Kindle DX debuts

Jake Widman
Thursday, 07 May 2009 03:10

Your IT - Mobility

At a press conference in New York, Amazon introduced a new, larger version of its Kindle e-reader aimed at magazine and newspaper readers.

The Kindle DX features a 9.7-inch display, with 2.5 times the surface area of the current model's 6-inch display. Like the current version, the new one can show 16 shades of gray.

New features besides size include the ability to auto-rotate the screen to show documents in landscape as well as portrait mode, to make it easier to look at tables, maps, and other widescreen documents.

It also has built-in PDF support based on Adobe Reader Mobile technology, enabling it to display standard PDF documents. Users put their documents on the DX by either mailing them to their Kindle address or transferring them via USB.



The DX comes with 3.3 GB of memory, which, Amazon claims, is enough to hold 3,500 books, up from the 1,500 claimed for the current model.

Physically, the device is just over a third of an inch thick and weights 10.2 ounces -- "as thin as most magazines" and "lighter than a typical paperback," according to Amazon.

In support of the new device, Amazon announced partnerships with various newspapers and textbook publishers.

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