Kindle DX: Bigger and Better

Amazon Kindle DX: Bigger and Better

I just finished my first session with the Kindle DX, and I am absolutely delighted. I have subscribed to the customer service blogs for the Kindle 2, and have watched “nit pick” after “nit pick” come cascading from people, who quite frankly, need to get a life. If you do not want a book for a penny more than $9.99, don’t buy it! If you are in the remote hills of Asia, and the product is wireless only in the USA, move home! And so on!When you turn on your Kindle DX, you are now holding a perfectly sized book, substantailly heavier, but, oh, those large fonts. They are glorious. I am 55 years old and have had lasik surgery on one eye only. My vision corrects to 20-20 without glasses, but neither close-up nor far away feel absolutely perfect. That is the price I pay for not having to wear glasses.With the Kindle DX, the font is perfect, using one of the two larger sizes. Compared to the Kindle 2, there is more content per page turn for the same size font, due obviously to the increased real estate on the screen.Next, when I am wanting to find something, like for example a bible verse, I go to a smaller font, and get WAY MORE content. Once I am where I need to be, a quick pop to a larger font has me home free.Of course, I want the backlight and the color, and would pay for them, but they will come in due course.Do not subscribe to the USA today, unless you want a very watered down view of the paper. This device is not ready for a color newspaper. You would be much better served by subscribing on your PC, or reading the free USA today site on your iPhone or PC.The iPhone integration continues to be superb, and if you want a quick bedtime read, it is backlit!The downloading and upgrading remain remarkably easy.Obviously, removing the left side buttons was a terrible mistake, and the cries of horrified anger will undoubtedly cause the problem to be solved on the next generation.Will the next Kindle DX be better? Of course! Will the next iMac be better? Of course! Will the next generation Windows computer be better? Of course. Ditto for flat screen TV’s, cars, and telephones.If you are a technology freak who has to get the latest and greatest immediately, you already have your Kindle DX. If you are almost that far towards the “bleeding edge” you should enthusiastically pony up for this baby, ’cause you are going to love it. You already know that you can sell your Kindle DX for about 70% of what you paid for it when the next one comes out. As a matter of fact, if the next one has color and/or backlighting, and you buy it the first day, you will get almost 90% if you sell quickly.So, if you are a first time Kindl’r, it is time to get in the game. If you are an upgrade candidate, this is a clear buy if screen size and font size matter. When the backlit, color version hits, watch for my presale, I always keep my equipment in brand new condition!

By Richard Gruber

Kindle 2 Or Kindle DX

Kindle 2 Or Kindle DX - Which One is For You?

The original Kindle was released by the earth’s largest book seller, Amazon, more than a year ago. Needless to say, it revolutionized the way we approached book reading. Since then, Amazon has released two more versions of the Kindle, which are both targeted at different market segments. In this article, we will quickly compare the differences between these two devices and see which is the best device suited for you.
The Kindle 2 has a much smaller screen than the Kindle DX, which means that it is much more portable. At the same time, a smaller screen implies that you cannot read daily newspapers and magazines so easily on the Kindle 2. The Kindle DX is the ideal device if you are planning to read journals, magazines and textbooks. The Kindle DX also comes with automatic screen orientation, similar to the one you find on the iPhone. The book you are reading automatically switches to landscape or portrait orientation depending upon how you are holding the device. This dramatically improves the readability of the book and comes very handy when you are reading a newspaper.
The Kindle DX also comes with a native PDF reader which is not available in the Kindle 2 device. This makes it very easy to carry your office documents and other e-books without the need for conversion.
One area where there is a stark difference between the two devices is the keyboard layout. Even though it is much larger, the Kindle DX has one less row of keys, which means you need to use a shift key mechanism to enter numerals using the keyboard. This may not be a major deterrent as mostly you will be reading books rather than entering large quantities of text on the device.
In summary, I would say that you should opt for the Kindle 2 if you have portability in mind and do not read many magazines or newspapers on the wireless e-book device. On the other hand, if you are a student who wants to carry all your textbooks in the Kindle, get the Kindle DX version.

By Cindy R Adams

Kindle DX : The Definitive Electronic Book… finally!

Kindle DX : The Definitive Electronic Book… finally!

