5 Responses to “Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, U.S. Wireless)”

1. D. Leaf says:

   24/06/2010 at 10:10 am

   Review by D. Leaf for Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, U.S. Wireless)
   Rating:
   My Kindle DX shipped July 30. I really liked it until today. There is a white out on about 1/12 of screen so you cannot read many words on the page and the text is running veritical and horizontal at the same time. The product has not been dropped or otherwise damaged during use. When I called Amazon Kindle support they said they had never heard of problem, even though I told them I found in a few seconds on the web. They asked me to reset, which I did, but problem persisted. I was then told that the problem was not covered by warranty!!!!!!!!!!! I asked how could they know that without looking at device and they said it was not on known list of manufacturer defects. They told me to not even bother sending it in for warranty service but if I wanted a new one, I could pay them $250.00!! I spoke to 2 supervisors at the Washington call center who gave me the same line. Amazon is not standng behind this product, and this is the worst example of poor customer service I have encountered. I asked them how could they make a technical diagnosis over phone and they had no good answer, just kept repeating that it was not a covered defect. I asked them why they would not just say “send it in and we will take a look at it”, and they said it was a waste of time because it was not covered (even though they were 3000 miles away from unit and had not seen it) They wiggled when I demanded a written explanantion of denial of warranty service ( which to me is breach of contract.Kindle DX: Amazon’s 9.7″ Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation) DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. Amazon should be ashamed of itself. They have lost a valuable and up to now loyal customer.
2. D. Hewes says:

   24/06/2010 at 9:53 am

   Review by D. Hewes for Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, U.S. Wireless)
   Rating:
   First, let me say that I purchased and use my Kindle DX daily. I thought about how to accurately write this review for some time now. When it gets right down to it, all eReaders on the market – and the flood now hitting the market – use the same e-ink panels made by the same company, generally have the same features as far as reading an actual book, etc. When this was a niche product in a market with no real competition than the product would get a much higher rating. However, it is now a market with many choices. The only way to be fair about writing a review is to assume that there are some basic functions that MUST exist (wireless access, reader screen quality, basic zoom/bookmark features, etc.) that all e-readers today have. The review should be what is UNIQUE about the Kindle DX and review those features. If you just want to download a book and read it on an e-ink panel than every single e-reader on the market today will work fine.

   To that end, when looking at what makes the DX unique, I have to honestly say that I would not purchase this reader again – there are better options out there with several more just announced. After careful consideration, it becomes clear that Amazon just felt that they could get away with a sub-par device based on their name and position in the market.

   1) PDF issues: This is a larger format reader, presumably for the purpose of reading standard sized documents (8.5″ by 11″). It is also being marketed heavily to students. Both of these demand native full PDF support. While the Kindle DX does render PDF’s, it does so in an extremely crippled way. While I am well versed with the fact that some PDF’s are rendered as images and the document itself does not contain links or text, most do. Despite that fact the Kindle does not allow you to change font size, add bookmarks, highlight text, use the dictionary feature, zoom in, use any links (i.e., the Table of Contents), etc. In other words, it presents that pages as pictures and provides absolutely zero “digital control” over the documents – the very features that someone would want to use an electronic reader instead of a hardcopy for. I purchased this device as an engineer because I have hundreds of PDF’s (manuals, client systems documentation, etc.). I have found that I am completely unable to use it for the reason I purchased it for. Other readers treat PDF’s as any other document allowing all the same e-reader functions and there is no reason – short of not wanting to pay Adobe a license fee – that the Kindle does not have this same functionality.

   2) File formats: While the Kindle DX does support several file formats, Amazon is one of the last holdouts to insist on providing content in a DRM protected proprietary format. They also do not read many industry standard formats. CHM and LIT are two of the HUGE formats that come to mind. Many publishers – especially of technology books – release in CHM format, essentially a slightly marked up HTML derivative that should be easy to render. MOBI and others come to mind as well – with over 1,000,000 public domain titles available from many web sites in these other formats. Yes, I understand protecting content – but Amazon has gone overboard in trying to lock down the Kindle to only offer “all the features” on their proprietary format. This locks you in to buying eBooks from the Kindle store. I understand the financial drive to do that – but most of us have documents that we have created, or content we have previously purchased for other platforms and have rights to, that we would like to read on the Kindle. Devices that restrict access to their own formats are generally given away or sold for a very low cost, with the understanding that the profit will be made on content (think about some of the original movie on demand set-top devices). Amazon is selling this as a standalone device, and needs to not intentionally cripple it. And yes, there are tools to convert file type – which usually result in formatting issues and the burden should be placed on the end user.

