Thursday July 1
14:07
New Kindle DX and why the colour change is important
The start of new Amazon’s new Kindle launches is here…
The new Kindle DX
- Price drop from $489 to $379
- 50% better contrast ratio, making it easier to read
- 9.7-inch e-ink display
- New black “graphite” colour (see my notes on this below)
- Free 3G international wireless
- No computer required
- Shipping July 7th
For me, the two negatives about the Kindle 2 are the contrast ratio and the white border. Since the e-ink background in the Kindle 2 is grey, the white border is actually distracting – reminding you that the e-ink “paper” is not as white as it could be; reminding you of the low contrast. I don’t think the graphite colour looks as good, but I’m sure it will help the perception of contrast and make it easier to read.
The Kindle 3 has got to be on the way now. At the current price of $189, the Kindle 2 is $190 cheaper than the new indle DX. I predict the Kindle 3 will have WIFI and 3G versions at price-points of $125 and $175, but we’ll have to wait and see.
For what it’s worth, for me I would always get the 3G version over the WIFI version. One of the things I love about Kindle is the automatic syncing across devices – I can read a book on my iPad at home, then take the train to work and continue reading on my iPhone or Kindle, and the iPhone or Kindle will “know” where I finished reading on the iPad. You don’t appreciate that until you experience it.
Get the new Kindle DX International 2 here.
Important: Amazon still sells the white Kindle DX. This is the old model, without the screen improvements. Kindle DX Generations:
- 1st Generation: Kindle DX (US only)
- 2nd Generation: Kindle DX International (White)
- 3rd Generation: Kindle DX International 2 (Graphite)
Hopefully Amazon has plans to remedy this – it’s confusing to have the old and new models on sale at the same price, and the description for the white model doesn’t make it clear the screen is the old screen. I’m not going to link to the White version because I don’t want people buying it by accident!
Update: The white (old) DX is now $359, which is $20 cheaper than the new DX at $379. For just $20, you’re better getting the new DX.
Update 2: The smaller Kindle 3 is now available in the UK and USA. It comes in White and Graphite versions with 3G+WIFI and Graphite with WIFI only. I’ve ordered a Graphite 3G+WIFI version and I’ll be reviewing it with particular emphasis on the contrast difference between it and my previous White Kindle 2.
What can you read on Kindle? Check out these pages:
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Nikon D700
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Nikon D90
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Panasonic DMC-G1
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Panasonic DMC-GH1/G1HD (check availability)
is there a ibook with an encyclopedia installed
The Kindle has free access to Wikipedia, as does the iPad. Obviously a model with 3G would be better than WIFI only for access. The iPad also has apps which can store a complete copy of Wikipedia on your iPad (so it seems).