Paging Dennis McFadden, or any other Kindle users

[VictorBravo]

Dennis almost pushed me over the edge with his post on his new wifi Kindle on the latest free books for Kindle thread.

But I'm wondering if the Kindle 3 wifi version will be sufficient for me. I read a lot of pdfs and generally they are larger format--like a printed 8 1/2 X 11 page. I have tons of pdf versions of theology works I read on the computer, plus there are various technical articles that I'm constantly printing because my eyes get tired at the laptop.

I'm looking at the Kindle DX, and it looks like the thing for larger format documents. But $379 for a DX vs $139 for a Kindle 3 seems like a hurdle. If I can read larger format pdfs on a Kindle 3 without squinting, I probably would jump at one.

So, does anyone here have any experience with the two versions and how the render larger pages?

 

[fredtgreco]

Vic,

I have both a Kindle DX and a Kindle 3. The problem with the Kindle 3 is taht the screen does not auto rotate and fit, and that makes reading PDFs hard. They are small print for that reason. This is no big deal for regular Kindle books, since they are html format that auto adjusts. The DX auto rotates and does a much better job with PDFs.

I think that you can convert PDF files into Kindle format with a program, maybe Calibre. You might want to check that out. In general, the K3 is easier to carry, has better battery life, and has nice controls. The DX is a larger screen area and does PDFs better.

 

[fredtgreco]

Here's a quick snapshot to show you the size difference side by side:

View attachment 1981

 

[VictorBravo]

Thanks, Fred. I'm going with the DX after saving my pennies. I don't want to convert the pdfs because sometimes the page numbers are needed for citations.

 

[DMcFadden]

Fred beat me to it. His comments about PDFs are spot on. I also have tons of PDFs of theology books. However, the DX cost a bit more than I wanted to spend now. And, while it does not auto-rotate, it does rotate and make PDF reading a bit easier when you want it too.

So far, after just a few days, my Kindle library is up to 482 resources, most of them free. I'm a convert.

 

[Ivan]

I'm a convert.

I will be also very soon.

 

[TimV]

The Barnes and Nobel version claims to have twice as many books and a bunch of other things. So do I take it that the Kindle would be you guy's preference over the Nook?

 

[fredtgreco]

The Barnes and Nobel version claims to have twice as many books and a bunch of other things. So do I take it that the Kindle would be you guy's preference over the Nook?

Amazon's book inventory is better (in my opinion). The nook also is backlit (I believe) which makes for more eyestrain.

 

[Scottish Lass]

The nook also is backlit (I believe) which makes for more eyestrain

But easier reading in bed!

 

[VictorBravo]

One thing that looks kind of disappointing is that you can't annotate pdfs on the DX. I was thinking of using it to read electronically filed pdf pleadings in Federal Court, but I do like to mark things up as notes for preparing responses.

 

[TimV]

Thanks!

 

[Dwimble]

One thing worth noting, you can email documents to yourself at an amazon address and they will be converted for your Kindle by amazon. It is my understanding that they generally come out a bit better and are easier to read than just sticking a PDF on the device on your own. I have no first-hand experience with it, however, so your mileage may vary.

Mike

 

[Skyler]

I want a Kindle for Christmas. =)

 

[Bookmeister]

I have to chime in here, I have and iPad, with a kindle app a nook app and soon a Sony app. I also have good reader which reads PDF's great, it also allows highlighting and note taking. It also does a myriad other things, like Logos, a Reformed Forum app that is outstanding and, well much more. It is backlit, which I prefer, I can't comfortably read that eink stuff and I can read this in bed without disturbing my wife. The iPad is a much better investment than any single function ereader, unless you are just that determined to have eink.

 

[DMcFadden]

eInk is what sold me. These old eyes might have to endure a few more decades of reading and it would be a shame to waste them on illuminated screens when eInk is available.

 

[VictorBravo]

I have to chime in here, I have and iPad, with a kindle app a nook app and soon a Sony app. I also have good reader which reads PDF's great, it also allows highlighting and note taking. It also does a myriad other things, like Logos, a Reformed Forum app that is outstanding and, well much more. It is backlit, which I prefer, I can't comfortably read that eink stuff and I can read this in bed without disturbing my wife. The iPad is a much better investment than any single function ereader, unless you are just that determined to have eink.

Alan, what was it about e-ink that is hard to read? I have not actually seen one so I'm relying on the eyes of those who have.

As for the iPad, I have seen it in person. It is a beautiful little machine, but I couldn't see it replacing my netbook's functionality. I have Adobe Acrobat pro on the netbook and can do anything to pdfs that is possible to do--plus all my other programs are on it and the display is actually very crisp--I prefer it to what I saw on an iPad.

I was looking at other e-readers and found this: PocketBook 902

It seems to have good reviews and does a better job with pdfs. On a long shot, I'll ask if anybody here has seen one of these?