I have owned both Kindle 1 and Kindle 2, so I'm already committed to the basic idea: e-ink reading in a slim form factor with excellent connectivity to a large selection of books and subscriptions. I have come to rely on my Kindle experience, and it has seriously enhanced my reading.

The DX was not an obvious upgrade for me, but two features put me over the edge: the larger screen, and the native PDF reader. I now have the DX in my hands, and can report PROS, CONS, and NEUTRALS:

PROS:

-- the larger screen is a definite plus. I use the larger type size on my Kindle 2 (older eyes), and at this type size I get far more text per page on the DX. This makes the whole reading experience more book-like (and should be a boon to people who buy large-print books.)

-- the screen is also sharper and crisper than my Kindle 2 in a side-by-side comparison: the text is darker, and the contrast is much better, making for better visibility overall.

-- on a side note, the larger screen also makes it possible to read poetry on the kindle, even at large type sizes. On earlier Kindles, the smaller screen cut off lines, so that you would lose the sense of when the poet ended the line. On the DX, you can see the whole line exactly as the poet meant it, with the cut-off in the right spot.

-- the PDF reader works as advertised, and is extremely convenient. PDF documents appear on the DX exactly as they do on a computer screen. Moreover, you can drag and drop your documents directly to the device using the USB cable (or use the for-a-fee email if you absolutely must.) The only downside: at least for the documents that I've used so far, I cannot adjust the type size as I can with native Kindle documents.

-- screen rotation also works as advertised: it operates as a mild zoom on both graphics and text and offsets slightly the downside of not being able to adjust the typesize on PDF documents. One nice design touch: the four-way navigation stick introduced on the Kindle 2 is rotation-sensitive, and will move as expected relative to the screen rotation.

-- more of the device space is devoted to the screen, while the white plastic border around the screen seems to have shrunk, both in general and compared to the proportion of screen to plastic on the Kindle 2. I like this (but see below about the keyboard).

-- storage: I like the increase in storage space, and don't mind the lack of an external storage card. I can see some people having trouble with this, but only those folks who either a) must regularly carry around PDF documents totalling more than 3.5 GB of space or b) must have nearly 3500 books regularly at their fingertips. I fall in neither category.

CONS:

-- price: it's expensive, as you can tell pretty quickly. If you value the larger size, and the native PDF reader, these features may justify the roughly 30% premium you pay for the DX over the Kindle 2. In truth, the DX SHOULD cost more than the Kindle 2, and a 30% premium isn't unreasonable. But, for my money, Amazon should drop the price on the Kindle 2 to $300 or so, and charge $400 or a little less for the DX. Still, I bought it, and will keep it at this price.

-- one-sided navigation buttons: all of the buttons are now on the right side, and none are on the left. I'm a righty, so I shouldn't complain, but I found myself using both sides on the Kindle 2. Lefties have reason to complain, I think.

-- One-handed handling: I often read while I walk, with my Kindle in one hand, and something else in my other. Because of the button layout, this will be more difficult on the DX.

-- metal backing: I miss the tacky rubberized backing on my Kindle 1. When I placed my Kindle 1 on an inclined surface, it stayed in place. Not so my Kindle 2 and now my DX. This is not a complaint specific to the DX, but it's still there.

NEUTRALS (i.e. things worth noting):

-- weight: the DX is heavier, noticeably so. This is only an issue if, like me, you regularly use the kindle with one hand . . . and even so, it's still doable.

-- keyboard: the keyboard has 4 rows, and not 5: the top row of numbers from the Kindle 1 and 2 has been merged into the top qwerty row, so that numbers are now only accessible with an alt-key combination. The keys are vertically thinner too, so that the whole keyboard is no more than 1" tall (compared to over an 1.5" on the Kindle 2). At the same time, the keys themselves are a bit easier to press, a bit more protruding than on the Kindle 2. For someone with big fingers (like me), this will be a slightly harder keyboard to use, but only slightly.

That's all I can see. Overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses for me, and I'm satisfied with my purchase. I can now think of using my DX for work documents on a regular basis, because of the PDF reader. The screen size and screen rotation make the overall reading experience more immersive.

Overall, the DX feels more like text and less like device and comes closer to the stated goal of the Kindle: for the device to disappear, leaving only the joy of reading.

