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Does Kindle Touch 5.0.3 software update solve speed issues?

Amazon has quietly pushed out a software update for the Kindle Touch that's supposed to improve page-turn speeds and make menu navigation feel zippier.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
Expertise Mobile accessories and portable audio, including headphones, earbuds and speakers Credentials
  • Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer
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David Carnoy
Update version 5.0.3 is allegedly supposed to speed up page turns and menu navigation. Sarah Tew/CNET

While Amazon's 5.0.3 software update for the Kindle Touch may seem relatively minor on the surface, it may help put to rest some complaints about the generally zippiness of the device compared with its non-touch sibling, which Amazon simply calls the Kindle.

Amazon has quietly released the update without making any reference to what it exactly it fixes. "This update features general software improvements for Kindle Touch," the update page reads.

Some users also were upset that Kindle Touch couldn't switch into landscape mode (yes, the non-touch Kindle can do that). That doesn't seem like a big deal to us, but some folks just can't live without landscape (horizontal) viewing.

You can manually download the 5.0.3 update here or wait till Amazon pushes it out over Wi-Fi in the coming days (your Kindle Touch should automatically be updated when you log on to a Wi-Fi network).

For those who have downloaded the update already, let us know what you think. We'll be updating our review sample shortly.