Anyone with a DX that can give me a review?

[Sydney's Mom]

Amazon has the DX with cover for $299. I am thinking of getting it, because I really do miss 3G. I have the K3 and the Fire. Is the DX any different with display besides being bigger?

Thanks,
Debra

[geekmaster]

The DX is a little slower than the K3, and a little less memory, and it runs older firmware than the K3. Eink refreshes are slower too. There is an unofficial (hack) firmware upgrade, but it causes "scratchy" sound on audiobooks. The DX is better for reading PDF files than the K3 though...

[Sydney's Mom]

Thanks! Just took it out of my cart. This was exactly what I was looking for. K for you!

[pidgeon92]

Slower than the K3? I don't find it to be so. Nor do I find the refresh to be any slower. I prefer it to the K3, though it is not as comfortable for reading in bed.

[ThomasC]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

Amazon has the DX with cover for $299. I am thinking of getting it, because I really do miss 3G. I have the K3 and the Fire. Is the DX any different with display besides being bigger?

Thanks,
Debra

Do a few searches on the DXG and you'll get lots of opinions.

I have a K3, K4, and DXG (all non-hacked btw). I've owned my DXG for almost 2 years now and it is still my favorite E-book reader. It handles technical reference PDF's that I like to carry around very well. I don't really notice the difference in page-turn flashrates. Text to speech sounds the same as my K3 (don't use it much anyway, and don't use audiobooks).

I have always housed my DXG in a standard Amazon leather cover and it works fine. When I travel I house the DXG (w/cover) in a 10 inch netbook case. I've found that the unlimited 3G has been very handy when travelling.

Really comes down to whether you'd enjoy a large-screen E-book reader or not. If you are happy with your 6 inch readers (like my wife is) then I'd just stick with them.

The DXG w/cover at $299 seems like a very good price imho.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

Slower than the K3? I don't find it to be so. Nor do I find the refresh to be any slower. I prefer it to the K3, though it is not as comfortable for reading in bed.

The DX has a slower CPU. The K3 has a much faster CPU, but it is bogged down with firmware that has a lot more features and slows it down. So you are comparing "user experience" (hardware plus firmware). I was comparing hardware specifications. In fact, if you upgrade the DX with version 3.2.1 firmware, it runs a lot slower than the same firmware on a K3, but does a better job rendering PDF files than the "authorized" 2.5.8 firmware on a DX.

However, the DX is much better for PDF viewing, and I use my DX when I need to view PDFs. It is also a lot nicer for my wife, so she can read with larger fonts without reading glasses.

I have both DX and K3, and they both get used. Be sure to get the DX Graphite (with the eink Pearl display), which is much faster and higher contrast than the older DX (white).

I would get another DXG if I can get a good deal on it (I paid $100 for mine on ebay). But the K3 is also more portable (can fit in a coat pocket), for carrying around with you.

EDIT: The eink speed difference that I was referring to between DX and K3 is the "non-flash" update speed. When displaying video (using "gmplay" in the dev corner forum, with a silent film collection), the K3 can do smooth motion fluid video, but the DX and DXG can only do 1.5 frames/sec (or full speed with a small display area). Perhaps putting 3.2.1 firmware on it will let it run full-speed video...

[Vroo]

I own DX since last November and though I do not use it very often it's my first choice reader when it comes to PDFs. For (a bit) better PDF support I installed K3 software.

I had an opportunity to play with Pocketbook 903 and Onyx M90/M92 -and though I love ability of Onyx to read DJVU I still wouldn't exchange it for DX.

[Talldog]

Can't beat the DX for large PDFs and technical manuals, but I prefer my KT for pleasure reading.

[poohbear_nc]

I've owned & used every model of Kindle ever made. I read constantly. The DX is my reader of choice - just for plain, ordinary books. The large screen better "simulates" a book page, and presents a comparable amount of text (one of my major annoyances with a 6" reader is the choice between text size versus number of page turns while reading versus the amount of text visible on one screen). It does run on the older firmware (closer to the K2 I believe) - but they did add the capability for collections. The Pearl EInk display is crisp & easy on the eyes. Resolution of photos or illustrations does vary widely - depends a lot on how the publisher incorporated them into the ebook version. If you read poetry, plays, or other material with formatted line lengths - and want to read using a font size large enough to see - and don't want to continually tip the reader into landscape mode - you need a DX. It is heavy to hold for extended reading - I usually balance it on the arm of the chair or on the back of a sleeping cat.

Noting Amazon's refusal to upgrade the firmware, and its continuing attempts to dump unsold stock on WOOT, daily deals, etc. I have bought several back-up DXG's just in case the DX is taken off the Amazon web site. $299 for a DXG in a case is a dandy deal.

[Bookatarian]

From a site I follow...her main concern was the inability to highlight and export notes on PDF. http://librarianbyday.net/2011/06/08...ct-pdf-reader/

[Rizla]

I'm surprised Amazon still sell it. They don't seem interested in updating it. Shame. It seems like a nice product if you want to read pdfs. I guess it appeals to a smaller market.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

If you read poetry, plays, or other material with formatted line lengths - and want to read using a font size large enough to see - and don't want to continually tip the reader into landscape mode - you need a DX. It is heavy to hold for extended reading - I usually balance it on the arm of the chair or on the back of a sleeping cat.

Personally I prefer the iPad for this. Much faster response than the Kindle, and books which benefit from a large screen often benefit from colour, too.

For me, it's the Kindle Touch for reading fiction; the iPad for large-screen reading.

[Skydog]

I love my DXG -- so much so, in fact, that I bought a spare when Amazon had a nice sale a few months back. I also have a KTouch and Fire but my favorite for serious reading at home is the DX. The relative font sizes are a tad larger, the text is very crisp and clear and having a display size that is similar to a HB is a huge plus. It is thin, lightweight and very comfortable to hold. I do not find it slow at all.

I also have a Xoom that is my go-to device for nearly everthing but I prefer the DX for reading even with the high-res display and fast processor of the Xoom.