I owned the K1 and then the K2 and love them both, so I was really looking forward to the DX. My plan was to use the DX at home, and keep my K2 for carrying all over creation with me. It wasn't long, though, after my DX arrived the day before yesterday before disappointment set in.

Don't get me wrong, there is a LOT to like about the DX:

1) Pictures are awesome on it, if the publisher formats them properly.

2) Those who complain about darkness of text on their K2 (a problem I've never had, btw) will be thrilled by the DX's very dark text.

3) The ability to rotate the screen is great. Gives you a closer look at things like maps and charts.

4) The browser is a bit faster than on the K1 or K2, though that isn't saying much--it is still very clunky to use.

5) But web pages look pretty good on the DX.

6) It holds 3500 books.

BUT.....the DX just isn't all that. It has drawbacks that are really making me consider sending it back before my 30 days are up:

1) First and foremost, while it is true that it natively reads PDFs, it is really only a PDF *viewer*. You can't change the font size on PDFs, links will not function on them, and the ability to magnify pictures doesn't work on them either. So you better have LARGE fonts on your PDF before you load it. Looking at the PDF in horizontal mode helps a bit, but not by much.

2) The DX is too big to hold comfortably. It's not really all that heavy, but it is top heavy and you feel a pull on your hands. And that pull is really evident if you try to use the keyboard while holding it--you practically have to lay the DX down flat, it becomes so difficult to type.

3) They merged the number keys with the QWERTY keys (losing a line of keys). What development genius thought it would be helpful and an "improvement" to have to press the ALT key every time you wanted to type a number?!?

4) Before my DX came, I really didn't think this would bother me at all, but I have to say: I really HATE the fact that the "next page" button is only on one side. I mostly use the left hand button. And yes, with the DX's rotation ability you can turn it upside down, placing the "next page" button on the left side.... However, when you do this, the button is so high up that you have to slide your hand (not your thumb, your whole hand) up in order to turn the page. May sound nit-picky, but it is truly a PITA to break off reading to do it. Not only that, but having the keyboard at the top makes it even more top-heavy than when it is right side up!

5) when you rotate the DX so that it is horizontal, the "next page" button is either at the bottom or the top--in either case you can't just flick your thumb and change the page. Again, a PITA.

6) If you leave the rotation feature on "Auto" when you are not using your DX it drains your battery, so you must remember to turn the feature off when you stop reading.

7) Still no folders. An organization nightmare three times bigger than that of the K2 (which itself had increased the same problem on the K1): the possibility of storing 3500 books but only being able to sort them by author, title, and "most recent first."

I will be fiercely debating with myself in the next week or so, on whether I really want to keep the DX. It is so disappointing. It has the potential of being a really great e-reader...but as it stands now, it isn't. It's OK. But for $489, it should be a lot more than merely OK.

Kindle DX - Amazon's Apathy and Greed At Work, July 31, 2009 By: D. Hewes

First, let me say that I purchased and use my Kindle DX daily. I thought about how to accurately write this review for some time now. When it gets right down to it, all eReaders on the market - and the flood now hitting the market - use the same e-ink panels made by the same company, generally have the same features as far as reading an actual book, etc. When this was a niche product in a market with no real competition than the product would get a much higher rating. However, it is now a market with many choices. The only way to be fair about writing a review is to assume that there are some basic functions that MUST exist (wireless access, reader screen quality, basic zoom/bookmark features, etc.) that all e-readers today have. The review should be what is UNIQUE about the Kindle DX and review those features. If you just want to download a book and read it on an e-ink panel than every single e-reader on the market today will work fine.

To that end, when looking at what makes the DX unique, I have to honestly say that I would not purchase this reader again - there are better options out there with several more just announced. After careful consideration, it becomes clear that Amazon just felt that they could get away with a sub-par device based on their name and position in the market.

