DX Again (looked at ipad hard)

Yojinbo · 06-05-2010, 10:01 AM

After my DX was appropriated for use (and then sale) by another party I found myself shopping again for a reader. A friend at work let me borrow his ipad for a day so I could see what was going on.

I looked hard at the ipad and I really, really like the idea of the device. But I own an AppleTV. A media device that I still, after many years, cannot play my own media off of due to Apple's desire to shape my behavior into their mould. I realize that the kindle also has a narrow set of formats, but my ability to consume .prc files fits my needs at this time (more formats would be appreciated).

For that reason, I cannot abide any Apple device as a media player. Once I took the media player function of the ipad out of the equation it was reader to reader. I just like the Kindle better for reading books on.

I might make a different decision next year. I might have more options if I wait a few months. But decades of being a gadget consumer have trained me to no play the "wait a few more weeks" game - because something else is always "just around the corner". I will probably enjoy another DX until generation 3 or 4 of the Android pads and jump over.

I will say that the weight of the ipad was not a factor. My DX in a heavy leather cover felt the same weight. I have a shelf full of quarto volumes in my library that all outweigh both devices together - and those books are an absolute pleasure to read.

Anyway, I am expecting a new DX any day now.

JaneD · 06-05-2010, 01:15 PM

Interesting to hear your reasons for not jumping over. I've often doubted myself for not going to an iPad, and always fascinated to hear other people's reasoning.

I also found the weight to be almost the same as the iPad - ok the iPad's a little heavier but not significantly more so than the DX.

Anyway, enjoy your new DX!

djgreedo · 06-05-2010, 11:30 PM

If you don't care about the difference between e-ink and LCD I can't really imagine why you would choose a Kindle over a good tablet (though I would advise against an iPad due to the restrictions and general Apple horribleness).

The iPad does seem to be one of the best tablets out there at the moment hardware-wise, but give it time and the Android and Windows 7 tablets will overtake the iPad and you'll have more choice of what size and features you want.

Over the next 6 months we'll have a better idea of what the future of ebooks is and you can buy a device that suits that future. For example I think books, especially text books and other non-fiction, will require animation, sound, internet connectivity, and other stuff we probably can't guess at.

SensualPoet · 06-06-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yojinbo

I might make a different decision next year. I might have more options if I wait a few months. But decades of being a gadget consumer have trained me to no play the "wait a few more weeks" game - because something else is always "just around the corner". I will probably enjoy another DX until generation 3 or 4 of the Android pads and jump over.

Thanks for the perspective.

And +1 on the bit about "just around the corner". If I followed that logic I'd still be waiting to buy my first computer. That would have been a long wait: my first computer was an Apple][+ purchased in 1980/81.

On the plus side, I would have skipped Beta, VHS, DVD and HD DVD ....

Krystian Galaj · 06-06-2010, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djgreedo

If you don't care about the difference between e-ink and LCD I can't really imagine why you would choose a Kindle over a good tablet (though I would advise against an iPad due to the restrictions and general Apple horribleness).

One possible reason, very important in my case, is weight. My Cybook Gen3 weighs 150g, Kindle weighs 300g, do you know of any tablets as light or lighter than that?

aruangra · 06-06-2010, 07:35 PM

I have both DX and iPad. DX wins for reading comfort. My iPad is for note taking and surfing websites.

Yojinbo · 06-06-2010, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djgreedo

Over the next 6 months we'll have a better idea of what the future of ebooks is and you can buy a device that suits that future. For example I think books, especially text books and other non-fiction, will require animation, sound, internet connectivity, and other stuff we probably can't guess at.

If I saw a killer tablet I would leave e-ink for LCD. e-ink is "softer" on my eyes but I am willing to move away.

I bought an Archos 704 WiFi 3 years ago that would surf the web on a touchscreen and store and play 80Gig of movies in 16:9. I really had hoped that media players would have come far beyond the ipad by now. It's low rez, and 4:3 ratio are mystifying to me. I can only imagine they are planning an "ipad HD" in a few months to fix that.

I hope the pace of media tablet development has increased and that in 3 more years I will have a huge palate of options. I will be happy with my DX until then.

