How do you rate the note-taking experience on DX?

ziegl027 · 10-14-2009, 10:00 AM

Just wanted to know what people like or don't like about taking notes with the DX. I wouldn't be taking major notes, just the equivalent of underline/highlight of a phrase in the document with a word or two in the margin. If anybody can point me to a video or picture series of the process so I can get an idea of the "look and feel", I'd much appreciate it. I found one that shows just highlighting. Easy to use the keyboard while holding the device, for instance?

Also wanted to double-check that if you take a native PDF file (not a scanned image), and convert it with something like Calibre, that you can take notes on it.

Also wanted to know if there was any sort of function that would allow the DX to be used as a "notepad" to jot down phone numbers, "to do" lists, reminders, etc.

Thanks!

geneven · 10-17-2009, 05:33 AM

I don't have a DX, but I do have a Kindle 2, and I would say that the note-taking experience is quite limited. I take a lot of notes while reading the Kindle 2, and I mainly use a Nokia N810 right next to my Kindle! I like mind-mapping and other cool note-taking devices, of which there are loads, but not for the Kindle.

I had a bad experience with taking lots of notes on my Kindle recently, in fact. The strategy I decided on for the book was to just mark a bunch of words that originate in India in the book Sacred Games, a fantastic book.

Well, after I had marked a zillion words, I went to look at them. The words were all in context, which is not what I wanted. So, there would have been a word, then 4-6 lines of context, and then another word, possibly in the same line! So what did I get for the two words -- the same context, twice. I ended up with 70 pages of notes, mostly consisting of information I didn't want, and I was still in the early part of the book! I ended up DELETING the trash-notes and not using the Kindle for taking them.

Fortunately, it turned out that this fab book Sacred Games, a detective story that transcends the genre and becomes high-quality literature, I think, this excellent book has an appendix.

So I found that when I encountered an unfamiliar word, and there are scads of them, all I had to do is search the book, and the LAST reference was always to the definition of the word, in the Appendix! Then after I read the definition of the word, I just hit the back key and bam! I was back to where I wanted to be.

So the Kindle worked out fine, but I didn't like the note feature, too primitive. I can imagine a memory map program in all black and white on the Kindle 2 -- it could be quite elegant. Or just a cool note program such as Notecase (one of the best, though development has stopped) or Tomboy.

ziegl027 · 10-17-2009, 11:08 AM

Thanks!

susan_cassidy · 10-17-2009, 03:00 PM

I believe that you cannot make notes or highlight in a PDF document, only in Mobipocket-format books and documents. You would have to convert the document from PDF to Mobi format to make notes, and add highlights.

ziegl027 · 10-17-2009, 03:17 PM

But you can convert the file and import it, right?

susan_cassidy · 10-17-2009, 05:46 PM

Sure.

Gideon · 10-17-2009, 06:41 PM

The note taking ability on the DX is a LOT worse than on the K2. In fact, I pretty much find it useless... the keyboard is TERRIBLE.

I love my DX but that feature sucks.

fugazied · 10-18-2009, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gideon

The note taking ability on the DX is a LOT worse than on the K2. In fact, I pretty much find it useless... the keyboard is TERRIBLE.

I love my DX but that feature sucks.

I absolutely agree. I have no idea why certain aspects of the DX are inferior to the K2. I thought the DX was the 'premium' version of Kindle 2 lol.

juj1n · 10-20-2009, 01:52 AM

Is it the placement or shape of the buttons that makes the DX keyboard that much worse? If not what is... I've heard the same thing from almost every DX owner.

Acextreme · 10-20-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziegl027

But you can convert the file and import it, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

Sure.

I wouldn't really say "sure". Personally, converting PDFs to MOBI is a tricky business, I assure you. Especially if you have multi-column texts, or diagrams, or pictures, or tables, or indents, etc. You get the idea, absolutely no "complicated" formating. The only perfect conversion is when the PDF is like a text file with nothing special in it. Then conversion is smooth.

10-14-2009, 10:00 AM	#1
ziegl027 Addict Posts: 264 Karma: 764 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Minnesota Device: Sony Touch, Kindle DXG	How do you rate the note-taking experience on DX? Just wanted to know what people like or don't like about taking notes with the DX. I wouldn't be taking major notes, just the equivalent of underline/highlight of a phrase in the document with a word or two in the margin. If anybody can point me to a video or picture series of the process so I can get an idea of the "look and feel", I'd much appreciate it. I found one that shows just highlighting. Easy to use the keyboard while holding the device, for instance? Also wanted to double-check that if you take a native PDF file (not a scanned image), and convert it with something like Calibre, that you can take notes on it. Also wanted to know if there was any sort of function that would allow the DX to be used as a "notepad" to jot down phone numbers, "to do" lists, reminders, etc. Thanks!

10-17-2009, 05:33 AM	#2
geneven Member Retired Posts: 124 Karma: 340 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Nokia N800, N810, Kindle 2	I don't have a DX, but I do have a Kindle 2, and I would say that the note-taking experience is quite limited. I take a lot of notes while reading the Kindle 2, and I mainly use a Nokia N810 right next to my Kindle! I like mind-mapping and other cool note-taking devices, of which there are loads, but not for the Kindle. I had a bad experience with taking lots of notes on my Kindle recently, in fact. The strategy I decided on for the book was to just mark a bunch of words that originate in India in the book Sacred Games, a fantastic book. Well, after I had marked a zillion words, I went to look at them. The words were all in context, which is not what I wanted. So, there would have been a word, then 4-6 lines of context, and then another word, possibly in the same line! So what did I get for the two words -- the same context, twice. I ended up with 70 pages of notes, mostly consisting of information I didn't want, and I was still in the early part of the book! I ended up DELETING the trash-notes and not using the Kindle for taking them. Fortunately, it turned out that this fab book Sacred Games, a detective story that transcends the genre and becomes high-quality literature, I think, this excellent book has an appendix. So I found that when I encountered an unfamiliar word, and there are scads of them, all I had to do is search the book, and the LAST reference was always to the definition of the word, in the Appendix! Then after I read the definition of the word, I just hit the back key and bam! I was back to where I wanted to be. So the Kindle worked out fine, but I didn't like the note feature, too primitive. I can imagine a memory map program in all black and white on the Kindle 2 -- it could be quite elegant. Or just a cool note program such as Notecase (one of the best, though development has stopped) or Tomboy. Last edited by geneven; 10-17-2009 at 05:36 AM.

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10-17-2009, 11:08 AM	#3
ziegl027 Addict Posts: 264 Karma: 764 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Minnesota Device: Sony Touch, Kindle DXG	Thanks!

10-17-2009, 03:00 PM	#4
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	I believe that you cannot make notes or highlight in a PDF document, only in Mobipocket-format books and documents. You would have to convert the document from PDF to Mobi format to make notes, and add highlights.

10-17-2009, 03:17 PM	#5
ziegl027 Addict Posts: 264 Karma: 764 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Minnesota Device: Sony Touch, Kindle DXG	But you can convert the file and import it, right?

10-17-2009, 05:46 PM	#6
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	Sure.

10-17-2009, 06:41 PM	#7
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	The note taking ability on the DX is a LOT worse than on the K2. In fact, I pretty much find it useless... the keyboard is TERRIBLE. I love my DX but that feature sucks.

10-20-2009, 01:52 AM	#9
juj1n Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 350 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Lots!	Is it the placement or shape of the buttons that makes the DX keyboard that much worse? If not what is... I've heard the same thing from almost every DX owner.

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