The latest in Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader family – the DX was announced in early May, just a few weeks after the launch of the Kindle 2 in February. Ever since then Kindle owners and potential owners have been speculating about just how big the changes and enhancements in the DX when compared with the Kindle 2 really were. If you’re an existing Kindle owner or if you’re an avid reader wondering which of the two devices would be the best for your needs, then check out the comparison below:

Display

The Kindle DX has a 9.7" display (measured from corner to corner, across the diagonal) - which is two and a half times larger than the Kindle 2's 6" screen. Apart from the obvious size advantage, the DX screen has an auto-rotate feature which lets you switch from the standard portrait mode to landscape mode simply by turning the reader on its side. This makes the DX better suited for reading newspapers, magazines and other publications which contains graphics.

Overall Device SizeThe DX has overall dimensions of 10.4″ X 7.2″ X 0.38" and weighs 18.9 ounces. The Kindle 2 has overall dimensions of 8" X 5.3″ X 0.36″ and a weight of 10.2 ounces. So, although the Kindle DX certainly isn't too cumbersome to carry around, the Kindle 2 is the more portable of the two readers.

On Board Memory Storage Capacity

The DX has 4 GB of internal memory – which equates to storage for approximately 3,500 books. The Kindle 2 has 2GB of onboard memory, good for about 1,500 books - pretty good really, and enough to keep most people supplied with reading material for a long while, but still less than the DX.

PDF Support

The Kindle 2 can read pdf files – but only after you e-mailed them to Amazon for conversion. There is a fee - albeit fairly nominal - for the conversion. All things considered, a bit of a hassle. The DX on the other hand has pdf support built in so you can just load up your pdf files and read them with no conversion, no fee and no fuss.

Price

The Kindle 2 is currently available for $359. When the DX ships on June 10^th it will cost you $489. It's hardly surprising that the price is somewhat higher than the Kindle 2, the larger screen is one of the most expensive items in the device so a higher price point is to be expected. If you compare the DX's $489 ticket price with the $859 of the iRex Illiad - a similar 10" ebook reader - the DX doesn't look quite so expensive anymore.

Final Analysis

Although the Kindle 2 is relatively new, and was itself a big step forward in comparison with the original Kindle, the DX offers significant further enhancements. The bigger display and the ability to handle pdf files is enough to justify you spending a little extra - especially when you compare the prices of other similarly sized ebook readers on the market. Unless Amazon drop the price of the Kindle 2 following the launch of the DX, go for the DX option.