I have the same problem with touchscreens. I was tempted to upgrade my camera earlier this summer - until I found out that the next model up has a touchscreen, which would in my case lead to Much Cursing and random settings.

I don't know how common this is, but I can turn off the touchscreen on my camera.

I only found out about it by chance; and was pleased when I did so, as I bought the camera despite, rather than because of, the touch screen.

I prefer my touchscreen Kindle to the shortlived non-touchscreen one which preceded it. I find it the page turning more comfortable. However, a carelessly thrown-back duvet, a passing cat's tail, a trailing sleeve or the fluttering of a nearby butterfly's wing has sometimes resulted in doing something like leaping to p351 in a completely different book, highlighting the word "and" and telling me its meaning, and suggesting four similar titles: a series of commands that remain competely impossible to replicate deliberately.

I don't know about Kindles, but I have a touchscreen Android tablet and the screen is pretty durable, plus I have the whole thing in a slim folding case for protection (also props it up for movie watching on airplanes). The way the touchscreen works, it requires human skin contact, so it's not possible for a blanket or anything like that to make it do anything. I occasionally end up doing something I don't want to do, but not very often.

IME touchscreens on phones and tablets are very different and much more usable than on a vertical screen like a computer.

I'd recommend setting if you can play around with some ereaders or tablets in stores.

(Personally, I'd go with a small tablet over a branded ereader if you're not buying eInk - that way you can install apps for all booksellers + third party apps, and you're not restricted by what Amazon thinks you should be allowed to install. Plus it's easier to keep the operating system up to date.)

Yeah, I don't know. The last couple ereaders I had were non-touchscreen but definitely didn't seem *that* durable.

I second the idea to look for a refurb. The only issue with that is that ime with buttons it makes a big difference where they are and it's harder to try things out physically with a refurb.

Well, in this case you'd be going for refurb not to save money, but to get a feature that's important to you (if you can't find it in a new model). It's a tough decision all around, though!

Why not get a second hand/ refurbished kindle on ebay that isn't touchscreen?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Refurbished-Amazon-Kindle-3-WIFI-Version-/151807882817?hash=item2358747641

Edited at 2015-09-22 03:20 (UTC)

I was given a traditional Kindle by a friend in the USA who had used it well for years and I've now had it for 2 years. If you keep your eye on ebay they have bargains from folk upgrading. I am dreading when my windows 7 laptop gives up the ghost!

I have two e-readers, a Sony, that has buttons as well, and a Kobo. I love the Kobo, it's waterproof and so I can read in the bath, and a backlit screen so I can read in the dark or poor light. I find the touch screen function very good, less erratic than the one on my computer. I think it's very similar to the Kindle, so why not try one out next time you go into a WHS? I use a sleep cover that switches it into sleep mode when I close it, which I bought cheap, online. Best luck.