1) PDF issues: This is a larger format reader, presumably for the purpose of reading standard sized documents (8.5" by 11"). It is also being marketed heavily to students. Both of these demand native full PDF support. While the Kindle DX does render PDF's, it does so in an extremely crippled way. While I am well versed with the fact that some PDF's are rendered as images and the document itself does not contain links or text, most do. Despite that fact the Kindle does not allow you to change font size, add bookmarks, highlight text, use the dictionary feature, zoom in, use any links (i.e., the Table of Contents), etc. In other words, it presents that pages as pictures and provides absolutely zero "digital control" over the documents - the very features that someone would want to use an electronic reader instead of a hardcopy for. I purchased this device as an engineer because I have hundreds of PDF's (manuals, client systems documentation, etc.). I have found that I am completely unable to use it for the reason I purchased it for. Other readers treat PDF's as any other document allowing all the same e-reader functions and there is no reason - short of not wanting to pay Adobe a license fee - that the Kindle does not have this same functionality.

2) File formats: While the Kindle DX does support several file formats, Amazon is one of the last holdouts to insist on providing content in a DRM protected proprietary format. They also do not read many industry standard formats. CHM and LIT are two of the HUGE formats that come to mind. Many publishers - especially of technology books - release in CHM format, essentially a slightly marked up HTML derivative that should be easy to render. MOBI and others come to mind as well - with over 1,000,000 public domain titles available from many web sites in these other formats. Yes, I understand protecting content - but Amazon has gone overboard in trying to lock down the Kindle to only offer "all the features" on their proprietary format. This locks you in to buying eBooks from the Kindle store. I understand the financial drive to do that - but most of us have documents that we have created, or content we have previously purchased for other platforms and have rights to, that we would like to read on the Kindle. Devices that restrict access to their own formats are generally given away or sold for a very low cost, with the understanding that the profit will be made on content (think about some of the original movie on demand set-top devices). Amazon is selling this as a standalone device, and needs to not intentionally cripple it. And yes, there are tools to convert file type - which usually result in formatting issues and the burden should be placed on the end user.

3) File System Flaws: Amazon advertises the ability to hold 3,500 books/documents (a HUGE exaggerating in and of itself). Even if it held 350 titles, the file system has a HUGE problem. There are no ways to create any type of folder structure. You have to go to a single large flat listing of the documents on the reader and hit Next Page over and over - a painfully slow process in and of itself - and hope do don't miss the title you were looking for and have to start over. Yes, the titles do start in alphabetical order, but they change based on most recently read being moved to the top. It is a ridiculous and unrealistic expectation to put more than a couple dozen documents on a device without any way to organize them into folders. The official Amazon reply: You can add tags and search by tags. Yep, you can - and if you want to take the couple weeks it would take to add tags to a couple thousand PDF's then you have far more free time than I do. The Kindle was purchased to save time - not to use my entire annual vacation time to organize it.

4) No Card Reader: For some unknown reason, Amazon decided to not include any type of card reader. The memory can hold a large number of books - but PDF's can get to be 100MB or more if they are heavily diagrammed. The memory cannot be upgraded, so there should be some method to pop in a memory card. All of my cells phones have had this feature...and my $500 Kindle DX does not?

5) Ergonomics: I admit that the e-reader market is emerging so there has not been a large pool of users to pull opinions from. That said, it seems that the Kindle DX made it through the art department and skipped the usability testing department. While it looks great and each to carry, the 5-way joystick thing, the lack of Next/Previous page buttons on both sides (that existed on previous models) and the absolute worst keyboard I have ever touched do not help the device. Again - being marketed to students and professionals - just look at the official page on the Amazon site. What is on the screen on the largest image there? It is a power plant diagram - not a page from a NYT Best Seller list. There should be a way to quickly type notes on things. There is no possible way a student could sit in a lecture and flip through pages and be able to type in notes and keep up with the class on this thing - completely unrealistic.

6) No Desktop Application: While Amazon advertises that no computer is required, they leave out the fact that even if you had one there isn't really anything you could do with it. There should be some application similar to Apple's iTunes that will auto convert file formats and allow organization of files and folders (if they existed), allow backup in case the device is lost/stolen/damaged and needs to be replaced, etc. This is especially true for students that would desire a full sized keyboard to add notes to documents/books and sync with the Kindle.

