Kindle DX – Bigger and Badder

I received my Amazon Kindle DX yesterday.  I am testing it for work, particularly for use with some of our disabled student population on campus.  So far, it has been a fun toy.  This is a pricey device ($489) so I was dubious about its value to me.  Of course, I didn’t have to pay for it, and I will only have to pay for the books that I decide to purchase.  Here’s a short list of likes and dislikes so far.

The things I like:

• text-to-audio
• automatic orientation from portrait to landscape if rotated
• choice of font sizes
• ability to bookmark or make notes
• search function (word or phrase)
• quick download of purchased books through the 3G Whispernet
• ability to download my own PDF’d files to the device through the USB cord
• basic web browsing

The things I don’t like:

• it is a bit heavy, heavier than most books I would hold
• reading it seems to be just a bit hard on my eyes, as opposed to a print book
• page turning is just a tad slower than I would like
• if you don’t know the exact title of a book, you will not be able to find it on the Kindle Store on the device (it is easier to look for books on Amazon’s website, then type in the title on the Kindle exactly as it shows on Amazon’s website)

But overall, this is a pretty nifty device.  I’m going to use it heavily for the next week or so, and see how it does for me.  I’ve already downloaded about a dozen books and will do a variety of different kinds of reading to see how the device behaves, and how my eyes react to it.