The Kindle DX wants to ruin my week

May 7, 2009 Author: Veronica | Filed under: apps, babble, internet, toys

Last week my brand new Kindle 2 arrived, and for the past few days I’ve been blissfully downloading books and reading them every chance I get. Then, I started seeing reports of a rumored new Kindle, and I became nervous: “A new one? Already? But the Kindle 2 just came out in February! Who would do such a thing?”

When the announcement of the Kindle DX happened on Wednesday, I was besieged with Twitter messages asking if I was pissed that I just paid $359 for a brand new Kindle 2 when Amazon released a new one that next week. Instantly, my mind went into defensive mode: “No, of course not! This one is huge, and more expensive! I don’t even read textbooks!” But a the same time, the early-adopter bug was chittering in my ear that I now owned an inferior product. Lets take a look at this handy graph on Amazon:

OK, so it has its pros: PDF support without conversion and the rotating display would be pretty sweet, plus the larger display. But are those features really worth the uptick in price, which I already believe to be quite inflated? Not for me!

Side note: I talked a lot of smack about e-book readers on the iPhone on last weeks TWiT, but I’ve had a change in heart. While it still hurts my eyes after a while, the Kindle iPhone app (iTunes link here) is really cool. I read almost an entire book on it yesterday while I was between takes at a video shoot, and it was great.

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18 Responses for "The Kindle DX wants to ruin my week"

Vesper de Vil May 7th, 2009 at 10:53 am 1

we can’t get kindles in canada yet.
C.K. Sample III May 7th, 2009 at 11:43 am 2

After playing around with one yesterday at the press event, I can say it’s definitely nice and the PDF viewing is cool, but OY is it pricey. Also, I think you’re good with the Kindle 2 (which is the same I have). It’s sized much better for carrying around and reading when you’re in bed or lying on the couch. Also the keyboard is nicer, I think, on the K2. The Kindle DX keyboard gets rid of the row of numbers up top and combines them with the top row of letters, and because of the added width of the device it’s not as thumbable as the K2.
Michael Rowe May 7th, 2009 at 11:59 am 3

I just reviewed the Kindle 2 on my podcast (http://www.michaelrowe01.com/Random_Thoughts/Random_Abstractions/Entries/2009/5/3_Random_Abstractions_-_Episode_5_-_Free_Lunch.html), having bought my Kindle 1 almost a year ago, and struggling to decide if I wanted to buy a Kindle 2. I got my hands on one and decided I made the right decision. Now Kindle DX (AKA – Kindle 3) not sure if it will be worth it.. again.
Koen May 7th, 2009 at 12:14 pm 4

I’m not sure if we will be able to get it here in Belgium. The pre-order page didn’t complain when I entered my address (I didn’t order one, I just checked to see if it was possible). Anyway, seeing this makes me kinda happy I didn’t already buy an e-reader with a 6″ screen (not a Kindle, I had my mind set on something else, but this announcement has made me rethink that). The huge screen and native PDF support are very appealing, even though the price tag is on the heavy side. I’m not sure yet if I’ll get one (if I can get it in Belgium, of course), but I’m seriously considering it.
Charles May 7th, 2009 at 12:48 pm 5

In Puerto Rico we don’t have the Kindle and Puerto Rico is part of the US!

Well I will have to stick to the iPhone Kindle app until Amazon does something.
Jason Preston May 7th, 2009 at 1:29 pm 6

I’m in the same boat. Got a Kindle 2 a week and a half ago and was insanely happy, but not the “early adopter bug” is annoying me about the DX as well.

That said, it’s NOT worth it, and I really kind of like the smaller size anyway.

But it’s not NEW.

Meh. I will continue to enjoy my digital Scalzi books.
John F May 7th, 2009 at 2:11 pm 7

I was wondering when you was going to say something about the DX I’m glad you are happy with the kindle you got, nothing like buyers remorse to make you feel bad.

Maybe the “Leo Effect” has rub off on you since you was on twit last week
doug May 7th, 2009 at 3:01 pm 8

Eventually, I might get a DX. For now, the Kindle 2 () is pure love to tote around.
Toshio May 7th, 2009 at 4:24 pm 9

Don’t you still want a Kindle DX if you could afford it?
Oscar May 7th, 2009 at 4:48 pm 10

Well, there is a bright side. At least with the new kindle dx, the old one seems somewhat less expensive… I’m not helping, am I?
Wardell May 8th, 2009 at 4:37 am 11

I was thinking about this when I started seeing announcements for the DX the pdf support sounds pretty cool but other than that it doesn’t seem to offer a whole lot more except for the size increase which you clearly pay for. I guess its a matter of preference, how small is too small and how big is too big etcetera etcetera
photoTristan May 8th, 2009 at 7:59 am 12

I agree that The Kindle DX seems to defeat the whole purpose of having a device that is not much larger than a paperback book to take with you places.

While a larger screen would be nice, what they should do in the future is keep the device the same size as the Kindle 2, but expand the screen to the edges and/or get rid of the keyboard and make it a touch keyboard so the screen could be larger in the same form factor.
terry chay May 8th, 2009 at 3:16 pm 13

Enjoy your new Kindle. I got mine to replace my internet reading with books, but I ended up just adding book reading to my regular reading.

Now I have no life.
Manoa May 10th, 2009 at 1:13 am 14

The DX is substantially heavier– it will be a lot harder to hold it in bed or lying on the couch for long. The Kindle and the Kindle 2 are much better for general reading and easier to carry.
Michael Leung May 11th, 2009 at 6:21 am 15

Still, if you lose a paperback novel on the plane, you don’t really care, right? It’s only a few bucks for a cheap novel at the B&N airport store. What if you leave your Kindle on the plane? So I’m not convinced ebooks are the future, since I’m the world’s clumsiest person anyway.
Jonathon May 12th, 2009 at 10:09 am 16

omg what i wouldnt do for a kindle to be available on Canadian store shelves… LOVE your Blogs Veronica… BTW there is a song called Veronica Belmont by a toronto band called the carps, if you like stuff thats good give it your ears attention…
PS DO A SPECIAL IN CANADA… let me come if you do

Jonny the Bandito
Michael Schulz May 31st, 2009 at 1:20 am 17

It may be big and it may be expensive, but it looks like a great idea when going to college. I was looking at new printing technology last month. Together with a few hundred printers I was standing in front of a multi million dollar machine that can print textbooks really fast. On the same day Amazon introduced the DX.
It might ruin more than a week.
Rebecca November 13th, 2009 at 8:03 am 18

I know this is an old posting, but out of curiosity and as a fellow geek I have the following question for Veronica:

What books do you have on your kindle?