Kindle DX a good choice?

zetareticuli · 01-12-2010, 10:03 PM

Hi guys,

I am new to this forum. I have been reading for weeks trying to decide on whether or not to buy a Kindle DX. I am in the technical field and need a larger screen to read technical documents in PDF. I currently own an Astak Mentor 6" and I am satisfied with its performance for the size. However, I need something with a larger screen. My question to Kindle DX owners is, how would you rate the PDF support in the current implementation of the Kindle DX? Do you think there will be software updates that will improve and enhance PDF viewing experience on the Kindle DX coming soon? Having a technical background in software development, I really don't see any technical limitations that would prevent relatively good PDF viewing on the Kindle DX. I would appreciate your comments on this. Thank you.

desertgrandma · 01-12-2010, 11:42 PM

Welcome to MobileRead, zetareticuli

pboss · 01-13-2010, 03:28 AM

The future of pdf on KDX depends on Amazon. The hardware is definitely capable. Welcome to the forums!

zetareticuli · 01-13-2010, 08:48 AM

Guys, thank you for your responses. Can you report on the experience of viewing PDF on the Kindle DX?

zetareticuli · 01-13-2010, 09:01 AM

I guess my main question is this: Should I buy the Kindle DX now and expect that Amazon will push out software updates that give the DX the very much needed PDF capabilities such as zooming, rotation, table of contents, etc, or should I wait a while longer until a better mobile reader comes out from another Vendor or maybe even Amazon themselves? Primary usage will be for technical documents including technical books.

Thanks again.

Rootman · 01-13-2010, 10:35 AM

I have a DX and the present PDF support is poor. It's anyones call if you should wait or not, the DX is $500 which is quite and investment. I'd be inclined to wait but it depends on how desperate you are for a device and what you can afford. You could always resell the DX on Ebay for may 80-90% of what you have in it.

zetareticuli · 01-13-2010, 10:52 AM

Thank you for your comment. I am really not desperate. I can certainly wait. I was just hoping that there would be a software update from Amazon that adds the support to the Kindle DX for a true PDF viewing experience. If I know the support is going to be there soon, then I will go ahead and buy it.

Daithi · 01-13-2010, 11:42 AM

I have a Kindle DX and I really like it. I use it as my primary reader, but I normally use it to read non-technical books.

However, I have used it for technical books in PDF format on occassion (I am a software developer). The DX's software could definately use some improvement. The lack of internal link support is beyond stupid. In general, their PDF support is quite poor. It does fine for displaying pages and in general they are quite readable on the 9.7" screen, but that is the limit of the good news. Amazon could definately improve the DX with some software upgrades -- a zooming feature, link support, annotation and bookmark support all being at the top of my list.

I think Amazon will probably get around to providing these features, but when it will happen is anyone's guess. I have been waiting for Folder support for years now. My guess is that we will have to wait for the Plastic Logic QUE to start cutting into marketshare before the upgrades start coming.

With all of that said, I think you would probably like the DX. I really do love mine. I've read a fair amount of PDFs and technical material -- but just in a serial page by page fashion. I've also read a LOT of fiction on it, and that is where it really shines. The larger screen size is so much better for reading than the little 6" screen. Plus Amazon has a great selection of books at reasonable prices.

zetareticuli · 01-13-2010, 12:06 PM

Thank you for your comment. I think I am going to wait a bit to see if Amazon releases software updates to improve PDF on the Kindle devices. If they do, I will immediately buy the Kindle DX. I know the Kindle DX is getting killed by the university trials and one of the reasons is the lack of PDF features. If Amazon plans to keep supporting the Kindle DX and continue to advertise it to academics, they are forced to release the software updates to improve PDF now rather than later. There are a few other large screen readers all to be released before the summer.

I think there is a good chance that Amazon will release new software updates to improve PDF reading among other things on the Kindle shortly after the global release of the DX in just a few days. It is really in their best interest unless they are planning to drop the current implementation of the Kindle and focus on a new device altogether.

wallcraft · 01-13-2010, 12:28 PM

If you can wait, the Jinke A9 or the iRex DR800SG, or the PocketBook 901 (or 902) may turn out to be better PDF readers than the KDX. Or Amazon could update their PDF reader and make the Kindle DX virtually unbeatable at the price. Note that every single one of these products (including the KDX) is using the mobile ADE SDK for PDF, so it is just down to how much effort each vendor wants to spend on getting PDFs right. Currently PocketBook has the most feature-rich PDF capability.

zetareticuli · 01-13-2010, 01:40 PM

Wallcraft, thank you. I think I am going to wait until those products you mentioned come out. Like you said, unless Amazon comes out with a killer software update that blows away and surprises everyone, I won't get the Kindle just yet.

fugazied · 01-13-2010, 03:40 PM

The Kindle DX is a great choice imo. It has some limitations, esp with rendering PDFs but overall it's great.

