> You could distill my whole piece to: This is a single purpose device that's been designed like a multi-purpose device. That just feels a little sideways.

Then we're in agreement! There are a TON of features/complexity in Kindle; combine that with e-ink being a clumsy display technology to combine with a touch screen and we find ourselves in the situation that we're in.

(Note that I totally understand why e-ink was combined with a touchscreen for Kindle. Give someone a screen these days and they'll try and touch it, for better or worse)