Kindle DX : Good, not great–but I like it
As a graduate student, I am a frequent reader of both books and PDFs, so I purchased the Kindle DX with hopes of being able to use it for some books and most of the (many) PDFs I read each semester.With regard to the device itself, I was worried about the Kindle DX being too large for “normal” (typical book) reading, since the screen and the device itself are notably larger than the regular Kindle. This has not been a problem, and I find the screen comfortable for ordinary reading. (You can also adjust text size and number of words per line to your liking; many find it easier to read with fewer words per line.) In fact, I wonder if I’d find a normal Kindle almost too small. I also find it quite easy to read on. I was worried from pictures that the screen’s background might be a bit too dark, and while it certainly isn’t a bright white, reading on it is no problem–it’s probably about the shade of a typical newspaper. Reading in bright light I barely even notice. (Also, if you aren’t aware, the screen itself is not at all like a computer screen–it’s “electronic paper,” which reflects light like ordinary paper, rather than using backlighting like your computer display.)
Additionally, the physical layout of the device is not bad. My biggest two complaints are that the number row on the keypad has been merged into the top letter row, forcing you to press ALT every time you want to type a number. Also, I sometimes have problems clicking with the five-way controller and end up accidentally moving the cursor instead, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. While it’s hardly as sleek as something I would expect from, for example, Apple, it’s definitely not bad, and it’s just as thin as I expected.
My biggest wish is that they would improve PDF support. Yes, it views PDF documents fine (except one I had with a ridiculously detailed embedded image that it refused to display). I have my local bus routes and scheduled copied to my Kindle, and it’s a lot better than my trying to remember stop times or jot down notes to myself any time I go somewhere new (I just moved here!). However, for other documents, there are times when it would be nice to be able to pan or zoom (although flipping the Kindle DX to landscape mode will zoom a little, at the cost of potentially splitting the page). Basically, how well the Kindle displays PDFs depends on the document itself, so for those documents that the Kindle doesn’t quite get right, it would be nice to do some tweaks. My biggest wish besides this would be supporting links in PDF documents (frequently found in PDF documents’ tables of contents). Also, you can’t take notes or highlight in PDFs. I understand not being able to highlight (PDFs aren’t necessarily text), but it would be nice to be able to at least take notes, even if they are for the whole page.
The Kindle DX has some other nice features as well–the built-in Web browser that works over the cellular network connection, for example, is handy. While it’s still experimental and slightly clunky to use at times, it’s great for looking up something quickly, including the weather, a map (like I said, I’m new here!) or–my favorite–a Wikipedia article about something I just read. And it’s currently free, so I can’t complain (although I wouldn’t be surprised if they started charging for data as the browser matures).
Price-wise, even if the Kindle DX seems to cost a lot, I actually don’t know any eBook readers this size that cost less (all the ones I can find, such as the iRex Ditigial Reader, cost more–a lot more). I paid a bit more than I’d like for the Kindle DX, but it was worth it to me, and I recognize the “early-adopter premium” I am probably paying. Kindle books, however, are normally reasonably priced, and Kindle books from Amazon are normally less than eBooks elsewhere. You’ll have to decide if the prices are worth it for yourself.
In summary, I like most things about the Kindle DX, including the screen, buttons and controls (mostly), and features. Mostly, I just wish they would allow more control when viewing PDFs, especially with the way they advertise PDF support (which is otherwise quite nice). I would give it 4.5 stars if I could, but I’ll have to settle with 4. With a few improvements (mostly software-related), I’d be happy to give it a 5.
By R.Morris
As a graduate student, I am a frequent reader of both books and PDFs, so I purchased the Kindle DX with hopes of being able to use it for some books and most of the (many) PDFs I read each semester.With regard to the device itself, I was worried about the Kindle DX being too large for “normal” (typical book) reading, since the screen and the device itself are notably larger than the regular Kindle. This has not been a problem, and I find the screen comfortable for ordinary reading. (You can also adjust text size and number of words per line to your liking; many find it easier to read with fewer words per line.) In fact, I wonder if I’d find a normal Kindle almost too small. I also find it quite easy to read on. I was worried from pictures that the screen’s background might be a bit too dark, and while it certainly isn’t a bright white, reading on it is no problem–it’s probably about the shade of a typical newspaper. Reading in bright light I barely even notice. (Also, if you aren’t aware, the screen itself is not at all like a computer screen–it’s “electronic paper,” which reflects light like ordinary paper, rather than using backlighting like your computer display.)
Additionally, the physical layout of the device is not bad. My biggest two complaints are that the number row on the keypad has been merged into the top letter row, forcing you to press ALT every time you want to type a number. Also, I sometimes have problems clicking with the five-way controller and end up accidentally moving the cursor instead, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. While it’s hardly as sleek as something I would expect from, for example, Apple, it’s definitely not bad, and it’s just as thin as I expected.
My biggest wish is that they would improve PDF support. Yes, it views PDF documents fine (except one I had with a ridiculously detailed embedded image that it refused to display). I have my local bus routes and scheduled copied to my Kindle, and it’s a lot better than my trying to remember stop times or jot down notes to myself any time I go somewhere new (I just moved here!). However, for other documents, there are times when it would be nice to be able to pan or zoom (although flipping the Kindle DX to landscape mode will zoom a little, at the cost of potentially splitting the page). Basically, how well the Kindle displays PDFs depends on the document itself, so for those documents that the Kindle doesn’t quite get right, it would be nice to do some tweaks. My biggest wish besides this would be supporting links in PDF documents (frequently found in PDF documents’ tables of contents). Also, you can’t take notes or highlight in PDFs. I understand not being able to highlight (PDFs aren’t necessarily text), but it would be nice to be able to at least take notes, even if they are for the whole page.
The Kindle DX has some other nice features as well–the built-in Web browser that works over the cellular network connection, for example, is handy. While it’s still experimental and slightly clunky to use at times, it’s great for looking up something quickly, including the weather, a map (like I said, I’m new here!) or–my favorite–a Wikipedia article about something I just read. And it’s currently free, so I can’t complain (although I wouldn’t be surprised if they started charging for data as the browser matures).
Price-wise, even if the Kindle DX seems to cost a lot, I actually don’t know any eBook readers this size that cost less (all the ones I can find, such as the iRex Ditigial Reader, cost more–a lot more). I paid a bit more than I’d like for the Kindle DX, but it was worth it to me, and I recognize the “early-adopter premium” I am probably paying. Kindle books, however, are normally reasonably priced, and Kindle books from Amazon are normally less than eBooks elsewhere. You’ll have to decide if the prices are worth it for yourself.
In summary, I like most things about the Kindle DX, including the screen, buttons and controls (mostly), and features. Mostly, I just wish they would allow more control when viewing PDFs, especially with the way they advertise PDF support (which is otherwise quite nice). I would give it 4.5 stars if I could, but I’ll have to settle with 4. With a few improvements (mostly software-related), I’d be happy to give it a 5.
By R.Morris
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