Rating:

Attaching Kindle is very simple using the directions on the product page. Make sure you heed the warning to work at it until ALL the gold is covered, which tells you Kindle is securely attached. Removing is quite simple: Slide down the top hook and rotate Kindle right off. I’m using a fingertip to do it rather than a fingernail. It’s quick and easy enough to attach and detach Kindle that I won’t have any difficulty switching to “naked” reading at will.

The cord seems to me strong enough for its purpose, but only time will tell. When the cover is closed, the cord is buried in a “channel” in the front cover so should not normally be subjected to much stress and strain. I did remove the little “flag” attached to the cord. Even without using fingernails, it’s easy to open the cord up. Others have posted about the cord being in the way during reading, especially when holding Kindle and case in “open book” form. I put the cord between Kindle and the back cover, solving the issue to my own satisfaction. YMMV.

I don’t think I’ll use the “book style” reading position much. I’ll “break the spine” as I did with my K2′s case and read with the front cover folded flat against the back. It feels good like that, but when I have good light and will be reading a while I expect I’ll do as I did with my K2: Remove Kindle from the case and read “naked.” Still, even brand new, the leather folds flat easily and it’s comfortable to hold and read.

The light seems to me to be well placed. I don’t get any glare in any of my normal reading positions, so don’t have a practical issue with its lack of adjustability. One very nice feature, particularly since it’s powered by Kindle’s battery, is that it turns off when Kindle turns off. So if you fall asleep reading, your light won’t just keep running. I find it a bit stiff to pull out, but I expect it will ease in time. Also maybe stiff is good, as you don’t want it just lolling out on its own while you’ve got it stowed away. Still, folks with difficulty applying much force with their fingers could find this an issue.

I bought this unseen, intending to return it if it didn’t work well. It won’t be going back. I may in fact buy another case for travel, as by design this folio style case is open on three sides. In some situations I would want more dust and bang protection, but I still give five stars because this is an unavoidable consequence of this style of design.

Rating:

The problem is that the new Kindle 3 cover+light does not evenly light the screen. This results in a very bright top right corner, including the top right of the frame of the Kindle 3. And while the light doesn’t glare off the screen, it does glare off my graphite Kindle 3′s top right corner, making for constant distraction while reading. The light then gets fainter and fainter in a diagonal line from the top right to bottom left. It’s not very fun, unfortunately.

Now, for convenience, this new cover is fantastic. I have the non-lighted one and the one with the light, and the weight difference isn’t very much, and the bulk difference is truly negligible, so kudos to Amazon for this.

That said, I simply cannot recommend this cover unless you don’t mind an incredibly uneven light. I will stick to my Mighty Bright. Yes, it’s an addition to the Kindle, but I know that when I sit down to read, I want the pages to “disappear” as I become immersed in my reading. It’s very hard for them to do so when the light is so incredibly awkward and uneven, constantly distracting. I’m happy to spend a few extra seconds clipping my light to the back of my Kindle so I can spend hours enjoying my book. That simply wasn’t possible with the Kindle Lighted Leather Cover.

3 stars out of 5.

Rating:

Check out my video review for a size comparison of this case against my Kindle 2 and also an actual hardcover and softcover book, and then a lights out comparison of the Mighty Bright vs Lighted Leather cover.

Sorry for the shaky camera, it’s the best I could do with one hand!

If you’re interested in seeing a video review of the Kindle 3 itself, check out the one I did one here:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R21YU59NMOGKUR

Rating:

I think for an easy purchase without having to buy a separate book light, the Kindle 3 lighted cover is a good choice. The light worked _great_ reading in bed last night. I could see all of the lighted screen just fine with the upper right corner a bit brighter. See the pics I loaded to customer images for the lighted cover to see the light in action in a dark room, and what the cover looks light from the back.

Pluses: Built in light that slips securely out of the way, no batteries to replace, better clips/fit than past covers that connect to Kindle, adequate to light the entire screen, no looking for a booklight, no clipping a booklight to my Kindle and scratching or damaging it, the book light LEDs point down towards the screen, so no bright lights in your eyes.

Minuses: The cover’s weight doubles the weight of the Kindle 3 in your hand, the book light stays in one corner and doesn’t move around the Kindle, uses more Kindle battery life (it’s powered by the Kindle 3 — and I noticed a definite drain on the battery from using the light)

UPDATE: I used the Kindle light for a couple days now, and the battery life goes down noticeably as you use the light (esp. if you keep the wireless “On”). Last night I read with the light for about 2 hours after a full charge and today the battery looks down about 15%. At that rate of use (with no wireless constantly “On” and regular reading in the daylight), I estimate the battery will need charging after approx. 1 week.

If the overall cover+Kindle weight is an issue for you–more than protecting your Kindle and the handy light–then this cover is not for you.

Kindle Lighted Leather Cover alone = 233 grams or 8.2 oz

Kindle Lighted Leather Cover + Kindle 3 = 447 grams or 15.75 oz. (almost 1 lb.)

Thickness: Kindle cover + Kindle 3 = 3/4 inch

I have to say I’m getting used to the weight with the cover as I use it. The piece of mind of extra Kindle protection, plus a handy light whenever you need it, is worth the trade off for me.

Rating:

Additionally, my screen has recently developed a defect. Namely, I have horizontal and vertical lines, in addition to a portion of the display that is stuck black. I did not do anything unsual to my device like smash it or drop it, but Amazon refuses to replace the Kindle because they claim it is not covered under the 1-year limited warranty (even though, while I am not a lawyer, it certainly seems to be if you actually read it: “We warrant the Device against defects in materials and workmanship under ordinary consumer use for one year from the date of original retail purchase….”). Further, some people HAVE had their Kindles replaced (even when it is cleary their fault!), so it seems to be hit or miss depending on who you get on the other end of the phone. If you buy this device, I recommend treating it like a piece of glass: very carefully, always in a caseor sleeve, and DO get the extended warranty–except you’d be better off buying a warranty from SquareTrade at a much more reasonable price than Amazon’s.

In the mean time, I have a $389 brick that Amazon won’t replace. You should NOT have to buy an extra warranty to have damage resulting from normal use and handling of the device be covered (and, depending on who at Amazon you talk to, you apparently don’t). But because of the sketchy 1-year warranty, I cannot recommend that anyone buy this device; Amazon needs to stand by it better, with or without the extended 2-year warranty (although you’d be better off purchasing a similar third-party warranty for less). The device is OK (good, not great); the customer support with regard to warranty (they *were* good when I made an accidental purchase on the Kindle) is terrible.

EDIT: After a month-long battle with customer service, they finally agreed to replace my device. It has been functioning fine since then, but my original complains about reading (particularly PDFs) still stands, and the warranty battle should have never happened.

