Larger-Screened Amazon Kindle DX Introduced

Also, unlike the Kindle 2, which supports .PDF documents via conversion, the DX has a native PDF reader.

Details on the (obviously very important) screen: 1200 x 824 pixel resolution at 150 ppi, 16-level gray scale compared to the Kindle 2's 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 16-level gray scale. Sorry, guys, no color yet. Also, 4GB of storage (3.3GB available) for 3,500 books (up from 1,500 on the Kindle 2).

The location was key in two ways: Pace University is located on the 19th-century home of the New York Times, and of course, the textbook angle.

Textbook-wise, Arizona State University, Case Western Reserve University, Princeton University, Reed College, and Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia will launch trial programs this fall, distributing hundreds of Kindle DX devices to students spread across a broad range of disciplines.

Here's what Barbara R. Snyder, president of Case Western Reserve University, who was in attendance, said:

“The Kindle DX holds enormous potential to influence the way students learn. We look forward to seeing how the device affects the participation of both students and faculty in the educational experience.”

How much do you want to bet the trial programs don't significantly impact the rather burdensome price of textbooks?

Newspaper-wise, the New York Times Company and Washington Post Company are launching pilots with Kindle DX this summer. The New York Times, The Boston Globe (owned by the NYT Company), and The Washington Post will offer the Kindle DX at a reduced price to readers who live in areas where home-delivery is not available and who sign up for a long-term subscriptions to the Kindle edition of the newspapers.

Yep, you read that right, you can get a discount on the Kindle DX itself with a long-term subscription. However, no details have been given regarding either the subscription length or the amount of the discount.

Also in attendance, Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., chairman, The New York Times Company and publisher, The New York Times said:

“At The New York Times Company we are always seeking new ways for our millions of readers to have full and continuing access to our high-quality news and information. The wireless delivery and new value-added features of the Kindle DX will provide our large, loyal audience, no matter where they live, with an exciting new way to interact with The New York Times and The Boston Globe. Additionally, by offering a subscription through the Kindle DX to readers who live outside of our delivery areas, we will extend our reach to our loyal readers who will be able to more readily enjoy their favorite newspapers. Meanwhile, we are continuing to work with Amazon to make The New York Times and The Boston Globe experiences on Kindle better than ever."

For some, the DX is seen as a possible lifeline for newspapers. Me, I'm not so sure. After all, news is easy to read online, free, always up-to-date, although not necessarily all that mobile. And another thing: lack-of-color is a big problem, not just for newspapers, but textbooks as well.

And at $500, I'm just not sure how well this is going to work (even with a newspaper subsidy).