Cheap Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7" Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally – Latest Generation

It has taken awhile to finally get a review written but here it is. I have owned the DX since the beginning of this year till just the other day (I sold it so I can buy the newest DX).

Pros:

Display: If you are an avid reader and you want an e-reader then this is the one. Why? Because of the screen. Despite the bloggers who are coming to the defense of reading on the iPad (which I also own) reading for an extended amount of time on an LCD screen does eventually strain the eyes. It strains the eyes, because ... well, it is literally a portable computer screen that has the same type of backlit display. Not to knock the iPad because it is awesome in its own right - just don't get one if your just gonna read books on it. I have read on both and I can say that the e-ink display of the Kindle is by far the best display of the two. This is of course if you are an avid reader and will be using it more than 30 minutes a day to read a book, if you are a light or occasional reader then maybe display is not that much of a factor for you.

Weight: It is lighter. It is, if I did my math right, 20% lighter than the iPad, which just adds to the convenience of the device by not being bulky or heavy. It makes it really easy to read wherever you want, within reason of course.

Battery: The battery life is amazing. With the Wireless shut off (since you don't need to keep that running all the time) the battery lasts for two weeks worth of reading. The iPad lasts for a good day or so.

Visibility: The Kindle, as advertised, is a great device to take outside to read. I'm not big on reading outside but I do like reading in natural light, say by the window in my reading chair. The iPad is not a good reader for any type of bright light shining on it because of its glossy screen. When the light shines on it you get the reflected light in your eyes as well as all the images that are reflecting off the glass. Some people are saying the iPad is better because you can read in the dark (which I am not sure how many people do that unless they want to fall asleep). The iPad does have more fonts and brightness control but in the end the visibility is greater for the Kindle because it can go more places. Not only is the Kindle better on your eyes, it can be read in multiple settings without worry of distracting reflections.

Cons:

Options: There is only one font you can read books in as opposed to the 6 or so of the iPad. I would like to see more options in the fonts a book can be read in.

Organization: The Kindle DX is alright when it comes to navigation but it could be a lot better. One thing the iPad has that Kindle does not is the ability to organize your books through the use of iTunes. I wish Amazon would do something so readers can organize and edit author names when necessary since some ebook publishers have different ways of listing the author. However, if these two things are all, critique wise, which for me they are, I can sacrifice the organization and font options to have something that is hands down the best reader out there. That's why it still gets 5 of 5!Get more detail about Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7" Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally – Latest Generation.

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Was following the product since it came out. Was vary about using it in India. Ordered it online & got it delivered to my doorstep in 4 days. It was a cinch. Have downloaded books & periodicals. This can be done anywhere with phone connectivity, uses the EDGE network.
Currently have only used it in Bombay & Delhi. It actually takes only 5-10 minutes to read the content from time of purchase & the purchases can be done on the Kindle itself.
I am a voracious reader & a bibliophile. Even though I love the feel of a well produced book, leather bound or hardback, the ease & convenience an ebook provides makes it a must have. Its just better technology to read more & read better. It cuts down weight especially when flying. You no longer have to make sacrifices of what to carry when you go on a trip.
Its also possible to get older titles of classics at lesser rates. It is a great device for portability & sheer storage.
The battery life of the product is good, you just have to remember to turn the wireless off as that is the battery drainer.
In the accessories dept, after a lot of research I decided to skip the light ( I use my fishing headlamp) as nothing seemed to be right. I got the Gomadic charger set & that arrived & functons without complaint. I may go in for a AA battery extender to increase portability & independence from electric sources.
I got the brown leather M Edge cover. Fits & functions well. Makes it look like a leather folder. Feels secure & I am reading my kindledx 9.7 in it. It is not heavy on the hands. Maybe I will attempt War & Peace at last!

There is only one con as a person who needs & uses books on photography- the product is greyscale & the pictures are in the best of times dull & lacking contrast, even for originally monochromatic images. .
I dont want to put the hard-to-use keyboard as a con, becaue this is not its primary function, but it is inconvenient enough to make ordering content on your computer.