Rating:

FIRMWARE UPDATE as of 11.30.2009:

I have now M-Edge Platform Jacket for Kindle DX (Genuine Leather–Pebbled Navy)–Back to School Sale!! because you can set the Kindle up to stand by itself on the table next to you or a lap desk. This makes it easier to to view music, knitting patterns, or just plain books (addressing some users complaints about it being “too heavy” to hold comfortably).

I had been disappointed that the Kindle automatically goes to sleep after 5 minutes because if you are using the Kindle for reading patterns or music, it times out on you while you are still “working” on a page. However, Amazon come out with a new firmware release… the Kindle DX now stays on for 20 minutes before going into screen saver mode which is a big improvement.

In addition, with the new firmware, you have the option of converting your PDFs to Kindle format — which should address the lack of “zoom” and “annotation” features — at least there is a workaround for now.

UPDATE as of 06.16.2009: The Kindle may have just literally saved my career and saved my “backend”. I had an interview yesterday and thought I knew where I was going. I’m one of the last dinosaurs not to have a Garmin and got lost. After circling around for awhile and getting more and more uptight about missing my interview, I remembered the Browser on the Kindle.

On the K2, the browser was basically unusable because of the size. However, with the DX, I was able to go to Google Maps, look up the address and had my directions in just a couple of seconds. The map was rendered beautifully and the turn-by-turn directions could be bookmarked and even if my DX fell asleep, it awoke still displaying the directions. THANK YOU KINDLE!!!

———————————————

The UPS truck arrived a couple of hours ago. I feel like a kid on Christmas Day and I got (just about) everything I wanted!

My Sony PRS-505 has finally and officially become my “Emergency Backup Reader”

My romance with ebook readers got off to a bumpy start when I got my first eInk device — the Cybook Bookeen. Firmware issues and awkward buttons made it rather disappointing.

Then I found true love with the Sony PRS-505. I loved the metal case. I loved the “Collections” (essentially folders features). I loved the looks and loved the display.

However, the Kindle 2 woo’ed me with the size of its content collection. However, for reading I still ultimately preferred my Sony.

Now, with the larger Kindle DX, I’ve set my Sony aside and there is a new love in my life. Let me count the ways:

1. SCREEN SIZE: Reading on the Kindle DX vs 6″ readers is like the difference between sleeping in a King sized bed vs a Twin Bed or riding in the backseat of a 2-door 1981 Honda Accord vs bucket seats in a Honda Odyssey. You feel like you have room to breath. The larger screen allows you to maximize the use of the real estate — taking advantage of larger fonts and more white space. This makes text much easier to read — even if you are just reading regular books.

2. KEYBOARD: I also love that they have compacted the keyboard so that it doesn’t dominate the overall appearance of the device. The smaller keyboard in no way compromises the ability to type. However, it improves the look by making the proportions more appealing and it means the device isn’t horrifically larger than the 6″ device.

3. PDF + BIG SCREEN = LOTS MORE USES: I can transfer my knitting patterns (complete with knitting graphs and diagrams) and cello music to my e-reader.

Using the Kindle for knitting — I can highlight my place in the knitting pattern making it easier to work more complicated stitch patterns.

I play cello and many of my music books are available in PDF format — again the Kindle is wonderful for carrying all my music with me at one time. Turning pages is faster and easier than with a physical book. The kindle sits well on the music stand (though you want to make sure the tray of the music stand is taller than the Kindle or the Kindle will be “top heavy” making the bottom slide forward and potentially falling off the stand.

4. SCREEN ROTATION — You can rotate the screen in any direction and the page quickly re-orients itself. You can keep rotating 360 degrees and the screen follows you. The buttons remain the same but the thumb stick also reorients so that if you push right relative to the current orientation, that always means “page forward” no matter what direction you are in.

If you are left handed and really bothered by having the buttons only on the right side, you can turn the device upside down and voila — now your buttons are on the left side.

5. BUTTON CONFIGURATION — I actually PREFER having the next page and back page on the same side and in a contiguous location (as opposed to opposite sides of the device like the Kindle 2). It makes one-handed reading easier without having to reach over to the other side of the device to flip back and forth.

6. SOLID feeling — I like the heavier feel — it is comparable to the heft of a hardbound book.

7. READING While charging — this sounds like a little thing but with the Sony, if you have the device plugged in for charging, you can’t read on the device at the same time.

There are a two things I still think the Sony does better:

1. COLLECTIONS: It would be nice to have folders so that music could be separated from technical books which is also separated from knitting patterns etc. The absence of folders is even MORE annoying on the DX because you are likely to have a much more diverse collection of books/documents on there.

2. EPUB SUPPORT: ePUB would allow users to acquire content from public libraries and virtually any other online ebookseller. But that is basically why Amazon isn’t doing that… they WANT you to only get your content from them. Frankly, the ability to view PDFs without having to do a bunch of emailing back in forth is a huge leap forward so I guess it is sort of a “baby steps” thing.

Sony has just really dropped the ball by not bringing out a larger format. You wouldn’t think that a couple of extra inches on the screen would make that much of a difference in terms of your reading enjoyment. But then again, going from a 17″ monitor to a 19″ monitor is a huge difference in terms of usability of a computer screen.

All in all — Amazon really made a brilliant move with the DX. It is clear that they have really thought through the little things this time around and even the DX is a substantial improvement over the K2. I’m very very happy!

[NCJAR]

Rating:

My first impression of the Kindle DX was that it was actually very small compared to what I expected. The entire device is slightly smaller (in height and width) than a piece of paper, with the screen taking up approximately 85-90% of the front. This was actually a nice surprise, since I wanted something very portable, but good for magazines/research articles. After seeing the size of the DX, I think a K2 would have been way too small for what I want. At the same time, the device is very hefty. Picking it up, it becomes almost tiring to hold up in one hand for too long (another reason I think this one is better geared toward short articles instead of extended novel reading). It has a nice solid feel to it, but for some reason I was expecting it to be lighter.

The kindle only takes a couple of seconds to power up and immediately goes to the last article you were reading. A row of buttons are positioned on the right, which let you go to the main home page, go to the next page of an article, previous page, bring up a menu, or go “back”. There is also a small four-way joystick to navigate around (which also has the ability to be pressed for selections). The joystick is very sensitive and easy to navigate with, although not overly sensitive that you hit things by mistake (at least very often – it has happened a couple of times so far).

