Amazon released the large-form Kindle DX this morning. Notable specs include:
- The $489 DX ($130 more than Kindle 2) will be shipped this summer. It’s currently available for pre-order through Amazon.com
- The DX screen measures 9.7 inches diagonally; 3.7 inches larger than the Kindle 2. Including the frame and keyboard, the DX is 10.4 inches high x 7.2 inches wide x 0.38 inches deep.
- The DX holds 3,500 books. Kindle 2 holds 1,500.
- The DX has built-in PDF support. The Kindle 2 requires conversion through the Personal Document Service, which was recently switched to a $0.15 per megabyte variable fee.
- Auto-rotation switches between portrait and landscape modes.
During this morning’s demonstration, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos addressed the DX’s two target markets: textbooks and newspapers. Bezos announced an agreement with Pearson, Cengage and Wiley to bring textbooks to the device.
In its live-blog coverage, Engadget offered this quote from Jeff Bezos in regard to newspapers:
“We’re pleased to announce that three papers have signed on with us, the NYT, Boston Globe, and the San Francisco Chronicle. They will offer reduced prices for long term commitments on subscriptions.”
Adam Ostrow from Mashable says the “reduced prices” pertain to the cost of the Kindle DX, but I’m looking for clarification. Technically, those price reductions could apply to subscription fees. The Kindle-based New York Times subscription currently costs $13.99 per month, and the Times may knock that monthly fee down in return for a multi-year commitment. More to come ….
(Update, 5/6/09, 2pm) — Ars Technica says a lower-cost DX will be available with newspaper subscriptions. Further details have not been announced.