Bottom line: The Kindle DX is an absolutely great e-reader for someone that wants to simply read books, is comfortable buying only Kindle content and just desires a larger screen. This is what I am now using it for. To this end it works great. If this is your only expectation - then get out the credit card. If you have fantasies of using it to actually read PDF's with any functionality, store a large number of documents, use it in a classroom setting, etc. then get a different e-reader and sacrifice battery life and get a tablet or laptop and wait for the next generation.

Kindle DX for AUSTRALIA - big WOW factor and it works. BUY recommendation., March 12, 2010  By: Matthew Holden

Finally purchased the international version of Kindle for use in Australia.

Without having the ability to see-feel'n'smell it before I purchased it was a risky USD489 (AUD$600) purchase.

Spending almost A$900 with accessories, goodies and shipping was a "gulp" risk. Being in Australia and so remote was a concern but communication with Amazon is good with the free Amazon telephone call back option however returns to Amazon has been very difficult (see my separate review of Kindle Cover)

I bought Kindle the week Apple announced their iPad - whilst Apple makes wonderful products, I wasn't convinced of Apple content, functionality and applicability of iPad so I bought a dedicated reader instead.

Kindle arrived was easy to set-up, install and get going. I was surprised at the e-ink capability and, true as they say, it's easy to read in all light conditions but night time with various ambient lights make it difficult but not impossible.

I rate Kindle DX International AUSTRALIA 3 stars. They loose one star for limited charging solution and one star for lack of colour display/limited input options which I really expect for a device at this price.

PROS:
* Easy to read and increase text size - can read without the need of glasses
* Plug into your computer to see Kindle as a USB drive where you can drag'n'drop content to it
* Right size for a book alternative - fits briefcase, travel satchel, handbag etc
* Easily fits the separate Kindle cover (a must have option BTW)
* Books actually download fast (even with dodgy Australian telco providers)
* Big WOW factor - be prepared for lots of stares and questions on the train, plane etc!

CONS:
* No international power plug. Big drawback - it only comes with a special Kindle USB cable. You really need a high power USB port on your computer to charge it. Will not charge from an Apple USB wall charger!
* Surprisingly we found the back catalog of books quite limited - new titles only - forget buying textbooks yet (unless they're black and white)
* Grey scale screen is nice but they need a colour version asap - hopefully with iPad and others around I expect to see an enhanced Kindle very soon
* Reading PDF files is limited - difficult to zoom and read
* Technical performance of the device was slow and unresponsive - press a button and it takes time to respond. This was surprising but understandable to save battery life and you get used to it * Keyboard is so small - need magnifying glasses to see the keys and rather useless but needed.

BIGGEST CON:
* My wife loved it so much, she took mine and now won't give it back!

Larger size is much better for me, March 12, 2010 By: T. O Grady-Walsh

This size is far better for quick readers.
- With the smaller Kindle at normal font, you're turning pages every few seconds.
- With the DX, I turn pages similar to a paper book.
- I do miss the page-turn buttons on the left hand side though.
- Bonus: school-age boys are far more interested in reading on the Kindle because "it's cool." And with the Kindle, I always have a book available for them to read redardless of where we are - I also find I read the newspapers more throughly than I do in hard copy, again because I can pick it up and come back to it many times during the day - The E-ink will keep me with the Kindle vs the back-lit competitors--FAR earlier on the eyes! Well WORTH every cent!

I realy enjoy my Kindle DX, March 11, 2010 By: Michael Farmer

The Kindle DX is perfect for its intended purpose. I have Macular Degeneration and the font choices make reading so much easier than most books. I bought a couple of Bibles but find it too cumbersome to navaigate to different verses to use in church. I wish that my cell phone and digital camera was as easy to view as the Kindle screen. It has everything I want except color. As an artist, it would be nice to be able to download photos of my artwork and use the Kindle as a portfolio. I also find browsing for books cumbersome on the KIndle - it is much easier to surf the amazon.com website to find books. Overall, I am very pleased with this reader.

