Large-screen Kindle DX arrives this summer, $489
Wed May 6, 2009 11:41AM EDT
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Confirming one of the worst-kept tech secrets in recent memory, Amazon today formally announced that it would be launching a large-screen Kindle this summer to further enhance its position in the surprisingly popular ebook reader market.
The new Kindle, called the Kindle DX, looks a lot like the smaller Kindle 2 which was released earlier this year, but it features a larger screen, measuring 9.7 inches diagonally, and a larger price: $489 instead of $359 for the 6-inch model. Another new feature includes the ability to automatically rotate between portrait and landscape mode based on how you hold the device, much like the iPhone.
Interestingly, despite the bigger screen, the new Kindle is only 0.02 inches thicker than the Kindle 2. The Kindle DX also has a little over twice the storage space as the Kindle 2 and includes a native PDF reader, so books need not be converted to a special Kindle format, which invariably causes the loss of a lot of formatting, a big problem for material that includes tables, charts, and other illustrations.
Many observers this week have discussed how a large-screen Kindle would improve the reading experience for users of newspapers and magazines, while some have posited that Amazon is hoping to use the Kindle DX to horn its way into the textbook market.
Turns out both sides are right. The combination of bigger screen and the native PDF reader means that both types of users will have a much better experience with the Kindle DX, as periodical content can now be displayed closer to the way it was intended. As well, Amazon will be cutting subscription prices on popular newspapers for users of the device.
Also, Amazon is positioning the Kindle DX as a way to lighten textbook loads for students and is partnering with several universities this fall where the device will be rolled out across the student body. This seems a little on the experimental side for now -- the lack of easy highlighting/note-taking remains a criticism of the device for use in an academic setting -- but I'll be interested to see how successful it is there. Historically speaking, college kids may well be the readiest market for the sea change of switching from dead tree books to digital ones.
More coverage of Amazon's announcement is available from the New York Times.
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27 Posted by amybell_75 on Wed May 6, 2009 2:19PM EDT Report Abuse
I wonder if it will read the pages aloud like the new Kindle2?? My son is dyslexic & something like this would benefit him for sure. Digital textbooks & reading it aloud that's exactly what he needs!
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28 Posted by miccikoz on Wed May 6, 2009 2:19PM EDT Report Abuse
YES for younger kids! I was thinking I need to get all of my daughters text books next year as with her planner and books, I can barely carry it and she is a tiny 4th grader! I would totally get the Kindle if all her textbooks from elementary school were on it. And to think it could carry her through to college, sweet!
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29 Posted by rascalkc77 on Wed May 6, 2009 2:20PM EDT Report Abuse
Boomer - the Kindle 2 already has the reader function - I'm betting this one does too. Plus it could read the textbooks to you while you're doing something else (driving, doing laundry, etc). The dumb comments above are regarding the comparison of a Kindle with downloadable textbooks and a notebook computer - you can only compare the two if textbook publishers start selling ebooks you can use on your notebook computer. I love my Kindle!!!
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30 Posted by bhuffman1930 on Wed May 6, 2009 2:22PM EDT Report Abuse
They will have to make them a lot more durable before they'll survive in the hands of a student, especially one that didn't have to pay for it. That said, it's just what they need. Being able to physically carry all their books with them will be huge. Now if the textbook people will quit ripping off the students & parents maybe we'll get somewhere. Most textbooks don't need "NEW" editions every couple of years.
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31 Posted by fe2k2000 on Wed May 6, 2009 2:24PM EDT Report Abuse
looks like it costs less than a semester's worth of text books... and to be honest i never really wrote notes or highlighted my text books in hopes that i will be able to return them at the end of the semester
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32 Posted by usmcproudmom on Wed May 6, 2009 2:25PM EDT Report Abuse
500 bucks is alot in this economy but on the upside,if you can afford it,its better than carrying all those heavy books!!
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33 Posted by jpatencio on Wed May 6, 2009 2:26PM EDT Report Abuse
How about a rent/lease?
