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Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines
Carry Your Library: Holds up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents
Beautiful Large Display: 9.7" diagonal e-ink screen reads like real paper; boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and sharp images
Auto-Rotating Screen: Display auto-rotates from portrait to landscape as you turn the device so you can view full-width maps, graphs, tables, and Web pages
Built-In PDF Reader: Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Customers like the size, ease of use, and appearance of the Amazon Kindle DX. For example, they mention that the additional screen size is significant, and it makes reading so much more enjoyable. Customers are also impressed with the appearance, saying that the dark ink display is beautiful. That said, opinions are mixed on performance, connectivity, battery life, quality, and portability.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
2,210 customers mention1,822 positive388 negative
Customers like the ease of use of the Amazon Kindle Book Reader. For example, they mention that the screen is very clean, the e-ink is great and very easy on the eyes, and it is a real pleasure to read on the large screen. The pros of it is obvious, making reading so much more enjoyable and convenient. They also appreciate the clear and easy to read in daylight electronic ink, and the accessibility gives easy access to Law library users, the University of Calgary.
"...the screen is also sharper and crisper than my Kindle 2 in a side-by-side comparison: the text is darker, and the contrast is much better, making..." Read more
"...The content for recreational reading is great, the content for technical books continues to grow and recently I have seen WROX and O'Reilly series..." Read more
"...I love the dictionary feature that I can move a cursor in front of a word to find out what a word means...." Read more
"...- Having a built in dictionary is a great convenience to have, especially if you find yourself reading something as esoteric as Cornel West...." Read more
1,486 customers mention1,118 positive368 negative
Customers generally like the size of the product. They mention that the additional screen size now gives them the absolute closest feeling of a Kindle 3 but significantly larger. They say that it's perfect for PDFs and that they have the option of increasing the size. Customers also appreciate the ready access to materials, the physical space requirements, and briefcase travel weight. They also like the speech, landscape reading, and dynamic font sizes. They are able to enlarge the font to a size they are unable to see, and with the K3 they are also able the ability to hold an entire library in their hand.
"...obvious upgrade for me, but two features put me over the edge: the larger screen, and the native PDF reader...." Read more
"...the DX is light enough to hold in my hand all evening, and the DX is big enough that I can easily see half-page diagrams..." Read more
"...I like:* The screen size (of course!)* The clear and easy to read in daylight electronic ink* The wireless link to bookshop*..." Read more
"...First, the screen is larger, and that is helpful to me. Second, I like the pdf capability and use it...." Read more
638 customers mention487 positive151 negative
Customers like the appearance of the Amazon Kindle Book reader. They say that the technology allows for a beautiful screen, lifetime wireless service via, excellent font and typography, and a dark ink display. The sleep screen is pretty cool, and when you put it to sleep, it displays classic photos of famous writers. The text is sharp and easy to read, and the interface differences from the K1 are also appreciated. The articles come out as being crisp and easy, and there is a nice little leather Kindle tag around the front.
"...I'm very happy with the screen and it's clearly better than reading my pdfs on a computer screen which would kill my eyes after a while...." Read more
"...-Textbooks on PDF are very clear, crisp and easy to read on "Fit-to-Screen" (about size 10 font)...." Read more
"...The Kindle has them all right there. Nice and easy...." Read more
"...With excellent font and typography, I found the screen as easy to read as a newspaper when outdoors, but more difficult indoors, where some form of..." Read more
1,741 customers mention1,082 positive659 negative
Customers are mixed about the performance of the Amazon Kindle. Some mention that the unit itself works very well, the PDF reader works as advertised, and the accelerometer works well. However, some say that it is sometimes painfully slow when trying to move through a PDF, and not nearly as fast as handwriting. It is not great for downloading pdf files, and it has a slow refresh.
"...-- the PDF reader works as advertised, and is extremely convenient. PDF documents appear on the DX exactly as they do on a computer screen...." Read more
"...The unit itself works very well. Power consumption is not an issue, if you are getting low...just turn wireless off. It lasts for days and days...." Read more
"...It can't do half the things that an iPad can. It had no color, it doesn't play games, it's not designed to consume media, it has tons of buttons..." Read more
"...It also has precise OCR software, which means you can scan your textbook, copy & paste the picture into words, save it as a .txt or .doc document..." Read more
1,270 customers mention767 positive503 negative
Customers are mixed about the quality of the Kindle. Some mention that it is a pretty good PDF reader, but it struggles a lot with large images or. The Kindles include a basic PDF reader. However, some say that the pdf problems are a let-down and that the device does accomplish what they had in mind when they purchased it.
