Page turner: The Kindle DX, featuring a 25-centimeter display, is significantly larger than the Kindle 2.
JR Rost
The Kindle DX may be better suited to reading textbooks and newspapers, but is it just too big?
Today, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled the Kindle DX, a larger version of the company's flagship e-reader, with dimensions better suited to reading textbooks, newspapers, and PDF documents.
The Kindle DX was launched on the campus of Pace University, in New York City, just three months after Amazon announced the Kindle 2--an improved version of the original device. While experts agree that the Kindle DX, which comes with a 25-centimeter screen, is well designed and promising, some still question how successfully it will replace paper and ink.
To coincide with the launch of the Kindle DX, Amazon announced partnerships with several universities and newspapers. The newspapers involved are no doubt hoping to see electronic readers help revive their business models, which have been weakened by falling circulation figures, lower online advertising rates, and increased competition from the Web. The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Boston Globe will start pilot marketing programs in the summer, offering readers a cheaper device for a subscription commitment.
At the event, Arthur Sulzberger, chairman of the New York Times, said that the Kindle DX now provides an e-reader experience that is as satisfying as that of reading print. But Sulzberger said that the New York Times and the Boston Globe would only offer reduced subscription rates for DX readers in areas where home delivery is not available.
Six higher-learning institutions will also start Kindle pilot programs this fall: Arizona State University, Case Western University, Pace University, Princeton University, Reed College, and the University of Virginia. Barbara Snyder, president of Case Western, says that her university plans to select a group of 40 students to use the Kindle DX and will compare their performance with that of students in the same classes who don't use the Kindle. "If it helps learning, we're certainly interested in going forward," Snyder says.
At today's launch event, Bezos said that Amazon's newest Kindle is meant to maintain the momentum built up by the previous two devices. For titles that come in Kindle format, he said that Kindle sales now make up 35 percent of Amazon's total for each--up from 13 percent in February, when the Kindle 2 was announced.
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That's great news to people like me, that are all the time reading articles and books in pdf. It's a great way to save paper. Trees will appreciate.
http://esns.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/ESS_BILBAO
FYI - the Kindle does not read PDF files. If you want to read PDFs on the Kindle, you have to translate the files into Kindle format, at a price of 10 cents a file. This is not much, but it's certainly an annoyance.
Additionally, the Kindle Amazon service only works in America.
Better buy a Sony Reader. If you don't read daily newspapers, then the Sony reader is a much better ebook reader. It also works anywhere in the world.
Thanks! That's good to know. It was certainly weird that they didn't have a PDF reader in it.
Better later than never!
Guest (linuxuser)
OK this is a bigger unit but only 23cm, I really what a 35cm display for a full sheet pdf. I hope they will put a pdf reader in the 'next' generation device not conversions please. I love the music sheet, and maps even though it is only 'black and white'. From the video the refresh/turn page does look like it is fast enough, though some are complaining that it is too slow. Lower the Price Amazon. This is defiantly a winner, as long as they stay away from prioritized formats.
I am always looking for the better things to come. Regarding these Kindles, check out this future e-magazine, really cool http://bit.ly/6feimq
I wanted to buy the Kindle DX but as it turns out its wireless function is only for the US, which doesn't help when you are traveling. Anyway there is a contest on americanlisted.com where they are giving away the smaller one 6".
Manufacturing in the United States is in trouble. That's bad news not just for the country's economy but for the future of innovation.
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carbonmind
9 Comments
Amazon Kindle Design Patent Awarded
By amusing coincidence patent # D591,741, for an "Electronic media reader", (based on last year's Kindle) and was awarded to Symon J. Whitehorn and Greg E. Zehr, both of Amazon Technologies earlier this week.
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dutchmc
1 Comment
Re: Amazon Kindle Design Patent Awarded
Many people commenting on this technology are NOT getting the picture, including the DYING daily print newspapers. It is about education, not entertainment. Bezoz and Amazon have the corporate interest in growth, and the GUTS to put their money where their mouths are.
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