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storysmith · 07-24-2009, 05:59 AM

Bought a Kindle DX.
Nice design, good engineering...

Well familiar with ebooks.... This is my 6th ereader... including 2 by iRex, Sony, and the ebookwise readers both large and small.

Used a tablet from Motion before the Kindle DX for full size pdf's.

Flat file software does not allow you to segregate by class, function, or other category... all ebooks in the kindle are 'equal.'Annoying, but liveable. just plug the Kindle in and update the new reading, so the index is not so full.

Not so with iRex... standard file folder type organization well familiar to every PC/Mac/Linux user. iRex has very poor battery life compared to Kindle.

Kindle DRM... is a deal killer.
I'm a professor... so I do a lot of reading...and use an ebook reader not only for pleasure reading but for keeping up with 9 professional journals.

I've got literally hundreds of mobipocket books from Baen, Fictionwise, Mobipocket, Powells, and others... WHY CAN'T I USE MY MOBIPOCKET BOOKS...(oh... yes, I can download the unprotected ones...I know... but I have MANY protected mobipocket books... Why can't I use them? And then...1984 yanked remotely...

Buyer... Beware... There are some bad choices here.

This is lock in situation... hardware manufacturers go out of business/change their minds... Look at Barnes/Noble and their first ebook reader for an example. Look at Fictionwise's recent problems with a software vendor.

I'm not recommending the Kindle till Bezos becomes less controlling, despite the awesome hardware design. Don't need another Orwell type situation. I'll not recommend the Kindle till Amazon opens the Kindle... I don't want to lose an investment in books simply because an executive feels that it's more profitable with 'this software' rather than 'that one'... particularly when they own both!

Oh... KindlePID and KindleFix work... and MobiDeDRM works... but they are awkward and time consuming... and Amazon's terms of service don't say I lease the book or rent the book... but the workarounds are still slow and clumsy. And Amazon has more control issues here.

Thumbs Down. Get the iRex big screen... heavier, somewhat shorter battery life, But no DRM issues, less controlling management.

This review is cross-posted in MobileRead so that Amazon can't '1984' it.

07-24-2009, 05:59 AM	#91
storysmith Well Connected Old Fart Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Tulsa, OK Device: Iliad (both) - Motion tablet - EB1150	Bought a Kindle DX. Nice design, good engineering... Well familiar with ebooks.... This is my 6th ereader... including 2 by iRex, Sony, and the ebookwise readers both large and small. Used a tablet from Motion before the Kindle DX for full size pdf's. Flat file software does not allow you to segregate by class, function, or other category... all ebooks in the kindle are 'equal.'Annoying, but liveable. just plug the Kindle in and update the new reading, so the index is not so full. Not so with iRex... standard file folder type organization well familiar to every PC/Mac/Linux user. iRex has very poor battery life compared to Kindle. Kindle DRM... is a deal killer. I'm a professor... so I do a lot of reading...and use an ebook reader not only for pleasure reading but for keeping up with 9 professional journals. I've got literally hundreds of mobipocket books from Baen, Fictionwise, Mobipocket, Powells, and others... WHY CAN'T I USE MY MOBIPOCKET BOOKS...(oh... yes, I can download the unprotected ones...I know... but I have MANY protected mobipocket books... Why can't I use them? And then...1984 yanked remotely... Buyer... Beware... There are some bad choices here. This is lock in situation... hardware manufacturers go out of business/change their minds... Look at Barnes/Noble and their first ebook reader for an example. Look at Fictionwise's recent problems with a software vendor. I'm not recommending the Kindle till Bezos becomes less controlling, despite the awesome hardware design. Don't need another Orwell type situation. I'll not recommend the Kindle till Amazon opens the Kindle... I don't want to lose an investment in books simply because an executive feels that it's more profitable with 'this software' rather than 'that one'... particularly when they own both! Oh... KindlePID and KindleFix work... and MobiDeDRM works... but they are awkward and time consuming... and Amazon's terms of service don't say I lease the book or rent the book... but the workarounds are still slow and clumsy. And Amazon has more control issues here. Thumbs Down. Get the iRex big screen... heavier, somewhat shorter battery life, But no DRM issues, less controlling management. This review is cross-posted in MobileRead so that Amazon can't '1984' it.