Comments on: Kindle DX Pros, Cons, LiveBlogging

By: switch11

switch11 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:31:37 +0000

Here is the Kindle DX Font Size information (courtesy Brent Newhall) –

At the largest font size, a capital letter is 3/16″ tall (just under 1/4″). Full character height–from the bottom of a “g” to the top of a “d”–is 1/4″.

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:32:12 +0000

Do you know how large the print size can go on the DX?

By: switch11

switch11 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:11:35 +0000

Kate, there is no backlight.
You can sync PDF files via USB on the DX.

Yes, you would have to convert PDFs to prc format, and then you would get TTS and notetaking abilities etc.

yes you can hold the kindle dx upside down – not a very elegant solution. however, it works.

haha – the last line is priceless. if you compare the kindle dx to a book the convenience makes the dx look very good.

By: Kate Jones

Kate Jones — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:23:33 +0000

After careful comparison – I just bought a DX (but haven’t got it yet) I think I would have very much regretted a smaller screen had I gotten a Kindle 2. Using sheetmusic is a big PRO for me as well.

The only thing I couldn’t find in any reviews was if you can read in the dark? Is there some kind of backlight?

I’ve got all my books on my harddisk in different formats, but mostly in PDF.
Am I wrong in understanding I can sync them through USB without Amazon interference?

I think pretty much everything can be converted to PDF one way or the other, nad from PDF to mobi or prc or whatever it is, so if I don’t mind conversion time I should be able to have every book I have in full functional mode with dictionary/note/TTS support etc?

Also, with the “cons”- – would the “navigation keys on one side only” not be easily solved by holding it upside down?
I guess I’ve got the advantage of this being my first eReader, so I’ve got nothing to compare it to.

By: switch11

switch11 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:01:51 +0000

the eInk panel is supposed to cost $60. The wireless card is also supposed to cost $60 or so.

By: xyzzy.plugh

xyzzy.plugh — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:02:57 +0000

Switch11… backups on THEIR servers? Does that not STILL leave you and your data at THEIR mercy? I am bothered that they can reach into your device and wipe your data as they did with “1984″ and “Animal Farm”. I have a Pocket PC with Microsoft reader installed. I read ebooks routinely. Microsoft can NOT reach into my pocket PC and delete files. (At least, not so far as I know, anyway) I can drag and drop as I please between my desktop and PPC. The screen is a little small, displaying only about as much text as 1/4th the typical paperback. page, and really is poor compared to a Kindle I saw in person, but still simply having a better display of text is not enough to overcome the cons of the operating system and control the powers that be actually HAVE over a device you OWN. That is equally as bad as Microsofts “Genuine Advantage” crap which phones home and “validates” the legality of your copy of Windoze and makes a mistake in about 1 in 4 installations even with a genuine legal copy. At least with my PPC, I can assemble my own LIT format books from text or HTML files, for free using a free add-on to MS Word or one of several other freeware utilities. And there are other utility programs to take LIT files apart so you can add or edit and then reassemble them again. Again, all for free. Project Gutenberg has a LOT of text in the public domain and I am one by one, working my way through the classics I should have read long ago… I have to admit ONE thing though, the display on a Kindle is fantastic even though it does not have color, and I wish my lowly PPC had something as good. I really LIKE the concept of the Kindle (It reminds me of the “tablets” they have had on the various versions of Star Trek.), I’m just disappointed in the implementation. And it wouldn’t hurt to drop the price to something reasonable, like $40-$50… YMMV… Is it really true that half the cost of a Kindle, about $100 worth, is the LCD display panel all by itself?

By: switch11

switch11 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:31:25 +0000

growing pains. there are always issues as new technology evolves. the boundary has been set.

also in terms of how to do backups –
Books and notes are stored in an archive in the cloud (amazon’s servers). Notes are accessible online. You can also back them and books up on your computer.
Personal documents are not archived online so you have to be extra careful about them.

By: xyzzy.plugh

xyzzy.plugh — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 13:16:48 +0000

Sorry, but I simply can NOT get over the proprietary operating system, Amazon (or whoever) has total control and can delete things remotely without your consent. Recently, in July, Amazon deleted copies of “Animal Farm” and “1984″ from every kindle because of a rights issue. The customers ALL lost the copies they had paid for and Amazon did NOT offer any refund or any other reimbursement of any kind until NOW, September 2009 with $30 credit or some such. Still, the fact they can delete things AND that you can not easily add anything of your OWN makes this thing a BAD deal, no matter HOW good the text looks in black and white!

I am really curious to know what exactly you all see in a closed operating system as this device has. You are at the mercy of the publisher and you are PAYING big money to be in that position, which makes NO sense to me… YMMV…

One last thing, how do you back up the data? Last I heard, like anything electronic that is battery powered, it isn’t IF, but WHEN it fails…

By: switch11

switch11 — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:04:10 +0000

Blair, you make a good point. If its just a anti-aliasing software issue, they really ought to fix it on the Kindle 2.
In fact, they shouldn’t even be averse to using the darker font hack and creating something that can apply to Kindle 2 users in general.
That and bold text by default.

don’t know when/if they’ll do it though.

By: Blair in West HollyWeird

Blair in West HollyWeird — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:55:16 +0000

ive seen some dark fonts on the Kindle 2, so why not fix it font wise on the Kindle 2 since obviously they figured out how to fix it on the DX model… due to screen or font use.