Although I was an early adopter of the original Kindle, I’ve eagerly anticipated Amazon Kindle DX. The original device was, and is, well-suited for light reading of non-serious material, but its small screen size and lack of PDF support made it mostly a recreational device. I quickly realized that any serious technical book still worked better in physical form. That, combined with the original Kindle’s inability to handle PDFs in a usable form (the conversion left a lot to be desired), made me look at other eReaders, particularly the iLiad iRex. Unfortunately, the iRex, at above $800, was still a work-in-progress, with serious deficiencies in terms of functionality and reliability, and I didn’t want to be an alpha tester of a device that might never BE finished. Amazon’s announcement of the large-format Kindle DX with native PDF support seemed like the answer… so I plunked down the money for a DX and the Amazon case and got on the waiting list.Why would you want native PDF support? The small Kindles support PDFs file via translation; you send a PDF document to Amazon and they convert it to the Kindle’s AZW format and send it back to you, either to your desktop email account (free) or directly to your Kindle ($0.10 per document). However, if your document is anything more than simple text, formatting and imagery are mangled. What you get is readable but not nearly as readable as a Kindle document that was specifically prepared for the device. This is an inherent restriction caused by the difference between a document file structure that is meant to preserve formatting (PDF) and one that is meant to allow for text flow despite screen or font size concerns (AZW). The result was that you couldn’t practically use either the original or 2nd gen Kindles for reading even reasonably complex PDF documents. Having an integral native PDF reader on the new Kindle DX solves this problem and opens up a HUGE world of documents to the Kindle owner.

I’ve had the Kindle DX for about a day now, and it’s everything I was looking for. PDFs render beautifully, and Kindle AZW documents render even better than they did on the original Kindle due to the larger screen size and 16-tone grey scale capability. The large screen really elevates the new DX into something more than a convenient device for light reading. The Kindle DX shows the true utility of an electronic reader for the first time. It’s what the Kindle should have been from the start.

What has improved? Performance is better, particularly the screen refresh rate. The new button design means not turning pages accidentally anymore (although I wish they’d kept buttons on both sides of the device for us left-handers). I don’t like not having an SD card slot on the device, nor do I like not being able to change the battery without sending the device back to Amazon. Being able to turn the Whispernet modem on and off via software (menu item) is scads better than having to move a switch. The web browser’s ‘desktop’ mode makes the browser very usable, especially when combined with the rotation feature. Speaking of rotation, the ability to rotate the device and view documents in either landscape or portrait mode is KILLER. Text-to-speech works well, but I have yet to try it for actually ‘reading’ (listening to) a document while doing something else, e.g., driving, to see if it is really useful or just a checklist feature. The Amazon cover (extra charge) is WAY above the original Kindle’s flimsy cover; it actually holds the device securely, protects the screen, yet is easy to open (beware of the magnetic latch around external hard drives or near the bottom of your laptop).

Okay, so now I have two Kindles. My wife asked me why I need two, a good question. My answer is, the small Kindles are great for light reading… the latest fiction novel, public-domain classics, etc., but they’re useless for PDFs or more serious reading such as technical books because the screen size is too small and images, formulas, etc., don’t display well. The Kindle DX is great for any type of reading and shines with PDFs and more serious books, yet it is considerably heavier than the original Kindle (I’d say twice as heavy, if not more so) and not as convenient to stuff in a carry-on bag. I’ve already moved all of the technical books I own over to the Kindle DX, as well as many PDF documents. I had decided to not buy any serious books for my Kindle, using it only for light reading… but the new Kindle DX has changed my mind. The experience of reading a technical book is as good or better than the physical book, and that is something that could not be said about the smaller Kindles.

If I had to own just one electronic reading device, the choice is obvious: the Kindle DX. Amazon has gotten it right; the Kindle DX finally fulfills the ‘book’ paradigm in an electronic device.

By John Clifford

Reviewing Kindle DX’s chances of succeeding

Reviewing Kindle DX’s chances of succeeding

This is mostly a review of the strategy Amazon is using with the Kindle DX and its chance of succeeding. You can read my Kindle DX review (technically a preview) if you’re deciding whether to buy it or not.
That being said …

Positive Indicators and Things that indicate Kindle DX will succeed

Concrete Signs Kindle DX might succeed

- People are actually pre-ordering. We know from what various kindle blog sites are writing and what people are commenting at forums etc. that a decent number of people have actually pre-ordered the Kindle DX.
- Although the tone of nearly every kindle dx review at news sites and big blogs is negative, the anti-dx arguments all hinge on price or its inability to cook you breakfast (in addition to being an etextbook reader). Even in the recession there are a lot of people for whom $489 is not a deal breaker.

Indicators and Hints Kindle DX might succeed
- The amount of interest is high and is staying at the level of interest in the Kindle 2 -
Kindle DX Web Search Volume
- A lot of Kindle 2 owners are upset that a new product was released so soon and are trying to exchange – Surely, this means they feel the Kindle DX is worth the higher price.
- Signing up 3 of the major textbook publishers is a coup and indicates that Kindle DX might have very strong content options for students.

Things that do matter
- By announcing the price really early Amazon has anchored it i.e. people are not going to be shocked into inaction when it is released.
- In addition the lead time lets people get used to the more expensive price, and sets up the Kindle DX to even seem like a bargain if a $50 Kindle dx coupon were thrown into the mix down the line.
- Being the first company to announce a larger screen eReader available this year gives Amazon a distinct edge.
- The current interest and preorders give Amazon data on actual and potential demand and they can set up manufacturing accordingly. This, in my opinion, is the real reason for the ridiculous ‘preorder Kindle dx now and we’ll ship it sometime after a few months’ strategy.