Kindle 2 .... or Kindle DX

nimblem · 08-01-2010, 11:17 PM

So, I am looking at breaking down and buying the Kindle DX, but I am not sure that the price difference is worth the extra cost. Does anyone out there currently own a DX who would be willing to list some of the pros and cons you have found with the larger device? I currently have a Astak PocketPro (which I love) but it's small and kind of annoying to read for long periods of time. From the reviews I have read it seems that the DX is an excellent choice with the weight being a draw back. Will I be able to drag and drop my current PDF files to read on the Kindle, even though they are non DRM? Can I buy books from any site as long as they PDF, or do I have buy from Amazon?

Thanks!

ProfCrash · 08-02-2010, 12:01 AM

I have the K1 and the DXG.

I bought the DX because I prefer reading hardback books to paperback books and the DX screen was closer to a hardback page in size.

I have been loving reading with my DX. The screen is excellent, it is the new Pearl screen. It has an auto rotation function. So if you are reading and want to have the buttons the left side, you rotate the DX so the buttons are on the left side. If you want to read in landscape mode, you turn the DX. I find myself using that feature pretty frequently.

It is not that heavy. I took it with me on the metro yesterday and was able to read standing up holding the DX in one hand.

You can buy books from any site as long as they are a non-DRmed EPub, a non-DRmed mobi, or a PDF.

nimblem · 08-02-2010, 08:36 AM

Would you say that the cost difference for the two devices is worth having the extra screen space? I would image that the DX is still extremely portable when compared to a typical book. Is the keyboard a benefit for you or more of a nuisance? While 189.00 is a steep difference in price I would much rather spend the extra money than wish I had bought the larger one down the road, but I also want to make sure that I have made an informed choice. The lack of a SD slot is a pretty big draw back for me since my 16gb card is currently holding 8gb of books (some audio). Has anyone found that they need the extra storage space that an SD card would provide? Are the built in speakers decent enough to enjoy back round music with out having to strain? I am sorry if I seem to be going on... I just hate to spend so much money and not be fully informed about the device.....

zetareticuli · 08-02-2010, 08:54 AM

In my case, the larger screen is worth it. For technical papers in PDF, a 6" screen is not enough. The larger screen is justifiable in my opinion.

ProfCrash · 08-02-2010, 09:44 AM

For me the larger screen was worth it. I have had a K1 since October 2008 and knew that I would prefer the larger screen on the DX. I was concerned about the weight until I had the oppertunity to handle my Mom's DX. After that I was waiting for a price drop.

I am not the nly one in my family to prefer the DX screen, my brother upgraded from a K2 to the DX because he prefers the larger screen. I bought my Mom her DX because I thought the larger screen would be better for my 70 year old Mother then the smaller screen. She has had no problems with the weight.

If the DX had been available when I was in graduate school I would have bought one in a heartbeat. It would have been better then carrying around the reams of paper wasted on PDFs I had to print out.

ETA: On the space issue. I don't put music or audio books on my Kindle so I cannot speak to that. When I was preparing for a two week trip overseas with my K1, I maxed out the memory but I was carrying 300 books. My DXG hold 3,500 books. I guess I figure I can find something to read with 300 books at my fingertips and if not, I can always download something new using the 3G or the USB cord.

zetareticuli · 08-02-2010, 10:05 AM

I agree that the display size is definitely worth it, IMHO. Also, it is possible to increase the flash storage of the Kindle DX. If you are willing to put the time and effort and you have a big enough need, it can be done. I am currently doing it for the Kindle 2 and I have not run into any problems.

See one one my previous threads here
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92772

nimblem · 08-02-2010, 10:44 AM

ahh... I am not talented enough to do a change like that....

Marc Mertens · 08-02-2010, 12:18 PM

I have a be-book, a irex dr-1000 and now also a kindle dx graphite. I read mostly mathematics and can say that for that 6 inch (my be-book) is to small, the irex is very bulky but the screen size is good for reading mathematics, unfortunately its battery life is very short and the OS is kind of buggy. The kindle dx is smaller then the irex (actually is longer but less wider than the irex). For me it's size is just good not only reading for mathematics but also just text, proof of this is that I'm taking it with me on my holiday to Borneo and I'm going to give my be-book to my brother, as for the irex I will probably sell it.
I can recommend the kindle dx, its reading comfort is much better then on a 6 inch screen (even for non mathematical text), and its weight and dimensions are still portable.

