Amazon today announced a second version of its Kindle e-book reader, one with a bigger screen and other enhancements aimed at making the device more versatile.
The new device, called Kindle DX, will be introduced inthe summer (no precise date was announced at today's press conference) and will cost $489. That's $130 more than Amazon’s other model, the $359 Kindle 2, which will remain available.
As expected based on early leaks about the new model, it closely resembles the Kindle 2, but has a screen that's about 50 percent bigger—at 9.7 inches measured diagonally.
[UPDATE: We took a closer look at the Kindle DX during a hands on demonstration session at Amazon's press conference today. See our related post, Trying out the Kindle DX: So far, so good. —Ed.]
The news conference also included announcements from partners aimed at broadening the use and scope of Kindle. The New York Times and Boston Globe will offer the Kindle DX at a subsidized price—not yet apparent—to subscribers in areas that cannot receive home delivery of the papers. The price of a Times subscription to the device will also be dropped, from $13.99 a month to the $9.99 charged by The Wall Street Journal. The Washington Post will also offer subsidized Kindles, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos said, but details of their program were not announced.
Five major textbook companies will begin offering textbooks for Kindle, and five colleges (including Princeton), will begin pilot programs to have students use the Kindle DX and Kindle textbooks in place of paper textbooks.
Other enhancements to the new Kindle, not found on the Kindle 2, include the addition of auto-rotation of images when the new Kindle is turned, and a built-in PDF reader.
Amazon's press event continues, and I hope to be able to try out the device here and report back with more on it later in the day. In the meantime, a complete side-by-side comparison of the two Kindles can be found on Amazon's product page for the Kindle DX. You'll also find images as well as a video demonstration of the new Kindle DX there. —Paul Reynolds.
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