As already mentioned by others, at this point in time it might be worth waiting for the next versions. They should be out at some point this year, hopefully early.

zetareticuli · 01-14-2010, 08:47 AM

I am still debating whether to wait or not. If the other devices will not be out until end of spring or summer, I can afford the Kindle DX now. The next few months will give me a chance to raise the money to purchase whatever new device is best when they come out.

Daithi · 01-14-2010, 10:33 AM

It's a tough decision. The ereader market is changing so rapidly that any device you buy now will be outdated in within a six months. If you buy a Kindle DX then in 3 months you'll be wishing you had an iRex DR800SG or a Plastic Logic QUE. If you hold out for the Plastic Logic QUE then a few months later you'll be drooling over the new flexible ereader from Sony. If you hold out for that you'll wish you had waited for the new color ereader, only to see Barnes & Noble come out with their own color reader with flexible screen. Of course Amazon will then introduce their color screen that is flexible and supports video. Don't even getting me started on what Apple and Google are going to be releasing. There are also rumors of a tiny company with a device that will really revolutionize the industry -- Microsoft will buy them and add software to the product that makes it crash alot. Good luck on what you choose.

HarryT · 01-14-2010, 11:04 AM

zetareticuli,

Whether the DX is a good choice really depends what you want to do with it.

If you just want to view your PDFs, and that's all, and if the page is such that they can comfortably be read on the DX, you'll be OK.

Unfortunately, viewing PDFs is all that the DX can do. It can't zoom in them, it can't annotate them, it can't search them - it can't even use hyperlinks or a table of contents within a PDF file.

If you can live with those limitations, fine. If you can't, I'd look elsewhere myself.

The best eInk device for displaying PDFs at present is unquestionable the iRex DR1000S. Unfortunately, it's a lot more expensive than the Kindle.

01-12-2010, 10:03 PM	#1
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	Kindle DX a good choice? Hi guys, I am new to this forum. I have been reading for weeks trying to decide on whether or not to buy a Kindle DX. I am in the technical field and need a larger screen to read technical documents in PDF. I currently own an Astak Mentor 6" and I am satisfied with its performance for the size. However, I need something with a larger screen. My question to Kindle DX owners is, how would you rate the PDF support in the current implementation of the Kindle DX? Do you think there will be software updates that will improve and enhance PDF viewing experience on the Kindle DX coming soon? Having a technical background in software development, I really don't see any technical limitations that would prevent relatively good PDF viewing on the Kindle DX. I would appreciate your comments on this. Thank you.

01-14-2010, 10:33 AM	#14
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	It's a tough decision. The ereader market is changing so rapidly that any device you buy now will be outdated in within a six months. If you buy a Kindle DX then in 3 months you'll be wishing you had an iRex DR800SG or a Plastic Logic QUE. If you hold out for the Plastic Logic QUE then a few months later you'll be drooling over the new flexible ereader from Sony. If you hold out for that you'll wish you had waited for the new color ereader, only to see Barnes & Noble come out with their own color reader with flexible screen. Of course Amazon will then introduce their color screen that is flexible and supports video. Don't even getting me started on what Apple and Google are going to be releasing. There are also rumors of a tiny company with a device that will really revolutionize the industry -- Microsoft will buy them and add software to the product that makes it crash alot. Good luck on what you choose. Last edited by Daithi; 01-14-2010 at 10:35 AM.

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01-12-2010, 11:42 PM	#2
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462841 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Welcome to MobileRead, zetareticuli

01-13-2010, 03:28 AM	#3
pboss Evangelist Posts: 408 Karma: 646 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: none	The future of pdf on KDX depends on Amazon. The hardware is definitely capable. Welcome to the forums!

01-13-2010, 08:48 AM	#4
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	Guys, thank you for your responses. Can you report on the experience of viewing PDF on the Kindle DX?

01-13-2010, 09:01 AM	#5
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	I guess my main question is this: Should I buy the Kindle DX now and expect that Amazon will push out software updates that give the DX the very much needed PDF capabilities such as zooming, rotation, table of contents, etc, or should I wait a while longer until a better mobile reader comes out from another Vendor or maybe even Amazon themselves? Primary usage will be for technical documents including technical books. Thanks again.

