will continue to be compatible with new Ebooks as they are released. I use my kindle almost every day.
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### Author:  [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2013, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/25 "2013-03-30T03:18:34Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> I hate telling people “Oh, I’m reading The Hunger Games, yeah, I have about 27% of the book left.”
STM “27%” conveys more useable info than chapter or page number, especially if the other person doesn’t know how many chapters or pages a book has.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/26 "2013-03-30T04:36:03Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> The attitude that what they sold me 18 months ago is obsolete.
But it’s not obsolete. It just got an update, you can still download books to it, you can still (I presume) get support for it and unless you’re planning to sell it, who cares if no one wants to buy it.
Now, if when the new model was released you were forced to upgrade because the when you had stopped functioning, then I could understand being annoyed that they were coming out so quickly, but not only does the old one still work, they’re still writing new software for it which means they’ve done nearly the exact opposite of discard and kick it to the curb. I don’t think anyone would have blamed them if they didn’t update the Touch. It’s, what, the third oldest one out? (There’s the Paperwhite and the one with the buttons on the side to turn the pages).
Also, keep in mind, you paid a hundred dollars for it 18 months ago. I think that’s a pretty good deal and if you get another 2 years out of it, I’ll bet you can get $10 for it at a garage sale. IMO, that’s not bad.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2013, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/27 "2013-03-30T04:48:28Z")
That’s a good point. I really have nothing to complain about. I’ll easily get my moneys worth by the time it wears out.
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### Author:  [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2013, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/28 "2013-03-30T04:57:53Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#):
>
> It’s becoming increasingly common for them to do so; nowadays it seems fairly common for professionally published ebooks to have page numbers.
>
> This is one of the features that was added by popular demand. The Kindle I have (what is now called the Kindle Keyboard, though at the time I bought it there weren’t any Kindles without “keyboards”) didn’t originally have the ability to display page numbers, but it was added in a software update. (It still won’t tell you how many pages are left until the end of the chapter, though.)
For the keyboard, if you look closely at the bar you may see a slight break in it. If you see that that means there is either a new section or a new chapter. Each book is different.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/29 "2013-03-30T05:03:07Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#):
>
> For the keyboard, if you look closely at the bar you may see a slight break in it. If you see that that means there is either a new section or a new chapter. Each book is different.
I remember seeing that when I set up my mom’s Kindle. There was some sort of progress bar across the top or bottom with breaks and a thing to indicate how far long you were.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/30 "2013-03-30T13:29:21Z")
I updated a couple of weeks ago. It didn’t take long, but the indexing caused a battery drain the first day or so (as they said would happen). I do like the new interface – it’s bigger – and it still works fine for what I got it for.
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### Author:  [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kindle-touch-update-major-revision/654203/31 "2013-03-31T03:10:05Z")
> [@Tethered\_Kite](#):
>
> …So here’s a question if anyone can help: What happens to the thirty-some unread books, many of which I purchased, which are on it?
>
> Early obsolescence is vile. Think of all the stuff that goes into the landfill.
Do you have a PC or a netbook or an Android phone or an iPhone or an iPad? You can download free Kindle software for a number of platforms. Just sign into Amazon and install the software. Then hit Sync and your stuff will appear!
Kindle works differently, depending on the hardware. But it works…
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