[Daithi]

My Kindle DX comes with an email address requesting feedback (kindledx-feedback@amazon.com), so this is what I'm sending Amazon. Yes, I know, it probably won't do any good, but if enough of us send them a similar email it just might and it certainly can't hurt.



To whom it may concern,

I have recently purchased a Kindle DX and although I am generally happy with my purchase I would like to suggest the following software improvements (all accomplishable with a software/firmware upgrade).

1. Fully integrated/implemented PDF support
The Kindle DX finally adds PDF support and this is wonderful. Unfortunately the PDF support is not fully integrated into the Kindle DX. You can't search for text, annotate, add notes, use the dictionary, go to specific PDF page numbers, or use hyperlinks within the PDF. This greatly reduces the usefulness of viewing PDFs on the Kindle. The metadata for PDFs is also not supported very well, so that titles and authors are not displaying properly. Students that need to use an ereader for PDF based documents may find that these issues make the Kindle DX unusable for this task.

It is also my understanding that Amazon has licensed the Adobe Reader Mobile 9 SDK. This standard supports Adobe Content Server 4, which allows PDFs with DRM to be viewed, but this was not implemented by Amazon. The ePub standard within the Adobe Reader Mobile technology is also not implemented, nor is the reflowable PDF standard implemented. Full PDF support would be greatly appreciated.

Lastly, other devices support a ZOOM feature that allows you to zoom in on a PDF. The landscape view of the Kindle DX is rather nice, but having full zoom capabilities like other devices would be outstanding. This is especially desired for images like maps or that otherwise contain fine detail.

2. Folders and/or Tags and/or Readlists
This has been a problem since the release of the Kindle 1. Once a Kindle user has acquired a couple hundred books he quickly learns that the Kindle does an awful job of managing those books. The Kindle only allows sorting by a small number of fields -- Author, Title, and Most Recent -- and navigating to a book you would like to read is done by paging through these sorted lists. Kindle users have been begging for a better system. Please listen to us!!!

There are several options available. A folder system that is managed through the USB cable that works like every the folder systems on a PC or any other computer than people have become familiar with over last couple decades. This type of system is simple to manage as dragging and dropping files is very easy. The user should then have the option of displaying a single directory or multiple directories by selecting a parent directory.

Another option is Tags. This system would allow users to add and remove tags to their files. For example, they could add the tag "mystery" to items that fall into the mystery genre, and add "read" to items they have already read. Then they could list items that contain the tags "read" and "mystery" and only items matching those tags would be displayed.

Another option is a Readlist, which would be similar to a Playlist for an iPod or iPhone. The user can create their own lists and add books to those lists. Then they could select a Readlist and the Kindle would only display books that are part of the selected list.

The best of all possible worlds would incorporate all three of the above suggestions. Furthermore, it is even more important to support some type of file management now that the Kindle supports PDFs. Imagine a physician's office that wanted to store and view patient charts on a Kindle, but was prevented from doing so because of a lack of file management/navigation.

3. Allow us to turn off sleep mode
I really like the "screensaver" images that are displayed when the Kindle goes into sleep mode, but sometimes this is not desirable. For example, if you are using the Kindle to display a textbook you may have it on a page that contains problems you must solve, and if it takes you longer than 10 minutes the Kindle goes into sleep mode. It would be rather annoying to have to wake it up to do each problem.

Other examples include using the Kindle for presentations, cookbooks, art books, and any other situation where having a page displayed for more than 10 minutes is required. Either having the ability to turn off "screensavers" or having the ability to set the interval before the Kindle goes into sleep mode, including an interval of zero (i.e. never), would be desirable.

4. Allow us to display our own pictures
The Kindle 1 allowed users to display their own pictures when the Kindle went into sleep mode. This was a really nice feature that allowed people to display pictures of family members or pictures of their own interests. It would be nice to allow users to perform this function once again. I can't think of why Amazon would want to prevent people from doing this.

5. ePub support
The ePub standard is far and away superior to Amazon's mobi file format. It is based on the same XML and CSS standards that drive the Internet. This allows far more control over layouts and better designed books than are currently possible on the Kindle. For example, many printed books currently use dropcaps or have text flow around an image (like the illustrations in Alice in Wonderland) but these tasks are not possible on the Kindle because of limitations in the AZW (or mobi) file format used by Amazon. Furthermore, the ePub standard is not only superior, but it is also an open standard that isn't tied in to any manufacturer. Supporting ePub is higher on many people's list than even supporting PDF.


There are two non-software related items that I'd also like to address --

1. Please add the buttons back on the left side of the page
Yes, you can orient the page with the keyboard on the top, but this solution isn't perfect. I read in bed quite often, and this necessitates turning the auto rotation off. Then I switch hands every few pages or so as my hand gets tired. This makes reading while lying down very difficult. Even reading while sitting, with auto rotation enabled, is not entirely enjoyable as I have to flip the Kindle around and wait for it to reorient itself every time I switch hands. This may not sound like a big deal, but its really annoying and buttons on the left would definitely be worth the extra expense. Furthermore, I'm not left handed, but if I was I don't think I'd be happy either.

2. Add an SD Card
The Kindle DX (and Kindle 2) doesn't support an SD Card. The Kindle DX comes with 4 Gig and 3.3 Gig is available to the user, and this may sound like a huge amount of storage but it really isn't. I loaded the Gadshill Edition of Charles Dickens work onto my Kindle DX and half my storage space was gone. This edition of Dickens' work contains all of the original illustrations and is quite nice but these PDFs take up 1.5 Gig of space. If I added a few more PDF works of classic literature than contain illustrations then I'd completely fill the available space. The same applies to files such as audio books or if I wanted to use my Kindle to store my music. One of the benefits of the Kindle is having the ability to hold an entire library in your hand. Not supporting SD Cards is a huge limitation.


Any consideration you give these items is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Daithi (ok, I didn't sign it Daithi)