PS. I must confess that I'm using reading glasses so if you are younger you will probably satisfied with a s 6 inch device.

Marc

ProfCrash · 08-02-2010, 12:20 PM

I have crappy vision but with my contacts can read just fine. (grins) I still prefer the DXG to the 6 inch screen. More words per page means less page turning.

nimblem · 08-02-2010, 01:15 PM

Well looks like I will go with the DX, I read a lot of PDF files and it seems that they are best read on the DX. Can the font size be changed, and notes be taken on the DX in the PDF format?

zetareticuli · 08-02-2010, 01:37 PM

For the DXG model, no, not currently. The Kindle 3 adds some support for annotations on PDF (but the Kindle 3 is a 6"). However, many of us here agree that the DXG will eventually get the same functionality as the Kindle 3 via firmware updates. Apparently, the Kindle DX has no WiFi wireless hardware so WiFi won't work without hardware hacks.

pboss · 08-02-2010, 02:32 PM

We have both K2i & DX in the family and while I much prefer the larger screen I rarely get the chance to use it. What do you guys think? Can we expect a price drop on the DXG by the end of the year? Even a $75 price drop would make me jump out of my seat and buy a DXG.

ProfCrash · 08-02-2010, 04:33 PM

It just dropped $110 so I would be surprised if it dropped again. Not shocked but surprised.

zetareticuli · 08-02-2010, 07:12 PM

My money is on a price drop around summer time next year. I would say $299 US.

nimblem · 08-02-2010, 07:14 PM

I may be over zealous... but I don't want to want a year to save 80.00

08-01-2010, 11:17 PM	#1
nimblem Addict Posts: 304 Karma: 7102 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Pocket Pro, Kindle Dx	Kindle 2 .... or Kindle DX So, I am looking at breaking down and buying the Kindle DX, but I am not sure that the price difference is worth the extra cost. Does anyone out there currently own a DX who would be willing to list some of the pros and cons you have found with the larger device? I currently have a Astak PocketPro (which I love) but it's small and kind of annoying to read for long periods of time. From the reviews I have read it seems that the DX is an excellent choice with the weight being a draw back. Will I be able to drag and drop my current PDF files to read on the Kindle, even though they are non DRM? Can I buy books from any site as long as they PDF, or do I have buy from Amazon? Thanks!

08-02-2010, 09:44 AM	#5
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	For me the larger screen was worth it. I have had a K1 since October 2008 and knew that I would prefer the larger screen on the DX. I was concerned about the weight until I had the oppertunity to handle my Mom's DX. After that I was waiting for a price drop. I am not the nly one in my family to prefer the DX screen, my brother upgraded from a K2 to the DX because he prefers the larger screen. I bought my Mom her DX because I thought the larger screen would be better for my 70 year old Mother then the smaller screen. She has had no problems with the weight. If the DX had been available when I was in graduate school I would have bought one in a heartbeat. It would have been better then carrying around the reams of paper wasted on PDFs I had to print out. ETA: On the space issue. I don't put music or audio books on my Kindle so I cannot speak to that. When I was preparing for a two week trip overseas with my K1, I maxed out the memory but I was carrying 300 books. My DXG hold 3,500 books. I guess I figure I can find something to read with 300 books at my fingertips and if not, I can always download something new using the 3G or the USB cord. Last edited by ProfCrash; 08-02-2010 at 09:49 AM. Reason: Adding comments

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08-02-2010, 12:01 AM	#2
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	I have the K1 and the DXG. I bought the DX because I prefer reading hardback books to paperback books and the DX screen was closer to a hardback page in size. I have been loving reading with my DX. The screen is excellent, it is the new Pearl screen. It has an auto rotation function. So if you are reading and want to have the buttons the left side, you rotate the DX so the buttons are on the left side. If you want to read in landscape mode, you turn the DX. I find myself using that feature pretty frequently. It is not that heavy. I took it with me on the metro yesterday and was able to read standing up holding the DX in one hand. You can buy books from any site as long as they are a non-DRmed EPub, a non-DRmed mobi, or a PDF.