For those in the market for an ereader and can’t decide between the Kindle and another device, I can tell you what made me go toward the Kindle: Whispernet. It is a free, no subscription based service that comes on all Kindles. You get free access to the internet anywhere Sprint reception can be found. You can purchase books/magazines/newspapers anywhere, and have them in less than 60 seconds. You can access the web, check your web-based email, look up directions, find weather reports, movie times, etc. Although the Kindle terms say that normal web browsing might result in extra charges, my assumption is that this clause will just cover amazon if they choose to charge for web in the future. As of right now, everything is free. The Web Browser is very rudimentary and does not show pages very well. Even most pages designed for mobile phones showed up badly for me, although some were okay. The browser is very slow, but could really come in handy if some information was needed and no internet was available.

I have tried several blogs and magazines, as well as the native pdf viewer and all seem to produce well formatted articles with crisp, clear pictures. Lighter pictures tend to show up better as darker pictures blur together if they do not have enough contrasting elements. The one problem I have noticed with the pdf viewer is that some text/elements can end up being very small and hard to see. The pdf viewer is stuck on one size, which is slightly smaller than most pdf’s are intended to be viewed at. There is no way to increase font size, and the only way to zoom is by rotating the display. This zooms in on the top or bottom half of the screen. Rotating to a landscape display actually helps that problem a great deal, but some sort of zoom feature would have been nice. You can search in pdf documents or go to certain pages, but it is impossible to annotate as the Kindle lets you do in normal document files. Pdf documents can be sent to the Kindle DX via usb cable or through a special email that is set up for the device. However, documents that are sent via email are charged a small fee (I was charged $0.45 for a pdf slightly larger than 2MB – I will use the usb cable from now on unless it’s absolutely necessary to use email). Blogs I have subscribed to have continuously updated over the time I’ve had the DX… it is nice to have a constant stream of info to read even when not in the position to surf the web. Most blogs and magazines are subscription based with costs ranging from free to $1.99 or more for the more popular ones. This fact turns many people off since blogs can be found free on the net, but the convenience of having them constantly updated with no internet connection required and brought to you in an easy to read format makes them somewhat worth it in my opinion. Having read through some and watched constant updates while writing this review, I think I will be more likely to keep the blog subscriptions even more than the magazines subscriptions. Most blogs and magazines give you a 14-day trial to see how well you like them before committing to a purchase. They can be organized into separate articles/sections, and are easy to navigate.

There is a text-to-speech function that can be used in most books (Random House published books excluded because of a lawsuit brought against amazon). The sound of it seems a little old fashioned with an extremely computer-sounding voice, but it is a nice addition. You can also play MP3′s, but don’t expect extremely high-quality sound. The Kindle DX has a earphone jack on the top of the device, or small speakers on the bottom of the device for these funtctions.

A keyboard is present at the bottom of the device. It has a QWERTY format, but with the numbers located on the top row of letters (a shift button selects them). It is fairly easy to type on in my opinion, but takes a little getting used to. The buttons are small, rounded and don’t take much to push. For this reason, it is difficult to tell if you hit the button acurately or not, and often times you find you hit wrong keys by accident. The Kindle actually tends to be a bit wide to easily type if you have small hands like me. Larger hands should do fine.

As for the screen, the e-ink is easy to read, easy on the eyes, and it is crisp and has a nice resolution. Highly detailed pictures showed up nicely as long as they weren’t too dark. The only complaint I would have about the screen is that it is very reflective. I need to make sure I’m not around any bright lights before reading. Otherwise, the glare interferes.

SHOULD YOU BUY THE DX?: Well, I think that comes down to what you want to read. The DX is a nice reader (although expensive!). It is probably the perfect size for reading magazine articles, journal articles, and newspapers. The articles come out as being crisp and easy to read, and having them constantly delivered to you is great. I think the device might be a little on the heavy/large side for continous reading of books, so for that, I would probably go with the Kindle 2 instead. For textbooks, I think the verdict is still out. Being able to flip through the pages of textbooks and quickly find information still isn’t completely replicated by the Kindle. However, the search features of the Kindle could prove to be invaluable in studying, and there’s no doubt the kindle helps in areas of portability. The DX replicates figures and images nicely, but in some textbooks, color is vital. That could be the downfall of the DX when it comes to Textbooks.

CONS/FOR FUTURE KINDLES: There’s quite a few things that prevent the DX from being perfect, but maybe they can be added into future editions. First and foremost: Folders/Organization! Right now, all articles/blogs/newspapers/books get clumped together in one big menu. Why is there no way to organize these and place them in categories? This would be a huge improvement and would take very little effort. Also: Color. As I just mentioned above, color is a huge part of many textbooks, articles, etc. As soon as the technology is ready, a color kindle will be a huge improvement. A memory card slot was included in the first Kindle; however it was removed in the second and DX. This needs to be added back. Especially for those of us with large pdf libraries, we need the extra memory slot. Not to expand the memory so much as to just give us a portable way of getting articles onto the kindle. As of right now, you can be charged to have articles sent to the Kindle, or we can be near a computer. Why not add the memory card slot back and give us one more option? A better web browser, some sort of side-lighting for nighttime reading, touchscreen, thinner, and lighter are other suggestions I can think of to strive for.

UPDATE: So, after using the DX for a while now, I have come to absolutely love it. Unfortunately, so has my girlfriend, so I don’t get to see it much anymore.

A few small things have come to annoy me though, so I would like to point those out. First, the screen rotation is becoming more and more annoying. I find the screen rotating on me many times when I don’t want it to. Slightly changing the position of the device suddenly leads to the screen being rotated, and then it takes another few seconds of shifting it around to get it back the way you want. There should be a way to turn screen rotation off if you know you won’t want it bothering you for a while. A simple setting could then be turned on again for normal use. (UPDATE: Apparently, you can disable the auto-rotation. User A.Nichols wrote in the comments: “Push the button with the Aa (to change font size) and you’ll find the option to set change screen rotation from Auto (default) to portrait. I found the screen rotation to be annoying also when reading, it’s easy to accidentally change the angle.”)

Another thing that has come to bother me is the screen lag. Very often, it’s as though the screen sticks after you push buttons. You push them again and again, and then the screen finally unsticks and you fly through 3-4 pages. It’s difficult to tell if the device didn’t register the button you pushed or if it’s just running behind. Unfortunately, this has resulted in my purchasing a book that I didn’t mean to (amazon was nice enough to remove the charge though). Usually you get a “Would you like to cancel your order?” immediately after purchasing on the kindle, but this time I guess I pushed too much and flew through that screen too.

Even with these small issues, I can’t put my Kindle down. It is the best money I have spent in a long time.

Rating:

I owned the K1 and then the K2 and love them both, so I was really looking forward to the DX. My plan was to use the DX at home, and keep my K2 for carrying all over creation with me. It wasn’t long, though, after my DX arrived the day before yesterday before disappointment set in.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a LOT to like about the DX:

1) Pictures are awesome on it, if the publisher formats them properly.

2) Those who complain about darkness of text on their K2 (a problem I’ve never had, btw) will be thrilled by the DX’s very dark text.

