Quote:
Originally Posted by hamisertvurdu
Hey all,
I recently realized that Kindle DX is on sale at Amazon for just $239. Is it worth buying it at this price? I am looking for your advices.
I know its technology is pretty old and there seems to be no update in the future. But I am looking for an e-ink reader with large screen to read academic PDFs. As I know, Sony will release an 13.3 inch reader next year but I think they will set a price around $400-$500, which seems a bit expensive for me. Should I wait for Sony (maybe its price would be lower than I expected) or buy a Kindle DX? I am also thinking about buying 10 inch tablet but I wonder whether tablets are better than e-ink readers to read PDF files for couple of hours without eye strain.
I don't have any device (neither tablet nor reader) and would appreciate your help. |
Here is my experience as fellow academic who has similar needs. The objective is to read text where the content of the material requires significant concentration to comprehend. Finally, much of the content is in PDF format.
1) E-ink is so much easier on the eyes vs. an self-illuminated screen, that spending money on a good e-ink reader is worth it. If you can concentrate while reading an illuminated screen (either back-lit or front-lit, the physiological effects are similar) then a tablet is your best solution. I use a tablet to read short web pages, but anything beyond a page with equations or a large number of difficult to comprehend concepts, I lose focus. This means for me, iPad, Android tablets, and any unit that for which the lighting can not be set to zero, i.e. the original Paperwhite, are
not viable solutions to reading challenging text electronically or reading for more than a short time. (Anything more than 15 minutes leads to a headache.) I can read trash/popcorn novels on most devices while drinking wine. <grin>
2) Virtually all current e-readers are small - 6" in screen size. When compared to a 7" or a 9" screen, the current models seem near postage stamp size. I have both 6" and 7" units and the 7" screen (Sony PRS-950) is noticeably more pleasant for reading anything. To make the PDF page readable on a 6" screen, I must magnify it. Fortunately on the Sony T-2 (as opposed to the PW Kindle), the magnification remains constant in moving from page to page, but it is a less than optimal solution. (Yes, I have used Calibre to convert some of my PDF's to ePubs which can scale more easily, however most PDFs of scientific articles don't translate well. And DRM based PDFs can not be converted legally.)
3) Remember,
legally, if you purchase a Kindle, you can only read Kindle books on it. You can not read DRM books from other sources. If Amazon chooses to crack down on people who read Amazon books on other devices or non-Amazon books on Kindles, they have the legal authority to pull all books licenses from you. The probability is low. (But ask people about Direct TV.) However, given this constraint, if most of your reading is PDF, then the Kindle DX might be worth it.
I will be ordering a DX to evaluate it for the sole reason of reading PDF articles, but have no plans on purchasing books from Amazon because of their insistence of using non-industry standard format.
If the 13.3 Sony is released, given the number of documents I currently print out, it too will be worth investigating.
Fine print: Again, this is my experience with my electronic reading objectives. Clearly other people will not agree with me and I'm more than happy if they can point me to a solution that works better for me.