Why Amazon Should Update the Kindle Dx

[ThomasC]

Originally Posted by trekchick

If they'd just add support for linked table of contents it would be soooooo much better. Of course, I'd also like annotations and dictionary support like the newer firmwares provide, but navigational links would be my first priority. It seems like such a basic, fundamental function, yet none of the Kindle support it. :head scratch: I'll never understand why Amazon thought it was more important to add Twitter sharing and game playing to Kindle DXg than upgrade the functionality.

I agree, it would have been nice. The work-around I use is to go to the pdf's table of contents and then use the Dx menu/goto and select the page number you want to go to. Works pretty well for me most of the time.

Cheers,
Tom

[trekchick]

Originally Posted by ThomasC

I still think that there is a possibility that Amazon will come out with a DXG Touch wifi/3G in the very near future. Maybe even a Coloured e-ink version within the next 12-18 months, lol!

I'm still holding out hope for the layered e-ink and LCD reader/tablet: dual-screen in a single screen.

[Old Tired Eyes]

After reading most of the postings on the Kindle DX I went a head and ordered one from Amazon at $259 during the Black Sale. I can see the risk of this line of Kindles being sold out or superseded by a new Kindle. But if the Kindle DX was a slow seller it is hard to believe a new model is coming out. For one, it would not be cheap. Secondly, Amazon might find a new model another slow seller now that prices on the other Kindles have moderated unless they can produce another large Kindle with all the goodies at a reasonable price. I have my doubts. Time will tell. I just hope my new Kindle DX is solid and does not crap out on me about the time the warranty ends. At $259 it is hard to think of this tablet as a throw away.

[ondasalfa]

because it is their obligation to do so, we pay for a product with support !

[lorenzoens]

Actually,

the DXG is at present the worst 9,7" reader for pdf. Anyone who does not admit it, is a fanboy or he's never tried any other 9,7" device. But if it's not good for pdf, then why should one buy it?

No trim, no fine-zooming selection, no reflow, weird behavior in landscape mode. Actually, even K3's firmware is more advanced.

It's such a shame it's still priced 379.

Only pro: the screen's readability. I can't understand why Amazon is ruining the Kindle line's reputation for the DXG.

[ThomasC]

I respect your opinion but I think my DXG works fine, much better at reading pdf's that I use (mainly technical documents) than my K3. I agree it would have been nice if Amazon had of updated the DXG software though.

Overall, my DXG is my favorite E-book reader.

Still think (or maybe just hope) that Amazon will eventually come out with an updated DXG Touch.

Cheers,
Tom

[HansTWN]

I don't regret buying the DXG for $259.- just for regular (non-PDF) reading. Yes, I would have preferred touch screen and WiFi. But I don't see this happening with b/w e-ink at Amazon or they would have included it in the recent roundup of device updates.

Anyway, I just can't see myself going back to a 6" screen. Amazon will have a new large, non-LCD device as soon as they feel that new screen technology is ready. It as apparent that they consider large e-ink devices to be a small niche market.

[lorenzoens]

Originally Posted by ThomasC

I respect your opinion but I think my DXG works fine, much better at reading pdf's that I use (mainly technical documents) than my K3

You missed I was talking about 9,7". There are other 9,7" devices out there, and it's a shame that all of them can manage pdf better than DXG. At 379 is a steal.

K3's firmware is more advanced than the DXG, which uses a modified K2 firmware. There's even some user who replaced DXG's firmware with K3 (you should be able to fine the workaround in these threads)

[mikeschr]

Originally Posted by lorenzoens

Actually,

the DXG is at present the worst 9,7" reader for pdf. Anyone who does not admit it, is a fanboy or he's never tried any other 9,7" device. But if it's not good for pdf, then why should one buy it?
.

Because I want a big screen without a backlight to read books on? Is that okay?

[Marc Mertens]

I'm afraid Amazon is too late with either a upgrade of the firmware or a newer DXG model. I bought 2 year's ago a DXG for reading normal text and documents about mathematics. For reading normal text the DXG was a dream, the e-paper pearl can't compare in my humble opinion with any lcd screen (including tablets). However the poor support for PDF caused problems with reading mathematical documents, the lack of good margin removal, zooming and annotation made that I had problems reading these documents. In most cases the font was two small and a lot of the big screen was wasted by big white margins, sometimes the content of the document was displayed in a screen area of 6 inch, ruining the advantage of the big screen. Granted if I wrote the documents myself and formatted them to be displayed on the DXG then it was a great reader, however I was never able to display most of the mathematical documents I obtained in a comfortable way on the DXG.
For these reason's I was always on the lookout for a better reader. I tried the Pocketbook 903 and found that after the last firmware upgrade it offered much better pdf support and I could also annotate my documents via pen input. However it was e-ink but not pearl and the device was heavier an bigger then the DXG. Recently I obtained the Onyx Boox M92 and must say that it is way much better then the DXG. It has a e-ink pearl screen as big and as good as the DXG, via pen input I can annotate my pdf documents (granted you must install a fix to get accurate pen input), hiding margins is very well implemented, you have different ways of zooming, because it does not have a keyboard it is actually smaller and lighter that the DXG and for the moment it seems to be well supported for new firmware's. The only thing is that I can't read DRM books obtained from Amazon on it (the only reason I still use my DXG). To sum up if you want a big reader for normal books obtained from Amazon, go for the DXG (but be aware that it seems to abandoned by Amazon), if you want to read technical pdf documents there is certainly a much better e-reader available with the same quality screen as DXG but with much better firmware and without a need to hack your DXG.


