eReader Leader

The Bottom Line
All things considered, the Amazon Kindle 2 and Kindle DX are very similar devices -- with the biggest and most obvious difference being screen size. For the casual reader who primarily reads for pleasure, the Kindle 2 may be a better, more economical choice. For college student intending to use the Kindle in place of physical course materials, the Kindle DX may be a preferable (though more expensive) choice.  The Kindle DX differs in a number of additional ways, though, including storage capacity, PDF support, and -- of course -- price.

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Key Differences

• Price: The Kindle DX is approximately $200 more than the Kindle 2, of course depending on if you purchase of the device used or new. While casual readers using the device primarily for pleasure-reading will likely not require the larger DX, those using the device to read text books, for example, may be able to easily justify the higher price tag.
• Display: The Kindle DX has a 9.7-inch e-ink display, while the Kindle 2 has a 6-inch e-ink display -- giving the Kindle DX's display 2.5 times the screen surface are of the Kindle 2.  The increased screen size makes the Kindle DX an ideal device for reading periodicals, text books, and other course materials.  The screen also automatically rotates from portrait mode to landscape view when the device is turned, allowing users to easily read in either orientation.
• Native PDF support: Both the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX support PDF documents, but the Kindle 2 requires that PDF documents be first converted using Amazon's website before they can be loaded to the device.  After they are converted, they can either be transferred to the device over USB (free) or transferred wirelessly using WhisperNet (fee depending on size).  PDF documents can be loaded directly onto the Kindle DX without any conversion required.
• Portability: No shocker here.  Because of the Kindle DX's significantly larger display, the DX is also a substantially larger device than its smaller cousin.  The Kindle 2 (8" x 5.3" x .36") is a fairly small device, while the Kindle DX (10.4" x 7.2" x .38") adopts a taller and wider form factor.  Both devices, however, are impressively slim.  Think of the difference in portability as you would the difference between a large paper back novel and a text book.
• Storage space: While the DX offers more than twice the screen real estate as the Kindle 2, it also offers double the storage capacity.  The Kindle 2 has 2GB of on-board storage space, while the Kindle DX has 4GB. Four gigabytes of storage space is a hefty amount, allowing for weeks upon weeks of reading.

Comparison Chart: Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Kindle DX

	Amazon Kindle 2	Amazon Kindle DX
Resources
Review	Not yet available	Not yet available
Device
Dimensions	8" x 5.3" x .36"	10.4" x 7.2" x .38"
Weight	10.2 oz.	18.9 oz.
Screen(s)	6" e-ink display; 16 shades of gray; 600 x 800 pixels	9.7" e-ink display; 16 shades of gray; 1200 x 824 pixels
Battery life	Up to 4 days (wireless on); up to 2 weeks (wireless off)	Up to 4 days (wireless on); up to 2 weeks (wireless off)
Input	Physical keyboard, buttons, joystick	Physical keyboard, buttons, joystick
Memory	2GB (1.4GB available)	4GB (3.3GB available)
Expandable memory	No	No
Books & Content
Available sources	Amazon Kindle Store (400,000+ books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs available)	Amazon Kindle Store (400,000+ books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs available)
Connectivity
3G	Yes (Latest edition AT&T 3G w/ international roaming; previous edition Sprint 3G); Free	Yes (Sprint 3G); Free
WiFi	No	No
USB	Yes	Yes
Features
Built-in dictionary	Yes	Yes
Web browser	Yes	Yes
Audio player	Yes	Yes
Other highlights	Text-to-speech capabilities; built-in speaker	Text-to-speech capabilities; built-in speaker
Supported Formats
ePub open format	No	No
Adobe PDF	Yes (conversion to Kindle format required)	Yes (conversion to Kindle format required)
Microsoft DOC	Yes (conversion to Kindle format required)	Yes (conversion to Kindle format required)
Other	Proprietary Kindle format (AZW)	Proprietary Kindle format (AZW)

Related posts:

1. Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Kindle 1
2. Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Apple iPad
3. Borders Kobo vs. Amazon Kindle 2

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