MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Are you still going to buy Kindle DX global wireless ?

sxtal · 02-12-2010, 02:13 PM

Personally, I already have a laptop and have no need to replace it. What I'm looking for is an ebook reader, not a whole new computer.

Several points have been made here, and I find them all interesting...that being said, while several people bemoan the fact that the Kindle DX is "only" a dedicated e-reader and ask why should they buy it, I respond that that is exactly the reason you should buy it: because it does what it does extremely well. It's not trying to be anything else.

It uses e-ink which has no glare and looks virtually identical to ink on paper in a physical book, it can be read in sunlight as well as indoors, it has no backlight (which is the primary cause of eye strain), and is lighter than the iPad. And the battery comparison is, well, not much of a comparison at all. The iPad will, at best, last about ten hours, while the Kindle DX will last up to two weeks (reported by users themselves). Besides, as I mentioned earlier, I'm looking for an e-book reader. I'm not particularly interested in needing my font to be multi-colored. I read many p-books today in black and white and have never felt that I'm lacking anything because the ink and illustrations were not in color.

The other comments here have alluded to the Kindle DX's price. My understanding is that Amazon decided to avoid the cell phone model of giving away the hardware and requiring users to have a multi-year contract and subscription for signal and data transfer. Using that model the user would, in the long run, pay much, much more.

Amazon has apparently decided instead to simply charge upfront for a completely stand-alone unit that requires no further investment to operate and use. Kindle DX comes with built-in global wireless at no extra charge. Downloads are completely free in the US. There is a small charge for downloading ebooks in other countries (I'll actually be using mine in Brazil) but I'll simply buy my book online (no extra charge) and transfer it to my Kindle DX. Easy. Besides the obvious cost of purchasing ebooks, there is no other cost associated with owning a Kindle DX. It's like my portable GPS; I bought the unit and don't have to pay anything ever again.

With the iPad, not only would I need to pay the same price as a Kindle DX, but I also need to have a never-ending monthly subscription for wireless internet in the neighborhood of $60/month. At $500 for an iPad, in a little over 8 months I will have paid that much again just for my internet access alone! As far as I'm concerned, it just isn't worth it. With my cell phone, although I have to pay a monthly price to use it, at least it was free. Maybe if they were giving away an iPad and charging a monthly fee it would be more realistic.

I don't own a Kindle DX (yet) or an iPad, but I'm personally leaning much more toward the Kindle DX. What I continue to hear in folks' concerns is reasons why I should not buy a Kindle DX instead of the reasons to buy an iPad. In the end it comes down to what you truly find to hold the most value for you; not only value in terms of dollars, but value in terms of its functionality and the funtionality that you need as well.

Me, I want an ebook reader, so unless there's some compelling reason to buy a whole new computer, I'll buy the Kindle DX.

02-12-2010, 02:13 PM	#18
sxtal Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 19 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Kindle DX	Gonna Buy the Kindle DX Personally, I already have a laptop and have no need to replace it. What I'm looking for is an ebook reader, not a whole new computer. Several points have been made here, and I find them all interesting...that being said, while several people bemoan the fact that the Kindle DX is "only" a dedicated e-reader and ask why should they buy it, I respond that that is exactly the reason you should buy it: because it does what it does extremely well. It's not trying to be anything else. It uses e-ink which has no glare and looks virtually identical to ink on paper in a physical book, it can be read in sunlight as well as indoors, it has no backlight (which is the primary cause of eye strain), and is lighter than the iPad. And the battery comparison is, well, not much of a comparison at all. The iPad will, at best, last about ten hours, while the Kindle DX will last up to two weeks (reported by users themselves). Besides, as I mentioned earlier, I'm looking for an e-book reader. I'm not particularly interested in needing my font to be multi-colored. I read many p-books today in black and white and have never felt that I'm lacking anything because the ink and illustrations were not in color. The other comments here have alluded to the Kindle DX's price. My understanding is that Amazon decided to avoid the cell phone model of giving away the hardware and requiring users to have a multi-year contract and subscription for signal and data transfer. Using that model the user would, in the long run, pay much, much more. Amazon has apparently decided instead to simply charge upfront for a completely stand-alone unit that requires no further investment to operate and use. Kindle DX comes with built-in global wireless at no extra charge. Downloads are completely free in the US. There is a small charge for downloading ebooks in other countries (I'll actually be using mine in Brazil) but I'll simply buy my book online (no extra charge) and transfer it to my Kindle DX. Easy. Besides the obvious cost of purchasing ebooks, there is no other cost associated with owning a Kindle DX. It's like my portable GPS; I bought the unit and don't have to pay anything ever again. With the iPad, not only would I need to pay the same price as a Kindle DX, but I also need to have a never-ending monthly subscription for wireless internet in the neighborhood of $60/month. At $500 for an iPad, in a little over 8 months I will have paid that much again just for my internet access alone! As far as I'm concerned, it just isn't worth it. With my cell phone, although I have to pay a monthly price to use it, at least it was free. Maybe if they were giving away an iPad and charging a monthly fee it would be more realistic. I don't own a Kindle DX (yet) or an iPad, but I'm personally leaning much more toward the Kindle DX. What I continue to hear in folks' concerns is reasons why I should not buy a Kindle DX instead of the reasons to buy an iPad. In the end it comes down to what you truly find to hold the most value for you; not only value in terms of dollars, but value in terms of its functionality and the funtionality that you need as well. Me, I want an ebook reader, so unless there's some compelling reason to buy a whole new computer, I'll buy the Kindle DX.