# Kindle DX - your mini-reviews!



## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

*MINI-REVIEW 1:*

Well just unboxed it and I am noticing its taking a REALLY long time for all the books I moved to get on it, Longer then the K2 did and it times out but this maybe an indexing issue.

Not a fan of the auto rotate though you can control that feature.. sideways is nice but the buttons are at such an odd angle its hard to turn a page that way.

Screen is nice and big, really like the size.. that horrid Amazon Cover UGH.. will I ever learn. that goes back ASAP.. if thats a 50.00 cover I am in the wrong line of work

screen looks darker though almost a dark grey BUT I have to put it next to my K2 to compare to be sure. My favorite thing though is the screen size hands down..

One SMALL thing I hope to correct soon though.. I never liked the screensavers , which is why I have my own.. but Virginia Wolfe at this size.. beyond scary 

This in no way is going to replace my K2, but it will great for home reading! Okay gang your turn


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## Sweety18 (Feb 14, 2009)

Thanks for the mini review.  The screen size difference is huge, I wasn't expecting it to be that big.  I'm really starting to like the Kindle DX, hopefully I will be able to buy one by the end of the summer.


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

the screen size is the entire K2.. I am having some downloading issues though.. talked to CS and am not sure what that is all about.. does not give me the warm fuzzies.. hopefully it will be resolved shortlly


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## MarthaT (Mar 3, 2009)

keep us updated on the problems


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Sorry you're having issues, but, I gotta say, I wouldn't have tried to download everything at once, which is what I understand you're doing. . . my apologies if I misunderstood. . . .anyway, one hopes it will sort itself out.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Hopefully your issue is with Amazon and not your DX.  Sounds like with all the other little issues going on at Amazon today that may be the source of your problems.  I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.  (I had them crossed for Leslie's DX to be delivered on time, but since she received it my fingers are free.  LOL.)
deb


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

*MINI-REVIEW 2:*

My first impression: I really like the DX, especially when it comes to pictures.

I read a book a few months ago called The Bedford Boys, which was about a company of soldiers from Bedford, VA, who were in the D-Day invasion. The book itself was in Topaz format. There was a huge photo insert in the middle of the book and while I could see the pictures, I couldn't read any of the captions. There was no way to zoom in or increase the font. I just downloaded the book on my DX, found the pictures, and hooray! The screen is big enough that I can read the captions. Now I know what all those soldiers looked like and who was who.

I also started a trial subscription to the New England Journal of Medicine. On the articles with photos, if I rotate the DX, the pictures get bigger. Very cool. Note that in the book described above, they didn't get bigger, I think because of the Topaz formatting, which seems fixed.

Similarly, I downloaded a sample of The Languages of the World, which is listed as being "optimized for the DX." It appears that they have changed the font for the text (so that I can change the font size, eg) but tables and such are still in PDF/Topaz format. I can't zoom in and when I rotate the DX, the table doesn't get bigger. I can read it but I would prefer if it was a tad bigger (I will admit, my eyes are showing their age. I am sure someone with better eyesight than me would think the table is fine.) I downloaded the book on my K2 and I can barely read the table. So, there is a difference between the DX and K2 in this respect.

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Weight:

The DX, naked, weighs 18.7 ounces. My K2 with skin and Oberon cover, weighs 20 oz. However, the DX feels heavier. I think it is because of the size. I have an old easel for propping up papers when you are typing. The DX fits that perfectly and I suspect if I am going to be sitting here reading, I would use that. I think the Peeramid pillow would be perfect, too.

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Re: my previous message.

This ratty looking thing has been sitting on my desk for years. I haven't used it in ages.










Suddenly, it has a new life. The DX fits like a glove.










To be honest, my immediate impression is that this is how I'll read the DX comfortably. I'll get a cover for transport but I am thinking that the DX in a cover might be too heavy to hold comfortably for reading. We'll see...

L


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## jpmorgan49 (Feb 10, 2009)

It sounds really nice so far.  I'd be interested in hearing how a pdf file with pictures and drawings is displayed.
jp


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Leslie you might consider covering your 'ratty looking thing' with some stick on felt or something so you don't scratch your DX. But, yeah, it works like a charm, doesn't it. . . . .

_<i want one i want one i want one>_


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## Patra (Feb 24, 2009)

Are there more options for font size on the DX or are they the same as on the K2?  My husband is considering getting the DX but wanted to wait for reviews before committing.  I'm curious to see if there are any sun fading issues with the DX, too.


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## nyct (May 28, 2009)

*MINI-REVIEW 3:*

My first impression: I'm very impressed.

First of all, I've never owned another kindle, so I have nothing to compare it to. It seemed smaller than I was thinking it would be at first, but maybe that's just because I've never seen a K2. This was actually a good thing for me, because I was worried the DX would be too big. At the same time though, it felt a little heavier than I thought it would be.

So, I subscribed to several blogs and magazines to try them out, they all came out looking great. Even the pictures came out fairly well. The only problem seems to be darker pictures. The rotation works well, and seems fast.

The big test for me was pdfs though. I work in medical research and so I really wanted something to read journal articles on. I emailed my kindle a pdf to test out... it showed up almost immediately. After opening it, the text seemed very small and hard to read unless I held the kindle very close. The text can't be altered by the normal font increase/decrease button. After rotating it, the text looked perfect though. As for the pictures, I really thought there was no way my images would show up because they involve a lot of histology and detailed pictures. Actually, they don't look bad at all. The darker pictures again showed up horribly, but the lighters ones look great. I'm working on maybe getting some pictures up soon.


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## committed88 (Jun 11, 2009)

First post to the boards, glad to be here .  Kindle 1 (sold), Kindle 2 (sold) and soon to be Kindle DX owner in just a few hours!

Have you loaded any PDF's on your DX yet?  I'm very curious how it's going to name them.  Is it using the file name or does it use the meta data in the file to generate the title/author.  

I have a large collection of PDF's that I've gone ahead and prepared by naming them with my own little scheme so that they'll hopefully be arranged in an orderly fashion when loaded on the DX but I don't know for sure.  Hopefully we'll get the so called "grouping" feature down the road!

Anxious for my DX that is on the truck for delivery!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Patra said:


> Are there more options for font size on the DX or are they the same as on the K2? My husband is considering getting the DX but wanted to wait for reviews before committing. I'm curious to see if there are any sun fading issues with the DX, too.


There are six sizes, same as the K2. As I noted over on the tips thread, there is an option to shower fewer words per line.

You know what I am already wanted? Ted-San's font hack. I like the font on my K2 better than the default on the DX, I think because I have gotten used to the K2 font from Ted.

Ted, are you listening?

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

mwilliams said:


> First post to the boards, glad to be here . Kindle 1 (sold), Kindle 2 (sold) and soon to be Kindle DX owner in just a few hours!
> 
> Have you loaded any PDF's on your DX yet? I'm very curious how it's going to name them. Is it using the file name or does it use the meta data in the file to generate the title/author.


I emailed a PDF book to my DX. The title of the book came through as the title; the author is listed as "Experimental Alchemy." That's not the author or the publisher so I have no idea where that came from.