   3) File System Flaws: Amazon advertises the ability to hold 3,500+ books/documents (a HUGE exaggerating in and of itself). Even if it held 350 titles, the file system has a HUGE problem. There are no ways to create any type of folder structure. You have to go to a single large flat listing of the documents on the reader and hit Next Page over and over – a painfully slow process in and of itself – and hope do don’t miss the title you were looking for and have to start over. Yes, the titles do start in alphabetical order, but they change based on most recently read being moved to the top. It is a ridiculous and unrealistic expectation to put more than a couple dozen documents on a device without any way to organize them into folders. The official Amazon reply: You can add tags and search by tags. Yep, you can – and if you want to take the couple weeks it would take to add tags to a couple thousand PDF’s then you have far more free time than I do. The Kindle was purchased to save time – not to use my entire annual vacation time to organize it.

   4) No Card Reader: For some unknown reason, Amazon decided to not include any type of card reader. The memory can hold a large number of books – but PDF’s can get to be 100MB or more if they are heavily diagrammed. The memory cannot be upgraded, so there should be some method to pop in a memory card. All of my cells phones have had this feature…and my $500 Kindle DX does not?

   5) Ergonomics: I admit that the e-reader market is emerging so there has not been a large pool of users to pull opinions from. That said, it seems that the Kindle DX made it through the art department and skipped the usability testing department. While it looks great and each to carry, the 5-way joystick thing, the lack of Next/Previous page buttons on both sides (that existed on previous models) and the absolute worst keyboard I have ever touched do not help the device. Again – being marketed to students and professionals – just look at the official page on the Amazon site. What is on the screen on the largest image there? It is a power plant diagram – not a page from a NYT Best Seller list. There should be a way to quickly type notes on things. There is no possible way a student could sit in a lecture and flip through pages and be able to type in notes and keep up with the class on this thing – completely unrealistic.

   6) No Desktop Application: While Amazon advertises that no computer is required, they leave out the fact that even if you had one there isn’t really anything you could do with it. There should be some application similar to Apple’s iTunes that will auto convert file formats and allow organization of files and folders (if they existed), allow backup in case the device is lost/stolen/damaged and needs to be replaced, etc. This is especially true for students that would desire a full sized keyboard to add notes to documents/books and sync with the Kindle.

   Bottom line: The Kindle DX is an absolutely great e-reader for someone that wants to simply read books, is comfortable buying only Kindle content and just desires a larger screen. This is what I am now using it for. To this end it works great. If this is your only expectation – then get out the credit card. If you have fantasies of using it to actually read PDF’s with any functionality, store a large number of documents, use it in a classroom setting, etc. then get a different e-reader and sacrifice battery life and get a tablet or laptop and wait for the next generation.
   
3. Mahlers2nd says:

   24/06/2010 at 8:57 am

   Review by Mahlers2nd for Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, U.S. Wireless)
   Rating:
   FIRMWARE UPDATE as of 11.30.2009:

   I have now M-Edge Platform Jacket for Kindle DX (Genuine Leather–Pebbled Navy)–Back to School Sale!! because you can set the Kindle up to stand by itself on the table next to you or a lap desk. This makes it easier to to view music, knitting patterns, or just plain books (addressing some users complaints about it being “too heavy” to hold comfortably).

   I had been disappointed that the Kindle automatically goes to sleep after 5 minutes because if you are using the Kindle for reading patterns or music, it times out on you while you are still “working” on a page. However, Amazon come out with a new firmware release… the Kindle DX now stays on for 20 minutes before going into screen saver mode which is a big improvement.