EDIT: LIKE THE KINDLE 3, THE DX NOW SPORTS A NEW E-INK DISPLAY THAT HAS MUCH BETTER CONTRAST, SO TEXT & PICTURES REALLY “POP.”

3) The ability to rotate the screen is great. Gives you a closer look at things like maps and charts.

4) The browser is a bit faster than on the K1 or K2, though that isn’t saying much–it is still very clunky to use.

EDIT: THOUGH STILL CLUNKY, THE BROWSER *HAS* BEEN IMPROVED FOR EASIER USE. BUT STILL DON’T PLAN TO DO A LOT OF WEB SURFING WITH IT.

5) But web pages look pretty good on the DX.

6) It holds 3500 books.

BUT…..the DX just isn’t all that. It has drawbacks that are really making me consider sending it back before my 30 days are up:

1) First and foremost, while it is true that it natively reads PDFs, it is really only a PDF *viewer*. You can’t change the font size on PDFs, links will not function on them, and the ability to magnify pictures doesn’t work on them either. So you better have LARGE fonts on your PDF before you load it. Looking at the PDF in horizontal mode helps a bit, but not by much.

EDIT: WE NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO ZOOM IN ON PDF DOCUMENTS, WHICH HELPS IN READING THEM–BUT IT WOULD STILL BEHOOVE USERS TO USE LARGER FONT SIZES IN DOCUMENTS BEFORE CONVERTING TO PDF FORMAT.

2) The DX is too big to hold comfortably. It’s not really all that heavy, but it is top heavy and you feel a pull on your hands. And that pull is really evident if you try to use the keyboard while holding it–you practically have to lay the DX down flat, it becomes so difficult to type.

3) They merged the number keys with the QWERTY keys (losing a line of keys). What development genius thought it would be helpful and an “improvement?” To go to a location within a book you have to click Menu, choose “go to,” then click the Symbols key, choose the numbers you want, then close Symbols before you can choose “location.” Whew! Or you can click Alt + the letter button at the top that corresponds to the number you want. Joy.

4) Before my DX came, I really didn’t think this would bother me at all, but I have to say: I really HATE the fact that the “next page” button is only on one side. I mostly use the left hand button. And yes, with the DX’s rotation ability you can turn it upside down, placing the “next page” button on the left side…. However, when you do this, the button is so high up that you have to slide your hand (not your thumb, your whole hand) up in order to turn the page. May sound nit-picky, but it is truly a PITA to break off reading to do it. Not only that, but having the keyboard at the top makes it even more top-heavy than when it is right side up!

5) when you rotate the DX so that it is horizontal, the “next page” button is either at the bottom or the top–in either case you can’t just flick your thumb and change the page. Again, a PITA.

6) If you leave the rotation feature on “Auto” when you are not using your DX it drains your battery, so you must remember to turn the feature off when you stop reading.

7) Still no folders. An organization nightmare three times bigger than that of the K2 (which itself had increased the same problem on the K1): the possibility of storing 3500 books but only being able to sort them by author, title, and “most recent first.”

EDIT: AMAZON HAS NOW GIVEN ALL KINDLE USERS THE ABILITY TO CREATE “COLLECTIONS.” THIS LETS YOU ORGANIZE YOUR BOOKS BY GENRE OR WHATEVER YOU LIKE, SO THAT’S A BIG HELP. HOWEVER, FOR SOME STRANGE REASON, UNLESS YOU RESORT TO FIXES LIKE PUTTING SYMBOLS BEFORE THE COLLECTION NAMES WHEN IN “VIEW BY COLLECTIONS” IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ALPHABETIZE THEM! I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS GETS FIXED IN THE NEAR FUTURE WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE.

I will be fiercely debating with myself in the next week or so, on whether I really want to keep the DX. It is so disappointing. It has the potential of being a really great e-reader…but as it stands now, it isn’t. It’s OK. But for $489, it should be a lot more than merely OK.

EDIT: I DID END UP RETURNING MY DX THE FOLLOWING WEEK. THE PRICE HAS SINCE DROPPED–IT NOW COSTS $379–BUT IT *STILL* ISN’T ALL THAT.

Rating:

The DX was not an obvious upgrade for me, but two features put me over the edge: the larger screen, and the native PDF reader. I now have the DX in my hands, and can report PROS, CONS, and NEUTRALS:

PROS:

– the larger screen is a definite plus. I use the larger type size on my Kindle 2 (older eyes), and at this type size I get far more text per page on the DX. This makes the whole reading experience more book-like (and should be a boon to people who buy large-print books.)

– the screen is also sharper and crisper than my Kindle 2 in a side-by-side comparison: the text is darker, and the contrast is much better, making for better visibility overall.

– on a side note, the larger screen also makes it possible to read poetry on the kindle, even at large type sizes. On earlier Kindles, the smaller screen cut off lines, so that you would lose the sense of when the poet ended the line. On the DX, you can see the whole line exactly as the poet meant it, with the cut-off in the right spot.

– the PDF reader works as advertised, and is extremely convenient. PDF documents appear on the DX exactly as they do on a computer screen. Moreover, you can drag and drop your documents directly to the device using the USB cable (or use the for-a-fee email if you absolutely must.) The only downside: at least for the documents that I’ve used so far, I cannot adjust the type size as I can with native Kindle documents.

– screen rotation also works as advertised: it operates as a mild zoom on both graphics and text and offsets slightly the downside of not being able to adjust the typesize on PDF documents. One nice design touch: the four-way navigation stick introduced on the Kindle 2 is rotation-sensitive, and will move as expected relative to the screen rotation.

– more of the device space is devoted to the screen, while the white plastic border around the screen seems to have shrunk, both in general and compared to the proportion of screen to plastic on the Kindle 2. I like this (but see below about the keyboard).

– storage: I like the increase in storage space, and don’t mind the lack of an external storage card. I can see some people having trouble with this, but only those folks who either a) must regularly carry around PDF documents totalling more than 3.5 GB of space or b) must have nearly 3500 books regularly at their fingertips. I fall in neither category.

CONS:

– price: it’s expensive, as you can tell pretty quickly. If you value the larger size, and the native PDF reader, these features may justify the roughly 30% premium you pay for the DX over the Kindle 2. In truth, the DX SHOULD cost more than the Kindle 2, and a 30% premium isn’t unreasonable. But, for my money, Amazon should drop the price on the Kindle 2 to $300 or so, and charge $400 or a little less for the DX. Still, I bought it, and will keep it at this price.

– one-sided navigation buttons: all of the buttons are now on the right side, and none are on the left. I’m a righty, so I shouldn’t complain, but I found myself using both sides on the Kindle 2. Lefties have reason to complain, I think.