"...two features put me over the edge: the larger screen, and the native PDF reader...." Read more
"...Another downside is that all Kindles DON'T support ePub files...." Read more
"...The content for recreational reading is great, the content for technical books continues to grow and recently I have seen WROX and O'Reilly series..." Read more
"...magazine titles, hundreds of global newspapers, and the ability to natively accept PDFs, Kindle is great reading just about anything as well as a..." Read more
882 customers mention566 positive316 negative
Customers are mixed about the portability of the e-ink reader. Some mention that it's lighter and more portable, while others say that it made the device too heavy and bulky. Overall, the product is lighter and smaller than they had thought. However, some customers say that the device is very hefty and not meant for traveling.
"...2, so I'm already committed to the basic idea: e-ink reading in a slim form factor with excellent connectivity to a large selection of books and..." Read more
"...The device itself is light, but I personally think to hold it with just one hand will cause strain pretty quick (im 24 years old), and it usually..." Read more
"...It is not meant for traveling like the regular 6" Kindle.- Even at a reduced price of $379.00, the Dx is still very expensive...." Read more
"...eyestraining than the shiny pages of the physical book, the DX is light enough to hold in my hand all evening, and the DX is big enough that I can..." Read more
796 customers mention528 positive268 negative
Customers are mixed about the connectivity of the Kindle. Some mention that the wireless link to the bookshop is good, while others say that it doesn't have Wi-Fi support. The Kindle DX has free 3G only, and some customers complain that their library books won't transfer via 3G.
"...to the basic idea: e-ink reading in a slim form factor with excellent connectivity to a large selection of books and subscriptions...." Read more
"...They are very clear, easy to download, and always accessible...." Read more
"...The Kindle DX has no Wi-Fi support. It's free 3G only...." Read more
"...The 3G is adequate for my needs, but I usually leave it off when I don't have any kindle shopping to do...." Read more
491 customers mention337 positive154 negative
Customers are mixed about the battery life of the product. Some mention that operating simplicity, super battery life, and downloading ease make this, while others say that feature turned on will slowly drain battery life. Some customers also complain about not being able to change the battery without sending the device.
"...The unit itself works very well. Power consumption is not an issue, if you are getting low...just turn wireless off. It lasts for days and days...." Read more
BRIEF BACKGROUNDI have many textbooks.My husband is also a doctor, so he has many, MANY textbooks that just flood our very small apartment.After getting the Kindle DX, my backpack has never been lighter and our home much less cluttered.Is the Kindle DX worth $379? Well, maybe not $379, but you could probably get a refurbished one for $320 on Amazon Warehouse, like I did. I give it 3 stars because I think this device is worth more like $250 at best. Also, some of my PDFs that are only 2 mb large take 20 seconds to load per page.Another downside is that all Kindles DON'T support ePub files. This is just another fancy name for a type of file that you can read on an eBook device (such as Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook Reader (WiFi only) [ Black & White ]/Kobo eBook Reader/Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition (PRS300SC) with 5" Screen - Silver). Google recently launched over 1 million FREE books you can download as .epub files and can read from your device. Local libraries also have online book checkout options of digitally scanned epub files (such as comic books, picture books, etc.). Why Amazon has NOT adopted the .epub files is beyond me.TEXTBOOK READING ON THE KINDLE DX-Textbooks on PDF are very clear, crisp and easy to read on "Fit-to-Screen" (about size 10 font). I don't need to zoom or move the screen around to read the full text. I can have the PDF file as it is, directly displayed and be able to read it, without having the "screen-is-too-small" issue. If it's too small, I can always zoom in using "150%" "200%", etc.-An ADF Duplex Scanner will help you scan double sided documents and create your own PDFs for reading on the Kindle DX.-If you're going to scan your own textbooks/books to read off of Kindle DX, I recommend the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300 Instant PDF Sheet-Fed Mobile Scanner (PA03603-B005), which can scan all size documents (front & back automatically, as it is an ADF Duplex Scanner). It also has precise OCR software, which means you can scan your textbook, copy & paste the picture into words, save it as a .txt or .doc document and read it off of your kindle at any size font (or have it read to you by Kindle's text-to-speech as you drive to school).