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| Brand: Amazon
Used (18) from $285.00
Rating:  2093 reviews
Sales Rank: 644
Color: Bisque
Media: Electronics
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 10.4 x 7.2 x 0.4
Model: D00611
UPC: 892685001188
EAN: 0892685001188
Release Date: June 10, 2009
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 26-30 of 2093
 Kindle in Use. August 30, 2010
H. C. Pierce (Southern California)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
In the month I have used this model of the Kindle DX, I've found it easy to learn many fine points of operating it. I've found little or no problem in using the Kindle for reading books, turning it off, and putting it down over-night and returning to turn it on and continue the next day with the Kindle providing a restart exactly where I left off. Dictionary usage is easy. Charging is good for a week or more.
The only draw-backs I've encountered so far is that it is impossible to lend a Kindle wireless book to a friend like you would a paper-back book (unless you are trusting enough to lend the friend the entire Kindle contents and all.) Also, it's not a cocktail table book you dare to leave sitting around unattended.
Kindle book costs are very reasonable and access via Internet 3G online to the Amazon Kindle library store is easy, fast, and the stock beyond belief. Sure beats driving to a bookstore and then finding they don't have in stock on the shelves what they said they carried when you called them on the phone and you get told they are "going to get some more in a week or so." Yeah! Sure! Maybe!!
I've found that it will be good if I can download the instruction book for my Kindle DX onto the free Kindle reader on my computer. This way I hope I will be able to open and read the instructions on the monitor of the PC while I try to solve one of the fine points of operating the Kindle DX.
Kindle in Singapore August 30, 2010
MJE
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Bought this item even though I live in Singapore and so it does not have 3G access.
Works well with WLAN Updates, handles well and reading in full sunlight (by the pool) is not a problem at all.
I Love My Kindle... But I'm Going to Return It August 30, 2010
William F. Schroeder (Durham, NC USA)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Kindle
I'm evaluating the Kindle DX with the eBook "Kaboom", a soldier's account of his time in Iraq. This is a great book for the purpose, it has an engaging story, maps, and pictures that allow you get a feel for what the Kindle can do. I was hesitant to give up physical books for an eReader but I got over that quickly. The Kindle excels in almost all areas, the text is sharp and clear, pictures are can be enlarged and are better than the ones in the actual book itself.
Some say the Kindle (particularly the DX) is too big and heavy but it does not strike me as being any heaver than a bestseller and it is thin and easy to hold. Further, I can guarantee you that it is much lighter that the computer books that are on my reading list. These books often run to 1000 - 1200 pages and can cut off the circulation to your legs. The people who say it is too heavy and unwieldy are whining.
Also there are a lot of people who complain bitterly that the keyboard keys are too small. That's true, but to those people I say this is a READING device as in R-E-A-D-I-N-G! If you want to want to IM or text or tweet get a computer or a cell phone (although I have hard time seeing how a cell phone's keyboard is better). The keyboard on this device does a good job of enriching your READING experience by facilitating text searches, note taking, jumps to other locations in the book, and dictionary usage.
My only significant beef is with the "5 way controller", which is a joystick. It's too small and at times is too sensitive, and at other times is not sensitive enough. The first thing I did with my Kindle was accidentally delete Amazon's welcome document! I'm 50ish with great motor skills and I find that it is much better to use your fingernails because fingertips are just a bit too big and bulky. If you are on the older end of senior citizenship you probably don't have the dexterity for this tiny but important control.
Kindle vs. Nook
I looked at a Nook early this month and the people who designed the user interface made a really bad decision when they split the controls between real physical controls e.g. actual buttons and the touch screen. You would get acclimated to usage of screen vs. buttons over time but I only had a few minutes to play with it and I lost interest quickly. I also thought the touch screen controls were too small and too close together, it was quick and easy to get the wrong one and time consuming and aggravating to backtrack to where you were before the mishap.
