Even though it is just a few months since the long awaited release of the Amazon Kindle 2 here comes another addition to the Kindle family – the Amazon Kindle DX.
So what is the big difference between the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX? Size for one thing. The Kindle 2 has a screen that measures 6 inches across, the size of your average paperback. On the other hand the Kindle DX has a screen that measures 9.7 inches, the size of the standard hardcover book. The Amazon Kindle DX is being marketed towards the student and academic population and the textbook sized screen is designed to reflect that.
The Amazon Kindle DX does not feel big though. It is just about as thick as its smaller screened sibling and still weighs only 19 ounces. The keyboard is actually a little smaller than that of the Kindle 2 so the whole thing is pretty much all screen, which does make reading easier.
The left hand buttons that are on the Kindle 2 are gone on the Kindle DX. This gives the device an even more streamlined appearance, but can get a little getting used to if you have used a Kindle before, and may be a real pain for a leftie when it comes to page turning.
The other big step forward that is made with the Kindle DX is its PDF capabilities. There are thousands of free books available on Google Books, and unlike the other Kindle models the DX can read them with ease. Download to Kindle DX takes less than 10 minutes for a large book.
As I previously mentioned Amazon says that the DX is aimed at the textbook market. The textbook haven’t arrived yet, but those who are used to having to carry around binders full of documents can make great use of the Amazon Kindle DX already. It’s clear crisp display of PDF and MS Office files can really lighten the load.
Reading a newspaper is still not as seamless as Amazon would like, but this is improving.
Battery life seems to be very similar to the Amazon Kindle 2 on the Amazon Kindle DX. The test model ran for two weeks with the wireless function turned off (having it turned on reduces that to around 4 days.)
US $.99
The biggest drawback though of the Amazon Kindle DX is its starting price. The $490 price tag is far higher than the cost of a Kindle 2, which currently runs at $359 on the Amazon Site. One might have expected that Amazon would follow the Apple pricing model, offering the upgrade at the price of the previous model with a drop in price for the older generation device. Many had expected the Amazon Kindle DX to come in at around $400 with the Kindle dropping closer to $300.
Price aside though, the Amazon Kindle DX is a very easy and elegant way to read, even if it is more costly than its competition.
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