The one control feature that needs improvement is the joystick. Often, pressing down will push the cursor up to the next item on the menu-- yes, not if you do it gingerly, but then how many of us are ginger fingered.

I am going to download the Shortcuts for Kindle to see if there is a way of freezing the orientation of the text to either portrait or landscape as sometimes, when lying down, your hand changes direction & the format of the layout changes. You have to turn it around to realign it. Not too much of a problem but I hope there is a key.

I recommend this to serious readers despite the cost & if you are one of those who reads several books at a time- your bread has been sliced!

M-Edge GO! Jacket for Amazon Kindle - Smooth Mocha
Essential Kit for the Amazon Kindle Latest Generation (US or International) and Kindle DX - includes Car and Wall Charger with Rapid Charge TechnologyGet more detail about Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7" Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally – Latest Generation.

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Im very pleased with my kindle dx I live in mexico and it works really great here.Get more detail about Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7" Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally – Latest Generation.

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This review is for Kindle DX (2nd Generation). In short, I would say that e-readers (not just Kindle)revolutionized the reading experience. Besides everything that's been already mentioned ("carrying" many books with you, ease of reading, tree-saving, etc, etc), for language learners these devices are a big deal. Because now, you don't have to be chained to a computer in order to see text and listen. With this readers you now can do this anywhere. Anyway, here are pros and cons of Kindle DX, IMHO:

Pros:

1. Bigger screen is a plus. It does help.
2. I don't know why Amazon is not specifying the fact that if you want to read a book in other language then PDF format is the way to go. For me, support for Cyrillic characters was a must have. I uploaded several books in PDF format that are in Cyrillic and bingo, I am able to read them on Kindle. I assume, it would work the same for other languages (non Latin-based).
3. Collection creation capability after I installed the upgrade is a big hit with me. Everything now looks very organized. Just keep in mind that you cannot create collections outside of Kindle (like on the computer while Kindle is plugged in via USB). It won't work. Just drop your books/documents into the 'documents' folder and then use Kindle to create collections and add/remove books from them. In fact, not a single collection you create on Kindle will show up on the computer.
4. The conversion feature is cool. I use the one via email (the free conversion). It works and it's easy.
5. Battery life (with wireless off, of course)is a big deal, certainly a feature that iPad lovers cannot enjoy (at least for now).
6. I hope that Amazon will stick to the paper-like reading experience. This is the reading device after all.
7. The ability to change font size is a beautiful. However, for some reason, when it comes to pdf files I was having some difficulties with zooming.

Cons and neutrals:

1. Instead of that 5-way controller I would prefer to have something like a touch pad or a wheel. If, for example, I want to look up a word in a book, first I need to click on the controller to activate the cursor, then with the same controller scroll down and to the side (if the word is in the middle). With touch pad it could work very much like moving a cursor on the computer - right away to the location desired.
2. You would definitely feel the weight of the device, especially if you buy a leather jacket. So keep that in mind when you want to choose a cover for it.
3. You can only use the dictionary provided with Kindle (Oxford American). I was told that this will change. But my guess is that you can load another dictionary in AZW or Mobi format then you can do look ups outside of a book or document. It would be nice to also be able to use dual-language dictionaries.
4. Calling features like music and internet browsing 'experimental' should be the thing of the past. Why not really call it 'Music' and 'Internet'?
5. 3G was never a feature I really cared for, especially because I don't care about wireless deliveries of newspapers and magazines. But I tried to browse Internet with Kindle's basic browser and it's decent. If you want to quickly look up something (more like a reference-type of information) then it's doing an OK job with that, even though the browsing speed will not awe you.
6. Ability for memory expansion should really be considered.
7. The device that has maybe only Wi-Fi but not 3G would be also a nice addition to the Kindle family and will keep the cost of Kindle down.
8. Support of additional formats would be nice (ePUB?)
9. How about a slide out keyboard to decrease the bulkiness of the DX?

And that's pretty much it. Overall, I love it and would recommend it to anyone.