– One-handed handling: I often read while I walk, with my Kindle in one hand, and something else in my other. Because of the button layout, this will be more difficult on the DX.

– metal backing: I miss the tacky rubberized backing on my Kindle 1. When I placed my Kindle 1 on an inclined surface, it stayed in place. Not so my Kindle 2 and now my DX. This is not a complaint specific to the DX, but it’s still there.

NEUTRALS (i.e. things worth noting):

– weight: the DX is heavier, noticeably so. This is only an issue if, like me, you regularly use the kindle with one hand . . . and even so, it’s still doable.

– keyboard: the keyboard has 4 rows, and not 5: the top row of numbers from the Kindle 1 and 2 has been merged into the top qwerty row, so that numbers are now only accessible with an alt-key combination. The keys are vertically thinner too, so that the whole keyboard is no more than 1″ tall (compared to over an 1.5″ on the Kindle 2). At the same time, the keys themselves are a bit easier to press, a bit more protruding than on the Kindle 2. For someone with big fingers (like me), this will be a slightly harder keyboard to use, but only slightly.

That’s all I can see. Overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses for me, and I’m satisfied with my purchase. I can now think of using my DX for work documents on a regular basis, because of the PDF reader. The screen size and screen rotation make the overall reading experience more immersive.

Overall, the DX feels more like text and less like device and comes closer to the stated goal of the Kindle: for the device to disappear, leaving only the joy of reading.

Rating:

Attaching Kindle is very simple using the directions on the product page. Make sure you heed the warning to work at it until ALL the gold is covered, which tells you Kindle is securely attached. Removing is quite simple: Slide down the top hook and rotate Kindle right off. I’m using a fingertip to do it rather than a fingernail. It’s quick and easy enough to attach and detach Kindle that I won’t have any difficulty switching to “naked” reading at will.

The cord seems to me strong enough for its purpose, but only time will tell. When the cover is closed, the cord is buried in a “channel” in the front cover so should not normally be subjected to much stress and strain. I did remove the little “flag” attached to the cord. Even without using fingernails, it’s easy to open the cord up. Others have posted about the cord being in the way during reading, especially when holding Kindle and case in “open book” form. I put the cord between Kindle and the back cover, solving the issue to my own satisfaction. YMMV.

I don’t think I’ll use the “book style” reading position much. I’ll “break the spine” as I did with my K2′s case and read with the front cover folded flat against the back. It feels good like that, but when I have good light and will be reading a while I expect I’ll do as I did with my K2: Remove Kindle from the case and read “naked.” Still, even brand new, the leather folds flat easily and it’s comfortable to hold and read.

The light seems to me to be well placed. I don’t get any glare in any of my normal reading positions, so don’t have a practical issue with its lack of adjustability. One very nice feature, particularly since it’s powered by Kindle’s battery, is that it turns off when Kindle turns off. So if you fall asleep reading, your light won’t just keep running. I find it a bit stiff to pull out, but I expect it will ease in time. Also maybe stiff is good, as you don’t want it just lolling out on its own while you’ve got it stowed away. Still, folks with difficulty applying much force with their fingers could find this an issue.

I bought this unseen, intending to return it if it didn’t work well. It won’t be going back. I may in fact buy another case for travel, as by design this folio style case is open on three sides. In some situations I would want more dust and bang protection, but I still give five stars because this is an unavoidable consequence of this style of design.

Rating:

The problem, as has been discussed before, is that the new Kindle 3 cover+light does not evenly light the screen. This results in a very bright top right corner, including the top right of the frame of the Kindle 3. And while the light doesn’t glare off the screen, it does glare off my graphite Kindle 3′s top right corner, making for constant distraction while reading. The light then gets fainter and fainter in a diagonal line from the top right to bottom left. It’s not very fun, unfortunately.

Now, for convenience, this new cover is fantastic. I have the non-lighted one and the one with the light, and the weight difference isn’t very much, and the bulk difference is truly negligible, so kudos to Amazon for this.

That said, I simply cannot recommend this cover unless you don’t mind an incredibly uneven light. I will stick to my Mighty Bright. Yes, it’s an addition to the Kindle, but I know that when I sit down to read, I want the pages to “disappear” as I become immersed in my reading. It’s very hard for them to do so when the light is so incredibly awkward and uneven, constantly distracting. I’m happy to spend a few extra seconds clipping my light to the back of my Kindle so I can spend hours enjoying my book. That simply wasn’t possible with the Kindle Lighted Leather Cover.

3 stars out of 5.

Rating:

Check out my video review for a size comparison of this case against my Kindle 2 and also an actual hardcover and softcover book, and then a lights out comparison of the Mighty Bright vs Lighted Leather cover.

Sorry for the shaky camera, it’s the best I could do with one hand!

If you’re interested in seeing a video review of the Kindle 3 itself, check out the one I did one here:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R21YU59NMOGKUR

Rating:

I think for an easy purchase without having to buy a separate book light, the Kindle 3 lighted cover is a good choice. The light worked _great_ reading in bed last night. I could see all of the lighted screen just fine with the upper right corner a bit brighter. See the pics I loaded to customer images for the lighted cover to see the light in action in a dark room, and what the cover looks light from the back.

Pluses: Built in light that slips securely out of the way, no batteries to replace, better clips/fit than past covers that connect to Kindle, adequate to light the entire screen, no looking for a booklight, no clipping a booklight to my Kindle and scratching or damaging it, the book light LEDs point down towards the screen, so no bright lights in your eyes.

Minuses: The cover’s weight doubles the weight of the Kindle 3 in your hand, the book light stays in one corner and doesn’t move around the Kindle, uses more Kindle battery life (it’s powered by the Kindle 3 — and I noticed a definite drain on the battery from using the light)

UPDATE: I used the Kindle light for a couple days now, and the battery life goes down noticeably as you use the light (esp. if you keep the wireless “On”). Last night I read with the light for about 2 hours after a full charge and today the battery looks down about 15%. At that rate of use (with no wireless constantly “On” and regular reading in the daylight), I estimate the battery will need charging after approx. 1 week.

If the overall cover+Kindle weight is an issue for you–more than protecting your Kindle and the handy light–then this cover is not for you.

Kindle Lighted Leather Cover alone = 233 grams or 8.2 oz

Kindle Lighted Leather Cover + Kindle 3 = 447 grams or 15.75 oz. (almost 1 lb.)

Thickness: Kindle cover + Kindle 3 = 3/4 inch

I have to say I’m getting used to the weight with the cover as I use it. The piece of mind of extra Kindle protection, plus a handy light whenever you need it, is worth the trade off for me.

