Kindle 2 or the Kindle DX?

[MARCINEKOK]

Having already searched through several Reviews of both the Kindle 2 and DX, from actual owners and websites such as engadget, cnet, wired, Amazon User Reviews etc... I still can not decide which one to purchase.

I want to purchase a kindle for casual reading, and possibly using it to have mobile school text books to help study, I am currently a Junior in High School but I travel a-lot, both domestically and internationally.

Having never seen a kindle upfront, I am basically judging it through its specs, pics and reviews. Now I need your opinions...

It seems to me that a larger screen is better for reading, therefore the DX has an edge, but then many reviews advise that the Kindle 2 would satisfy casual reading...

The price is obviously a factor, but I am able to pay the $490 and more for the cover.

So... which one would be best for casual mobile reading as well as the occasional use of text books when I do not feel like taking the actual physical text books with me (btw, i'm aware that not all of the text books have yet to appear on Amazon). I will probably use it more for reading actual books though.

The reviews of the DX trouble me since many note that the screen orientation flip is at 45 degrees (compared to the same technology on the iPhone/iPod Touch which is set to 90 degrees) which can cause problems while trying to read comfortably (accidental flips of the screen). Also the keyboard has been noted as uncomfortable and hard to use compared to the Kindle 2 so i'm not sure...!

So Basically i'm asking:

Which one is more comfortable?

Which one is more practical (meaning portability, easiness to read, what can be read on it)

How well are its functions/features executed?

Which one do you prefer?

Portability, Portablity, Portablity! (Which is more portable [obviously the K2] but which one
is the best for comfortable reading during travel). I will however use it at home probably
40%-50% of the time.

Which one is easier to navigate (I understand there are no folders in the Kindle for some awkward reason, since it seems as a no-brainer) this includes the keyboard!


My Non-Essentials :
I don't need to read PDF, Word (I have laptops for that).
Newspapers (I don't read that many)
Web Browsing/Wikipedia (obviously a browser would be a waste on such a machine)

May Use Device For:
Magazines .... (possibly)






If you have any recommendations for a different E-Book, please do inform me! I am under the impression that the Kindle is the best due to its library and wireless book download features, I may be mistaken though.

Any help is appreciated!!

Thanks!

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by MARCINEKOK

Having already searched through several Reviews of both the Kindle 2 and DX, from actual owners and websites such as engadget, cnet, wired, Amazon User Reviews etc... I still can not decide which one to purchase.

I want to purchase a kindle for casual reading, and possibly using it to have mobile school text books to help study, I am currently a Junior in High School but I travel a-lot, both domestically and internationally.

Having never seen a kindle upfront, I am basically judging it through its specs, pics and reviews. Now I need your opinions...

It seems to me that a larger screen is better for reading, therefore the DX has an edge, but then many reviews advise that the Kindle 2 would satisfy casual reading...

The price is obviously a factor, but I am able to pay the $490 and more for the cover.

So... which one would be best for casual mobile reading as well as the occasional use of text books when I do not feel like taking the actual physical text books with me (btw, i'm aware that not all of the text books have yet to appear on Amazon). I will probably use it more for reading actual books though.

The reviews of the DX trouble me since many note that the screen orientation flip is at 45 degrees (compared to the same technology on the iPhone/iPod Touch which is set to 90 degrees) which can cause problems while trying to read comfortably (accidental flips of the screen). Also the keyboard has been noted as uncomfortable and hard to use compared to the Kindle 2 so i'm not sure...!

So Basically i'm asking:

Which one is more comfortable?
Which one is more practical (meaning portability, easiness to read, what can be read on it)
How well are its functions/features executed?
Which one do you prefer?




If you have any recommendations for a different E-Book, please do inform me! I am under the impression that the Kindle is the best due to its library and wireless book download features, I may be mistaken though.

Any help is appreciated!!

Thanks!

"accidental flips of the screen"
You simply can turn it off in settings. Or you can fix it to, let's say, 90° permanently.
Honestly I don't use it anyway. I'm not watching movies , so I wouldn't need "widescreen" format. I clearly prefer the standard portrait format.

I've just ordered the Cybook Opus, a 5" unit.
So, in the beginning, I was going for the bigger units: Kindle DX and iRex 1000S.
Now I'll try the opposite: Small and mobile.
Can't tell yet, still waiting for the Cybook Opus.
But when traveling, I usually find myself taking Kindle 2 with me. Kindle DX is bulky and less mobile.
So, in my opinion, one of the criterias should be, whether you'd like to take your reader with you or whether you'll mainly read at home.
For mobility, size DOES matter...
Another criteria: Do you need PDF support? DX does support it in an acceptable way. Kindle 2 doesn't, you have to convert first.

Kindle 2 is more than enough, given it's screen size of 6". Else I wouldn't try a 5"unit.
But still: Kindle DX is a phantastic unit. You don't have to have it. But you'll love it...

[MARCINEKOK]

I dont need PDF's...

