Kindle dx review

Someone asked me to show some pictures of the kindle, and how it rendered pdf files. Took me some time to get hold of a camera and snap the pictures, so I'll do it shortly in this post. I'd been using the kindle for quite a few months and I am in the right position to comment about it.

Good things I liked about the kindle dx:

1. Large display - which makes reading easy and rendering pdf files easier, as it will fit nicely on the screen and it'll still be large enough to read comfortably


2. Very long battery life - since it uses the e-ink technology instead of a back lit display, power is used up only when you press a button. I use it everyday for up to 3 hours and the battery can last me up to 1.5 to 2 months in a single charge.


3. Firmware updates - it makes it better with upgraded software. The recent update I made makes life a little easier for me when using the kindle. I think amazon will continue to upgrade their firmware to improve on the functionality of the product.


4. Accompanied dictionary - okay, this is found in most other e-readers as well but I must still say it. Usually I'm lazy to check out the meaning of new words encountered during my reading, but the kindle makes it so easy to check the meanings. You just have to move the cursor to the word and the meaning will just roll out at the bottom of the screen. It's not essential but I think it makes reading a real pleasure.

Things I don't like about the kindle:

1. You can access the kindle store in singapore, nor the internet. I have the older version, so I'm not sure if the cheaper and more advanced version of the kindle dx will allow users locally to access the internet (free). It'll be cool to access wikipedia and google about stuff while reading. It makes it easier to explore certain keywords encountered during reading.


2. It doesn't have colour. Affordable colour e-ink technology is still some years away, so until then, if you need colour you should get back lit tablets instead of kindle dx. I guess it really depends on how you want to treat the kindle as - a multi functional gadget or just a good ol' e-book reader.


3. Needs a light source - okay, this is both the good and bad thing about the kindle dx. Since it does not have an internal light source, you really do need an external light. Treat it like a conventional paper book, if you need to read, you'll need a light source. Those with back lit is more like reading off a computer monitor, so the light source is within the monitor itself. I personally find it much more comfortable reading on the kindle (I've tried both) - it's less strenuous on the eye.
 

Okay, here's some pictures of the kindle dx as promised:

This is how it renders pdf file. Notice that it fits nicely onto the screen and it's still highly readable. That's because of the larger screen size.

You can check out the actual pdf file and compare against this same one rendered on kindle dx

A zoomed up view of the words. Background is a little grayish, and the contrast is pretty sharp.

You can rotate the screen if you want to have a landscape view

This is how a chart looks like on the kindle. Basically there's no difference between a actual pdf file and the one read on the kindle.

It renders comics very very well too, though I prefer my comics to be coloured rather than shades of gray.

This is the copy of the strait times. Look at how it shows the picture clearly and sharply. The contrast is really good.

This is the screen where you can select the font size, the words per line and the screen rotation. Did I mention it can read out the words for you (there's a speaker in the kindle)?

I bought mine at $605 sgd but now it's much cheaper. You get a newer version, 3G (free), 9.7 inch screen one for around 500 sgd exclusive of shipping (originally it costs 700-800 sgd). If you're like me who don't mind second hand goods, you can get it from ebay perhaps at 350 to 400 sgd inclusive of shipping. Just shop around and make use of the strong SGD and cheap USD :)