Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1161-1165 of 1800
 kindle3dx September 14, 2009
Adhemar A. Byl (reston and antwerp)
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
fin e but too expensive, particularly for somebody who already bought previous two. need protective holder
 Mixed Bag September 14, 2009
Michael R. Cinquanti (Catlin, NY)
7 out of 16 found this review helpful
It seems whenever technology would extend consumer capabilities, the monopolists who own it instead reduce them. DRM is a pain in the neck removing resale and lending ability. Page numbers are unclear. Simple steps like going to the end of a chapter (or knowing what chapter you are in) become complicated. Checking references becomes tedious. On the other hand it is light, very readable, and cheaper to get materials (if they are available). Whispernet is nothing but a crippling nuisance if you are not in the area - you can't activate the device without it. I got this because I need to carry a lot of books with me and I can include pdfs (with limited functionality). It does that, and it works great for this purpose. It has convinced me that Apple needs to make a tablet and that consumers need to vote open source whenever available. This device would be great if it wasn't designed around marketing (rather than real usability studies for academic users), closed platform development, and treating the consumer like a potential criminal. Also don't leave it on your car seat when you drive or it will go flying into the dashboard when you stop.
Love my Kindle, Amazon Customer Service, NOT SO MUCH! September 14, 2009
Randy (Kabul, Afghanistan)
2 out of 7 found this review helpful
I love my new Kindle DX. It really is all that it claimed to be and lives up to the positive reviews I read before buying it. Thank goodness the product is so great, because Amazon Customer Service after my purchase was terrible. But I got through that, and am looking forward to my continued DX experience.
Why did I wait so long? September 14, 2009
Big Sister (Fort Myers, FL USA)
My sister had been after me for several years to get a Kindle. When the new DX came out I couldn't resist any longer. I haven't read so much and so fast for years. My eyes are 7 years older than my sister's and I prefer the DX over the smaller version for that reason. I dearly love my new Kindle DX and I am delighted that I finally listened to her advice!
 The Ultimate Reading Device for the Avid Reader September 14, 2009
N. Huq (Louisville, KY USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Kindle DX is perfect if you're trying to read something. Whether its a pdf or a book you downloaded from amazon, the large e-ink screen looks great and has minimal eye strain. The reading experience has plenty of perks. The in-line dictionary, text to speech, landscape reading, dynamic font sizes, and fast page turn are wonderful. Then there is the internet access. 3G really sets this device apart from any other e-readers on the market today. The experimental web browser easily handles mobile web content, so getting onto NYtimes, CNN, Wikipedia, Google News (and Gmail and Reader for that matter), and more is easier than ever. It's like having your own Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. And its a lot better than reading those sites on your phone. Some sites cause the kindle to crash though, and that can be frustrating.
Textbooks and Newspapers look pretty good on this device. I loaded five 300+ page science textbooks I had in PDF and read them all. In landscape mode the text is as large as it would be in the paper version, and having it as a PDF on my kindle saved me from having to carry 20 lbs of books. Note taking is not easy with PDF, but I take notes on paper anyways so propping the kindle up on a desk and writing with ink and paper was no different from having the paper textbook with me. Newspapers are great because I don't get ink all over my hand and they arrive before the paper copy does, all with zero environmental impact. The device itself feels great in your hands. It's thin and sleek, and all the surfaces feel smooth and well constructed. The keyboard is a little odd, too wide to type like to do on the blackberry, and a bit gummy to type on. The DX is a bit heavy, especially with the case--but if I'm sitting in my chair at home I'll take it out of the case and have no problem propping it up with one hand. The battery life is phenomenal, I went on a week long trip and read late into the night each day and it didn't need a single charge. They say about 4 days with the wireless on and 2 weeks with it off. The MP3 player is a bit lacking with limited controls, but between Project Gutenberg and Librivox I'm never without something to read or someone to read it to me when I'm tired of the text to speech voice.
The Kindle Store has best in class book acquisition. It is dead simple to download your favorite newspapers, magazines or books. The pdf support lacks zoom, but using a program like Stanza, it is easy to get any book into kindle format. Additionally, sites like Kindle Feeder deliver all your favorite blogs to your email or to the kindle over wireless for next to nothing (free if you load it using USB). If the 10+ cent cost of file conversion is putting you off, remember that you can always email you files to [...] and they'll email the converted file back for FREE. Then just load it up via USB. You don't HAVE to transfer everything via whispernet. Between the kindle store, Stanza, public domain books, Google Books, Kindle Reader, The 4 GB of memory on this device, and the web browser, I'll never run out of things to read or be without an enjoyable way to read them.
Another design plus: The powerchord and the usb dongle have a very small footprint. Most people don't mention this but the power cable is a tiny add-on to the USB chord instead of the typical power brick you find on other chargers. An awesome feat of engineering.
That said the device is only for people who read a lot. $489 is a lot to spend if you read very little, or are looking for a powerful web browser. At about $30 a month you can get 3G access for a netbook or smartphone, which adds up to $360 a year. That cost is covered with the kindle, but it won't fit in your pocket and you won't be watching any youtube videos. Also the joystick isn't the best navigation device. Amazon is in the right here, because a touch screen would lower the contrast and clarity of the e-ink. With the joystick, it takes a second to get to the word you want to highlight or define, and sometimes the cursor flies past that word and you have to push up to get it back to the right spot. With dynamic things like cursors, you're limited by the e-ink. But like I said, if you read a lot, this is one of the best purchases you'll ever make.
PROS
Amazing e-ink tech looks fantastic, carry your entire library with you, FREE INTERNET, highlight and take notes, USB connectivity, MP3 support, Native PDF (essential if you have a lot of business or school docs), fast page turns, sleek device, great power chord design, easier to get content than you would ever imagine.
CONS
A bit heavy, limited web browser (sometimes causes the device to restart), gummy keyboard, no video support, limited MP3 controls, monochrome (although it will be years and $1000s of dollars before we have affordable color e-ink screens), no expandable memory, joystick is less awesome than a touch screen or typical mouse.
BOTTOM LINE
The E-Ink screen, free internet, and vast internal memory make this the ultimate, ultra-protable reading device. This gets four stars because it isn't for everyone, and isn't perfect yet. But if you're an avid reader and don't want to wait a whole year for the next version, get the Kindle DX today.
Showing reviews 1161-1165 of 1800
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