-If your primary Kindle use is going to be for reading textbooks, I highly recommend you get the DX and NOT the regular Kindle (it's too small and it will not fit on your screen). Also, you can save a great deal of time having to move the pdf file around the small screen if you get the DX instead.TEXTBOOK READING ON THE Apple iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi)-For textbooks that need color (such as my husband's medical eBooks/anatomy/etc.), the Apple iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi)is recommended. It scrolls much faster than the Kindle DX. However, the downside is that there is eye strain since it's like reading off a computer screen. It can't truly replace an actual textbook like a Kindle can. Here, try this. Go to Google Books and type in "Biology" that has "Limited Preview". Now try reading and actually studying off of that for 5 minutes. You'll see what I mean. Whereas the Kindle DX feels just like paper, to which you could study for hours, the Ipad is a computer screen, and just doesn't feel the same.Unless color is absolutely necessary, the Kindle DX is superior for textbook reading.TEXTBOOK REVIEW:I highly recommend you go to your nearest Best Buy and compare the Ipad to Kindle DX in the store. No amount of reading and researching online will give you the exact feeling of your needs until you try out the sample yourself.TEXTBOOK READING CONCLUSION:If your primary purpose is reading textbooks or PDF files, the Kindle DX is way better than the Ipad or the Kindle (regular small size).If your primary purpose is reading, the Kindle (regular small size) is better than the Ipad or Kindle DX. The smaller Kindle fits more easily in your hand, is lighter, and more portable.If your primary purpose is for browsing the web, then Ipad is better than the Kindle.TEXTBOOK READING OPINION:If you are buying this for your child and your child is in K-8th grade, I recommend getting her a Sony Reader or a Barnes & Noble Nook instead. The reason is, those devices support ePub books. That means he/she can download books at home for free from the local library (online), 1,000,000+ free books from Google, or Project Gutenburg. Since grade school kids tend not to study from textbooks, the DX isn't the most "optimal" device for the price. Since all kindles don't support .ePub, I don't recommend the kindle.If you are buying this for your kid between 9th-12th grade, college, or beyond where textbook studying is heavy, this Kindle DX is highly recommended.
I have owned both Kindle 1 and Kindle 2, so I'm already committed to the basic idea: e-ink reading in a slim form factor with excellent connectivity to a large selection of books and subscriptions. I have come to rely on my Kindle experience, and it has seriously enhanced my reading.
The DX was not an obvious upgrade for me, but two features put me over the edge: the larger screen, and the native PDF reader. I now have the DX in my hands, and can report PROS, CONS, and NEUTRALS:
PROS:
-- the larger screen is a definite plus. I use the larger type size on my Kindle 2 (older eyes), and at this type size I get far more text per page on the DX. This makes the whole reading experience more book-like (and should be a boon to people who buy large-print books.)
-- the screen is also sharper and crisper than my Kindle 2 in a side-by-side comparison: the text is darker, and the contrast is much better, making for better visibility overall.
-- on a side note, the larger screen also makes it possible to read poetry on the kindle, even at large type sizes. On earlier Kindles, the smaller screen cut off lines, so that you would lose the sense of when the poet ended the line. On the DX, you can see the whole line exactly as the poet meant it, with the cut-off in the right spot.
-- the PDF reader works as advertised, and is extremely convenient. PDF documents appear on the DX exactly as they do on a computer screen. Moreover, you can drag and drop your documents directly to the device using the USB cable (or use the for-a-fee email if you absolutely must.) The only downside: at least for the documents that I've used so far, I cannot adjust the type size as I can with native Kindle documents.
-- screen rotation also works as advertised: it operates as a mild zoom on both graphics and text and offsets slightly the downside of not being able to adjust the typesize on PDF documents. One nice design touch: the four-way navigation stick introduced on the Kindle 2 is rotation-sensitive, and will move as expected relative to the screen rotation.
-- more of the device space is devoted to the screen, while the white plastic border around the screen seems to have shrunk, both in general and compared to the proportion of screen to plastic on the Kindle 2. I like this (but see below about the keyboard).