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This device needs additional navigation buttons on the left - more so than the smaller version, because it's heavier. This is so obvious that it makes you wonder whether Amazon is listening to user feedback at all.

The saving grace is that the contrast is better, otherwise I would have given it zero stars ;-)Get more detail about Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7" Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally – Latest Generation.

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I've had 2 days with my new Kindle DX2, I had been waiting for a price drop and purchased it in the first hours of its availability. Have several dozen books on it (had been building a wish list for a year) and have had the days free to read and play with the device. I'm a voracious reader, have thousands of books, and the idea of always having new books, and my favorites at hand is a dream-come-true. The DX size was a requirement for me, the basic unit is too small because I use larger fonts and read quickly.

Best features:
* the display is excellent. Indoors or out in the sun, it is easy to read, and I forget about the electronic display and get absorbed in the reading, just like a book.
* variable font size - I've been purchasing some large-print versions of my favorite books, my aging eyes require reading glasses, and this alone would justify the purchase (assuming the display is great).
* book access - the Kindle store, free books, PDFs, could hardly be easier.
* PDF files - I've imported several PDF files. Depending on the source, some are displayed well but the variable font size on magnifies or decreases the page size; PDF's that are crudely formated in the source, are not so well presented.
* FOLDERS! - called Collections, I can organize the books into categories and easily navigate to them (this was my number one requested improvement), though it is tedious to assign many files as each must be done individually with several steps required to complete the assignment.
* size of storage - it will hold thousands of books; this is really important because when I travel, I never know what I'll be in the mood to read. (I have that problem with my audio devices' music selection). A large selection (and the ease of adding new ones) will provide the variety of selection I'd like to have with me.
* bookmarks, notes - though the keyboard is very slow for typing

What could be better:
* the keyboard is cumbersome to use (really voice-recognition is what I'd prefer, my PC's have that and I use it, like now)
* weight is acceptable, but lighter would be nice
* assignable buttons on both sides (I use it "upside-down" so I can turn the pages with my left hand, that works)
* more supported file formats and some easy to use formating software
* lower prices on some books
* faster display (though I'm happy with it now)
** book selection. Surprisingly, many of my favorite books are still not available for Kindle. "One Hundred Years of Solitude", "Narcissus and Goldmund", Rilke's poetry, lots of esoteric writings and many specific translations of great classics (Dante, the Iliad, etc.) the free ones are not my preferences.

Bottom line: It's a keeper, I'm very happy with it, am sure I'll buy another in a couple of years, when there's enough reasons to move on. If you read enough to justify the cost, then it's an easy decision; if you're only an occassional reader, you probably not reading this review.Get more detail about Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7" Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally – Latest Generation.

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Comparison of Kindle DX (White) to DX (Graphite). The black images are sharper, and you can immediately see the difference. The ink looks richer, darker and more like an actual book. The graphite body color does make the "page" background appear whiter, along with the improved contrast.

Form Factor: Very nicely balanced, light weight, but solidly build. Keys have a nice tactile touch when depressed.

Screen: Good readability in moderate light, but fantastic readability in direct light. Excellent indoors usage when using a "Daylight" compact fluorescent lamp. Screen has a matte finish, which will show some glare from light bulbs, but you just tilt the device slightly to eliminate it.

Latest version 2.5 update: Best feature was the addition of categories. You create custom categories, and then assign books and PDFs. With 80 or so books and subscriptions, I used to have about 5 pages of items to scroll thru. Now with 4 categories, I have less than one page of items, and my "home/first page" is now like a "main menu". Much easier to find stuff.

Comparing the Kindle DX to the iPad: I stopped by the Apple store and compared the DX to the iPad. The iPad had too much glare and harsh contrast when compared to the Kindle. Also, the fonts were crisper and easier to read on the Kindle.

PDF reading: My personal preference is to have larger fonts, so having a PDF document shrunk down to the 9.7 inch screen was not something I found useful. There is zoom functionality for PDF files, but it's a little cumbersome maneuvering the zoom outline box around with the small joy stick button.


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