LesleyO · 06-07-2010, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yojinbo

If I saw a killer tablet I would leave e-ink for LCD. e-ink is "softer" on my eyes but I am willing to move away.

(snip)
I hope the pace of media tablet development has increased and that in 3 more years I will have a huge palate of options. I will be happy with my DX until then.

I'm with you on this. I have a DXi, and my husband has a K2i. So far, the only tablet I've seen that I like at all is the Sahara 440D from tabletkiosk.com, and it is a killer — but it has a killer price at this point! It's only 3.3 pounds, which is excellent for what it offers, but I'm sure the next couple of years will bring us the laptop replacement we want.

In the meantime — I sure love my DX!

lilman · 06-07-2010, 06:18 PM

I still love my Kindle DX, but since I got an iPad I haven't turned on the DX. To each his/her own.

By the way, if you are looking for a replacement for your Apple TV I recommend a Popcorn Hour. I love my A-110 and have used it every night since I got it over a year ago.

SamuraiXSendai · 06-08-2010, 04:15 PM

Had to bite the bullet and order an Ipad when AT&T changed their data plans. I had planned to wait. but I know I will be a heavy downloader and I need the unlimited. My purchase date was before the 6/7 cutoff. I hate the walled garden too, but weighing the options pushed me over the edge - if I can't live with the restrictions, I will return it or sell it. Would have got the DX if the price had dropped under 400, I bought both K1 and K2 at release and didn't want to pay for a third version's R&D.

Yojinbo · 06-08-2010, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilman

I still love my Kindle DX, but since I got an iPad I haven't turned on the DX. To each his/her own.

By the way, if you are looking for a replacement for your Apple TV I recommend a Popcorn Hour. I love my A-110 and have used it every night since I got it over a year ago.

I looked at Popcorn hour years ago after the AVD Forum traffic on it. I ended up with a WD TV Live HD and I like it a lot (after a few other devices).

pboss · 06-09-2010, 12:53 PM

I second WDTV. My only problem with it that it it can't do DVD menu's. WDTV Live sells at retail stores, so you can always return it if it doesn't work out for you.

lilman · 06-12-2010, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pboss

I second WDTV. My only problem with it that it it can't do DVD menu's.

That's what kept me away from WDTV. I have a ton of anime boxsets and I watch an episode or two of several anime series every night. I got tired of having to get up to switch dvds so I got the PH. With the PH you can load up a digital copy of a dvd in full quality and with all dvd features (including menus, subtitles, etc). Once loaded you can't even tell you're not using the original dvd. Now I don't have to get up to change dvds, and switching between series takes a few seconds

Sorry, kinda off topic for this thread, but I think of my PH the same way I think of my Kindle DX and iPad (well, just the reader aspect of iPad)... they are a medium for storing and viewing digital copies of media that I have hardcopies of. For the PH it's digital copies of anime and other dvds. For the Kindle DX and iPad its digital copies of manga and other books.

Yojinbo · 07-09-2010, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yojinbo

I might make a different decision next year. I might have more options if I wait a few months. But decades of being a gadget consumer have trained me to no play the "wait a few more weeks" game - because something else is always "just around the corner". I will probably enjoy another DX until generation 3 or 4 of the Android pads and jump over.

Well, what can I say. I was badly wrong about how close a new DX was. Amazon took my DX back on the last day of my 30 day window no questions asked.

My new DXg arrived today and I am pleased with the contrast in questionable light. If you often read in conditions that you should probably not be reading in - this is the device for you.

polbit · 07-10-2010, 02:14 PM

Just wanted to offer a different perspective... I went from Sony PRS-505 to an iPad, and used it mostly as a book reader. I have to say, especially at night, E Ink display is 100x better for me. With the iPad my eyes would get tired very fast, and then falling asleep was a little difficult. So, I'm going back to a dedicated ebook reader...

