Kindle DX - better pdf support?

LonelyStar · 07-28-2011, 04:11 AM

Hi,

I am considering to buy a eReader for reading technical pdfs for a long time now.
The Kindle DX was always criticized for its bad PDF capabilities. Now I read on the Kindel side, that pdf zooming and panning is supported.
I wonder if the Kindle DX has become a good pdf reader ?!?
Does it support auto-remove margin for pdfs (as the onyx m90 does)?
What do you think? What does it still lack?

Thanks!
Nathan

Mark Rehorst · 07-28-2011, 12:37 PM

What the DX lacks is what every other e-reader lacks when it comes to reading pdfs: the screen to too small. A truly great pdf reader would have a letter size or A4 size screen so that panning/zooming etc. would be completely unnecessary. Unfortunately, there are no e-readers with large screens. The DX is the closest thing you'll find right now.

You can use the DX to read pdfs and I find that by rotating the device to landscape orientation the magnification that is automatically applied to fill the width of the screen is just about right for reading any pdf. However, tables and illustrations are often cut-off, so it isn't an ideal solution. There is no support for TOC or active links and I think highlighting/notes don't work on pdf files either, though I have never tried.

You can add Duokan to your device to improve pdf handling a bit, but in the end it really comes down to screen size and there's nothing you can do about that.

jessejhein · 07-28-2011, 02:43 PM

I disagree. I use mine extensively to read PDFs, technical ones quite often. In fact, I bought a new O'Reilly Head First book (graphics intensive, and only supplied as PDFs) last night and am in the midst of reading it.

I do agree the text is a bit smaller than ideal (i.e. your average hardback) but it is very readable, and not as in "squint and hold the book two inches from your nose" readable. I've read printed texts that way, and the Kindle DX is better than that.

max99 · 07-28-2011, 05:55 PM

the DX is great for PDFs....its a shame they never added the extra K3 features but the large screen is all you really need

07-28-2011, 04:11 AM	#1
LonelyStar Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: none	Kindle DX - better pdf support? Hi, I am considering to buy a eReader for reading technical pdfs for a long time now. The Kindle DX was always criticized for its bad PDF capabilities. Now I read on the Kindel side, that pdf zooming and panning is supported. I wonder if the Kindle DX has become a good pdf reader ?!? Does it support auto-remove margin for pdfs (as the onyx m90 does)? What do you think? What does it still lack? Thanks! Nathan

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07-28-2011, 12:37 PM	#2
Mark Rehorst was engr, now dentist Posts: 143 Karma: 18558 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Riverside, Ca Device: Kindle DXG	What the DX lacks is what every other e-reader lacks when it comes to reading pdfs: the screen to too small. A truly great pdf reader would have a letter size or A4 size screen so that panning/zooming etc. would be completely unnecessary. Unfortunately, there are no e-readers with large screens. The DX is the closest thing you'll find right now. You can use the DX to read pdfs and I find that by rotating the device to landscape orientation the magnification that is automatically applied to fill the width of the screen is just about right for reading any pdf. However, tables and illustrations are often cut-off, so it isn't an ideal solution. There is no support for TOC or active links and I think highlighting/notes don't work on pdf files either, though I have never tried. You can add Duokan to your device to improve pdf handling a bit, but in the end it really comes down to screen size and there's nothing you can do about that.

07-28-2011, 02:43 PM	#3
jessejhein Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 12 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Kindle DX G	I disagree. I use mine extensively to read PDFs, technical ones quite often. In fact, I bought a new O'Reilly Head First book (graphics intensive, and only supplied as PDFs) last night and am in the midst of reading it. I do agree the text is a bit smaller than ideal (i.e. your average hardback) but it is very readable, and not as in "squint and hold the book two inches from your nose" readable. I've read printed texts that way, and the Kindle DX is better than that.

07-28-2011, 05:55 PM	#4
max99 Addict Posts: 201 Karma: 1300000 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle DXG, PW	the DX is great for PDFs....its a shame they never added the extra K3 features but the large screen is all you really need

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