-- storage: I like the increase in storage space, and don't mind the lack of an external storage card. I can see some people having trouble with this, but only those folks who either a) must regularly carry around PDF documents totalling more than 3.5 GB of space or b) must have nearly 3500 books regularly at their fingertips. I fall in neither category.
CONS:
-- price: it's expensive, as you can tell pretty quickly. If you value the larger size, and the native PDF reader, these features may justify the roughly 30% premium you pay for the DX over the Kindle 2. In truth, the DX SHOULD cost more than the Kindle 2, and a 30% premium isn't unreasonable. But, for my money, Amazon should drop the price on the Kindle 2 to $300 or so, and charge $400 or a little less for the DX. Still, I bought it, and will keep it at this price.
-- one-sided navigation buttons: all of the buttons are now on the right side, and none are on the left. I'm a righty, so I shouldn't complain, but I found myself using both sides on the Kindle 2. Lefties have reason to complain, I think.
-- One-handed handling: I often read while I walk, with my Kindle in one hand, and something else in my other. Because of the button layout, this will be more difficult on the DX.
-- metal backing: I miss the tacky rubberized backing on my Kindle 1. When I placed my Kindle 1 on an inclined surface, it stayed in place. Not so my Kindle 2 and now my DX. This is not a complaint specific to the DX, but it's still there.
NEUTRALS (i.e. things worth noting):
-- weight: the DX is heavier, noticeably so. This is only an issue if, like me, you regularly use the kindle with one hand . . . and even so, it's still doable.
-- keyboard: the keyboard has 4 rows, and not 5: the top row of numbers from the Kindle 1 and 2 has been merged into the top qwerty row, so that numbers are now only accessible with an alt-key combination. The keys are vertically thinner too, so that the whole keyboard is no more than 1" tall (compared to over an 1.5" on the Kindle 2). At the same time, the keys themselves are a bit easier to press, a bit more protruding than on the Kindle 2. For someone with big fingers (like me), this will be a slightly harder keyboard to use, but only slightly.
That's all I can see. Overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses for me, and I'm satisfied with my purchase. I can now think of using my DX for work documents on a regular basis, because of the PDF reader. The screen size and screen rotation make the overall reading experience more immersive.
Overall, the DX feels more like text and less like device and comes closer to the stated goal of the Kindle: for the device to disappear, leaving only the joy of reading.
There have been many reviews on the DX here and elsewhere, and many of you reading this may be trying to decide if this is the ebook reader for you. I hope my comments might be helpful to those on the fence. As in any user review, the pros and cons listed here are specific to my own preferences and usage. What may seem a minor feature to me might be of much more significance to someone else, so I will try to explain why I like or dislike a particular feature so that the context of my critique might be better understood.
As a preface, I will mention that I am a former Kindle 2 owner. The Kindle 2 will definitely be the answer for some, but the small screen and the lower contrast were enough for me to send the Kindle 2 back to Amazon and spend the extra money for the DX. I'll touch more on this a bit later in the review.
I've organized the review into things I don't like about the DX followed by the critical points brought up by others that do not bother me much, and I end with an overview of the Kindle's strengths.
Let's start with the faults:
1.) KEYBOARD: Yes, as mentioned by others, the keyboard design leaves much to be desired. The keys are widely spaced and small, and the feedback when pressing a key is variable. There are times when I thought I'd depressed the key fully only to see no letter on the screen. The keys are elevated nicely, however, which allows for some degree of touch typing, but I liked the keyboard on the Kindle 2 better (despite the small, almost flush buttons). I do not take many notes when I read and I'm not using the Kindle as a web browser often, so the keyboard shortcomings aren't a deal-breaker for me. Given that the Kindle is marketed towards students and other groups likely to annotate their content, the strange keyboard design is somewhat puzzling.
2.) SLOW REFRESH: I almost hesitate to consider the somewhat sedate screen refresh a fault as it is present in every E-ink display, but it is indeed noticeable, and many people are quite bothered by it. I believe there are two components to the screen refresh: the first is the processing time required to render the page, and the second is the actual refresh of the screen. According to information on E-ink's product pages, the refresh time of the DX's screen is 740ms in 4-bit mode (16 shades of gray) and 260ms when it is in 1-bit mode (black and white). I don't think the DX is ever in 1-bit mode; on text-only pages, the lighter shades appear to be used for the status bar, the progress bar, and to provide antialiasing for the fonts. On the other hand, the processing time seems to vary and is pretty quick for text or simple graphics. More involved graphics in pdf files can take a few seconds to load.