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34 Posted by mylittleforie on Wed May 6, 2009 2:27PM EDT Report Abuse
"Dead tree books?" Please stop the madness with this dramatic look at things. Books will never die. The experience of turning pages, feeling it in your hands. The device probably will be good for some, but please stop the drama about paper for news and books.
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35 Posted by wsudaveyo on Wed May 6, 2009 2:28PM EDT Report Abuse
this sounds really great in theory. I just don't see any motivation for text book companies to jump on board. And they hold all the cards. As for reading newspapers, i agree with everyone saying just get a notebook / netbook. I am very interested to see Apple's (rumored) 7-9 inch touchscreen media pad and how it stacks up against this new kindle in terms of functionality and price. Once you start getting touchpad technology involved (for taking notes in class?) i can see this thing really taking off.
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36 Posted by rock8j on Wed May 6, 2009 2:28PM EDT Report Abuse
what's wrong with carrying books? my GOD kids today are so pampered and spoiled - guess that's why they aren't that smart, or that ambitious - guess that's why our graduate schools and medical schools are filled with foreign students - our lazy American kids don't want to work hard, or sit still, or remember facts - heck, a lot of them cannot spell or write very well at all.... they make me tired, the lazy and ignorant who feel they deserve everything - grades, high pay, etc - without doing anything to deserve it - guess that's why America is no longer a technology jobs leader, but a service jobs leader ( want fries with that???) -a teacher
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37 Posted by sell4ebay on Wed May 6, 2009 2:30PM EDT Report Abuse
Black and white for 500 bucks? that is lame. Most college books require color, that's if you want to see what the graphs really mean. Pdf of books are not that much cheaper than priced copy it will take a long time to get back your 500 bucks. About the same time it will die like my netbook after year.
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38 Posted by ljcandee on Wed May 6, 2009 2:31PM EDT Report Abuse
Larger screen presumably means larger font sizes and this could be a big help to the visually impaired, opening another market for the device.
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39 Posted by wsudaveyo on Wed May 6, 2009 2:31PM EDT Report Abuse
great point about black and white...very true.
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40 Posted by beruval on Wed May 6, 2009 2:35PM EDT Report Abuse
You are absolutely correct, rock8j. Well said.
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41 Posted by mbmundorff on Wed May 6, 2009 2:40PM EDT Report Abuse
How many times do you have a stack of textbooks all open to a particular page when you are doing research or homework? Will the DX be able to have multiple documents open simultaneously?
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42 Posted by dchism_jr@att.net on Wed May 6, 2009 2:41PM EDT Report Abuse
Yeah, how can a Textbook company justify charging $100 for a digital book? That also would save the student from trying to sell a book back for 1/4 of what they paid for it. I don't see the textbook companies jumping on this one unless they can gouge us for the digital books.
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43 Posted by david_warmington on Wed May 6, 2009 2:41PM EDT Report Abuse
The Kindle. By far the best example of the most impressive technology that you can absolutely live without.
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44 Posted by rogueist on Wed May 6, 2009 2:42PM EDT Report Abuse
Overall, its a good move for kids, but it lacks a folding protective covering to make it look like a school notebook, and of course the lack of highlighting and note taking capabilities. I am sure that next year it will probably have those features, but those features are needed in this version in order for it to be a hit on college campuses. I would have liked to have had this when I was in college. I had to wait 3/4 of a semester once for the textbook to be PRINTED and arrive from the printers. At least this will knock out that problem right away and textbooks can be made available instantly, and probably at a fraction of the original costs since printing and shipping will no longer be a factor.
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45 Posted by choveaux318 on Wed May 6, 2009 2:42PM EDT Report Abuse
Goodbye newspapers- we'll miss you
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26 Posted by kanaete2002 on Wed May 6, 2009 2:19PM EDT Report Abuse
And, of course, when you run out of power in the middle of class or some other such study session, you're out of an on-hand textbook. Never mind that used copies of textbooks can run cheaper than this. Even if they charge less for textbooks on Kindle, it still seems like yet another unnecessary academic cost.