A Wonderful Reading Device, March 11, 2010  By: A. Ruano

I think the Kindle is a wonderful product for reading books and its very good on the eyes. I like the features it offers and would recommend it to anyone thinking about purchasing one. In a little over a month I have read almost 12 books and I can say that it has been more than probably a years worth as opposed to paper books. I think that for the price of the item, it is missing some required features and little bells. I will mention them what I think the devise is missing and requires: It needs an easy way to organize your books by either date, alphabet, date of purchase, etc. It does give you the option to archive your purchased items in the Amazon site but not in the kindle itself. It is not a real issue but when you have many books, your archived books in your devices should be separated with unread items. There should be a feature either password protected or what have you to store items in the Kindle Locked without options to delete or archive, ei dictionary, bible what fancies you. Some books and items suck and are not copied entirely and are missing the little illustrations that sometimes a book may have in between chapters. A Built in clock with date that you can organize and use a a little planner. I purchase a calendar planner and the dates of it work. Don't try to use the planner for any type of planning as typing in it is horrible and not useful. I think I gave a bunch of little examples of little bells and whistles the devise is missing. Having said that, they are tiny things compared to the pleasure the kindle has brought to me for reading. Do yourself a favor, If you are int he market for one BUY IT. You will not regret it, I promise.

Love It, March 11, 2010  By: Mike

Excellent for work and leisure time, March 11, 2010  By: Andreas Haeusler

My demands on an e-book reading device were: the possibility of reading PDFs (I'm a PhD student and was literally suffocating in the piles of printed papers on my desk) without printing them, but without causing me eyestrain either -- something which happens on a normal computer screen. (Well, one can reduce this by switching to inverse colours (this really works!), but still it's cumbersome.) Furthermore, I wanted to be able to provide annotations to documents, to place bookmarks and to highlight important passages. Being able to store a collection of important engineering books was also a necessary prerequisite. And of course, it would be cool if I could display all those magazines as well.

Besides these, I had of course demands on using this device in my leasure time, having especially in mind those seemingly endless plane travels, where you can only take that much of research books, magazines and novels with you.

Well, to cut a long story short, my research revealed that the technologically most advanced product was Amazon's Kindle DX. It has a display allowing to read a published paper like on paper, a really "natural looking" screen, and many, many other features. It of course lacks a touch screen, but once you read about the technology behind the e-ink, you pretty soon realize that (at least nowadays), a combination of both a touch screen and an e-ink display will definitely have drawbacks on clearity of the fonts; your reading experience will decrease. I guess that's also a reason for the fact that the vast majority of all e-book readers don't have a touch screen -- with one attached to your device, you basically would read like if you'd spill cream soup all over your display.

So I decided to (somewhat impatiently) wait for the Kindle to be available to Non-US residents. On 13th of January the Kindle was announced to be available soon for us Europeans, and I immediately ordered it. Then the big day was there for the Kindle DX to be delivered (19th of January). And here comes Amazon's totally out-of-this-world delivery service: I actually was holding it in my hands 36 hours later! From the US to Europe, including customs and everything, this is the most amazing service job I've seen for international orders ever in my life; even from Germany to Portugal it takes much longer than that. Now I know why "Amazon" has the first four letters in its name.

And for the International Kindle DX: it is plainly beautiful, sexy, mouth-watering. I read papers on it, I read scanned notes from my Prof on it, I tried the Alt-Shift-M combination and played Minesweeper on it, PDFs are displayed razor-sharp, and Amazon's native books are the best thing after (and pretty close to) reading the printed copy -- and that for sometimes as less as 15% of the printed book's price! PDF search works like a charm, as does the speech synthesizer. And for the Whispernet: I wonder if there's another manufacurer who allows you to just browse and download a new book on SLR photography while you're stuck without internet access on a rainy day in the middle of the mountains. I love my Kindle!

Last, but certainly not least for those of you who have to argue with a sceptical wife about whether this expense is justified: just go ahead, order it! She'll look at it like at any other of those "boy's toys" first, but it will take only a couple of days and she'll be using it more than you do.

Conclusion: this is the most highly recommended gadget you can get yourself in the beginning of the 21st century. Its is of skyscraping quality and standard that no other manufacturer can meet right now. And it is backed by more users than any other such device, which definitely adds stability to this product in terms of continued customer support, R&D, and perhaps extension of the product range. If you don't have it, buy it. You cannot go wrong on this.