The book looks like it does in Acrobat Reader. You know what it reminds me of? A book with Topaz formatting.

L


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

Wow I used to have one of those ratty things, threw it out ages ago.. figures NOW I need it!

Drenee.. I did call CS.. downloading is really taking a while.. so I am just letting it go and see what it does.. they say it seems to be good on their end so thats a good sign and CS is going to call me back in a few hours for an update

Leslie .. did you have books preloaded from your account, if so how long did it take you to get them on the DX.. I am at this an hour.. seems very long for that


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

I just put my K1 and K2 next to each other ,, the DX is MUCH sharper text


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## Sweety18 (Feb 14, 2009)

You have all 3 Kindles?  

It would be nice to see pictures of all three kindles next to each other


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Patrizia said:


> Leslie .. did you have books preloaded from your account, if so how long did it take you to get them on the DX.. I am at this an hour.. seems very long for that


I actually didn't have any books preloaded. I had emailed two PDF files which showed up immediately. Then I downloaded a few books from the archive. They came through lickety-split, as usual. One book had Topaz formatting (meaning, big file) and that did take a little bit longer to download...ie, a minute, vs. seconds.

L


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

Leslie... is your K2 and  your DX have the same amount of bars.. my K2 is reading 3G with four bars.. the DX is barely a bar and is not picking up much and keeps timing out


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

yep I have all  three..I am on hold with CS again.. trying to figure out why my DX has little to no signal but my two is showing a strong 3G.. this is my third call to them


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Patrizia said:


> Leslie... is your K2 and your DX have the same amount of bars.. my K2 is reading 3G with four bars.. the DX is barely a bar and is not picking up much and keeps timing out


I have 4 bars on each of them, but it varies by which room I am in in the office...but that has been a consistent problem. The room with my desk has always been the weakest.

L


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Patrizia you tried the standard troubleshooting solution of re-booting (in this case, re-setting) right?


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

My DX is not getting past two bars.. hitting 1X and timing out.. I got one of the lead tech girls.. she put me on hold a while but she had what sounds like a good answer.. she said because I was downloading so much (126 items) that sprint automaticallly reduced my band width to make room for other people (there are other people who use this??)Once the downloads were complete it should be back up to par.. she is going to call me in two hours to see what the situation is.. I give them this, they do have good CS


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## meljackson (Nov 19, 2008)

Gives "ratty looking thing" a gentle tap to the right. 

Melissa


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

Ann.. yep about a dozen times


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Great reviews!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Patrizia said:


> My DX is not getting past two bars.. hitting 1X and timing out.. I got one of the lead tech girls.. she put me on hold a while but she had what sounds like a good answer.. she said because I was downloading so much (126 items) that sprint automaticallly reduced my band width to make room for other people (there are other people who use this??)Once the downloads were complete it should be back up to par.. she is going to call me in two hours to see what the situation is.. I give them this, they do have good CS


That makes sense. . . .so the lesson for everyone else is: don't try to download your whole library at once!


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

*MINI-REVIEW 4:*



Patrizia said:


> I just put my K1 and K2 next to each other ,, the DX is MUCH sharper text


MUCH

Screen Contrast Improvement - The first think I can tell everyone is that it looks like Amazon addressed some contrast issues. Side-by-side, the text on the DX is noticably darker. I could tell as soon as I hit the Menu key, but got out my Kindle 2 just to verify. 
Navigation - Its nice to have the Previous page button on the right, but I would have appreciated the full set of nav buttons on both sides. I'm a lefty, but like many old-school lefties, use my right hand for a lot of things (since they where still trying to turn lefties into righties in the 60's). Not too happy about having to turn it upside down to read with the left hand. That is going to be fine for reading, but any annotations or web browsing is gonna be pretty painful.
Screen Refresh - This seems to be slower in a side-by-side test, maybe because the DX has more to refresh? I uploaded an image heavy 86MB PDF and page refresh was slow. It was quicker, but still a little off on a smaller PDF. The text doubled weirdly before settling into the next page's text.
Kindle Store - I finally can see the book cover images under the recommendations section; a nice change, but a dropped ball just went bouncing by. I couldn't get landscape mode for the Kindle Store.
Final Dilemma - PDFs
Do I want to lose full text search in PDF documents just so I can navigate by page numbers? Just verified no search and no highlighting.
Last quick note. I didn't think that I would like the size, but its looking like I'm going to have to find a bigger purse.


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

LOL Ann, I hate to tell you but thats not even 1/4 of my Library

HOWEVER seems to be good news and she was right.. I am now done downloading and have been for a little bit and I have a nice four bar signal, like Leslie there is an area around my desk that does not work well.. go figure.

Okay I admit it, I can't wait to dress this naked thing and get a real skin and cover on it and I hope beyond HOPE I can change this horrid screensaver.. Jane Austin looks creepy this big.. LOL.. of course the pretty ones do look even nicer.. it is much crisper! 

But it seems my wireless is on track.. !


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

has anyone read in bed with it yet?  And if I do read in bed and usually use my left hand to change pages - do you just rotate it until the page reads right for the buttons to be on the left side? 

thanks


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

thats the one thing I an not thrilled about is the one side of the pages.. you can rotate it all four ways and keep it there or let it auto rotate so yes you can do it where the buttons are on top and may I suggest do NOT spend 50 bucks on that amazon cover.. its horrid and the Medge ones are the same price.. this one really bugs me.. no loops on it so its only the hinge which seems to me can put a strain on the device itself.


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## vg (Oct 28, 2008)

Jesslyn said:


> MUCH
> 
> Screen Contrast Improvement - The first think I can tell everyone is that it looks like Amazon addressed some contrast issues. Side-by-side, the text on the DX is noticably darker. I could tell as soon as I hit the Menu key, but got out my Kindle 2 just to verify.
> Navigation - Its nice to have the Previous page button on the right, but I would have appreciated the full set of nav buttons on both sides. I'm a lefty, but like many old-school lefties, use my right hand for a lot of things (since they where still trying to turn lefties into righties in the 60's). Not too happy about having to turn it upside down to read with the left hand. That is going to be fine for reading, but any annotations or web browsing is gonna be pretty painful.
> ...


So do you think the rest of us stand any chance of having our K2 contrast improved with an update? Guess its time for an email to amazon....


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Jesslyn said:


> Last quick note. I didn't think that I would like the size, but its looking like I'm going to have to find a bigger purse.


LOL! Well, you might check in accessories for some help there! 

Patrizia, glad to hear your download is sorted. . . .


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## Annie (May 28, 2009)

Mine is here also! I was so happy to come home from a long day of classes, and see it sitting on my porch. I'm off to play now!


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## Annie (May 28, 2009)

Just did a sun fade test, since it's EXTREMELY sunny here. No sun fading! I'm happy to report that. Another thing to add, the screensaver is a nice change of pace. No dead authors looking at me.