The Big Problem - The Cost of Books
Today I found a book that I wanted to buy and the hardbound book (at Amazon) was actually 50 cents cheaper than the Kindle edition. This is totally inexcusable and it is why I'm going to return my Kindle. (Ironically the book is titled "Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture" by Ellen Ruppel Shell). For a Kindle edition of a book there are a lot of costs that a publisher doesn't have to pay. There is no ink, no paper, no cardboard or glue or fabric. There is no printing machinery, no binding machinery, no machinery maintenance costs, no packaging costs, no buildings and their overhead. There is no transportation, and no labor on any of these things. And for the publisher there is no risk, Amazon is bearing all of that. The author gets a cut and the publisher gets a cut and at $9.99 per book, the customer is getting gouged. So as you can see there is simply no excuse for even 1 Kindle edition book to cost more than it physical counterpart.
The book I was looking at is a bargain book (at least in hardback edition) so its price is "lower" if you presuming it was worth its list price in the first place. I would like to know where the bargain for the Kindle owner is. For the most part I'm interested in nonfiction dealing with current affairs and the vast majority of books I've browsed have a price spread of only a few dollars between physical and electronic editions. The publisher's profit margin on my Kindle purchase will be staggering compared to that of an ink and paper book and that angers me to no end. Amazon claims to be trying to convince the publishers that, in this recession economy it would be wise not to gouge consumers who would prefer an eReader, but they're not trying hard enough for me.
 New Kindle DX Not Worth It August 29, 2010
Ryan
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
My wife and I pre-ordered the newest Amazon Kindle DX, which I have seen is sometimes referred to as the Kindle DXG (standing for graphite, the new appearance). I'm an English major and teacher with loads of reading that is quickly becoming electronic; my wife is a student who also had loads of reading. So, we've been sharing the Kindle DXG for over the past month and have come to a few conclusions that may or may not affect your decision in purchasing this device.
PROS:
First, as I do with writing workshops, I'd like to go over the strong points of this device. I researched and looked over several devices before I landed on the decision to buy this one. It is more expensive than most others on the market, especially the newest Kindles with only WI-FI, but there were reasons for shelling out the extra dollars for this device. First of all, the noticeably bigger screen. The DXG was pushed as having better PDF support, which is the majority of the files I use, and with the bigger screen, PDFs usually fit on the whole screen without distortions. Plus, the zoom function worked well when the PDF was too large or too small.
The next pro is the screen itself. Awesome to read, simply awesome. Many debates have been going on comparing the Kindle to the Ipad. The two shouldn't be compared. A Kindle isn't a computer and shouldn't be compared to one. On the other side, an Ipad isn't an effective e-reader. Trying to read small print on a backlit LCD can cause headaches. I've heard rumors of a few individuals that don't experience headaches when reading from LCD screens, but I suspect they don't read for several consecutive hours. Basically, I expect to read books on my Kindle for several hours at a time, and I can.
It's not that slow. The Whispernet is definitely not a High-Speed connection, but in general everything runs faster than I expected and faster than I was told in several other reviews. Also, it's hard to complain about free internet basically anywhere you go. I get reception in my small town where I can't even get an Iphone because AT&T doesn't cover most of my state. Again, it's not an all-out computer, but when you want to do a little research on the go, the Kindle delivers.
Typing notes, making highlights, and looking up words is quick and a fantastic function of the device.
Voice-to-Speech is wonderful. I realize it's only available for certain books, and I realize that it's probably a hit and miss from person to person being able to understand a mechanical speaker, but being able to turn the Kindle on and let it read to me has come in handy more than a few times over the past month. To my knowledge, this is the only e-reader that has that function, which was the main reason I chose a Kindle.
CONS:
With the pros said, it's time to get down to the downfalls of the DXG, the reason I gave it two stars. Before I start, I want to clarify, the two stars are specifically for the DXG. I do not have a new smaller Kindle, only the DXG.
