The Kindle DX - A Review a Few Days In

[David Munch]

Interesting how Amazon puts out 'the savior of papers', and make it a half assed attempt... I'll wait patiently to see what Sony has up its sleve - I actually have quite high expectations.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by Gideon

That is actually a concern of mine. I sent back a $150 air filter a couple of weeks ago as well as a text book and after that debacle that one individual had I'm nervous!

Still, I dunno. The advantages to having a great PDF viewer, even with terrible functionality, is pretty nice. I've got reading for the next ten billion years (gotta get all those journal articles before my access goes away!) that way and can scan the occasional book when it suits me.

But I'll decide tomorrow. Hopefully someone will buy my stuff in the flea market and my decision will be much easier!

Honestly I would not worry about it. Didn't Amazon eventually fess up about a screw up in their system over incorrectly flagging accounts for excessive returns? But still if you can make a deal w/o needing a return that would be cool. A few spendy returns in a short period could be a red flag. But then again you have this place as a platform to voice your displeasure over it, and well, I have a sense this place is sort of important for the market.

I would explain while you would love to keep it, as a student it just does not offer the functions you need for using it to study even though one of the promoted uses is for students. If you can live with an Amazon credit asking for that over a refund can be a cool thing too...who knows some might take the credit off your hands at face if a certain deal on a new lens falls through next week.

Were it not for the issue of the poor keypad, I would say everything else should be a firmware fixable issue. Though not sure how the accerometer works and if the sensitivity can be altered in firmware alone.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Gideon

Best thing Sony could do now is release some big screen PDF viewing device for about 300 bucks.. or announce one in the next thirty days!

I'll send my Kindle DX back in a heart beat and just keep my Kindle 2.

If it's within one's price range, I think the iRex DR1000 is unquestionably the best eInk device on the market at present for PDF. It supports all the things that the DX lacks - table of contents, hyperlinks, dictionary lookup, markup, flexible zooming, etc.

[manifestor]

No Table of Contents? OMG what are these Amazon people thinking. Even my humble 6-inch EZ reader supports it.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by manifestor

No Table of Contents? OMG what are these Amazon people thinking. Even my humble 6-inch EZ reader supports it.

That (Jinke)/Astak EZReader is a pretty nice package...hard to imagine Amazon whiffed so badly on the KDX PDF support. Perhaps, again because of that pressure thing, the decision was made to "fix it in post" in other words fix those things in a firmware update in order to be first larger panel device to market other than the iRex device.

EDIT: Changed Netronix to Jinke as the actual maker...thanks Harry!

[HarryT]

No, the Aztak is a Jinke device - the same as the BeBook, Hanlin V3 etc. Not Netronix.

[brecklundin]

ahhhh, OK that was who it is...Jinke...I know there are just a few makers but even so, I get them jumbled around because their devices get sold under so many different brands. It will be nice when we see more differentiation between brands and models, even if it's just firmware.

Thanks for the great hands-on review.

I really like most of the functionality of my Kindle 2 versus my Sony PRS-505, but the Sony is better built and designed.

K2 versus Sony PRS-505 breaks down like this, at least for me:

• K2 wins hands down in bookmarking and annotation. However the K2's keyboard is nearly useless and the 5-way selector button is total junk.
• Sony wins hands down on readability of text in general with its better fonts.
• Sony wins hands down on readability/conversion of PDFs.
• Sony wins hands down on available formats.
• Sony wins hands down on battery life.
• K2 has at least twice the available number of eBooks. I rarely read free books, so this is important to me.
• K2 is much easier to hold and use, especially since I'm left-handed. The left side buttons are well located whereas they are near the bottom of the Sony.
• Sony wins hands down on organizing books.
• Sony wins hands down on construction. The K2 feels like a cheap plastic toy compared to the solid build of the Sony.
• Sony wins hands down on viewing inline images. The K2 sucks at this.
• K2 has Whispernet, but it apparently whispers so quietly that my K2 cannot hear it very well. A typical book takes 30+ minutes to download and uses at least half of the battery charge. I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex where signal strength is NOT a problem. So as far as my experience with three K2s goes, Whispernet is a useless feature. I use PC connection to get books.