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## MarthaT (Mar 3, 2009)

Annie said:


> Just did a sun fade test, since it's EXTREMELY sunny here. No sun fading! I'm happy to report that. Another thing to add, the screensaver is a nice change of pace. No dead authors looking at me.


thats awesome


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## Captain (Jun 6, 2009)

*MINI-REVIEW 5:*

Mini review of Dx & Dx cover:

I got my first Kindle, Kindle 2 about 10 days ago. And now I also have a Kindle Dx. So in one way, its easier for me to compare both the machines side by side without being much attached much to kindle 2 as yet.

Three things stands out.

aa) Dx is much much heavier than K2

bb) Dx has a much much larger screen than K2

cc) Dx has the screen auto rotate facility which is NOT in K2

The weight factor clearly makes Dx out of favor with the older people. Its like a big load in case one is older and weak. Also, not good for carrying when traveling!

If you are a big screen fan, yes, Dx is good for you but mind you k2 screen is more than adequate.

The screen auto rotate facility is good but NOT as smooth as it appeared in the pre-release videos. The auto-rotate will only work if the orientation is perfect as per the programmed machine. It will not just rotate as soon as we rotate the screen. The orientation needs to be perfect and the machine takes its time to think and change screen.

Other than that Dx is MUCH costlier than Kindle2.

I personally did not find any obvious difference in the contrast of the two machines as claimed by the other senior esteemed members of the forum.

Dx Cover :-

A ditto copy of k2 cover. One plus factor is that its light and does not add much to the already heavy weight of dx. This may not be so with the Oberon. The Oberon would perhaps be better for K2 than for Dx cos its weight factor.

Summary :

In my opinion, comparing Dx with k2 is like comparing mac air with max book pro. Both machines have their own plus points and serve the same purpose in different ways.

I would recommend k2 to older people, people with limited budget, people who do only simple bedroom reading or people traveling often

I would recommend Dx to students who want to use textbooks, people who want to own Dx ALONG with K2 or people who want to carry lot of official personal docs for meetings, people who want to enjoy reading newspapers on a bigger screen.

Hope my review is helpful for people contemplating between a k2 and Dx.

Cheers


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

No Dead Authors what screen savers do you have.. I have seen three dead authors as we speak.. oh they are coming.. start scrolling girl.. they are all they...JUST LURKING


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## SusanCassidy (Nov 9, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Similarly, I downloaded a sample of The Languages of the World, which is listed as being "optimized for the DX." It appears that they have changed the font for the text (so that I can change the font size, eg) but tables and such are still in PDF/Topaz format. L


The tables and pictures are images, not a different format. You can only have one format in a book: either regular Kindle format, PDF, or Topaz. The whole file is going to be just one of those - you can't mix and match.


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## Annie (May 28, 2009)

Patrizia said:


> No Dead Authors what screen savers do you have.. I have seen three dead authors as we speak.. oh they are coming.. start scrolling girl.. they are all they...JUST LURKING


Maybe that's it. I haven't scrolled. I'm not sure I want to see them. Anybody have the hack yet?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

rho said:


> has anyone read in bed with it yet? And if I do read in bed and usually use my left hand to change pages - do you just rotate it until the page reads right for the buttons to be on the left side?
> 
> thanks


I did that (rotate upside down) while I was eating my lunch so I could push the buttons with my left hand and keep having to put the fork down.

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Patrizia said:


> No Dead Authors what screen savers do you have.. I have seen three dead authors as we speak.. oh they are coming.. start scrolling girl.. they are all they...JUST LURKING


Yes, Jules Verne looks almost life size. LOL.

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

SusanCassidy said:


> The tables and pictures are images, not a different format. You can only have one format in a book: either regular Kindle format, PDF, or Topaz. The whole file is going to be just one of those - you can't mix and match.


Yes, that makes sense. That is sort of what I was thinking, I just didn't express it properly. And, since I realized they are images, you can zoom in on the them. Just click the 5-way, move the cursor to the middle, click again...it says "zooming" and voila, the table is much more readable. I can do the same thing on my K2. The print is still pretty small but at least I can read it and not need a magnifying glass (which I would have before).

L


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

To change the orientation, just pretend you are a robot with limited movement  
hold flat first, then tilt up.  The orientation will change everytime.

Also, I just tweeted the following.  I have not seen this in the manual, but I haven't read, more like skimmed it.
"Kindle DX allows PDF searching if the PDF contains renderable text. This is not noted in DX Help Guide"

Last but not least, there are gonna be a few new keyboard shortcuts, I'm sure.  Line spacing no longer work


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Jesslyn said:


> Last but not least, there are gonna be a few new keyboard shortcuts, I'm sure. Line spacing no longer work


Yes, but did you see, you can change the number of words on a line? Fewest, fewer, or default. It is a choice on the font menu.

L


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## LibraryGirl (Dec 16, 2008)

This the text justifiable like it is on the KK?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

meljackson said:


> Gives "ratty looking thing" a gentle tap to the right.
> 
> Melissa


Hahahah, took me a minute to realize what you meant and then I went back and looked at the picture. Yikes! You can bet I moved it. LOL.

L


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## Kind (Jan 28, 2009)

Thanks for the review. I'm sure CS will be busy all day today.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Jesslyn said:


> MUCH
> 
> Screen Contrast Improvement - The first think I can tell everyone is that it looks like Amazon addressed some contrast issues. Side-by-side, the text on the DX is noticably darker. I could tell as soon as I hit the Menu key, but got out my Kindle 2 just to verify.
> Navigation - Its nice to have the Previous page button on the right, but I would have appreciated the full set of nav buttons on both sides. I'm a lefty, but like many old-school lefties, use my right hand for a lot of things (since they where still trying to turn lefties into righties in the 60's). Not too happy about having to turn it upside down to read with the left hand. That is going to be fine for reading, but any annotations or web browsing is gonna be pretty painful.
> ...


I wasn't happy to see the lack of navigation button on the left also, for the same reasons you stated. Question about the pdf. There is no search you posted, I'm wondering documents with the clickable links in the TOC if that still works?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Hm, I can search in a PDF document. Just start typing the word and the search box opens up or choose "search this document" off the menu. Interestingly, I can't search in any books right now. I get a message that the item hasn't been indexed, please try again later. Does anyone know...do you have to have Whispernet on for the Kindle to index?

L


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Hm, I can search in a PDF document. Just start typing the word and the search box opens up or choose "search this document" off the menu. Interestingly, I can't search in any books right now. I get a message that the item hasn't been indexed, please try again later. Does anyone know...do you have to have Whispernet on for the Kindle to index?
> 
> L


There are so many posts about the DX today, that I lost track of where I put it, but only PDFs that have renderable text allow searches, but you can't search them outside of the actual PDF, only within the content.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Hm, I can search in a PDF document. Just start typing the word and the search box opens up or choose "search this document" off the menu. Interestingly, I can't search in any books right now. I get a message that the item hasn't been indexed, please try again later. Does anyone know...do you have to have Whispernet on for the Kindle to index?
> 
> L


Here's a theory. With the sort of enhanced PDF files, you can search them even on a computer. Maybe the DX uses a similar approach. I'm guessing you can't search your regular K books yet just because they're not indexed. You shouldn't need WN on, but it can take I while, of course. And it's going to use memory so maybe it is set to wait until you're not using it for a while. . . sleeping, say. . . to perform the indexing so as to not slow things down for regular reading.


