New Kindle to feature a 9.7 inch screen

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According to Engadget, the new Amazon Kindle DX will feature a 9.7 inch screen as opposed to the 6 inch screen on the current model. This new model is expected to be officially announced at the Amazon Press Event on the 6th of May.

Image from Engadget

The bigger screen could make the new Kindle "more newspaper and college textbook-friendly". Universities including Case Western Reserve University, Pace, Princeton, Reed, Arizona State, and Darden School at the University of Virginia have signed up for trials to issue the new Kindles with pre-installed textbooks to college students.

Image from Engadget

The device is also said to include a built in PDF reader, and "the ability to add annotations in addition to notes and highlights". It is also said to feature a more functional browser. Apparently, New York Times will be offering a $9.95 / month subscription which is a little lower than the current $13.99.

It would be interesting to see if Amazon would sell both the models of the Kindle simultaneously at different price points. It would seem ludicrous if Amazon phases out their second generation Kindle, just barely 3 months after its release. Do share your thoughts.

#1 Faisal Islam on 05 May 2009 - 07:39

great

(3 replies) #2 mk1990 on 05 May 2009 - 08:02

Im sure an iPhone can do that too

, and i like reading and holding an actual newspaper. My two cents

#2.1 +Kirkburn on 05 May 2009 - 08:30

mk1990 said,

The iPhone has a 9.7 inch screen now?

#2.2 Baked on 05 May 2009 - 09:33

LMAO
The iPhone's screen is way too small to read anything too long on...
Its hard to even type a sms on it properly unless you have little girl hands.

#2.3 +Frazell Thomas on 05 May 2009 - 17:07

Next you'll be telling me the iPhone can do my laundry and dress me in the mornings before I head out.

Seriously... No need to be too fanboyish

#3 AnthoWin on 05 May 2009 - 09:37

Expensive no doubt. Niche market. Unless Amazon plays its cards right (and release the damn thing overseas!

(1 reply) #4 James123 on 05 May 2009 - 13:14

What does this do that a netbook can't? Surely if it's about the same price (which I believe it was with the previous model) and now is the same size, wouldn't it be better to just get a netbook?

#4.1 jameswjrose on 05 May 2009 - 14:34

While I agree on the price point AND the fact that a Netbook can do SO much more. The only thing I can think of that makes an eBook better is weight. I've been looking at Sony Reader and the weight is so minimal!

#5 Pandya on 05 May 2009 - 13:17

It's mainly about the screen that distinguishes these from Netbooks. E-book readers (mainly) utilise e-ink displays, which for one, consume vastly less power (only apply voltage to change display, not required to maintain display), and secondly, have contrast similar to ink on paper - they can be read, like a piece of paper can be, in direct sunlight. Which you can't do with a netbook.

#6 Galley on 05 May 2009 - 13:39

A larger screen allows room for advertising.

FYI: A Word document with standard margins on a 8.5" x 11" piece of paper has 9.7" of text. Since the Kindle has very little margins, the difference should be negligible.

Last edited by Galley on 05 May 2009 - 13:49

#7 C_Guy on 05 May 2009 - 14:44

Last time I checked, books came in a variety of sizes. Kindle comes in.... oh that's right... one. Yippee.

#8 MytMowse on 05 May 2009 - 17:05

The kindle 2 screen size is a perfect size, why they need one with a even bigger screen is beyond me.

(2 replies) #9 clotz2000 on 05 May 2009 - 20:49

ok, get rid of the "authentic" e-ink and make it more functional with better features. If I could carry around 16GB of ebooks and such on multiple SD Cards, Have a Color Screen, And integrate touch into the screen so you can "flip" through a book with the swipe of a finger as if you were flipping through the pages and you got me sold...

#9.1 cybertimber2008 on 05 May 2009 - 21:19

Uhh, I think we call that a Tablet PC, without a DVD drive and 16GB SSD.

#9.2 clotz2000 on 05 May 2009 - 21:35

right we don't need DVD drive and SSD, would use too much power, they need to make this strictly for books and newspapers of all kinds, exclusively for books, magazines, papers, comics, manuals, pdf's, word docs and wifi, nothing else... It should be as full-featured and catered to everything book related as it can be and still have good battery life, especially for this price!

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