Comments on: Kindle DX VS iRex Digital Reader 1000 / 1000s

By: Jym

Jym — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:23:06 +0000

Overall, KDX seems more appealing batterywise and wider file format compatibility. Annotation with stylus and the fact that can add a removable storage for virtually unlimited number of books are also ver appealing.

Can someone tell me which one uses battery that is user-replaceable when battery is totally dead. I dislike iphones, ipodtouch for the reason that you have to send them back to Apple for battery servicing when dead. My “portable” PDA is not poratble at all anymore as it needs to be constantly connected to power since battery is irreplaceable by me.

By: Gu Si Fang

Gu Si Fang — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:38:40 +0000

I have two questions :
- which one has the shortest power on?
- which one is faster while browsing a pdf ebook with many pages?

The reason I ask is that I find there is still a lot of waiting time on my DR1000S. I will change for a DX if it really provides a more fluid user experience.

By: steve

steve — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:00:33 +0000

i was very close to buying a kindle dx until i started reading about the pdf – if they fixed that i would get it!!!

At the moment though i leaning towards the irex

By: Jerry Simecka

Jerry Simecka — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:15:49 +0000

I have a DR1000S. I got it soon after it was released. When it first came out, it was buggy, and the newest (1.6) firmware does make it useable. The big difference from the Kindle is the ability to write notes on the screen, but the battery life is not as good as the Kindle. You can probably get 5 – 6 hours of continuous use on a charge. This is considerably improved from the initial release, as the power management system is being improved. This may be enough for most people, but if you are on a long flight, it is not enough. In addition, the battery drains even if you are not using the device, and so, you need to be aware of that.

You can shift to landscape mode with the 1000S, but it is through a menu selection.

Another advantage of the 1000S, however, is that it seems to fully support pdf, including table of contents, links, etc. This can be a useful feature, and as I understand it, the Kindle DX does not support this.

There are some annoying issues with the 1000S, besides the power management. The buttons do work, but they do not feel very responsive sometimes. (I think the latest firmware has improved this to a significant degree.) Navigation is easy, but sluggish at times. However, the use of a stylus for can be annoying. The ability to write on screen is great, but it can be tricky to read what you wrote as this feature still needs some improvement. However, the company (IRex) has steadily been releasing firmware updates, which has improved the function of the device.

Overall, the 1000S is a nice unit. It is still buggy, but it has a lot of features that make it great for the academic/professional who wants to use it. If the Kindle DX would fully implement the features of pdf files, such as table of contents, links, and reflow after zooming, as well as add folders/file management and the ability to annotate, it would probably be the device to get in most situations. The 1000S has been improving, but the battery life issue still needs some work. I would still recommend the 1000S, but I am still considering getting a Kindle DX if it appears some of the above features are addressed.

By: Mel Cooper

Mel Cooper — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:53:09 +0000

I would like to have a fair review of the readability of both screens for pdf textbooks. Zooming and reflowing is not enabled on the Kindle which could be a problem. What about the contrast (Black on White) and font appareance on both models? Can someone produce picts of both models displaying the same document? Thanks