Weighty ... the Kindel DX has a 9.7-inch screen and holds 3500 books.
The Kindel DX reader is a larger version of the popular (in the US anyway) Kindle e-reader. On the eve of a highly anticipated announcement of Apple's colour-screened tablet, however, the DX may just find itself struggling for attention. On the other hand, the larger 9.7-inch E Ink screen (the regular one is a 6-inch) may be just enough to keep some interested in Amazon's electronic book format.
In addition to the larger screen, the Kindel dx does a few new tricks. Firstly, the screen now auto-rotates, depending on how you hold it. The annoying thing about this is that, like the iPhone with the same feature, the screen goes in horizontal mode if you lay the device down flat. Thankfully, you can lock the orientation. Flipping between portrait and landscape is also slow and results in ghost images on the screen. Memory has been boosted to 4GB (3.3GB available to the user) so that the Kindel DX now holds 3500 books - 2000 more than the 6-inch version.
Apart from the larger screen, however, the most significant new feature of the Kindel DX is native PDF support. This means any book or document that you have in PDF format will be readable on the Kindle. Just drag and drop an Acrobat file to the Kindle while it's connected via USB and you'll be able to view it in full (albeit in black and white) - no conversion required. Surprisingly, you can even search within the PDF document, though in our tests it's rather slow going and not entirely foolproof. One drawback is you can't zoom in if the text is too small.
The Kindel DX reader bigger screen means less page-turning. Comparing the two models, at the same text size, it takes a little more than two "pages" on the 6-inch version for every page on the DX. It comes in handy for text books with diagrams or PDF documents since zooming isn't one of the Kindle's features. It's almost twice as heavy as the smaller Kindle, though, and it's pretty pricey, at $US489 ($539) compared with $US259 for the original.
For those who have a specific need to view large documents and don't mind the extra bulk and weight, the DX might fit the bill. If you want a simple e-reader to take on a holiday or commute, however, the regular model is still better.
Product summary
The good: The Kindle DX's wireless connection now works overseas; offers 2.5 times the screen real estate as the smaller Kindle; native PDF support; you can switch from portrait to landscape mode by just turning the device; large library of tens of thousands of e-books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs via Amazon's familiar online store; built-in free wireless "Whispernet" data network--no PC needed; built-in keyboard for notes; faster processor speeds up the device; with 4GB (3.3 usable) of internal memory, it's capable of storing 3,500 electronic books; font size is adjustable; decent battery life; displays image files, and plays MP3 and AAC audio.
The bad: Expensive; no Wi-Fi; somewhat heavy compared to the Kindle 2; no expansion slot for adding more memory; no protective carrying case included; battery is sealed into the device and isn't removable; isn't compatible with loaner e-books from your local library that use the ePub format; if you're using the wireless service overseas, you're charged extra fees for downloading full books and periodicals; Apple's iPad offers far more functionality at nearly the same price.
The bottom line: Although it has all the positive attributes typically associated with a Kindle device, the arrival of Apple's iPad seriously affects the Kindle DX's viability unless Amazon lowers its price by at least $100.
http://www.buykindledxreader.com
