Kindle DX Arrives Today

[georgetoon]

I had points on one of my credit cards that I use for amazon.com purchases. I own two Kindles. Both models are Kindle Keyboards. One Kindle has developed a slight problem. Every once in a blue moon, the screen does't refresh and it goes black. It's happened, at least, a few times. So, I'm thinking it might be time to get a replacement.

I decided to go with the DX rather than a Paperwhite. (And plus, I had those points to shop with). I was curious about the larger screen. I do own a 10" Android tablet, but it gets heavy when reading with the Kindle app.

So, any comments from DX users? Did I make a good choice?

[SquiddOhio]

I'm not a DX owner (I have had 3 versions of the smaller Kindles, and now use a PW, which is smaller than the keyboard version), but a good friend of mine has the DX and my reaction to seeing it every time is that the DX is really big. It's thin, of course, but it's larger than an iPad (DX: 10.5 x 7.2 -- iPad: 9.5 x 7.3). My friends and my daughter who read on iPads complain mostly about the size and weight, which is why the iPad Mini has become a very big competitor to the Kindle for this use.
On the other hand, for reading magazines or newspapers, the size of the DX is wonderful, and you can download each day's fishwrap automatically from just about anywhere.
Since you are going to a DX from a Keyboard, I think you will find the DX too big and heavy, and you will find, if you need a reading light, most Kindle lights are too small for the big screen.
Finally, those "points" aren't free money - you paid for them with your prior purchases and should redeem then with the same thought and consideration you would use for any other impulse buy.
Let us know how you like the DX.

[georgetoon]

Originally Posted by SquiddOhio

I'm not a DX owner (I have had 3 versions of the smaller Kindles, and now use a PW, which is smaller than the keyboard version), but a good friend of mine has the DX and my reaction to seeing it every time is that the DX is really big. It's thin, of course, but it's larger than an iPad (DX: 10.5 x 7.2 -- iPad: 9.5 x 7.3). My friends and my daughter who read on iPads complain mostly about the size and weight, which is why the iPad Mini has become a very big competitor to the Kindle for this use.
On the other hand, for reading magazines or newspapers, the size of the DX is wonderful, and you can download each day's fishwrap automatically from just about anywhere.
Since you are going to a DX from a Keyboard, I think you will find the DX too big and heavy, and you will find, if you need a reading light, most Kindle lights are too small for the big screen.
Finally, those "points" aren't free money - you paid for them with your prior purchases and should redeem then with the same thought and consideration you would use for any other impulse buy.
Let us know how you like the DX.

Thanks so much. Really good points (including the one about sopping pints...agreed). Yes, I can see the iPad mini competing. Never considered that before.

You said, "you can download each day's fishwrap automatically from just about anywhere."

Really? Where? I thought newspapers could only be loaded via Amazon's Kindle content store.

[pidgeon92]

I use my DX for reading while I eat. I always prop it up in an easel, as it can be heavy and awkward.

This is the one I use....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's under $11, can be used with all ereaders/tablets, and can be folded compactly for travel or storage.

[georgetoon]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

I use my DX for reading while I eat. I always prop it up in an easel, as it can be heavy and awkward.

This is the one I use....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's under $11, can be used with all ereaders/tablets, and can be folded compactly for travel or storage.

Neat! Thanks!

[HarryT]

Bear in mind that the DX is basically a Kindle 2 with a large screen. Its firmware therefore lacks many of the facilities of the later Kindles. No KF8 support is probably the "biggie".

[ThomasC]

Originally Posted by georgetoon

So, any comments from DX users? Did I make a good choice?

I think you have made a great choice. My Kindle DXG is still my favorite ebook reader after almost 3 years now. I use it ~1 hour just about every day.

Easily reads in any light that you can read a normal book. If you want to read at night I recommend a good adjustable 3-6 led clip-on. I use this one and have found it the best ever for my DXG;

http://www.dicksmith.com.au/ereaders...ght-dsau-s4182

Love the free 3g and have found this very useful on overseas trips, even the fairly simple internet browser for news, sports, weather reports, even train schedules.

I'm a big guy and do not find the weight any problem. Only ~ 200g heavier than my wife's K3 and ~200g lighter than an Ipad. My wife still prefers her K3 though.

My only complaint with my DXG is that the battery life is a bit low, esp. if you have 3g enabled.

Originally Posted by HarryT

Bear in mind that the DX is basically a Kindle 2 with a large screen. Its firmware therefore lacks many of the facilities of the later Kindles. No KF8 support is probably the "biggie".

Sorry but I have not found this to be a 'biggie'. This has been more of a negative feature on my k4nt since many authors do not allow you to change formats. The formatting on all my kf8 books has been fine on my DXG.

[discopig]

I had the opportunity to try a DX once, it's really nice, I loved the large screen size. However, the lack of backlight would prevent me from buying one at all.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by ThomasC

Sorry but I have not found this to be a 'biggie'. This has been more of a negative feature on my k4nt since many authors do not allow you to change formats. The formatting on all my kf8 books has been fine on my DXG.

No need to be sorry - we all have our own personal preferences. For me personally it is important; KF8 allows much more sophisticated formatting than Mobi.

[hawhill]

As I owned a K3, a KDX and now a KPW, I'd like to add my 2 cents: The KDX compared to the others has always been a bit like a hardcover versus a paperback book to me. It's sturdy. That has actually always been a nice thing. Also, it felt appropriate to use a bit bigger fonts (in terms of actual size, not relative) than I use on my KPW (or used on K3): I prefered to use it laying it against something while reading.

In the end, that was my biggest problem with the KDX, too. It was a bit too heavy to use it in bed or lying on the couch - and as I found out gradually, I prefer that to sitting positions for reading fiction. The KDX tend to flip forward or backward when I got sleepy and my wrist muscles were relaxing - a bit awkward.

That said, I bought by DX as a special one-day offer for a reduced price and I sold it without much of a loss second-hand. I'm back to the 6-inchers. As for reading "big documents", like PDF, comics or similar, I much prefer an LCD tablet nowadays. But that strongly depends on the literature, I can still concentrate and get lost in a book much better with e-ink readers.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by hawhill

As for reading "big documents", like PDF, comics or similar, I much prefer an LCD tablet nowadays.

Likewise. Novels on the PW, PDFs etc. on the iPad.

[SquiddOhio]

"You said, 'you can download each day's fishwrap automatically from just about anywhere.'"
By "from just about anywhere" I was referring to your location at the time of the download, not to the source of the downloaded file. I've never had a 3G Kindle, so I can only download an item from Amazon in a wi-fi location (which, in many cities, is just about anywhere). My understanding is that all DX Kindles are 3G, and my friend mentions that he gets the NYTimes daily even when he is at his cabin at the lake (to use one example). With a 3G device, you can download an item in any place that gets cell phone service.
For the record, I have no information as to other sources of material to download to a Kindle.

[Rizla]

You can download a ton of formatted news sites via Calibre. However, these are formatted for a smaller reader so may not be what you are looking for.

[georgetoon]

Originally Posted by Rizla

You can download a ton of formatted news sites via Calibre. However, these are formatted for a smaller reader so may not be what you are looking for.

Okay. Thanks.