3.) CONTENT ORGANIZATION: This is one area where the Kindle feels unfinished. With the breadth of content that can be stored on the Kindle, the lack of the ability to create folders makes the content seem haphazard and disorganized. I'm hoping this fault will be remedied with a firmware update.
4.) IT IS NOT A PHYSICAL BOOK: This may seem a laughable and somewhat obvious statement, but it holds merit. There are things you can do with a book that you can't do with the Kindle. One of the major issues I've encountered is the lack of an ability to flip quickly through the book to find a specific part that you may want to reference or reread. Yes, you can use the search function to find something if you know the exact word or phrase, or you can jump to a "location" within the text, but if you just have a vague idea of something you want to locate, it is sometimes difficult to find on the Kindle. Also, with a physical book, you can loan or sell your copy when you are done if you so choose. Kindle books are non-transferable (to other people, at least).
Critiques by others that don't bother me that much:
1.) AMAZON AS BIG BROTHER: Yes, the Orwell debacle was a huge misstep for Amazon, but I give them kudos for admitting they were wrong and promising not to do it again. With such public assurance that this behavior will not be repeated, you can bet Amazon will not be deleting content from Kindle owners without their knowledge or consent. To do otherwise after their public statement would open them up to a huge amount of civil liability.
2.) NO COLOR: I understand the frustration at the lack of color, but color electrophoretic displays aren't available yet. It is a technology still in development, so I don't understand why people give the DX one star ratings for this reason. Yes LCD displays are in color, but they require a power-hungry backlight and have annoying issues with eyestrain, poor outdoor readability, and limited off-axis viewing. One of the Kindle's greatest strengths is its E-ink display.
3.) EXPENSIVE: Yes, the DX is quite expensive, and I wish it was a bit cheaper. My guess is that it is a supply issue (note the recent 4 week stint where Amazon had no stock). With inexpensive Sony readers on the horizon and the upcoming touch-screen Plastic Logic device, prices are certain to come down.
4.) NO TOUCH SCREEN: I think this feature was not omitted without reason by Amazon. While a touch screen would theoretically allow for a superior user interface, a reduced footprint (by eliminating the physical keyboard), and better/easier annotation ability, it also has the potential to reduce contrast, increase glare, and raise the price of the device. Also, given the slow refresh of e-ink displays, a touch screen might feel somewhat awkward. That being said, I do hope the technology improves to the point where this feature might become a viable addition to the next generation of Kindle...
5.) WEIGHT/TOP HEAVY: The DX is a bit over a pound in weight. Some reviews have criticized the DX for its weight and for feeling top heavy. The Kindle is almost the exact same weight as the hardcover version of the book Freakonomics (a moderate sized hardback book of 320 pages). It is slightly more with the Amazon-designed leather case, but it is definitely lighter than larger hardcover books. It is also slightly BOTTOM heavy, not top heavy. You can confirm this fact by making a small tripod out of your thumb, index, and middle fingers - balance the DX on this "tripod" and you will get a rough estimate of its center of gravity. On my DX, the balance point is slightly toward the keyboard side of center, meaning more of the weight of the device is concentrated in the bottom portion. The feeling of heaviness comes from the fact that the Kindle is much denser than your average book. It therefore feels heavier when you hold it, but it is easy to transport and feels light when traveling. One-handed reading is possible, but it definitely feels more comfortable to hold in both hands. If you are a one-handed reader, the Kindle 2 may be better for you (it feels great as a one handed reading device). One other suggestion - I find my tendency is to hold the DX so that my thumb is over the next page button. This button is towards the bottom of the device, so when holding the Kindle upright, it feels "heavy." If you turn the DX upside down, and hold it with your left hand, the next page button will be further towards the top and your natural hand position will shift upwards, better balancing the weight of the device. I've found this position much more comfortable for one-handed reading.