The fundamental problems with this device rests in the price, the fact that the higher price means customers are paying a premium for a premium device. They aren't. They're paying two hundred extra dollars for a slightly larger screen and several less features.
The lack of WIFI might be a problem, but so far, the Whispernet works fine for me.
The DXG does not have the battery life equal to the smaller Kindles and the storage space is not proportionately larger. So, basically, when you pay less for the smaller Kindle, you're getting more bang for your buck.*
The DX was originally built up for students because it handled PDF files more efficiently. I guess, a year ago, when the first unit was released, this was the case. Not anymore. The new, small Kindles are better with PDF files. You are able to use highlights, work definition look up, and there's more support for password protected PDFs. As an English student and a teacher, PDF compatibility is what I was looking for and was led astray. This is not the unit to get if you want to use PDFs.
The internet browser as been upgraded for the new small Kindles. I am perplexed why customers willing to pay extra money are given a device with weaker functionality, but this is the case. If you pay the extra money for the DXG you will get a worse web browser.
Ebooks are not always cheaper than physical copies. This doesn't necessarily matter, but it's worth mentioning in contrast to anyone who says they are saving money via their Kindle.
Now for the overall kicker and this probably applies to all Amazon products. Customer support does not know what they are doing. When I heard about the new small Kindle being released with better features, I inquired about whether or not my Kindle would receive the same functions. At first, I was told my Kindle had the same features. I had to argue to convince them that it didn't. Second, I was told there would be an update when the new Kindles were released. There's not. Finally, I inquired a final time, wondering where the update was and was told:
"...you will not be able to add notes and highlights, use the dictionary look-up, and read password-protected PDFs. Also the enhanced web browser is not available in this update.
We've made no announcement about any future Kindle software updates for Kindle DX right now."
Now, it's too late to return my Kindle DXG, but it wasn't too late the first time I inquired and was told there would be an update. I don't understand why there would be so much confusion in Amazon's Customer Service department about their own products--they don't have too many--and I'm sure they weren't intentionally lying, but their incompetence has left me without a choice. I'm stuck with a more expensive product that doesn't do as much.
CONCLUSION:
I give the DXG two out five stars, because as an e-reader, it's great, but as a customer, I feel taken advantage of. The Kindle is a great e-reader. It shouldn't be compared to an Ipad, and I believe its features make it the best choice of e-readers on the market, but the DXG is a waste of money. The larger screen is not worth two hundred dollars, especially when you are paying for an inferior product. Also, if you plan on getting support, don't hold your breath. Between wasting money on an inferior product and being led astray by the customer support agents, I would strongly recommend against this product and Kindles in general. Why buy from a company you can't put your loyalty in?
*Under my comments, I have tried to elaborate on what I mean concerning the battery life of the DXG compared to the battery life of the smaller Kindles.
 PDF not user-friendly. Good, but too expensive for lack of features. August 29, 2010
feline
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
It is acceptable for reading pdf documents, because the screen size allows that. But 380 dollars are too much for just picturing pdf pages without resizing and without making notes and absence of pdf NAVIGATION. Technical books that I need are available only in PDF. Conversion doesn't work for them. Just adding about 100 dollars I can purchase 24" HP's excellent professional monitor. I don't need 3G or any wireless. Just make these damn PDFs user-friendly.
Current audio player is terrible in functionality, because ONLY PAUSE and NEXT SONG functions are available. NO stop, previous, shuffle, repeat or other every-player-must-have functions. It is better not to add anything instead of doing such a horror.
They claim that battery can work for several days. That is a LIE, battery can work only for a couple days.
But still pdf docs are readable from 9,7" screen. I need ebookreader and Kindle DX doesn't have better alternatives, hence I am not returning this.
But Amazon, please, if you claim a feature, implement it thoroughly without exaggeration in commercials.
Showing reviews 26-30 of 2093
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