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Re PDF searching.  Mine do not come up in a new page.  The search goes to the 1st page with an instance of that word and highlights the word.  The nav at the bottom of the page lets you go to the next and previous instances of the search term.


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## BBMountain (Apr 3, 2009)

I'll be curious to hear from people that have both (or all 3) Kindles after the dust of the DX has had a chance to settle.  (Once the newness of the DX wears off, which Kindle will those people prefer?).  I love my Kindle 2...but the weight of it with the Amazon cover at times seems a bit much.  The weight of the DX is supposed to be significantly more...will people find it tiresome during long periods of reading?  Hearing answers to this will probably be the deal maker or breaker for me as far as purchasing a DX goes...after all, it's a reading device...if the weight is fine, then cool.  But if it becomes a problem during long usage then it won't be for me


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

Sweety18 said:


> You have all 3 Kindles?
> 
> It would be nice to see pictures of all three kindles next to each other


I have a K1, and a K2 and my KDX should be here tomorrow.
So if no one posts pics before I get to it,I will post some of them along side each other.


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Hmmm.... You have to hold down the ALT plus the number key to go to specific location 
Sounds like a great opportunity for a software update.  When going to a location only the numbers matter, correct?  The DX should realize that and not require the ALT key press


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I had a k1, and gave it to a friend when I got k2. She gave it back because she bought dx, so I sold k2. But she let me play with her DX today and I will say that _several_ of the books I had format issues with on both k1 and k2 read perfectly on DX. The plays and poetry line breaks are all respected on the dx, whereas there were not on k1 and k2. I looked at about 12 that I remembered had issues and all of them read perfect on dx screen! So I have some reviews I need to update! I am waiting to order a dx until they decide on the Nytimes deal, but I have to say, I am really impressed holding hers, and well, it is registered to my account, and...oh I guess I'll give it back...but I'm tempted  . I like the size, it seemed a little big at first, but it is well balanced. I'm one of those right hand people who always turned the page with the left buttons, but I think I could get used to it. I didn't really notice a difference between the screens on my k1 and k2 text. But the DX looks good.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I want a DX for the .pdfs but I'm really concerned about the lack of highlighting and searching.  Is this the case for even text-based .pdfs or only those that are photo copies of manuscripts?  Also, has anyone been brave enough to try Mangle?  I'd love some screenshots of how much manga is improved by the larger screen.


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## auntmarge (Dec 4, 2008)

I see a couple of people have addressed the contrast issue. I'd also be interested in hearing how the background shades compare.


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## kindle zen (Mar 18, 2009)

is it possible to lock the screen orientation to either vertical or horizontal so it doesn't switch back and forth on it's own?

considering the size/weight of the DX it's probably more likey to be an 'indoor" device but i was wondering if the DX will have any sun fading issues.  hopefully amazon corrected this problem on the DX.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

kindle zen said:


> is it possible to lock the screen orientation to either vertical or horizontal so it doesn't switch back and forth on it's own?


Yes, it is a choice on the font menu. You can lock it on any of the four orientations and once it is locked, it is locked for everything: home page, all documents. But it is very easy to unlock it, too. Just open the font menu and choose auto.

L


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## capnfrank (Jun 10, 2009)

Scheherazade said:


> Also, has anyone been brave enough to try Mangle? I'd love some screenshots of how much manga is improved by the larger screen.


In anticipation of my DX arriving next week I already have a whole folder of pdfs of mangas, comic books and role-playing games to try, along with the paper originals of each for comparison. I'll be posting pictures and review then!

Cap'n Frank


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## Ruby296 (Nov 1, 2008)

Great reviews everyone!  I haven't seen this mentioned yet.........can anyone address how comfortable it is to hold?  Can you hold it one-handed or is too heavy?  I'm torn....I don't need the PDF feature at all, but I do like the idea of the larger screen for reading newspapers especially.


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

auntmarge said:


> I see a couple of people have addressed the contrast issue. I'd also be interested in hearing how the background shades compare.


I tried, but my K2 is skinned and its throwing me off, but I _think_ the DX has a slightly darker background. But the text is crisp!


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

I put mine next to each other and I agree with Jess, it seems slightly darker but the text is MUCH sharper


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## nyct (May 28, 2009)

Ruby296 said:


> Great reviews everyone! I haven't seen this mentioned yet.........can anyone address how comfortable it is to hold? Can you hold it one-handed or is too heavy? I'm torn....I don't need the PDF feature at all, but I do like the idea of the larger screen for reading newspapers especially.


You can hold it with one hand pretty easily, but it gets a bit heavy after a while. I definitely wouldn't get the DX for reading novels after feeling how heavy it is. Lucky for me, I want it more for journal articles/magazines/blogs.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Ruby296 said:


> Great reviews everyone! I haven't seen this mentioned yet.........can anyone address how comfortable it is to hold? Can you hold it one-handed or is too heavy? I'm torn....I don't need the PDF feature at all, but I do like the idea of the larger screen for reading newspapers especially.


I said in another post, it does seem heavy, even though it is 2 oz. lighter than my K2 in it's Oberon cover. The admin in my office said it has to do with the center of gravity -- I sort of know what she means. If you hold it down low (like I do with my K2) it feels like there is overweight at the top. If I hold it in the middle, it feels better. Still, I think having something to prop it up on, like the Peermaid pillow, would be better for long-term reading. This was the short term solution I discovered on my desk:

















L


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## lynninva (Feb 7, 2009)

I really appreciate all the comments on the DX.  I plan to buy a Kindle as a Father's Day gift for my husband.  He would mainly be reading at home, so the portability of the K2 is not as critical.

Leslie, I had been wondering if an old 'easel' we have for holding documents would work to support the DX.  The one we have is a little different from yours, but your pictures convinced me that it would work.  I also would be interested to know if the Peeramid pillow is tall enough to support it adequately.  (My husband will be having rotator cuff surgery soon, so extra support will be helpful.)

My plan is to read all the comments this weekend & then purchase either the K2 or DX on Sunday. (Through the affiliate link here, of course!)


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

lynninva said:


> Leslie, I had been wondering if an old 'easel' we have for holding documents would work to support the DX. The one we have is a little different from yours, but your pictures convinced me that it would work. I also would be interested to know if the Peeramid pillow is tall enough to support it adequately. (My husband will be having rotator cuff surgery soon, so extra support will be helpful.)


Ask and you shall receive...










The Peeramid works great. In fact, I didn't use it much with my K2 because I didn't like the fit with my Oberon and I didn't like taking my K2 out of its cover. But the DX is absolutely perfect.

Oh, PS, I think this is a new screensaver in the picture is a new screensaver for the DX. The words are the same but the image is different. On the K2, it had the dropping letters.

L


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## Ruby296 (Nov 1, 2008)

nyct said:


> You can hold it with one hand pretty easily, but it gets a bit heavy after a while. I definitely wouldn't get the DX for reading novels after feeling how heavy it is. Lucky for me, I want it more for journal articles/magazines/blogs.