Love My Kindle, March 11, 2010  By: S. A. Stevens

I Love my Kindle. The best product I have bought to date. I love reading, at times I can be reading 2 or 3 books at once. So carrying all them around or making sure I have the right one at hand can get a bit annoying. I had read the reviews on the Kindle for quite awhile before buying it. It is quite expensive so I wanted to make sure the product was good and that most of the problems were sorted out before purchasing one myself. Well it arrived and I have not been sorry. It travels with me everywhere on the bus and MTR ( HKG train ) and even waiting at the doctors office. I find downloading very easy and as I live in HKG it works and downloads very easily. The fact that I have all the books on hand at a click of a button still gives me a trill. The Kindle 9.7 is a little heavy but then I figured so is the book War and Peace. If you are like me and find that you can read anywhere, any time the kindle is for you. In fact husband feels a little left out, must remember to get him one!

Picture Perfect PDF's and documents, March 10, 2010  By: Candace  Beauchamp

My wife has had a Kindle 2 since they first came out. I hemmed and hawed over getting a Kindle simply because I read a lot of magazines. I'd heard that many magazines were going to be available in Kindle format, but who really wants to read them on that small of a screen?

Well, I am still waiting for many of my favorite magazines to be available on the Kindle. However, I've found that the larger screen is great for PDF's! Many books and reference materials are available in this format. Are you a student? Many textbooks can be purchased in PDF format for much less that the physical book.

I also use my Kindle DX for reading normal books as well. In low light areas you can enlarge the font and still have plenty of words on the screen. This is not something you would normally want to do on smaller screened book readers.

I love my Kindle DX and I would never go back. I do sometimes miss the feel of a paperback in my hands, but then I realize that I am holding several hundred books all at the same time (many of which were free!)

NO WAY TO ORGANIZE YOUR DOWNLOADS, March 9, 2010  By: Teton Reader

I've been satisfied with my Kindle DX as a device for downloading books but there are still features lacking, which is surprising since the DX is a third generation product:

1. There is no way to organize your downloads into categories (folders) such as alphabetical by author, by type mysteries, travel, etc. I read a lot of "beach reads" and tend to forget titles. It would be extremely helpful to be able to organize my books on a virtual shelf or piles so I could quickly check to see if I previously read a particular title. This is a big drawback as I add more books. I can't imagine what happens if you sign up for a daily paper. How do you find your books in a pile of daily papers?

2. There is little quality control over Kindle accessories sold on the Amazon website. I bought an M-EDGE cover for my DX. It looked great but it's designed so the elastic band in the upper right corner permanently depresses the volume key also in the upper right corner. This is just poor design and annoying to have to return when the defect is so obvious.

3. To date I have found no night lights that work well. They either put out too much light and light up the whole room or don't illuminate the whole page.

The last two criticisms are annoyances but the first is a big thing that will get worse as you make more downloads.

Kindle DX, March 9, 2010  By: Debbie Philley

Have not been happy with this item. Downloaded Bible and it is not fun going from one book of Bible to other, or chapters, verses, etc. Wish the screen itself had some light on it. It is not easy dealing with light attachment. Wish you had page numbers, not percent down at the bottom of screen. Downloaded New Yorker magazine. It only had articles, I wanted to see it in magazine form. I wanted to see what was going on in New York, like new shows, etc.

I do like the ease in downloading books. That is really simple.

Good impression, good experience, but lots are wanting, March 9, 2010 By: Ngo Tran Cong Luan

Very nice machine indeed. Very pleasant to use. Some good touches such as interesting screen savers. A wonderful dictionary and related features (for a non-native English reader like me). Good software: the software has hung only once on me after 1 month use. The wireless feature is an excellent idea, making browsing and buying very convenient.

Great battery life! Electronics should be made this way: you remember charging it, before it runs out. Particularly for a book (or reader), you don't want to find some reading time but find your book dead. You would not want to read it with a cord round your neck in your bed!

But it is slow, sometimes agonizingly so.

Also, keys are not up to par, not feeling tactile, if not a bit squeaky. Its clicking sound is a bit noisy during the night, enough to wake my wife up! The 5-way key is not up to the standard---perhaps so bad that you do not find some thing as bad in any other mainstream products such as branded phones, MP3 players, etc. Even though you only need to use 2-3 keys often (next page, prev page, and home), you still hate them all!

Clipping and notes are very limited in features(it does not, for instance, allow links between clippings and the source books.)

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