Marc

[ThomasC]

I think tha bottom line is; if you need a very good pdf reader that let's you annotate, etc. then you need a tablet. Expecting an E-ink reader to work as well on pdf's is wishful thinking (right now at least).

Of course the best way to read pdf's is to print them out. That is what this format was designed for btw.

Cheers,
Tom

[Marc Mertens]

I disagree with you, I own also android tablet (Samsung Galaxy 10.1) and have via my work a Ipad II. The PDF readers you have on these are not very good (at least the ones I tried), let me try to explain what I mean with that. If I read a technical book the page must be displayed one by one, what I don't want is that I have to do many actions to read one single page, like panning, zooming in and out etc. Granted tablets are fast in doing this, but it is not pleasant reading. Also for a tablet, annotating via the onscreen keyboard works quite good, however you can not scribble notes on your document in a easy way (most tablets are designed to use your fingers and no pen input, I tried using a special electrostatic pen and it is not precise enough for scribbling), the Onyx Boox M92 allows me to use a pen to scribble notes on the PDF pages, and it is fast and very precise. The two tablets I have are also much heavier then either the DXG or the Onyx Boox M92, so not very comfortable for long time reading. Finally as is mentioned already many times, for reading in clear daylight, nothing is better (at the moment) then real paper and the next best thing is e-ink. Tablets have their merits but reading for a long time (normal books and technical ones) is not one of them. Of course if you want to browse on the internet, send e-mail, have color (like in most newspapers) nothing is better than a tablet, this involves of course also reading but only for a short time, interrupted by a lot of interactivity. Reading a whole book for hours on a tablet is for me at least not a very pleasant experience.

Have a nice day

Marc

[lorenzoens]

Originally Posted by ThomasC

I think tha bottom line is; if you need a very good pdf reader that let's you annotate, etc. then you need a tablet. Expecting an E-ink reader to work as well on pdf's is wishful thinking (right now at least).

Of course the best way to read pdf's is to print them out. That is what this format was designed for btw.

Cheers,
Tom

No, you need an enTourage edge, a Pocketbook 903/912, an Onyx Boox M92.

But talking about touchscreen bring us away from the focus. The incredible amazon scam is that they've put out this DXG on summer 2010, as an already outdated device which (they knew) couldn't receive any update because of limited hardware. They just added a better screen to the old DX, and improved the firmware of the Kindle 2! But in their advertisings, the big 9,7" is shown as the perfect one for pdf

while actually it is the worst pdf handler between big e-ink/sipix readers (I'd pair it with the crappy Asus dr900). Priced 379 dollars no usable zoom no trim no reflow. This is a HUGE fail.

--

Originally Posted by mikeschr

Because I want a big screen without a backlight to read books on? Is that okay?

Just reading non pdf documents? Hope you knew that if you don't need to read complex layout pdfs, you can have for 1/3 of the price a Nook ST, a Kindle 4 NT, a Bookeen Odyssey, a Sony T1.

[eLiNK]

Originally Posted by lorenzoens

... (they knew) couldn't receive any update because of limited hardware.

That is not correct.
For whatever reason, they just failed to provide updates.
We have discussed that many times, so I do not see any need in beating the already dead horse.

The firmware 3.xx runs just fine on KDXG, apart from a few (well documented) glitches, which Amazon, having access to the source files, could have easily dealt with.

The Doukan software provides much more advanced functionality on the same hardware as well.

And as has been already said, it is too late for the Amazon to provide updates.

[lorenzoens]

Originally Posted by eLiNK

That is not correct.
For whatever reason, they just failed to provide updates.
We have discussed that many times, so I do not see any need in beating the already dead horse.

1) "Too late" in relation with? Which is the deadline which has been lost?

2) If it is "too late" to provide updates then why it is still full-priced? Similarly priced 9,7" beat the hell out of the DXG, in terms of firmware.

3) "hardware limits" is the only official reason I could learn from Customer Support. I have troubles in believing it too.

We're still talking about it because there is no answer, and it is still a huge fail.