Its really hard to decide since you have the more portable yet smaller screen, and the slightly less portable but larger screen..., the cheaper and the more expensive. Although I am currently (and thankfully) able to purchase a DX.

... gah!! lol

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by MARCINEKOK

I dont need PDF's...

Its really hard to decide since you have the more portable yet smaller screen, and the slightly less portable but larger screen..., the cheaper and the more expensive. Although I am currently (and thankfully) able to purchase a DX.

... gah!! lol

If mobility isn't the killer criteria for you: Go for the DX then.
Still convenient to hold, PDF doesn't do any harm. Big screen is no MUST, but nice to have.

[MARCINEKOK]

Mobility is pretty much the factor in my decision... but also is the possibility of having a mobile text book to study AP classes on the go... (I'm aware of Amazons deals with the major players in the text book biz, and aware there still not available).

Could you compare the DX's size (by which I mean mobility) ? Is it like a hard cover book (obviously a-lot thinner), can it be put into a bag, say a backpack, carry on case easily? Or is it a fuss? The screen is appealing to me.

Also just one more question? Is the keyboard really a fuss as the many reviews say?

Thanks for your help!

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by MARCINEKOK

Mobility is pretty much the factor in my decision... but also is the possibility of having a mobile text book to study AP classes on the go... (I'm aware of Amazons deals with the major players in the text book biz, and aware there still not available).

Could you compare the DX's size (by which I mean mobility) ? Is it like a hard cover book (obviously a-lot thinner), can it be put into a bag, say a backpack, carry on case easily? Or is it a fuss? The screen is appealing to me.

Also just one more question? Is the keyboard really a fuss as the many reviews say?

Thanks for your help!

Size:
Kindle 2 is about the size of your average paperback, thinner though.
Kindle DX is about your standard A4/letter format.

Protection:
All the readers easily can be protected with folding covers. The screen could be breaking, so that's a must.
In a backpack, I'd use additional protection.
My Sony 505 for example I'm transporting in a hard case shell http://cgi.ebay.com/eCaddy-Hard-Shel...ht_1457wt_1167

Mobility:
Would I be traveling just for one day, mobility of Kindle DX wouldn't be a problem. But very often I'm traveling for a few days and then rigidly try to limit my luggage. Then Kindle DX often is too bulky and I choose Kindle 2 or Sony 505.
But for a single day's travel or going to work or school, I don't think it will be any problem at all.

Keyboard:
I wouldn't use any of these keyboards for more than a few words. If you'd like to jot down notes or add comments, iRex iLiad or iRex 1000S might be interesting. Via their touchscreen, you can use them like a standard tablet PC.
If you compare Kindle 2 and Kindle DX, I don't see that much of a difference. I guess, it's mainly about positioning your thumbs. Given the smaller dimension of Kindle 2, you can use both thumbs easily. Kindle DX is too big for that, I usually use a single index finger, which slows things down a bit.
But what will you use the keyboard for? I'm just searching for a specific term once or twice per day. Typing a few words isn't a problem at all...

[DDHarriman]

Hi

From the two you propose, get the kindle 2.

Pay attention there are all the other 6” and the new 5” readers in the market who will give you the same or better experience as devices for someone who needs them for casual reading and travels a lot.

I myself have two of them and the one I use much more is the Cybook Gen3 for it’s lightness, 12 sizes fonts, and all the fonts I want, and the possibility to embold the text for better reading at night and in poor lighted environments.

Best regards,

[daffy4u]

Here are some size comparison pictures pulled from Google.

[TMark]

Nice. Do you have a bigger version of the last picture?

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by TMark

Nice. Do you have a bigger version of the last picture?

I found all the pictures on Google. I don't remember the exact search phrase I used but look here for other pics.

[TMark]

Thanks. I knew I've seen that picture before. It's pretty big. I've found it:

[Acextreme]

Hmmm, I am an owner of a Kindle DX (though not of a Kindle 1/2 before) and I can safely say that I really love the Kindle DX. Actually, although I do have my laptop, I still prefer reading PDFs on an eInk screen and the DX renders the PDFs with no problems at all. But granted, my PDFs aren't technical papers since I haven't tried them but so far, every PDF books I threw at it works perfectly. In fact, on my recent vacation, I loaded a PDF map on it and it renders fine though lacking zoom is a disadvantage. With PDF support, I can load almost any documents I want by printing them in PDF and send it to my DX, saves me the hassle to lug around a laptop just to view documents.

The large screen is marvelous. Considering an approximate 2.5x more screen estate is helpful; I can read more onscreen with less page turns. This is vital since I read mostly non-fiction books and more words on one page means I can analyze concepts easily with less page flips. If novels are mostly what you read, then the extra screen estate may not be of much importance over your decision making.

These are basically the 2 main differences that got me over from a prospective Kindle 2 to Kindle DX purchase decision. As for portability, the size and weight of the Kindle didn't really post too much of a difference; that couple 100g makes not much difference really, at least to me. And the DX is slightly smaller in dimension to A4 paper. No problems to me since I am so used to carry many large textbooks with me before...