Before I even consider upgrading to a future Sony or Kindle, the following improvements will be a must:

• Both need to have TRUE folder/file-management capabilty so we can organize our books as WE see fit.
• Both need to have multiple, user selectable fonts.
• Both need to have user controllable formatting like margins, text justifications, etc..
• Both need to have more formats, especially the K2. Good grief, Amazon owns Mobipocket so why don't they allow Mobipocket purchased books on their K's?!?
• Both need to have touch screen bookmarking, navigation, keyboard, etc., but with the same, or better, legibility of the K2 and Sony PRS-505 screens. No PRS-700 SNAFUs.

Oh, and one more thing: Amazon needs to forbid eBook publication in Topaz format for OCRed books. Actually, both Amazon and Sony should forbid publication of non-edited OCRed text. Either do a proper conversion, edit, and formatting, or don't CHARGE for the eBook!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sirbruce]

Originally Posted by jswinden

• K2 has Whispernet, but it apparently whispers so quietly that my K2 cannot hear it very well. A typical book takes 30+ minutes to download and uses at least half of the battery charge. I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex where signal strength is NOT a problem. So as far as my experience with three K2s goes, Whispernet is a useless feature. I use PC connection to get books.

If this is your experience then your K2 is defective. Return it and get a replacmeent K2. Then re-evaluate K2 vs. the 505.

Originally Posted by sirbruce

If this is your experience then your K2 is defective. Return it and get a replacmeent K2. Then re-evaluate K2 vs. the 505.

Amazon has already replaced my K2 twice. I'm on the third one and each has had lousy Whispernet connectivity. One had the fading screen issue as well. The third (and current) K2 is about on par with my first one, so I decided to just keep it and forget about Whispernet. It is much quicker to download books to my PC and copy them over to my K2. I only turn on Whispernet occasionally to have it record my current bookmarks and library info.

Whispernet or no Whispernet, the Sony is the better made reader, but the K2 has more functionality. The only reason I have both is because of the limited number of NEW titles available to each reader, with Amazon by far in the lead. I don't care about public domain books that much, though I have a few on both readers.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by David Munch

Interesting how Amazon puts out 'the savior of papers', and make it a half assed attempt... I'll wait patiently to see what Sony has up its sleve - I actually have quite high expectations.

High hopes, sure... but high expectations could lead to high disappointment.

[fugazied]

Good review, I agree with everything you said, especially about PDF issues. It's kind of like Amazon are heading in the right direction, but the quality isn't there yet with the DX and it's missing some common sense features.
Some of those can be fixed with a firmware upgrade so hopefully they are working on it. Overall I'm pretty happy with my purchase!

[sirbruce]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Amazon has already replaced my K2 twice. I'm on the third one and each has had lousy Whispernet connectivity. One had the fading screen issue as well. The third (and current) K2 is about on par with my first one, so I decided to just keep it and forget about Whispernet.

Then it's a Sprint problem in your area, not an Kindle problem. Or, you're mistaken or deliberately misrepresenting the truth.

[Bookathon]

you're mistaken or deliberately misrepresenting the truth

That's a rude accusation, you could have said this is most likely a sprint issue, rather than declaring a verdict without even knowing the facts.

[purl4peace]

Originally Posted by Gideon

Best thing Sony could do now is release some big screen PDF viewing device for about 300 bucks.. or announce one in the next thirty days!

I'll send my Kindle DX back in a heart beat and just keep my Kindle 2.

I'm really surprised to hear you say that given your comments about the buttons only being on one side.

As a former Sony convert -- that is one of the things I like about the Kindle DX -- both forward and backward keys are on the right side and no having to fumble back and forth. I much prefer this configuration to the K2 layout.

I guess it is just what you are used to.

That said, I would love to see Sony come out with a larger format screen as well but I'm keeping my DX! (I sold my K2)