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I don't generally write reviews, but I hope this one will be useful for other scientists who are contemplating a Kindle DX. My use for the DX will be different from most of the users who have posted reviews. I maintain a library of nearly 4,000 PDF manuscripts/grants/documents. I probably have minimal use for eBooks from the Kindle Store. The number of PDFs is constantly growing as new research manuscripts are published (and downloaded to my computer). My principle reasons for purchasing a DX were to:1) Carry the electronic equivalent of binders of PDFs with me when traveling. An iPod for PDFs. This is a metaphor that works for the way that I view an eReader, though it probably doesn't apply equally well to everyone.2) Have an easier way to read papers when traveling. Easier means not worrying about battery life, unfurling a laptop in a cramped airplane, or carrying a bag full of papers.3) Reduce eye strain from staring at a computer screen by moving serious reading from the laptop screen to the DX.From my preliminary use, I think the DX is a qualified success. Text in manuscripts looks great. Figures from manuscripts do not render well in portrait mode if there is a lot of detail; switching to landscape mode helps substantially. Zoom into individual images/sections of PDFs would be welcome.Navigating large numbers of PDFs from the home screen is currently clumsy. Lack of directory support to organize large numbers of files is an issue. I've read about users using complex naming…

Let's be honest - I got it for the looks, and the replaceable cord. It looks really, really good. But if you've tried out various headsets before, you'll know that you can get much better sound out of a set of open cans without the noise cancellation (see the ATH-ESW9s by Audio Technica -- the sound is far more rich, and you can still hear all the subtleties). We're paying for brand recognition here.Don't get me wrong -- the sound is still decent, but it feels dead without an equalizer. If you're going to use your headphones mainly at home, don't get these. If you're out and about and want to be seen with stylish headphones, then get these.

First off let me disclose the headphones I've owned;Beats Solo - Sold due to the ear "cups" being too small.Marshall Over Ear Headphones - Sold due to them being too tight and hurting my ears after about 20-30 minutes of use.iBeats Buds - Sold. Buds are not meant for me. Fall out far too easily.Sennheiser (Forgot the name. They were $80 at Best Buy.) - Returned them the day after I bought them because they crackled when listening to Deadmau5.Now why did I say that? Well I was where you were. Reading reviews trying to decide which headphones and basing my purchase on good reviews. Let me now explain why I landed on these and I'll go over some pro's and con's. First of all I have always been a fan of Bose. Despite some people completely overlooking them I think Bose has a solid track record for sound production. So after going to my local Best Buy and trying these I was hooked. Why? Comfort. These headphones are VERY comfortable to wear and very flexible. Their flexibility is not something to be worried about. They are very well built and feel solid to wear and hold. The sound is VERY clear. These are not designed to rattle your ears with bass. I do however love the Dr. Dre Beats and tried them out and loved the bass but could not justify $300 when their built as poorly as they are. So if you enjoy a crisp clear range of vocals and want to hear all the instruments I would highly recommend these. At first I tried these on my iPhone4 with the EQ off and they did sound a…

I just got them, plugged them in and OMG!!!!...That was my initial reaction to these beauties when the first notes came out. The sound quality far exceeds any phones I've owned to date and I don't by cheap gear. The balance between the lows, mids and highs is absolutely fabulous. Yes, the bass is pronounced and clear, but NOT booming. There is clarity within each of these frequencies without any crowding or irritating crossover between any frequency...nearly absolutely perfectly clear response. Yes, YOU WILL HEAR SOUNDS COMING FROM YOUR RECORDINGS THAT YOU HAVE NOT HEARD BEFORE!!! I put that in caps because I was a bit skeptical when I read that in some of the other reviews while doing my research on these phones.I hesitated for about a month on this purchase, because initially I was concerned about the price point for these phones. Now that I have heard them for several hours now, I must admit they are WELL worth the money. and I am very glad that I purchased them. I am totally satisfied with this purchase and if you are particular about the sound of your music, like I am, you should be as well. My music taste is extremely varied and includes Jazz, Classical, Gospel, R&B, Easy Listening, and POP, all of which have tested out fabulously on these phones!The build quality is excellent. They are very sturdy and look very impressive. THEY ARE COMFORTABLE!!! I'm not sure why some of the comments were a bit critical about the comfort of these phones. I have a fairly large head,…