   In addition, with the new firmware, you have the option of converting your PDFs to Kindle format — which should address the lack of “zoom” and “annotation” features — at least there is a workaround for now.

   UPDATE as of 06.16.2009: The Kindle may have just literally saved my career and saved my “backend”. I had an interview yesterday and thought I knew where I was going. I’m one of the last dinosaurs not to have a Garmin and got lost. After circling around for awhile and getting more and more uptight about missing my interview, I remembered the Browser on the Kindle.

   On the K2, the browser was basically unusable because of the size. However, with the DX, I was able to go to Google Maps, look up the address and had my directions in just a couple of seconds. The map was rendered beautifully and the turn-by-turn directions could be bookmarked and even if my DX fell asleep, it awoke still displaying the directions. THANK YOU KINDLE!!!

   ———————————————

   The UPS truck arrived a couple of hours ago. I feel like a kid on Christmas Day and I got (just about) everything I wanted!

   My Sony PRS-505 has finally and officially become my “Emergency Backup Reader”

   My romance with ebook readers got off to a bumpy start when I got my first eInk device — the Cybook Bookeen. Firmware issues and awkward buttons made it rather disappointing.

   Then I found true love with the Sony PRS-505. I loved the metal case. I loved the “Collections” (essentially folders features). I loved the looks and loved the display.

   However, the Kindle 2 woo’ed me with the size of its content collection. However, for reading I still ultimately preferred my Sony.

   Now, with the larger Kindle DX, I’ve set my Sony aside and there is a new love in my life. Let me count the ways:

   1. SCREEN SIZE: Reading on the Kindle DX vs 6″ readers is like the difference between sleeping in a King sized bed vs a Twin Bed or riding in the backseat of a 2-door 1981 Honda Accord vs bucket seats in a Honda Odyssey. You feel like you have room to breath. The larger screen allows you to maximize the use of the real estate — taking advantage of larger fonts and more white space. This makes text much easier to read — even if you are just reading regular books.

   2. KEYBOARD: I also love that they have compacted the keyboard so that it doesn’t dominate the overall appearance of the device. The smaller keyboard in no way compromises the ability to type. However, it improves the look by making the proportions more appealing and it means the device isn’t horrifically larger than the 6″ device.

   3. PDF + BIG SCREEN = LOTS MORE USES: I can transfer my knitting patterns (complete with knitting graphs and diagrams) and cello music to my e-reader.

   Using the Kindle for knitting — I can highlight my place in the knitting pattern making it easier to work more complicated stitch patterns.

   I play cello and many of my music books are available in PDF format — again the Kindle is wonderful for carrying all my music with me at one time. Turning pages is faster and easier than with a physical book. The kindle sits well on the music stand (though you want to make sure the tray of the music stand is taller than the Kindle or the Kindle will be “top heavy” making the bottom slide forward and potentially falling off the stand.

   4. SCREEN ROTATION — You can rotate the screen in any direction and the page quickly re-orients itself. You can keep rotating 360 degrees and the screen follows you. The buttons remain the same but the thumb stick also reorients so that if you push right relative to the current orientation, that always means “page forward” no matter what direction you are in.

   If you are left handed and really bothered by having the buttons only on the right side, you can turn the device upside down and voila — now your buttons are on the left side.

   5. BUTTON CONFIGURATION — I actually PREFER having the next page and back page on the same side and in a contiguous location (as opposed to opposite sides of the device like the Kindle 2). It makes one-handed reading easier without having to reach over to the other side of the device to flip back and forth.

   6. SOLID feeling — I like the heavier feel — it is comparable to the heft of a hardbound book.

   7. READING While charging — this sounds like a little thing but with the Sony, if you have the device plugged in for charging, you can’t read on the device at the same time.

   There are a two things I still think the Sony does better:

   1. COLLECTIONS: It would be nice to have folders so that music could be separated from technical books which is also separated from knitting patterns etc. The absence of folders is even MORE annoying on the DX because you are likely to have a much more diverse collection of books/documents on there.

