With the Kindle DX, Amazon is trying to tap the graphics-rich textbook and periodical markets, but in my testing I didn't see a lot of advantages to reading magazines or newspapers on the device. The larger screen is great for viewing Word documents or PDFs, but a lightweight, low-cost notebook will do that and much more.
By elegantly supersizing the Kindle — and ramping up its ability to read files — Amazon has improved the best all-around e-reader available. But the hefty price tag doesn't fit Jeff Bezo's stated philosophy of getting the best value for his customers.
At $489, the Kindle DX will make consumers think hard before buying one (especially since highly functional netbooks can be had for substantially less). But it is also a very capable device that can benefit from a broadened scope.
Spend time with the 9.7in Kindle DX and your won't ever want to go back to a 6in e-book reader but blimey you've to pay a hefty price to be paid for such luxury.
This new, larger model...is targeted at three markets: textbooks, newspapers and other periodicals, and business documents in either Microsoft's Word format or Adobe's PDF format…. For standard books, I'd stick with the smaller, more comfortable Kindle 2.
If money isn't much of a concern, go for the Kindle DX with the confidence that it's the best e-book reader of the moment. At close to $500, though, we'd be reluctant to part with that much cash.
There's undoubtedly a certain segment of buyers out there who won't mind spending this kind of money on a large format e-reader that offers the core simple-to-use Kindle experience, plus a couple of new features. This reviewer would prefer to carry around the smaller and less expensive Kindle 2, but to some, bigger will always be better--price be damned.
Its price of $489 is hard to swallow. Those seeking an e-book reader that can fit into a purse or small bag would do best to save $200 and go with Amazon’s Kindle 2. But those looking for a larger display and larger images—and don’t mind the extra weight—would be well served with the Kindle DX.
I’m convinced that the Kindle – as a brand – is the book reader to buy. Unless you’re into piracy, getting first run books onto any other reader is too convoluted and the UI and Kindle system is the best, hands down. I’ve used the Sony Reader and a few other e-readers and the Kindle is made for real readers i.e. people who read and want a seamless reading experience.
For those of us who don’t need to read PDFs or, say, all 1,328 pages of “Constitutional Law: Principles and Policies,” the regular Kindle should suffice.
Objectively, the Kindle DX is a great piece of hardware…. Problem is, most general readers will be quite content with the 6-inches offered by the cheaper Kindle 2, and from the subset of users left over many will balk at the DX’s price.
In the end, we're just not sure Amazon put enough thought into the Kindle DX to justify the launch hype -- fundamentally, it really is just a Kindle 2 with a larger screen and more storage.... All of the Kindle 2's limitations are still front and center, and in some ways made worse.