Thanks so much for sharing that advice. I do read mostly books, w/the NYT thrown in several times a week, including Sundays.



Leslie said:


> I said in another post, it does seem heavy, even though it is 2 oz. lighter than my K2 in it's Oberon cover. The admin in my office said it has to do with the center of gravity -- I sort of know what she means. If you hold it down low (like I do with my K2) it feels like there is overweight at the top. If I hold it in the middle, it feels better. Still, I think having something to prop it up on, like the Peermaid pillow, would be better for long-term reading. This was the short term solution I discovered on my desk:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks, Leslie. The gravity issue makes sense to me. Seems like the ratio of screen to keyboard on the K2 is more balanced than on the DX. I like that "tree" screensaver too!


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## lynninva (Feb 7, 2009)

Leslie said:


> Ask and you shall receive...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you, thank you!

So the enabling begins... If I buy the DX (which apparently is not in stock now), then I also need to buy the Peeramid pillow. And I was eyeing the neoprene case. Maybe I should do a Coinstar run first.


----------



## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

capnfrank said:


> In anticipation of my DX arriving next week I already have a whole folder of pdfs of mangas, comic books and role-playing games to try, along with the paper originals of each for comparison. I'll be posting pictures and review then!
> 
> Cap'n Frank


Woot! I look forward to it! The .pdf support is nice for school but sounds like it might have a handful of issues (highlighting/searching) but good manga support might sell me... as soon as I get my grant and can afford one!


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## Ruby296 (Nov 1, 2008)

lynninva said:


> If I buy the DX (which apparently is not in stock now)


I just looked at Amazon and it says it'll be back in stock on June 17th.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

A family of Kindles....

Hanging out on the Peeramid...










Relaxing on the easy chair...


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Hmmmm. .  . .there's a 'three bears' parody in there somewhere.  Or maybe Three Billy Goats Gruff.


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## auntmarge (Dec 4, 2008)

Patrizia said:


> I put mine next to each other and I agree with Jess, it seems slightly darker but the text is MUCH sharper


Jeez, it's darker? And I thought the K2 was worse than the K1. Guess I'll stick with K2 and the font fix.


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## MagicalWingLT (May 12, 2009)

capnfrank said:


> In anticipation of my DX arriving next week I already have a whole folder of pdfs of mangas, comic books and role-playing games to try, along with the paper originals of each for comparison. I'll be posting pictures and review then!
> 
> Cap'n Frank


I'm very interested in seeing pics of Manga on the DX... You gotta show us some lol...


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## jazzi (May 4, 2009)

*MINI-REVIEW 7:*

The DX is impressive.

I was busy when the box arrived, so I opened the box and plugged it into the electrical outlet until several hours later (fully charged). The books from my K2 had already transferred over (set them up on Amazon website yesterday for download to DX).

The screen is huge compared to the K2, and sharper. My first read was the Washington Post, and the pictures were amazing.

And yes, the unit is heavy. I would imagine an Oberon accessorized DX is gonna be heavy!

The orientation could be a problem. It tried to adjust a couple of times when I hadn't intended to change it. After awhile, I went into the settings and changed it to stay at the portrait setting. I may later change it back to automatic, but probably only when reading something where the feature would be helpful. For most of my reading, the portrait setting will suffice.

The only real disappointment is the inability to make notes on pdfs. I have several pdfs which are more than 100 pages. Being able to make notes would be fantastic. Unless I've missed something, you can create bookmarks, but only the page of the bookmark is recorded for later reference.

Other than that, I like it a lot, and think it was a great purchase. For the next couple of days I'll be trying to decide whether to keep or sell the K2.


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

first chance I have had to see this update and I couldn't stop laughing.. we are pathetic enablers.. no doubt about it.. three kindles in the pyramid !!!! I just started laughing.. you guys are so cute.  

Okay so how do we feel about the weight of the DX, I do love the screen situation but I found my arm really getting tired after a while.. can't wait until the platform gets here I can turn on the TTS on fast.. turn down the volume and let it change pages for me!!!

OH and FYI we can't get a screen saver hack fast enough, those dead authors at that size is NOT pretty.. skins too, must have skins...

... and so it begins..


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## docjered (Apr 12, 2009)

Love the idea of sharper text and larger screen, but I am a "left thumb" reader. The only way I feel comfortable reading is with my Oberon cover folded back, my fingers of my left hand tucked inside the cover, and page change up or down with my left thumb. It appears that this would not be possible, even with screen rotation unless I wanted to actually mount the DX upside down in an Oberon cover, or am I misreading this


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

docjered said:


> Love the idea of sharper text and larger screen, but I am a "left thumb" reader. The only way I feel comfortable reading is with my Oberon cover folded back, my fingers of my left hand tucked inside the cover, and page change up or down with my left thumb. It appears that this would not be possible, even with screen rotation unless I wanted to actually mount the DX upside down in an Oberon cover, or am I misreading this


Yes, you could rotate the screen and read with the Kindle upside down. Then the buttons would be on the left. I did that yesterday while I was eating lunch, so I could press the buttons with my left hand and not have to keep putting my fork down in my right hand.

L


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## brianm (May 11, 2009)

Will make this quick until I have much more time with the DX...... first thing you notice: BIG  2nd.: weight
After turning it on and loading book......LOVED the screen. Let me put it this way......the K1 / K2 are like reading
a paperback book, the DX is like reading a hardbound book.  Changing the size of the print and lines per is GREAT.
Folks with eye trouble will just LOVE it. More later..............

              Brian


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Patrizia said:


> OH and FYI we can't get a screen saver hack fast enough, those dead authors at that size is NOT pretty.. skins too, must have skins...


Mind you, I know _nothing_ about screensavers , not having installed any alternate ones on my K1. BUT it seems to me from all I've read that the underlying software of the DX is closely akin to that of the K2. I wonder if the steps to install alternate images that work for the K2 would also work for the DX.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I can only imagine how beautiful some of the screensavers we have here on the Boards posted by members are going to look on the DX.  Hope someone posts pics once they're able to load them.
deb


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## Anne (Oct 29, 2008)

Patrizia said:


> first chance I have had to see this update and I couldn't stop laughing.. we are pathetic enablers.. no doubt about it.. three kindles in the pyramid !!!! I just started laughing.. you guys are so cute.
> 
> Okay so how do we feel about the weight of the DX, I do love the screen situation but I found my arm really getting tired after a while.. can't wait until the platform gets here I can turn on the TTS on fast.. turn down the volume and let it change pages for me!!!
> 
> ...


Patrizia: Did you order the platform form M-edge? I am going to need to order one. I still love my K2 and will use it when I travel and take it with me wherever I go. When I am home I will be using the DX. I got so much more read last night. Now all I need is a skin


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## Anne (Oct 29, 2008)

Leslie I have the same family   LOL and I have the Peeramid Pillow book rest too.