Rating:

The size is absolutely perfect. In the Amazon cover, it is exactly like reading from a paperback book. It’s noticeably lighter and easier to hold for reading, even with arthritis in my hands. The page turn buttons are wonderful. Almost no noise, and you don’t have to push them as hard. It should make it much easier for those with weak or disabled hands. I also like have next page and previous buttons on both sides. I didn’t think it would make a difference to me, but it really does.

I tried a couple of times to connect the WiFi, but didn’t get it to work. Today I had more time so I thought I’d try to puzzle through it. But when I navigated to the wireless menu, it had somehow figured out how to connect on its own. The browser is MUCH faster, and it made buying a book a breeze.

I haven’t had it long enough to comment on the extended battery life. But I was honestly fine with the more than 10 days I always got with K2.

And the FONTS! My word what a difference! I can practically read in the dark! I’ve been able to reduce the font size from 4 to 2. Combine sharper contrast with better fonts and it’s an unbeatable combo.

The ONLY thing I would change if I could is to move the Menu button, and especially the Back button. I’m having a little trouble navigating with the down arrow because I hit Back. But I’m starting to get the hang of it.

All in all, I think Amazon hit it out of the park with the K3!

Rating:

UPDATE 9/7/2010: Hey guys – based on the comments received there are definitely some questions that people are interested in that I didn’t touch on in my video review – so I wanted to take some time to answer some of those questions here. Hopefully this is helpful!

Q: Is the Kindle 3 backlit? If not, then how do you see it at night?

A: The Kindle 3 is not backlit. For the Kindle 2 I used a leather case with a reading light clipped to it. For the Kindle 3 Amazon produced a leather case that has a built-in reading light. I’ve been using it since day 1 and I love it. I made a video review for that also if you want to check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R27V1SXQSI9M86/

Q: How well does the new joystick control work?

A: The new Kindle replaces the old five-way navigation joystick with a center button surrounded by a thin 4-way directional control. After messing around with both of these approaches, I don’t really have a strong personal preference one way or another – they both work fine for me.

If you have big hands then I can definitely see having a bit of trouble getting used to the new joystick. The directional control is very thin, and if you’re going to have trouble with any button on the Kindle… that’s definitely going to be the one.

Q: How is viewing PDFs on the Kindle 3? Are they easy to upload onto the Kindle?

A: Uploading PDFs to the Kindle is very easy. You just connect your Kindle to your computer via USB cable and then drag and drop the PDFs. Totally simple. Viewing them is pretty decent, but the major problem is that most PDFs aren’t designed for a 6 inch screen. You might have to do a lot of zooming and panning to see the content you want. If you plan on viewing a ton of PDFs, then you may want to check out the Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7″ Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally Latest Generation.

Q: How well does the text-to-speech work?

A: It’s ok. You definitely won’t mistake it for a professionally produced audiobook, but it doesn’t sound as bad as you may think it will. Also note that text-to-speech is not available for every book. You can see on the product page for each Kindle book if text-to-speech is enabled or not.

Rating:

Without a doubt, the size and weight of the new kindle is the biggest draw for me. It’s smaller than the last edition by a significant margin. I’ve played around with the Kindle 2 and was impressed, but now looking at the size of the new Kindle, I’m blown away. It’s the absolute perfect size. Smaller would be unmanageable and larger wouldn’t feel nearly as good. This is a device that you can hold up, read, and just forget that it’s there. Compared to other e-readers I’ve tried, it’s much smaller and much lighter.

One of my biggest complaints about the previous generation Kindles and the DX is the speed. It sometimes takes a while after you push `next page’ for it to actually change. In addition, the web browsing feature was so slow and clunky that it is really unusable in my opinion. Two additions to the new Kindle have helped attenuate these issues. First, the pages do flip quicker (albeit, still slow in my opinion), and the addition of wifi has allowed faster connection for wireless activities (much better than only relying on 3G). I still can’t see myself using the Kindle as an internet browsing tool or really doing much online aside from purchasing reading material, but the faster connection at least opens up the possibility – something that would only frustrate me on previous editions.

The new Kindle also offers a better contrast than previous editions and it looks fantastic compared to every other e-reader I have seen. I have no trouble seeing the screen in dim light or in bright sunlight – it really opens up the ability to read almost anywhere you are. Of course, you’ll still need a separate light for extremely dark areas.

Another big addition to the Kindle 3 is that it offers double the storage compared to Kindle 2. I’ve never had a problem with the amount of storage since I can’t possibly see myself filling up that much space (I don’t put mp3′s on it), but perhaps in the future, if certain applications or media files are put on the kindle, it could have been a problem. The additional space in the new model is definitely a welcome addition, but bringing back the memory card slot that was included on Kindle 1 would have been an even more welcome addition in my opinion.

Among e-readers, I definitely recommend the Kindle 3 if not just because it has a better size/form-factor, contrast, battery life, and speed compared to every other e-reader I have tried. On top of that, you get the wonderful amazon buying experience and selection for all your literature and can keep your kindle library intact between whatever other device you want to download a Kindle application onto.

The question of whether you need a Kindle vs another type of device for reading becomes a little more tricky and really comes down to what you want to use it for.

Do you want a device to read novels on, perhaps read outside, and have something very light that you almost forget it’s there? Buy the Kindle.

Do you want something to lie in bed with for short periods of time while surfing the web? I might suggest going with the iPad, a different tablet, or a netbook.

Do you already have a Kindle 1 or 2? That’s a tough one…. I don’t think the new edition has enough `new’ to it to warrant the upgrade in my mind, but some might value the new size and wifi capabilities even more-so than I do. For me, the new Kindle was a welcome addition to my family of devices since I didn’t have anything anywhere near its form factor and convenience.

Should you get 3G + Wifi or just Wifi? I think this question can be answered simply by asking yourself if you travel a lot. Being able to buy books and access wireless content on the road is an indispensable option and well worth the extra money in my mind. Keeping the device mainly at home or near wifi hotspots really negates the need for 3G though.

Overall, I have to give the Kindle a 5 star rating because it does what it was designed to do very well, and in my opinion better than any of the competition. While the new features and capabilities aren’t game-changing and truly outstanding, it is smaller, more capable, and better than any other e-reader out there. If you want `one device to handle it all’, this isn’t the place to look, but If you want a fantastic device solely for reading books, this is what you want.

Rating:

My overall impression of the device is good.