06-05-2010, 10:01 AM	#1
Yojinbo Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Oklahoma Device: Oasis, Aura One, Lumi	DX Again (looked at ipad hard) After my DX was appropriated for use (and then sale) by another party I found myself shopping again for a reader. A friend at work let me borrow his ipad for a day so I could see what was going on. I looked hard at the ipad and I really, really like the idea of the device. But I own an AppleTV. A media device that I still, after many years, cannot play my own media off of due to Apple's desire to shape my behavior into their mould. I realize that the kindle also has a narrow set of formats, but my ability to consume .prc files fits my needs at this time (more formats would be appreciated). For that reason, I cannot abide any Apple device as a media player. Once I took the media player function of the ipad out of the equation it was reader to reader. I just like the Kindle better for reading books on. I might make a different decision next year. I might have more options if I wait a few months. But decades of being a gadget consumer have trained me to no play the "wait a few more weeks" game - because something else is always "just around the corner". I will probably enjoy another DX until generation 3 or 4 of the Android pads and jump over. I will say that the weight of the ipad was not a factor. My DX in a heavy leather cover felt the same weight. I have a shelf full of quarto volumes in my library that all outweigh both devices together - and those books are an absolute pleasure to read. Anyway, I am expecting a new DX any day now.

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06-05-2010, 01:15 PM	#2
JaneD Addict Posts: 322 Karma: 1057749 Join Date: May 2010 Location: LA, CA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2013	Interesting to hear your reasons for not jumping over. I've often doubted myself for not going to an iPad, and always fascinated to hear other people's reasoning. I also found the weight to be almost the same as the iPad - ok the iPad's a little heavier but not significantly more so than the DX. Anyway, enjoy your new DX!

06-05-2010, 11:30 PM	#3
djgreedo Addict Posts: 285 Karma: 640696 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Kindle Touch 3G, HP Touchpad (Android), Samsung Omnia 7	If you don't care about the difference between e-ink and LCD I can't really imagine why you would choose a Kindle over a good tablet (though I would advise against an iPad due to the restrictions and general Apple horribleness). The iPad does seem to be one of the best tablets out there at the moment hardware-wise, but give it time and the Android and Windows 7 tablets will overtake the iPad and you'll have more choice of what size and features you want. Over the next 6 months we'll have a better idea of what the future of ebooks is and you can buy a device that suits that future. For example I think books, especially text books and other non-fiction, will require animation, sound, internet connectivity, and other stuff we probably can't guess at.

06-06-2010, 07:35 PM	#6
aruangra Connoisseur Posts: 83 Karma: 888 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Nook Touch, iPad1, iPad2, iPod Touch 4G, Pixel Qi	I have both DX and iPad. DX wins for reading comfort. My iPad is for note taking and surfing websites.

06-07-2010, 06:18 PM	#9
lilman Addict Posts: 326 Karma: 960 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Florida, US Device: Kindle DX, iPad	I still love my Kindle DX, but since I got an iPad I haven't turned on the DX. To each his/her own. By the way, if you are looking for a replacement for your Apple TV I recommend a Popcorn Hour. I love my A-110 and have used it every night since I got it over a year ago.

06-08-2010, 04:15 PM	#10
SamuraiXSendai Addict Posts: 229 Karma: 1234 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Earth Device: Kindle 1. Kindle 2. IPAD. KDXG. Kindle 3.Fire	Had to bite the bullet and order an Ipad when AT&T changed their data plans. I had planned to wait. but I know I will be a heavy downloader and I need the unlimited. My purchase date was before the 6/7 cutoff. I hate the walled garden too, but weighing the options pushed me over the edge - if I can't live with the restrictions, I will return it or sell it. Would have got the DX if the price had dropped under 400, I bought both K1 and K2 at release and didn't want to pay for a third version's R&D.

06-09-2010, 12:53 PM	#12
pboss Evangelist Posts: 408 Karma: 646 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: none	I second WDTV. My only problem with it that it it can't do DVD menu's. WDTV Live sells at retail stores, so you can always return it if it doesn't work out for you.

07-10-2010, 02:14 PM	#15
polbit Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 29488 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Keller, TX Device: Kindle 4, Kindle HDX 8.9, Yoga 2 Pro	Just wanted to offer a different perspective... I went from Sony PRS-505 to an iPad, and used it mostly as a book reader. I have to say, especially at night, E Ink display is 100x better for me. With the iPad my eyes would get tired very fast, and then falling asleep was a little difficult. So, I'm going back to a dedicated ebook reader...

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