   2. EPUB SUPPORT: ePUB would allow users to acquire content from public libraries and virtually any other online ebookseller. But that is basically why Amazon isn’t doing that… they WANT you to only get your content from them. Frankly, the ability to view PDFs without having to do a bunch of emailing back in forth is a huge leap forward so I guess it is sort of a “baby steps” thing.

   Sony has just really dropped the ball by not bringing out a larger format. You wouldn’t think that a couple of extra inches on the screen would make that much of a difference in terms of your reading enjoyment. But then again, going from a 17″ monitor to a 19″ monitor is a huge difference in terms of usability of a computer screen.

   All in all — Amazon really made a brilliant move with the DX. It is clear that they have really thought through the little things this time around and even the DX is a substantial improvement over the K2. I’m very very happy!

   [NCJAR]
4. Susan Lynn Umpleby says:

   24/06/2010 at 8:34 am

   Review by Susan Lynn Umpleby for Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, U.S. Wireless)
   Rating:
   I owned the K1 and then the K2 and love them both, so I was really looking forward to the DX. My plan was to use the DX at home, and keep my K2 for carrying all over creation with me. It wasn’t long, though, after my DX arrived the day before yesterday before disappointment set in.

   Don’t get me wrong, there is a LOT to like about the DX:

   1) Pictures are awesome on it, if the publisher formats them properly.

   2) Those who complain about darkness of text on their K2 (a problem I’ve never had, btw) will be thrilled by the DX’s very dark text.

   3) The ability to rotate the screen is great. Gives you a closer look at things like maps and charts.

   4) The browser is a bit faster than on the K1 or K2, though that isn’t saying much–it is still very clunky to use.

   5) But web pages look pretty good on the DX.

   6) It holds 3500 books.

   BUT…..the DX just isn’t all that. It has drawbacks that are really making me consider sending it back before my 30 days are up:

   1) First and foremost, while it is true that it natively reads PDFs, it is really only a PDF *viewer*. You can’t change the font size on PDFs, links will not function on them, and the ability to magnify pictures doesn’t work on them either. So you better have LARGE fonts on your PDF before you load it. Looking at the PDF in horizontal mode helps a bit, but not by much.

   2) The DX is too big to hold comfortably. It’s not really all that heavy, but it is top heavy and you feel a pull on your hands. And that pull is really evident if you try to use the keyboard while holding it–you practically have to lay the DX down flat, it becomes so difficult to type.

   3) They merged the number keys with the QWERTY keys (losing a line of keys). What development genius thought it would be helpful and an “improvement” to have to press the ALT key every time you wanted to type a number?!?

   4) Before my DX came, I really didn’t think this would bother me at all, but I have to say: I really HATE the fact that the “next page” button is only on one side. I mostly use the left hand button. And yes, with the DX’s rotation ability you can turn it upside down, placing the “next page” button on the left side…. However, when you do this, the button is so high up that you have to slide your hand (not your thumb, your whole hand) up in order to turn the page. May sound nit-picky, but it is truly a PITA to break off reading to do it. Not only that, but having the keyboard at the top makes it even more top-heavy than when it is right side up!

   5) when you rotate the DX so that it is horizontal, the “next page” button is either at the bottom or the top–in either case you can’t just flick your thumb and change the page. Again, a PITA.

   6) If you leave the rotation feature on “Auto” when you are not using your DX it drains your battery, so you must remember to turn the feature off when you stop reading.

   7) Still no folders. An organization nightmare three times bigger than that of the K2 (which itself had increased the same problem on the K1): the possibility of storing 3500 books but only being able to sort them by author, title, and “most recent first.”

   I will be fiercely debating with myself in the next week or so, on whether I really want to keep the DX. It is so disappointing. It has the potential of being a really great e-reader…but as it stands now, it isn’t. It’s OK. But for $489, it should be a lot more than merely OK.
   
5. Alexander Scherr says:

   24/06/2010 at 7:39 am

   Review by Alexander Scherr for Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, U.S. Wireless)
   Rating:
   I have owned both Kindle 1 and Kindle 2, so I’m already committed to the basic idea: e-ink reading in a slim form factor with excellent connectivity to a large selection of books and subscriptions. I have come to rely on my Kindle experience, and it has seriously enhanced my reading.