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## Ssnake51 (Jun 6, 2009)

*MINI-REVIEW 8:*

As others have already noted, the screen on the DX is really big. Also, the text is darker and easier to read than on my Kindle2. This is a big plus in its favor.
I am a right-hander who prefers to use my left thumb in turning the pages, so my default screen setting is in portrait with the keyboard on top. This seems to me to work quite well, perhaps even better than with the K2.
I have noticed a few more imperfections on the screen than on the K2. Perhaps this is unavoidable with the larger screen size.
Am still on the fence as to whether or not I am going to keep the DX. It really does seem quite a bit heavier and larger than I had expected. Will give it a few more days to see if I can adjust to that.


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Mind you, I know _nothing_ about screensavers , not having installed any alternate ones on my K1. BUT it seems to me from all I've read that the underlying software of the DX is closely akin to that of the K2. I wonder if the steps to install alternate images that work for the K2 would also work for the DX.


I'm waiting for some brave soul to try the k2 hack and report back. You know it won't be long till someone tries it, lol.


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## jaybird123 (Mar 10, 2009)

argghhh....!  Some  lousy reviews would have been nice, now I'm ordering this thing to go with my Kindle 2.


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## Ethan (Dec 6, 2008)

It is nice to read everyone's thoughts and to hear of the good, the bad and the ugly. For the basic reader who has no need for all this note taking stuff (whatever that is), pdf's, etc., etc., and etc., it is nice to see that us K1 users are not really missing out on anything earth shattering. Unless something drastic changes, I think I'm sticking with the basic black Model A!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

jaybird123 said:


> argghhh....! Some lousy reviews would have been nice, now I'm ordering this thing to go with my Kindle 2.


I totally hear you! I was thinking last night, "gee, didn't anyone really NOT like it?" That would at least make my forced wait more endurable. . . . . .

(I know I can go to Amazon and read the reviews there. . . .but most aren't worth much and the negative ones just complain about no color/touch screen etc.  )


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## lissylaine (Nov 3, 2008)

About the only thing I can add at the moment is that reading on my K1 really feels like reading a paperback, and reading on my KDX feels more like reading a hardback - size-of-the-screen-wise.

Melissa in Nashville


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I am trying to figure out how to justify ordering one when I know it will only be used in the house. My fiancee is going to think that I am nuts. The good news: It still doesn't have folders so it is easier for me to say "I can wait." 

For that reason, and that reason alone, I hope that Amazon continues to fail to put folders on the new version of the Kindle. It is the one feature that would make me seriously consider upgrading.


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## MarthaT (Mar 3, 2009)

love all the reviews, am really getting tempted


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## DawnOfChaos (Nov 12, 2008)

Thanks for the pics!  It helps to see that the screen of the dx appears to be the entire size of the k2 and a little extra.  When I saw the pics, I wasn't pleased they got rid of the left hand buttons, as I'm a left thumber as well.  But I have a question.  When you rotate the dx to read on the horizontal, can you turn pages, or is it just for viewing the page you are on?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

DawnOfChaos said:


> Thanks for the pics! It helps to see that the screen of the dx appears to be the entire size of the k2 and a little extra. When I saw the pics, I wasn't pleased they got rid of the left hand buttons, as I'm a left thumber as well. But I have a question. When you rotate the dx to read on the horizontal, can you turn pages, or is it just for viewing the page you are on?


You can turn pages and read with the DX rotated, yes.

L


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

I'm wondering about the screensaver hack as the DX is version 2.1, not 2.0.3 like the K2.  Will we be getting an upgrade on the K2 since its the same 'family'? Or will Amazon be maintaining two versions.  Its pretty obvious that they don't plan on any more updates to the K1 since it has been relegated to a 'previous' version, but still hope on the K2


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## Greg Banks (May 2, 2009)

*MINI-REVIEW 9:*

The KDX isn't a replacement for the K2, it's just the big brother. So if any updates are yet to come (or not come), it won't be due to the K2 itself being outdated.

Let me write some quick impressions here. May expand on these a bit in a review for my website and Amazon later this weekend:

The KDX could as easily be called the Kindle Jumbo, or The Kindlenormous, because compared to my K1 (never owned a K2), it's huge! If I had to manually hold it, for me with my disability, it would be a problem. It's not really the weight itself, but as I saw reference to on the Amazon boards yesterday, it's the center of gravity. Basically, if you hold the device vertically near the bottom, it becomes top heavy. I don't know if I would recommend the KDX for the casual reader, especially one who hasn't owned a Kindle before. Sort of like buying a full-sized Hummer when all you want to do is run to the grocery store twice a week. Doesn't mean a Hummer isn't great, but it would be just a bit of overkill for your simple needs.

As for the KDX itself (and keep in mind that I've never owned or touched a K2, so some of the things that impressed me might be applicable to the K2 as well), it is amazing. I think this design, overall, is much improved over K1. Feels more sturdy, more polished, than the K1. I find that I like the 5-way controller much more than the K1's scroll wheel, which I used without qualms, but always felt it was a bit low tech for such an advanced product.

The display, mind blowing. The K1 always has looked great to me considering it's limited abilities, but the KDX shows just what eInk technology is capable of. Seeing this screen has gotten me excited for the first time about the prospect of a color eInk screen one day. I checked how a couple of my own books' covers looked, and they were very nice looking even at the larger size. The KDX screen is also more elongated than it's little brothers', so you get more text per screen not just because of the larger size overall, but because of proportionally having more screen real estate. Text is sharp and the interface differences from the K1 are also pleasurably improved.

Responsiveness is better overall, although I think that's relative since a large PDF or a page with images on it will take longer than a plain text page. I don't subscribe to newspapers, but the blogs look great. I also have several books (software reference, mostly) that were DX optimized, and seem as good as a PDF shown in its native format. I also loaded my software manual PDFs onto the KDX, most of them for Adobe software and therefore they are true PDFs with lots of imagery, and they seem to display almost flawlessly in their native format.

The KDX is too big for my Kindle stand from Octo, so I have to prop up against other stuff on my bed. Which is fine, and actually works well for the Godzilla of Kindles, except when I want to charge it while I read (which I generally do nightly), I have to turn it upside down because the charging plug is on the bottom. So for me the screen flipping technology is a godsend, although oddly enough, neither the screen savers nor the Kindle store will flip. Probably because neither could display properly in horizontal mode.

Overall, I REALLY like my DX, and while I'll always love my K1 as well, I just don't have the need for both, so I'm glad the K1 will have a happy new home with my sister.

If you're thinking of buying a KDX, or are especially debating between a K2 or KDX, I'd recommend you really assess your needs and uses for your Kindle, and use them to help make your decision. The KDX itself is amazing and expands on the promise and functionality of the original Kindles. But I just think some may be critical of it not because of the device's failings (which I see none yet), but because they would have been better served by a smaller Kindle.


----------



## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

Anne said:


> Patrizia: Did you order the platform form M-edge? I am going to need to order one. I still love my K2 and will use it when I travel and take it with me wherever I go. When I am home I will be using the DX. I got so much more read last night. Now all I need is a skin


Not Patrizia but...
I ordered the M-Edge for my KDX, and both just arrived a bit ago.The KDX is charging so I will have to wait to see how I like it in the M-Edge,and will let you know.