The good:

I’d honestly rather read linear (read from page one to the end, one page at a time) fiction from it than a book, because I can’t always get comfortable with a book. Hardcovers are sometimes a bit heavy, and paperbacks don’t always lie open easily. The Kindle is incredibly light and thin. I can hold it in one hand easily. The page turn buttons are conveniently located. Page-turns aren’t instant, but they’re probably quicker than turning a physical page in a printed book (there are just a lot more page-turns unless you choose a small font). The contrast is better than other ereaders I’ve seen. There is zero eye strain in good light. My eyesight isn’t the greatest and I like being able to increase the font size and read without glasses. I love being able to browse the Kindle store and read samples before deciding to purchase. The “experimental” browser is surprisingly usable, but isn’t great. It is useful for browsing wikipedia and blogs. The biggest drawback to the browser is the awkward pointer navigation, using the 5-way pad. It syncs your furthest read page over the internet so you can pick up where you left off using your iPhone or iPad.

The so-so:

The kindle store could use more categories and sorting options. You can’t sort by “top rated,” and there is no category for “alternate histories,” for example. Finding a very-specific type of fiction relies on keyword searches, which don’t do a great job. The wifi sometimes doesn’t connect before it times-out. You rarely need the wifi, but it is annoying if you change a setting, answer “OK” to the prompt to connect, and the thing tells you it failed to connect two seconds later (the exact moment it indicates that it did finally connect, then you need to go back to update the setting again). Most settings don’t require a connection, but it is a minor annoyance. Most of your time will be spent reading, and of course your books are stored on the device and a connection is not required. Part of me wishes I’d bought the 3G model, because the browser is good enough that having lifetime free 3G wireless would be worth the extra money. Magazines don’t look very good and are not very easy to navigate. There is minor glare in some lighting conditions, mostly when a lamp is positioned behind the reader’s head.

The bad:

The contrast is fair to poor in dim light. It is much easier to read a printed page in dim light. In good light, contrast is on par with a pulp paperback. In dim light it feels almost like reading from an old Palm Pilot (resolution is better than an old Palm, but contrast is bad in dim light). The screen is small enough that the frequency of page turns is pretty high. Even in good light, the light gray background is less pleasant than the eggshell background of a printed page. You must tell it to sync before you switch it off, if you expect the feature allowing you to pick up where you left off using other devices to work correctly. The copy protection prevents you from using the files on anything other than Kindle software or devices.

Vs iPad:

IPad is a lot better for magazines, reference materials, and illustrated materials. Kindle is worlds better for reading novels. IPad is pretty heavy, making it more difficult to hold in your hand or carry with you everywhere. Kindle is much more portable and easier to hold. IPad has some amazing children’s books and magazines, which take advantage of its multimedia features. IPad is unreadable in sunlight and glare is bad in bright light. Kindle is as good as a printed page in bright light. Ipad serves as a creative tool, a computing tool, a gaming tool, and a communication tool. Kindle is only a novel machine. I don’t regret buying either one of them. An iPad won’t replace books, but a Kindle can, if the book is text-only.

I highly recommend this device at its new low price if you are a frequent reader of novels. I love my kindle. Just don’t expect it to be more than it is. Leave the magazines and such to the tablet computers.

Rating:

First, reasons why we prefer the kindle over nook:

* Page refresh speed

Kindle 2 was twice as fast as nook, Kindle 3 is slightly faster yet. However, I read a whole book on the nook and didn’t find page refresh to be so slow as to be annoying. You get used to it, and automatically develop the habit of pressing the page turn button a second before you need it.

* Navigation speed

Here is where the kindle has a huge advantage. Moving the cursor around the screen (e.g. to select things) is way, way, way better on kindle than nook. When you use the rocker button (on kindle 3, or the joystick on kindle 2), the cursor moves almost immediately. In contrast, when you use the “virtual rocker button” on nook’s color touch screen, there’s a noticeable lag before the cursor moves. Plus, just to get to the cursor control on the nook, you have to turn on its color touch screen (which is normally off when not in use, to save battery power). This adds to the lag time. [UPDATE: Nook will soon get a software update that supposedly speeds up performance, specifically navigation and page turns. If this were a software issue, why wasn't it fixed a long time ago? No software update can compensate for a slow processor.]

* Screen contrast

You’ve seen Amazon’s claims that the Kindle 3 e-ink has 50% better contrast. I can tell you, it makes a difference, particularly in low light conditions, when you have to strain a little to make out the not quite as dark characters on Kindle 2 and Nook. When lighting is not ideal, it’s much easier and more pleasant to read on Kindle 3 and Kindle DX than on Nook or Kindle 2.

* Battery life

The nook’s color LCD touch screen drains its battery quickly – I could never get more than 5 days out of a charge. We got at least 7 days or more on the Kindle 2, and the Kindle 3 uses a battery with more capacity than Kindle 2′s battery. My wife and I each get at least 3 weeks of battery life between charges (we keep wireless off about half the time).

* Weight

Nook weighs about 3 ounces more than the new Kindle, and you can really feel the difference. Without a case, Nook is still light enough to hold in one hand for long reading sessions without fatigue. But in a case, Nook is a heavy sucker and wears you out after a while. I found myself taking Nook out of its case when I was reading Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest. The new Kindle 3 is so light, even in a case, my wife and I find it comfortable holding in one hand for long reading sessions.

Reasons some people might prefer the nook:

* In-store experience

If you need help with your nook, you can take it to any barnes and noble and get a real human to help. You can take your nook into the coffee shop section of your local B&N store and read any book for free for up to one hour per day. When you take your nook to B&N, some in-store special deals and the occasional free book pop up on your screen.

* User-replaceable battery

After a year or two of moderate use, the battery will start to lose its ability to hold a charge. Nook’s battery is user-replaceable and relatively inexpensive. To replace Kindle’s battery, you must ship your Kindle to Amazon. Amazon’s customer service told me that they ship you back a DIFFERENT kindle (though the same model as yours) with a new battery inside. I really don’t like this, at all.

* ePub and loaning e-books

Nook uses the ePub format, a widely used open format. Amazon uses a proprietary ebook format. Many libraries will “lend” ebooks in the ePub format, which works with nook but not kindle. Nook owners can “loan” ebooks they purchased to other nook owners for up to two weeks. You can’t do this with kindle.

[UPDATE: Kindle will soon get the same lending feature that Nook has.]

* Nook’s color LCD touchscreen

This could be a pro or con, depending on your preferences. It makes nook hipper and less drab than kindle. Some people enjoy using the color LCD to view their library or navigate. I did, at first. But after two weeks of use, and comparisons with my wife’s kindle, I found the dedicated buttons of the kindle easier and far quicker to use than the nook’s color touchscreen. I also found the bright light from the color screen distracting when I was trying to read a book or newspaper (though when not in use, it shuts off after a minute or so to conserve battery).

A few other notes:

* MP3 player

I’ve used it on the Kindle 3, and it has less features than a first-generation ipod shuffle: no way to select a specific track to hear, let alone see the name of the currently playing track.

* Web browser

The browser on Kindle 3 is easier to use than Nook’s browser, particularly when navigating. But neither is really very good, most people will probably use their e-reader’s browser only in a pinch.