   The DX was not an obvious upgrade for me, but two features put me over the edge: the larger screen, and the native PDF reader. I now have the DX in my hands, and can report PROS, CONS, and NEUTRALS:

   PROS:

   – the larger screen is a definite plus. I use the larger type size on my Kindle 2 (older eyes), and at this type size I get far more text per page on the DX. This makes the whole reading experience more book-like (and should be a boon to people who buy large-print books.)

   – the screen is also sharper and crisper than my Kindle 2 in a side-by-side comparison: the text is darker, and the contrast is much better, making for better visibility overall.

   – on a side note, the larger screen also makes it possible to read poetry on the kindle, even at large type sizes. On earlier Kindles, the smaller screen cut off lines, so that you would lose the sense of when the poet ended the line. On the DX, you can see the whole line exactly as the poet meant it, with the cut-off in the right spot.

   – the PDF reader works as advertised, and is extremely convenient. PDF documents appear on the DX exactly as they do on a computer screen. Moreover, you can drag and drop your documents directly to the device using the USB cable (or use the for-a-fee email if you absolutely must.) The only downside: at least for the documents that I’ve used so far, I cannot adjust the type size as I can with native Kindle documents.

   – screen rotation also works as advertised: it operates as a mild zoom on both graphics and text and offsets slightly the downside of not being able to adjust the typesize on PDF documents. One nice design touch: the four-way navigation stick introduced on the Kindle 2 is rotation-sensitive, and will move as expected relative to the screen rotation.

   – more of the device space is devoted to the screen, while the white plastic border around the screen seems to have shrunk, both in general and compared to the proportion of screen to plastic on the Kindle 2. I like this (but see below about the keyboard).

   – storage: I like the increase in storage space, and don’t mind the lack of an external storage card. I can see some people having trouble with this, but only those folks who either a) must regularly carry around PDF documents totalling more than 3.5 GB of space or b) must have nearly 3500 books regularly at their fingertips. I fall in neither category.

   CONS:

   – price: it’s expensive, as you can tell pretty quickly. If you value the larger size, and the native PDF reader, these features may justify the roughly 30% premium you pay for the DX over the Kindle 2. In truth, the DX SHOULD cost more than the Kindle 2, and a 30% premium isn’t unreasonable. But, for my money, Amazon should drop the price on the Kindle 2 to $300 or so, and charge $400 or a little less for the DX. Still, I bought it, and will keep it at this price.

   – one-sided navigation buttons: all of the buttons are now on the right side, and none are on the left. I’m a righty, so I shouldn’t complain, but I found myself using both sides on the Kindle 2. Lefties have reason to complain, I think.

   – One-handed handling: I often read while I walk, with my Kindle in one hand, and something else in my other. Because of the button layout, this will be more difficult on the DX.

   – metal backing: I miss the tacky rubberized backing on my Kindle 1. When I placed my Kindle 1 on an inclined surface, it stayed in place. Not so my Kindle 2 and now my DX. This is not a complaint specific to the DX, but it’s still there.

   NEUTRALS (i.e. things worth noting):

   – weight: the DX is heavier, noticeably so. This is only an issue if, like me, you regularly use the kindle with one hand . . . and even so, it’s still doable.

   – keyboard: the keyboard has 4 rows, and not 5: the top row of numbers from the Kindle 1 and 2 has been merged into the top qwerty row, so that numbers are now only accessible with an alt-key combination. The keys are vertically thinner too, so that the whole keyboard is no more than 1″ tall (compared to over an 1.5″ on the Kindle 2). At the same time, the keys themselves are a bit easier to press, a bit more protruding than on the Kindle 2. For someone with big fingers (like me), this will be a slightly harder keyboard to use, but only slightly.

   That’s all I can see. Overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses for me, and I’m satisfied with my purchase. I can now think of using my DX for work documents on a regular basis, because of the PDF reader. The screen size and screen rotation make the overall reading experience more immersive.

   Overall, the DX feels more like text and less like device and comes closer to the stated goal of the Kindle: for the device to disappear, leaving only the joy of reading.