01-13-2010, 10:35 AM	#6
Rootman Groupie Posts: 181 Karma: 478 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Android & FBReader	I have a DX and the present PDF support is poor. It's anyones call if you should wait or not, the DX is $500 which is quite and investment. I'd be inclined to wait but it depends on how desperate you are for a device and what you can afford. You could always resell the DX on Ebay for may 80-90% of what you have in it.

01-13-2010, 10:52 AM	#7
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	Thank you for your comment. I am really not desperate. I can certainly wait. I was just hoping that there would be a software update from Amazon that adds the support to the Kindle DX for a true PDF viewing experience. If I know the support is going to be there soon, then I will go ahead and buy it.

01-13-2010, 11:42 AM	#8
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	I have a Kindle DX and I really like it. I use it as my primary reader, but I normally use it to read non-technical books. However, I have used it for technical books in PDF format on occassion (I am a software developer). The DX's software could definately use some improvement. The lack of internal link support is beyond stupid. In general, their PDF support is quite poor. It does fine for displaying pages and in general they are quite readable on the 9.7" screen, but that is the limit of the good news. Amazon could definately improve the DX with some software upgrades -- a zooming feature, link support, annotation and bookmark support all being at the top of my list. I think Amazon will probably get around to providing these features, but when it will happen is anyone's guess. I have been waiting for Folder support for years now. My guess is that we will have to wait for the Plastic Logic QUE to start cutting into marketshare before the upgrades start coming. With all of that said, I think you would probably like the DX. I really do love mine. I've read a fair amount of PDFs and technical material -- but just in a serial page by page fashion. I've also read a LOT of fiction on it, and that is where it really shines. The larger screen size is so much better for reading than the little 6" screen. Plus Amazon has a great selection of books at reasonable prices.

01-13-2010, 12:06 PM	#9
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	Thank you for your comment. I think I am going to wait a bit to see if Amazon releases software updates to improve PDF on the Kindle devices. If they do, I will immediately buy the Kindle DX. I know the Kindle DX is getting killed by the university trials and one of the reasons is the lack of PDF features. If Amazon plans to keep supporting the Kindle DX and continue to advertise it to academics, they are forced to release the software updates to improve PDF now rather than later. There are a few other large screen readers all to be released before the summer. I think there is a good chance that Amazon will release new software updates to improve PDF reading among other things on the Kindle shortly after the global release of the DX in just a few days. It is really in their best interest unless they are planning to drop the current implementation of the Kindle and focus on a new device altogether.

01-13-2010, 12:28 PM	#10
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	If you can wait, the Jinke A9 or the iRex DR800SG, or the PocketBook 901 (or 902) may turn out to be better PDF readers than the KDX. Or Amazon could update their PDF reader and make the Kindle DX virtually unbeatable at the price. Note that every single one of these products (including the KDX) is using the mobile ADE SDK for PDF, so it is just down to how much effort each vendor wants to spend on getting PDFs right. Currently PocketBook has the most feature-rich PDF capability.

01-13-2010, 01:40 PM	#11
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	Wallcraft, thank you. I think I am going to wait until those products you mentioned come out. Like you said, unless Amazon comes out with a killer software update that blows away and surprises everyone, I won't get the Kindle just yet.

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01-13-2010, 03:40 PM	#12
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	The Kindle DX is a great choice imo. It has some limitations, esp with rendering PDFs but overall it's great. As already mentioned by others, at this point in time it might be worth waiting for the next versions. They should be out at some point this year, hopefully early.

01-14-2010, 08:47 AM	#13
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	I am still debating whether to wait or not. If the other devices will not be out until end of spring or summer, I can afford the Kindle DX now. The next few months will give me a chance to raise the money to purchase whatever new device is best when they come out.

01-14-2010, 11:04 AM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	zetareticuli, Whether the DX is a good choice really depends what you want to do with it. If you just want to view your PDFs, and that's all, and if the page is such that they can comfortably be read on the DX, you'll be OK. Unfortunately, viewing PDFs is all that the DX can do. It can't zoom in them, it can't annotate them, it can't search them - it can't even use hyperlinks or a table of contents within a PDF file. If you can live with those limitations, fine. If you can't, I'd look elsewhere myself. The best eInk device for displaying PDFs at present is unquestionable the iRex DR1000S. Unfortunately, it's a lot more expensive than the Kindle.