* PDF support

Viewing PDFs is better on Kindle 3 than on Kindle 2 or nook, but still not that great. You have to zoom in on part of the page and pan around to read the page, which is slightly cumbersome; this is less an issue on Kindle DX, because of the DX’s much bigger display. Graphics in my PDF documents don’t usually display correctly on Kindle, and sometimes Kindle can’t even open the PDF file if it has certain kinds of graphics. I imagine the only worthwhile use of Kindle’s PDF compatibility would be if you’re trying to read an e-book that comes in PDF format, provided it was pre-formatted for reading on a device with a 6″ display. Of course, you can convert many PDF documents to Kindle’s native format (you do this by attaching the PDF document to an email that you send to a certain address).

SUMMARY:

Nook and Kindle each offer their own advantages. We like the nook’s user-replaceable battery, compatibility with ePub format, and in-store experience. But we strongly prefer Kindle 3 because its performance is far zippier, it’s screen is easier to read, and its smaller and lighter so it’s more portable and more comfortable to hold in one hand for long reading sessions.

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UPDATE 10/17/2010:

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There are 200+ comments here, and many commenters have posted extremely helpful replies. There are a few questions that keep getting asked over and over, which I’ll address here

So that you don’t have to wade through all the comments, I’ll summarize what I see as the key points from the discussion. Keep in mind that much of the great info that follows comes from other Amazon customers who took the time to contribute.

1) Kindle’s battery

a) Thanks to commenters for pointing out that 3rd party internet retailers will sell you a replacement battery and include instructions on how to change it yourself. (Some post a video showing how to do it.) This is not only much cheaper than Amazon’s option, you also keep your own Kindle. Opening the Kindle will void the warranty, but it’s not likely the battery will die before the warranty expires – and if it does, Amazon replaces it at no cost to you.

b) Other commenters obtained objective information about the life of the battery that comes in the Kindle 3, and after doing some math, calculated that the original battery in the Kindle will live for 3-6 years. I’ll probably upgrade to a newer model before the battery in my Kindle 3 dies, so I’m no longer concerned about this issue.

c) My wife and I get a LOT of battery life out of our kindles between charges. She uses hers an hour a day, I use mine about 2 hours a week. We each keep the wireless off about 2/3 of the time, and we both get three or more weeks before we have to recharge.

2) 3G vs. wifi

3G and wifi are two ways for the kindle to connect to the internet. You don’t need an internet connection to read ebooks and newspapers that are already on your device. You need a connection to download new content to your kindle, and also to use kindle’s browser to surf the internet. Let’s suppose for the moment that you don’t use Kindle’s browser very often.

If you don’t have wifi at home, you should probably get the 3G model, otherwise you’ll have to take your kindle to a wifi hotspot every time you want to download a book or newspaper.

If you do have wifi at home, you can probably survive without the 3G version. What about when you’re away from home? If you read ebooks while traveling, just load up your kindle with a few ebooks before leaving home. It becomes an issue if you subscribe to a daily periodical on your Kindle, like the New York Times; then, it’s handy to have 3G so that you continue to get your new issues every day. Yet, wifi hotspots are popping up everywhere – many of them free – so 3G connectivity is less and less a necessity for many of us. And, 3G coverage is not universal – I have two sets of relatives I see regularly who live in areas where 3G coverage is spotty; but in both of those towns, the hotels I stay in have free wifi, so I’m covered.

If you use Kindle’s web browser frequently, it may be worthwhile to get the 3G model. I don’t really like Kindle’s web browser, and my phone has a good web browser and display, so there’s almost never a need for me to use Kindle’s browser.

Most of this argues for getting the cheaper wifi version. But there are reasons to consider the 3G version. First, the extra money you pay for the 3G version buys you unlimited lifetime free 3G service; thinking of it this way, the price really doesn’t seem unreasonable. Second, the more you’re away from home, the more likely you’ll find yourself in a situation in which wifi isn’t available but 3G coverage is good; probably not TOO often, but once in a while. Then, it’s nice to have 3G, especially if you get a daily periodical or if you want to download a new ebook.

3) Amazon’s proprietary format, ePub, Calibre

It’s true, with a nook, you can “borrow” ebooks from a library, if those ebooks are in the ePub format. Some commenters have said this works well on their nook; other commenters have said the selection of ebooks at some libraries is frustratingly small. Whether you have a Nook or a Kindle, check out the free Calibre software. Calibre works with Kindle, Nook, and most major ereader brands. It allows you to convert ebooks from one format to another (so long as the ebook file is not copy-protected). You can convert ePub files into a format that works well with the Kindle. Calibre is very reputable and reliable. I am just starting to use it, and it works well for me. I no longer feel tied to Amazon’s proprietary format. Though, frankly, I LIKE shopping Amazon’s store from my kindle and buying Amazon kindle books. I will probably continue to get the vast majority of my content from Amazon, so the fact that the kindle uses a proprietary Amazon format isn’t really a problem for me.

4) PDF files

Nook does not have native PDF support. When you put a PDF file on your nook, nook converts it into an ebook-like file, then you can adjust the font size and the text and pagination will adjust just like with any ebook. But you cannot see the original PDF file in the format it was created.

Kindle 3 and Kindle DX have native support for PDF files. You can see PDF files just as they would appear on your computer. You can also convert PDF files to an ebook-like format, and then Kindle handles them just the way the Nook handles them – text and pagination adjust when you change the font size.

Unfortunately, some symbols, equations, and graphics get lost or mangled in the translation – even when viewing PDF files in their native format on the Kindle.

Moreover, the small screen size of the Kindle 3 is not great for PDF files, most of which are designed for a larger page size. You can zoom and pan, but this is cumbersome and tiresome. Thanks to commenters who suggested viewing PDF files in landscape mode; this way, you can see the entire top half of the page without panning, and then scroll down to the bottom half. This works a little better.

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UPDATE 10/26/2010:

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Today, a new color version of the Nook was announced. It is a very different product from the ones I wrote about above. The color nook uses a color LCD display, not the eInk displays found on the Kindle and (original) Nook. This is a huge difference. It means that reading a book on a new color nook will feel like reading it on a computer monitor or an iPad. The color Nook is also heavier – almost twice as heavy as Kindle. It only comes with wifi, not 3G. And its battery is only rated at 8 hours before needing a recharge, whereas the original nook gets a week and the new Kindle gets 2-4 weeks. On the plus side, it has a touch screen and will run a limited selection of apps. If you want a device for reading books, Kindle or the original Nook are much easier on the eyes, and much less expensive. If you want a device with a color touchscreen for consuming all kinds of entertainment, an iPad might be a better choice, but the color Nook is worth checking out if you can’t afford an iPad.