08-02-2010, 08:36 AM	#3
nimblem Addict Posts: 304 Karma: 7102 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Pocket Pro, Kindle Dx	Would you say that the cost difference for the two devices is worth having the extra screen space? I would image that the DX is still extremely portable when compared to a typical book. Is the keyboard a benefit for you or more of a nuisance? While 189.00 is a steep difference in price I would much rather spend the extra money than wish I had bought the larger one down the road, but I also want to make sure that I have made an informed choice. The lack of a SD slot is a pretty big draw back for me since my 16gb card is currently holding 8gb of books (some audio). Has anyone found that they need the extra storage space that an SD card would provide? Are the built in speakers decent enough to enjoy back round music with out having to strain? I am sorry if I seem to be going on... I just hate to spend so much money and not be fully informed about the device.....

08-02-2010, 08:54 AM	#4
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	In my case, the larger screen is worth it. For technical papers in PDF, a 6" screen is not enough. The larger screen is justifiable in my opinion.

08-02-2010, 10:05 AM	#6
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	I agree that the display size is definitely worth it, IMHO. Also, it is possible to increase the flash storage of the Kindle DX. If you are willing to put the time and effort and you have a big enough need, it can be done. I am currently doing it for the Kindle 2 and I have not run into any problems. See one one my previous threads here https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92772

08-02-2010, 10:44 AM	#7
nimblem Addict Posts: 304 Karma: 7102 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Pocket Pro, Kindle Dx	ahh... I am not talented enough to do a change like that....

08-02-2010, 12:18 PM	#8
Marc Mertens Mathematician Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: IRex Digital Reader	I have a be-book, a irex dr-1000 and now also a kindle dx graphite. I read mostly mathematics and can say that for that 6 inch (my be-book) is to small, the irex is very bulky but the screen size is good for reading mathematics, unfortunately its battery life is very short and the OS is kind of buggy. The kindle dx is smaller then the irex (actually is longer but less wider than the irex). For me it's size is just good not only reading for mathematics but also just text, proof of this is that I'm taking it with me on my holiday to Borneo and I'm going to give my be-book to my brother, as for the irex I will probably sell it. I can recommend the kindle dx, its reading comfort is much better then on a 6 inch screen (even for non mathematical text), and its weight and dimensions are still portable. PS. I must confess that I'm using reading glasses so if you are younger you will probably satisfied with a s 6 inch device. Marc

08-02-2010, 12:20 PM	#9
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	I have crappy vision but with my contacts can read just fine. (grins) I still prefer the DXG to the 6 inch screen. More words per page means less page turning.

08-02-2010, 01:15 PM	#10
nimblem Addict Posts: 304 Karma: 7102 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Pocket Pro, Kindle Dx	Well looks like I will go with the DX, I read a lot of PDF files and it seems that they are best read on the DX. Can the font size be changed, and notes be taken on the DX in the PDF format?

08-02-2010, 01:37 PM	#11
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	For the DXG model, no, not currently. The Kindle 3 adds some support for annotations on PDF (but the Kindle 3 is a 6"). However, many of us here agree that the DXG will eventually get the same functionality as the Kindle 3 via firmware updates. Apparently, the Kindle DX has no WiFi wireless hardware so WiFi won't work without hardware hacks.

08-02-2010, 02:32 PM	#12
pboss Evangelist Posts: 408 Karma: 646 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: none	We have both K2i & DX in the family and while I much prefer the larger screen I rarely get the chance to use it. What do you guys think? Can we expect a price drop on the DXG by the end of the year? Even a $75 price drop would make me jump out of my seat and buy a DXG.

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08-02-2010, 04:33 PM	#13
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	It just dropped $110 so I would be surprised if it dropped again. Not shocked but surprised.

08-02-2010, 07:12 PM	#14
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	My money is on a price drop around summer time next year. I would say $299 US.

08-02-2010, 07:14 PM	#15
nimblem Addict Posts: 304 Karma: 7102 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Pocket Pro, Kindle Dx	I may be over zealous... but I don't want to want a year to save 80.00