----------



## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

Anne.. sorry just getting caught up!!

Yes I did order the Platform Medge for the DX and I thought it would be here today, but I will let you know when it arrives and how it stacks up! Also talked to Oberon they are trying to do the DX cover where it too can be platformed but not a fliptop so I would imagine you would read east to west instead of north to south on theres., which works for me as well


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

Jess


I think the hack would be the same but the size of the photos I am not sure of.. the 600 x 800 would be too small.. LARGE dead authors scare me .. LOL.. I am going to ATTEMPT feedbooks today.. keep your fiingers crossed


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## Greg Banks (May 2, 2009)

Patrizia said:


> Jess
> 
> I think the hack would be the same but the size of the photos I am not sure of.. the 600 x 800 would be too small.. LARGE dead authors scare me .. LOL.. I am going to ATTEMPT feedbooks today.. keep your fiingers crossed


Funny, I was going to guestimate that the Kindle had a 800 x 1200 screen, but then I decided to look it up. According to the below article, I was very close. Says the Kindle has a 824 x 1200 screen (though they flipped the numbers as if the device was in portrait orientation).

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13512_3-10234952-23.html


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## jpmorgan49 (Feb 10, 2009)

I'm still waiting to hear from someone that has loaded some hard core pdf files.  How are the pictures, drawings, etc?  My son-in-law is in the military and he reads TONS of pdf files (mostly technical).  He'd really like to get a DX.  Thanks.
jp


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## artsandhistoryfan (Feb 7, 2009)

Jesslyn said:


> MUCH
> 
> Do I want to lose full text search in PDF documents just so I can navigate by page numbers? Just verified no search and no highlighting.


 Jesslyn, some pdfs have searches (text-based pdfs) but people say the search is very slow.

However, it highlights the found-word, which some like.


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## artsandhistoryfan (Feb 7, 2009)

Patrizia said:


> No Dead Authors what screen savers do you have.. I have seen three dead authors as we speak.. oh they are coming.. start scrolling girl.. they are all they...JUST LURKING


 LOL!!!


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## artsandhistoryfan (Feb 7, 2009)

lynninva said:


> Thank you, thank you!
> 
> So the enabling begins... If I buy the DX (which apparently is not in stock now), then I also need to buy the Peeramid pillow. And I was eyeing the neoprene case. Maybe I should do a Coinstar run first.


A M-Edge Platform cover will hold it in place. I get queasy looking at some of the pictures, in case someone has a cat, or child, who might come and tip it over when there is nothing holding it more securely. 
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall..."

Also, we just had an earthquake a mile from here and it as if a truck had hit the building...


----------



## artsandhistoryfan (Feb 7, 2009)

Leslie said:


> A family of Kindles....
> 
> Hanging out on the Peeramid...
> 
> Relaxing on the easy chair...


Those are so CUTE !!!


----------



## artsandhistoryfan (Feb 7, 2009)

Forster said:


> I'm waiting for some brave soul to try the k2 hack and report back. You know it won't be long till someone tries it, lol.


 Blogkindle guy says the Droid font (in a set that makes it possible to read all kinds of languages)
doesn't work with his DX so people will have to wait until he can work on them.


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## artsandhistoryfan (Feb 7, 2009)

Greg Banks said:


> The KDX isn't a replacement for the K2, it's just the big brother. So if any updates are yet to come (or not come), it won't be due to the K2 itself being outdated.
> 
> Let me write some quick impressions here. May expand on these a bit in a review for my website and Amazon later this weekend:


Your quick impressions are better than most official gadget blog reviews and certainly
miles above the newspaper ones.

"Kindlenormous" just made me laugh out loud as did 'The Godzilla of Kindles'

Re the PDFs being as good as the originals.

I have two sharp monitors - desktop and laptop

But when I put on PDFs, most are not as sharp as normal text documents and I don't
like to read them on the computer. I think they should be even sharper, on the DX?


----------



## artsandhistoryfan (Feb 7, 2009)

jpmorgan49 said:


> I'm still waiting to hear from someone that has loaded some hard core pdf files. How are the pictures, drawings, etc? My son-in-law is in the military and he reads TONS of pdf files (mostly technical). He'd really like to get a DX. Thanks.
> jp


jp, I've collected some customer images of pdfs and a good video - also of web browsing
with full width of webpage, in horizontal mode. See my sigline for my blog.

I wasn't going to get this but I'm afraid I'm going to 'have to' have one of these at home...

(Good for sheet music too!)


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Andrys I SOOOOO want to se sheet music. . . . are there any pics on your blog?


----------



## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Didn't order a DX yet.  I'm waiting to hear if someone has tested it in the sun.  Don't want to go through the 5 replacement route again!  Nice to hear the text is crisper, though.


----------



## Greg Banks (May 2, 2009)

artsandhistoryfan said:


> But when I put on PDFs, most are not as sharp as normal text documents and I don't
> like to read them on the computer. I think they should be even sharper, on the DX?


My guess is that you would find the DX sharper, but since sometimes appearances are a personal thing, I can't say for certain. I think in the case of a black and white document like you're probably referring to, that's exactly what makes eInk such a revolutionary thing. You really can't duplicate the sharpness of the printed page on a lighted, pixel-based display.


----------



## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

Keep 'em coming.  I need some more informed opionions.


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## Lynn (Nov 4, 2008)

DD- I just took mine out in the sun, sun coming over my shoulder right on the screen, flipped through 20 pages of the user's guide with no problems at all. Granted it is 6:30 pm here but I am in central florida and it is 94 outside and still pretty bright.

Lynn


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## lynninva (Feb 7, 2009)

Greg Banks said:


> Basically, if you hold the device vertically near the bottom, it becomes top heavy. I don't know if I would recommend the KDX for the casual reader, especially one who hasn't owned a Kindle before.


Greg, I really appreciated your detailed impressions of your new Kindle.

My husband predominately does casual reading, not technical documents. But I am considering the DX due to the expanded display size. He reads mostly hardback books currently, so I am thinking that the DX would be lighter than them.

I am also one who reads with my hand tucked into the folded back Oberon cover & turn the pages of my K2 using the left buttons. But he hasn't developed that habit, so the absence of the left side keys might not be such a big deal either.

Do you think a new user would adapt more easily to the size/weight of the KDX than someone who has been used to the more compact K1/K2?

P.S. Leslie, I love the Kindle family portrait.


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## Annie (May 28, 2009)

DD said:


> Didn't order a DX yet. I'm waiting to hear if someone has tested it in the sun. Don't want to go through the 5 replacement route again! Nice to hear the text is crisper, though.


I wrote a review in the KDX forum, and I mentioned that there is no sun fading issue.


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## Greg Banks (May 2, 2009)

lynninva said:


> Do you think a new user would adapt more easily to the size/weight of the KDX than someone who has been used to the more compact K1/K2?


Probably, since you wouldn't be coming into the experience with preconceived notions about the experience. Honestly, if you get past the shock of just how much bigger it seems compared to the previous Kindles, it's really an impressive device in its own right. I'd think for anyone used to holding a bulky hardback, it'd be an real improvement.