Strengths:
1.) THE SCREEN: I liked the Kindle 2 as it is incredibly light and portable, but it was hard for me to get used to reading on the small screen. You don't realize how small a six inch screen is until you use one. I just measured one of my smaller paperback books, and the diagonal page size is a bit over 7.5 inches. The DX screen area is more akin to the page-area of a larger hardcover book. For some reason, the Kindle 2 also seems to have lower contrast; the text was more of a dark gray instead of the crisp black of the DX. I read this critique before I bought the Kindle 2, and based on videos and pictures I saw online, I didn't think it would be a big deal, but in the brief time when I had both devices, the difference was not subtle. The difference is more pronounced with smaller font sizes (which I preferred on the Kindle 2 in order to maximize the amount of content per page). Although the DX has a higher resolution screen when compared to the Kindle 2, the Kindle 2 has a higher pixel density (166 ppi versus the DX's 150). I figured the added ppi would make text and graphics sharper, but in fact, the DX looks to have crisper text with higher contrast. I have no explanation for this difference.
2.) THIN/LIGHT: The DX, despite its larger size when compared to the Kindle 2, is still extremely portable. It makes traveling and doctor's office waiting enjoyable as you can have an entire library of content available to you in a reasonable form factor. It fits in a briefcase or laptop bag with ease and is not cumbersome to carry around.
3.) WHISPERNET/WEB ACCESS: The free, lifetime Whispernet service is wonderful. Being able to access online news, weather, Wikipedia, and the like in any location with Sprint service is very welcome, as is the ability to purchase or sample content at a whim. The web browser on the DX is significantly faster than the Kindle 2 and the larger screen feels more natural for web content. One important caveat: The Kindle's web browser is basic. It will not display complex content or video. While Javascript is supported, Flash is not. No Hulu or Youtube on the Kindle (yet...)!
4.) THE KINDLE STORE: The breadth of content available for the Kindle is wonderful. I have found some books that I theoretically want that are not in the Kindle Store, but almost everything I've searched for has been available. I hope the library continues to improve.
5.) DICTIONARY: If you do not own a Kindle, you may not realize how useful this feature is. I cannot count the number of times I have used this feature, and it is one of my favorite attributes of this device. By displaying definitions in the bottom margin, the feature is useful while remaining unobtrusive.
6.) BATTERY LIFE: Not much to say here - the battery life is amazing. Unless you leave wireless on all the time, you can easily get several days of heavy reading on a full charge.
7.) YOU FORGET YOU ARE USING A DIGITAL DEVICE: So many people have made this comment, it almost seems trite, but it is a genuine selling point. Once you get over the giddiness at having the Kindle and stop playing with it as a fancy gadget, it really becomes all about the content. Reading is fun, and the dictionary and search functionality enhance the experience even further. This is a device for people who love to read, and it makes reading easy.
My long-winded review is nearing its end. Needless to say, I love the Kindle DX, and for me it is a 4.5-star device. I'm not sure my rating would be so high if I was a college student or had hundreds upon hundreds of digital books, as the keyboard design and lack of organizational capacity do hinder the design somewhat. Others will also like the portability of the Kindle 2 better and won't care as much about the smaller screen size and lighter text. To each his/her own.
As much as I enjoy my DX, I do hope Amazon is hard at work for Generation 2 of this device. The upcoming Plastic Logic device looks to have a promising UI and touch-screen capabilities, although the demo video I saw online made it seem like it was going to be very slow (it made the Kindle look like a speed demon). The demo unit was an early prototype, however, and the final product will likely be much faster.
Similarly, the Pixel Qi screen seems a thing of sheer beauty, although I'm not sure what battery life would be like in a Kindle-sized device. If Apple were to incorporate this screen in their upcoming tablet, they would have a thin, potentially DX-sized device with a screen that has a refresh rate 1-2 orders of magnitudes faster than the DX with color, a touch-screen, excellent indoor/outdoor/darkened-room ability and Apple's excellent user interface and application/content store. Even at its rumored $700-900 price range, it would be a force to be reckoned with due to its vastly superior web and multimedia abilities.
That's the future, though. I will argue that for right now, the Kindle DX is as full-featured a device as current technology allows, with a beautiful screen, lifetime wireless service via Whispernet, and a unrivaled content store. While a bit much for the casual reader, it is a godsend for the reading enthusiast, and for me, it was well worth the money.