Kindle DX

From MobileRead

Amazon Kindle DX

• Made by: Amazon
• Released: May 7 2009
• Predecessor: Amazon Kindle 2
• Languages Supported: English
• File Types Supported: AZW, TPZ, PRC, MOBI, PDF, TXT, MP3, AA, AAX

Overview

The Kindle DX offers a 9.7" display using E Ink with EVDO (cell-phone style) connection to permit purchase and download of eBooks. This means that no computer is needed for the Kindle although a USB connection is provided so that a computer can be used with this device. A keyboard is built into the device which can be used to add notes to documents. DRM is supported only on AZW and TPZ files. Amazon does not sell the Kindle outside of the USA because the Whispernet EVDO is only available there. Version DX is otherwise similar to the Amazon Kindle 2 a new faster controller chip and include TTS (Text-to-Speech) capability.

Kindle DX can read to you. With the new Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read every eBook, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud to you, subject to permission from the Author/Publisher. You can switch back and forth between reading and listening, and your spot is automatically saved. Pages automatically turn while the content is being read, so you can listen hands-free. You can choose from both male and female voices which can be sped up or slowed down to suit your preference. Anything you can read on Kindle, Kindle can potentially read to you, including books, newspapers, magazines, blogs and even personal documents. In the middle of a great book or article but have to jump in the car? Simply turn on Text-to-Speech and listen on the go. The Kindle DX has built in stereo speakers on the bottom of the unit and a headphone jack for portable use.

Kindle DX can also adjust the width of the displayed text. The screen is so wide that some may prefer a narrower line for ease of reading without turning their head. Screen rotation is automatic (may be turned off) so that you can turn it sideways for landscape or upside down to put the next page button on the left.

Specifications

• Display: 9.7" diagonal E-Ink® electronic paper display, 825 x 1200 pixel resolution at 150 ppi, 16-level gray scale. (140 × 203mm)
• Size: 264 × 183 × 10 mm (10.4" x 7.2" x 0.38")
• Weight: 18.9 ounces
• Internal memory: 4G internal; 3.3 Gig available for the user
• Expansion Memory: None (USB capable bus master but this feature has not been enabled)
• Wireless: EVDO with no subscription required
• System requirements: None, because it doesn't require a computer
• USB Port: USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) for connection to the Kindle power adapter or optionally to connect to any computer that has a USB port that can mount USB drives (Linux, Mac OS X, Windows).
• Wireless Connectivity: EVDO modem with fallback to 1xRTT; utilizes Amazon Whispernet to provide U.S wireless coverage via Sprint's 3G high-speed data network. Check Sprint for wireless coverage map on availability. This expanded coverage is only available for Kindle 2. See Wireless Terms and Conditions at Amazon.
• Battery Life: Read for up to 4 days on a single charge with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to two weeks. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store and downloading content. In low coverage areas or in 1xRTT only coverage, wireless usage will consume battery power more quickly.
• Charge Time: Fully charges in approximately 4 hours and supports charging from your computer via the included USB 2.0 cable.
• Audio: 3.5mm stereo audio jack, bottom-mounted stereo speakers.
• Content Formats Supported: Kindle (AZW), TXT, Audible (formats 4, Audible Enhanced (AAX)), MP3, unprotected PDF, MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion. (Simple HTML can be read by changing the file extension to .TXT.
• 5-way controller: Kindle has a new easy-to-use 5-way controller, enabling precise on-screen navigation for selecting text to highlight or looking up words.
• Annotation and highlighting are supported.

History

The Amazon Kindle DX is a larger version of the Amazon Kindle 2 which is a newer version of the previously released Amazon Kindle. Lab126, a small Amazon subsidy, worked for several years on this product. They are charged with "producing highly integrated products to serve Amazon consumers".

See Also

Amazon Kindle DX description

lab 126 homepage

For specifications on the display technology see: E Ink display Note that this device has 16 level gray scale.

To compare this device with other electronic ink devices see: E-book Reader Matrix

To check the status of Amazon services see: http://status.aws.amazon.com/

Amazon Kindle Reviews

Amazon Kindle FAQ

Kindle Download Guide from Feedbooks.com

Kindle Shop Products

Internal hardware

Here are some guesses as to the internal hardware based on examining the Linux source code and other data (applies mostly to Kindle 1):

• The base system is based on a Gumstix board.
• The CPU is XScale PXA250 running at 400 MHz when at full speed. ARM compatible.
• The I/O chip to talk to the PN-LCD, keyboard, scrollwheel and battery is from Foxconn.
• Flash chip is OneNAND from Samsung.
• The CDMA modem is AnyData DTG.
• USB controller is Philips ISP1761 (it has On-The-Go!).
• EPD controller: Broadsheet (Epson S1D13521) update for Kindle 2.
• Audio is WM8971

Whispernet

All Amazon Kindle devices include a cell-phone data service that Amazon calls Whispernet. This service uses EVDO facilities from Sprint but the user does not need to sign up for the service. It provides free download of purchased eBooks and free browsing of Wiki encyclopedia. This is a wireless service and may be turned off independently from the device itself. User converted content can also be optionally be downloaded via Whispernet for $.15 per megabyte, rounded up to the next whole megabyte, per document. (User content conversion is free if you don't use Whispernet.)

Formats that can be converted include:

• Microsoft Word (.DOC)
• Structured HTML (.HTML, .HTM)
• JPEG (.JPEG, .JPG)
• GIF (.GIF)
• PNG (.PNG)
• BMP (.BMP)
• PDF (.PDF)