----------



## Anne (Oct 29, 2008)

Sugar said:


> Not Patrizia but...
> I ordered the M-Edge for my KDX, and both just arrived a bit ago.The KDX is charging so I will have to wait to see how I like it in the M-Edge,and will let you know.


Thanks Sugar Please let me know how you like the M-edge Platform. I may wait to see what the platform from Oberon looks like. I would love to know how you like the M-edge.


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## Anne (Oct 29, 2008)

Patrizia said:


> Anne.. sorry just getting caught up!!
> 
> Yes I did order the Platform Medge for the DX and I thought it would be here today, but I will let you know when it arrives and how it stacks up! Also talked to Oberon they are trying to do the DX cover where it too can be platformed but not a fliptop so I would imagine you would read east to west instead of north to south on theres., which works for me as well


Patrizia: Please let me know how you like the Platform from medge. I may wait to see the plaform from Oberon looks like before I order.


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## Patrizia (Oct 29, 2008)

I will keep you posted.. Don is working on a design but its different from Medge.. where Medge has the flip top they are going to try to do a case that can bend back for the sideways view as well as be used as a cover IF they can do it.. the idea is still in the baby stages.  But I do love platforms so I understand the need, especially for something as big as the DX


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## Anne (Oct 29, 2008)

Patrizia said:


> I will keep you posted.. Don is working on a design but its different from Medge.. where Medge has the flip top they are going to try to do a case that can bend back for the sideways view as well as be used as a cover IF they can do it.. the idea is still in the baby stages. But I do love platforms so I understand the need, especially for something as big as the DX


I love platforms too. If you like the medge. I may order one and then if I like the Oberon one I my order it too.


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## jpmorgan49 (Feb 10, 2009)

artsandhistoryfan said:


> jp, I've collected some customer images of pdfs and a good video - also of web browsing
> with full width of webpage, in horizontal mode. See my sigline for my blog.
> 
> I wasn't going to get this but I'm afraid I'm going to 'have to' have one of these at home...
> ...


Thanks, I'll check it out......
jp


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## Lynn (Nov 4, 2008)

I posted some pictures of PDFs on my Dx here if anyone is interested:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,9883.msg187047.html#msg187047

Lynn L


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## muddyglass (Jun 3, 2009)

hello, here are a couple of quick questions: 

is it possible to use the experimental browser to download a pdf file from a website onto the kindle dx? if so, does amazon charge a fee for this?

thanks for your help.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome, muddy. . . . that's a really good question. . . .and completely new as far as I know.  If I HAD a DX I'd surely try it out. . . . . but, alas, not yet. . . . . .I expect someone here will though, and then report back.

Meanwhile, welcome to KindleBoards:  make yourself at home and head on down to the Intros thread and let us know a little bit about yourself!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Was just on Amazon drooling a little more for the DX  and I find it interesting that of the 60 reviews posted so far there is only one less than 3 stars.  And that one is a 1 star review written before the thing was even out that just says, "Why no color? The world is, right? Travel books, art, maps, brochures, comics - what part of this is hard to understand?"

It is, incidentally, the only review he's ever posted.

So about half the reviews are 5 star, about 1/4 are 4 star and about 1/4 are four star.

So, to quote Geoff,  "just sayin' "


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## Greg Banks (May 2, 2009)

muddyglass said:


> hello, here are a couple of quick questions:
> 
> is it possible to use the experimental browser to download a pdf file from a website onto the kindle dx? if so, does amazon charge a fee for this?
> 
> thanks for your help.


You should be able to download that way, but I saw someone say on Amazon it wasn't working right. Amazon was looking into it.

And no, you won't be charged.


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## Lynn (Nov 4, 2008)

I tried to do this a little while ago and did not get the document to download, unless I wasn't patient enough, but there was no indication that anything was happening like it does when loading a web page.

Lynn L


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Lynn said:


> DD- I just took mine out in the sun, sun coming over my shoulder right on the screen, flipped through 20 pages of the user's guide with no problems at all. Granted it is 6:30 pm here but I am in central florida and it is 94 outside and still pretty bright.
> 
> Lynn


Thank you, Lynn. That's good to know. That being the case, the most attractive thing about the DX to me is the size of the screen.


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## LibraryGirl (Dec 16, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Was just on Amazon drooling a little more for the DX  and I find it interesting that of the 60 reviews posted so far there is only one less than 3 stars. And that one is a 1 star review written before the thing was even out that just says, "Why no color? The world is, right? Travel books, art, maps, brochures, comics - what part of this is hard to understand?"
> 
> It is, incidentally, the only review he's ever posted.
> 
> ...


 There's another 1 star review now and it's because he/she had delivery or customer service issues...nothing relevant to the device itself. Sheesh, people. Why do they do this (either with good ratings or bad...rate the device, book, product, etc, not the CS, price, etc)


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## artsandhistoryfan (Feb 7, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Andrys I SOOOOO want to se sheet music. . . . are there any pics on your blog?


 Nooope, as I don't have a DX yet ! And we finally got one here in another thread,
I just noticed (catching up) and that convinced both you and me 

Oops, I later (2 minutes later) realized you meant on the collected stuff on the blog. No. I'm glad we have the person who did the sheet music photos here though!


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## artsandhistoryfan (Feb 7, 2009)

Greg Banks said:


> My guess is that you would find the DX sharper, but since sometimes appearances are a personal thing, I can't say for certain. I think in the case of a black and white document like you're probably referring to, that's exactly what makes eInk such a revolutionary thing. You really can't duplicate the sharpness of the printed page on a lighted, pixel-based display.


 Thanks very much, Greg. Can't wait now. I have a DVD-ROM of thousands of sheet music pieces.

- A


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/06/11/amazon-kindle-dx-rev.html A collection of DX reviews are captured on this web site.


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

I'm pretty happy with the pdf viewing on the DX.  I have lots and lots of business reference stuff I can put and use on the device when I travel or go to CPE.

My time is limited with the DX though, as my younger son and wife have worked out a kindle sharing schedule that doesn't seem to include me, lol.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm sorry to hear that Forster. I think the anecdotal evidence from the board is that Kindle Sharing _never_ works!

Once you get it back, maybe you need one of these:


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

To be fair, the K2 is mine and I do not share it.  

I do see some more kindle purchases in the future though, 2 kids in college, 1 in HS, all voracious readers.  I might as well just sell my soul to Bezos now and get it over with.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Convenient gifts to give your kids.


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## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

Forster said:


> To be fair, the K2 is mine and I do not share it.
> 
> I do see some more kindle purchases in the future though, 2 kids in college, 1 in HS, all voracious readers. I might as well just sell my soul to Bezos now and get it over with.


You don't need to sell your soul, just your car


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## docjered (Apr 12, 2009)

The Kindles will be relatively cheap, compared to the downloads. But at least you will always know what to give the kids... Amazon gift cards!


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

docjered said:


> The Kindles will be relatively cheap, compared to the downloads. But at least you will always know what to give the kids... Amazon gift cards!


Yep and is there a better gift than a Amazon Gift Card?? lol


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