In this post I’d like to elaborate on a question: Is there a market for a Kindle with larger screen size (I think next logical Kindle screen size would be somewhere in between 7 and 8 inches)?
At the moment of this review there are two available screen sizes for Kindle. Small version has 6 inch screen and DX version has 9.7 inch screen. Kindle DX screen is quite large and great for reading text books, magazines, newspapers and books with illustrations. But for other books it could be way too large.
Kindle 3G and Kindle WiFi have screen sizes very similar to small paperback books. Kindle 3G/WiFi screen measures to 3.6 in (91 mm) × 4.8 in (122 mm) which is similar to “sixteenmo” page size (the page size of a book made up of printer’s sheets folded into sixteen leaves, each leaf being approximately 4 by 6 inches). It is great format since it is very compact but at the same time it is limited to how much information will fit to one page. Especially this starts to affect your reading experience when you use font scaling.
Even though page turn times significantly improved from first generation of e-Ink – this operation is still time consuming and besides pressing next page button also requires moving your sight from right bottom corner of the screen back to left top corner on each page turn. And flash of the screen doesn’t add to comfort either. Thus by using e-reader with slightly bigger screen may lead to less tired eyes.
E-readers with small screens may be quite useful for people who read very fast since they can scan through entire lines without moving their sight left and right – since on a small screen you can see entire line in focus. But I think number of folks who can read page diagonally in several seconds is quite limited so I won’t consider this as a significant part of this analysis.
Then there is weight and size issue. I highly doubt that increasing screen size by one inch would significantly impact weight. But many people take Kindle with them while travelling and since current Kindle is very compact it could fit in most of the bags – even small ones (on my travels I usually have 17 inch laptop with me so Kindle weight and size is not an issue in my case). So for those who like to carry Kindle in their handbags increasing size of the kindle even by an inch could cause issues. That’s why having two different models may be helpful.
I personally prefer to read books in slightly larger format than what Kindle currently provides. So if Amazon would offer version of Kindle with 7 or 8 inch screen then I would definitely purchase it. What about you – do you think that Kindle with larger screen would make any difference for you?
I switched to reading my Amazon books on my iPad because the Kindle and its successors don’t display technical books very well. Program listings get mangled too badly.
The DX might be better, but at almost $400.00 I might as well buy an iPad, which I did. I still prefer to buy books from Amazon.
An intermediate size might be better than the small Kindle, but it would have to pass the technical book test, and the price would have to be right.
I wish Amazon would provide a way to get user content onto the iPad. It’s driving me to the ePub format.
I have been waiting for a DX with wifi, due to the larger screen.
If a 7 or 8 inch screen was announced with wifi I would buy it…
I have a Kindle DX and the screen size is the right for me. I will like a keyboard like the one in iPad, then the size will be smaller, lighter with no compromise of the screen. And cheaper prize. I like it mostly for reading.
Best Regards
fast readers are most affected by the page turn delay and small screen real estate (this is why I upgraded to the DX, I can hit 1200 wpm
a mid-size screen runs the risk of being too large to carry comfortably, while still being too small for displaying ‘full size’ pdf documents, but it would all depend on the price of the result. i could see it going either way.
I would also love a kindle with a slightly larger screen – 7 inches even… I am holding out buying as kindle for that very reason. I would get a dx but its not available directly in the UK and ordering it in results in higher shipping charges, VAT and duties which just makes it unaffordable.
Larger would mean heavier and less convenient and probably more expensive. The current size is just right for me.