The initial reviews of Amazon's new, larger-screen, bigger-bodied Kindle DX e-book reader are in. Both the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reviewers, among others, have said the larger format device is not comfortable to hold.
The Journal: "While it performs its promised tasks adequately, I found that its size and weight made it awkward and tiring to hold for long periods of reading. It's still fairly thin and light, but it's 85% larger and heavier than the standard Kindle."
The Times: "...after toting around the Kindle DX, it suddenly feels as if I am carrying a computer. Furthermore, its larger size means the DX is, while no heavyweight, still heavier than I think I’d want it to be. (One indication: eventual palm fatigue when holding the DX in one hand, as I would when riding the subway.)"
That's a relief.
Having bought the Kindle 2 in February, I was irked when Amazon announced the Kindle DX just three months later. I was preparing myself to experience buyer's remorse. But if the Kindle DX is cumbersome to carry, that defeats one of the primary reasons of owning an e-book reader in the first place. So I'm not interested, thank you.
I suppose if you had the money, you could have a Kindle DX at home and prop it up on a document stand, keep your Kindle 2 in your bag, and keep them wirelessly synced. That way you could pick up reading a particular book on the Kindle DX where you left off on your Kindle 2, or vice versa. Maybe when the economy rebounds...
It would seem that the Kindle DX contradicts the aphorism that bigger is always better. In any case, I'm still using the dead tree method to fulfill my reading requirements, since I don't have to worry about portability, screen resolution, battery life, connectivity, faulty downloads, or any of the other considerations I'd have to worry about with an e-book. And, no, I'm not a Luddite!
Posted by: Chuck | June 12, 2009 at 02:21 PM