November 1st, 2009
Holiday Gift Guide 2009: E-book readers
Amazon Kindle DX
The Amazon Kindle DX was launched in 2009 and provides buyers with a larger form factor device (9.7 inch EInk display compared to 6 inch on Kindle) with more integrated memory, US only wireless radio (service provided by Sprint), and native PDF support. It has a QWERTY keyboard and operates much like the standard Kindle.
The Kindle DX is designed more for professional or academic reading with the larger display that can be rotated into landscape mode. Professional documents are more readable on a larger display and that is the intent of the Kindle DX, compared to a more mobile personal experience seen in the Kindle.
Price: $489.00 MSRP
[Check out the ZDNet Reviews page for the Amazon Kindle DX]
Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro
While Sony and Amazon were the leading ebook manufacturers in 2009, there are a few other compelling readers available as well. Astak launched their updated EZ Reader Pocket Pro in black, blue, pink, purple, white, and red for a reasonable price. The Pocket Pro is a more compact ebook reader than what we have seen with the standard 6 inch EInk display in the past. It has a 5 inch 600×800 pixel resolution 8-level grayscale display and I personally found it to be as good as the industry leading Sony Reader PRS-505 display in terms of brightness and clarity. The EZ Reader Pocket Pro has both integrated Flash and a SD card for expandable memory.
Over 20 open formats are supported, including Adobe Digital Editions, ePub, PDF, DOC, TXT, and more so you can check out local library books, access books from Google, and purchase ebooks from vendors supporting these open formats so you should never run out of available content. There is no wireless capability so you will need to connect to a PC or place ebooks on the SD card to get content onto the device.
The Pocket Pro has a soft touch casing that feels great in your hand and is very portable. A case is included with your purchase to carry and protect the device and this is a good choice for those looking for a more compact reader.
Price: $199.00 MSRP
[Check out my review and the ZDNet Reviews page for the Pocket Pro]
Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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