In my previous Kindle (2nd generation) review, I called it the cheddar cheese on my omelet and the whipped cream on top of my frappuccino. Can't beat that - or can you? Hmmm... my favorite cold frappe is the caramel kind. If you are very lucky, the barista will drizzle a little extra caramel on top of the whipped cream. Yeah, the 3rd generation is kind of like that caramel. When you see it, you cannot believe your luck and you cannot decide if you should dive right in or take your time and savor it... Amazon has outdone themselves with the new generation. Wow. Wow. Wow. I opted for the wifi only version because I'm rarely without a hotspot and I don't need to use the browser on the go or download a book in a moving car or anything :)I think you can read the description for yourself so I'll concentrate on the differences. But, overall, reading on a Kindle is like nothing you imagine it will be. I always said that I would never get one. I wanted to keep my paper books and couldn't believe someone would want to read on that computer thing. Now I'm one of the biggest "enablers" of the Kindle. This thing gave my mother back the ability to read all books again (her eyesight is not what it used to be and you can adjust the font from tiny to very large - this is also great for me when I read in bed. I don't have to wear my glasses!). It also allowed me to clean up some of the stuff in my house. I used to hoard books. I still do, but they all fit in one little bitty Kindle now…

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2011:My review is now over a year old, as is the "Kindle Keyboard" as Amazon calls it now. There are newer models: the basic, cheapie Kindle and the Kindle Touch, and of course the Kindle Fire quasi-tablet.Each of these models is an excellent choice. Whichever one is right for you just depends on your preferences.The 3 e-ink Kindles are Kindle Keyboard (this one), Kindle Touch (the newest "flagship" model), and the basic Kindle. All 3 of them have EXACTLY THE SAME 6" DISPLAY, with the same sharp typeface and high contrast that reads like ink on paper with no eyestrain. The Kindle Keyboard is the oldest of these models, and I got one of the first ones when they came out in August 2010.I still absolutely LOVE my Kindle Keyboard and use it almost every day. I have read dozens of books on it. I like the newer models, they have some neat features, but the experience of reading a book on them is no better or worse than on my 1-year-old Kindle Keyboard. Page turns are now smoother and faster on the newest Kindles, but the difference is not enough to make it worth the cost of upgrading, in my opinion.The touch-screen interface of the Kindle Touch is pretty neat. But, unlike my iPad, I only use my Kindle to read books, and reading books is just as nice on any of the current Kindle models. I don't consider the touch screen a "must have" feature, and I'm normally obsessed with having the latest version of every tech product I own.For that…

The Sonos system is a fantastic option for anyone looking for an extremely easy (if not entirely economical) way to stream music with good sound quality throughout your house without destructive and cost prohibitive, non-adjustable, non-movable hard wiring. All it took was a zone bridge for the router in the office, a zone player 90 for my main house receiver and existing speakers, and S5's for each of the rooms where I wanted music but didn't have speakers, and I was up and running in under 20 minutes streaming music from Pandora, Napster and my iTunes library. The sound from the S5 is excellent for a single box, not-thousands-of-dollars speaker. One of my favorite things is the music integration -- when controlling the music from your iphone, it plays from a queue in which you can mix and match items from your Napster library and iTunes. I love being able to mix the music I just borrow from Napster with the music I own from iTunes. It moves seamlessly between the two -- you don't even notice a pause. Also, this is the only system I am aware of that can synchronize music throughout your house easily and perfectly. I can quickly move from playing a playlist throughout every speaker in the house, to just a couple of rooms, to just the room I am in, and back.Despite the five-star review and the fact that I love it, nothing is perfect and I know the negatives can be more helpful sometimes in making a decision than the positives, so here are a few things to keep in mind:(1) as noted…

This was the first purchase of a BEATS product and Im galad I bought it from a reputable outlet. So many copies out there its scary.Ive had these headphones for about a month now and just cant believe how great the sound is!No distortion at max volume even with big bass sound!Only if you realy need to should you take off the removable ear pads... they are a little tricky to get back on.They are a little heavier than some of my previous headphones being all metal but you soon get used to them.They come with a soft bag to place them in which is great for travelling to ensure they dont get scratched or damaged.They also look awesome in the mat black brushed aluminium finish.Look forward to using Amazon again in the futureId give them a 9/10Cheers

I have a Sonos system already with two ZP120's and two ZP90's as well as an iPod dock and to unpack and have Pandora playing on my Sonos Play 3 was 12 minutes. The large majority of the time was a software update and carefully cutting away the tape at the top of the package. Like all Sonos components, the set-up is easy and fast. Friends of mine have been blown away by how good my speakers sound running Pandora, internet radio and my iTunes library and I am not sure I understand WHY either-just that it is. Sonos sounds great.Positives: This item is not very big but produces big sound with full bass. I am a slight audiophile and cannot imagine being able to get much better sound out of a box that size. Great mids and excellent detail on the highs. I have it in a bedroom that is medium sized and of course it fills up the whole room with more than enough sound. I cannot imagine someone not being happy with this quality of sound given the size of this box.Easy to set-up and melds beautifully with your other Sonos components.Ability to meld with a 2nd Play 3 to form a more robust sound.Great sized footprint-not too big not too small.Only one wire-and that's the power plug. That gets you basically unlimited music from your library or online streaming as well as a robust and beautiful sound.Negatives: The item is average looking and not extremely attractive-but then again it's just a boxNo connections on the back except an ethernet port. No line in and certainly no option to power additional…

This is a terrific solution for those who want to connect digital music libraries wirelessly to an existing stereo setup. I have thousands of digital music files on an imac in the basement, where the router lives. The stereo is upstairs, with a multi-room speaker setup I didn't want to abandon. I coupled the Zone Player 90 plugged into the amplifier with a Sonos Soundbridge plugged into the router, and downloaded the Sonos Controller app to my iPod Touch. After a few tries, the network found the components and, voila, everything worked. I've been looking for years for this solution! It's fantastic having virtually the whole music library in my hand, with the ability to control everything from anywhere in the house. And the internet radio selection is amazing. Compared to my earlier approach, which was simply an iPod plugged into the amp, this is a great leap forward.

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)This is the first pair of headphones I have owned since iPod-esque earbuds first came into vogue some years ago, and I have forgotten the disadvantages to real headphones which led me to switch in the first place. These are obviously too large to be easily portable, though they did come with a traveling pouch. They're not practical for a strenuous workout, either, and good luck putting a hood over them during a meeting or lecture and hoping the speaker won't notice that you're not listening, if that's the sort of thing you do.These are issues endemic to the type of product this object is, compared to a related but different product. However, that should not overshadow the advantages of this product on the terms of what it is, and those are excellent. Thick padding around the edges of both ear pieces and on the bar connecting them that sits on top of the head makes the product very comfortable to wear (though I find it's even more comfortable reversed: with the side marked L on the right ear and the side marked R on the left ear, and the bar between them sitting much farther back on my scalp than it does when I wear it "properly.") Sound quality is top notch. They do a much better job than my earbuds of blocking out background noise and, I'm told, of containing the noise, so that other people nearby need not hear whatever I'm listening to.Then there are the accessories. I spoke of the pouch, which struck me…

I have used family members' e-readers and even gifted a couple Kindles in the past couple years. But I could never justify plunking down for an e-reader for myself until now. The reasons are many, including convenience. But the biggest probably was the savings factor, when I learned about the new Amazon Prime program. Below is a summary of the decision points I considered. Hope it is helpful to you in your decision:Cheaper than Paper - When you consider that Kindle-edition books are often the least expensive format on Amazon, even for new releases, if you read regularly it's a no-brainer. But that's the simple math. There are lots of low cost or free books available. And most impressive is the new Prime Lending program. With a Prime membership, one can borrow relatively new best sellers for free (up to 1 per month). Figuring one does this six times a year at $9.99 each, that alone covers the cost of the device over a 2-3 year life. Throw in library borrowing, which varies by area but is fairly broadly available, plus friend book lending for up to 14 days, and there are even more cost saving options.Convenience - When traveling with paper books, I always fretting bringing along a book I was close to finishing as then I would need a second as well. With the Kindle, I always have all my books in one place. I also find myself reading in places I otherwise wouldn't: At doctor appointments, having my car serviced, waiting in the car for someone. The Kindle is so easy to bring with…

I recently bought these from Amazon and been using them now for some days. Before buying I did quite extensive "research" on the alternatives, and based on all I read, these seemed to deliver best value given the price range.Reason I ended up buying these were price (good deal), expected quality of sound, size and weight of the noise cancelling unit itself - and they looked quite nice comparing to many other models I read about. Also the promise about 95% noise cancellation was very appealing.My main concerns were about the quality of the materials, how they fit and feel in the ear (when using for a longer period of time), how well they really cancel the noise and the length of the cord/cable.I still have not had a chance to use them in a train or airplane. But I have used them in a noisy office environment, so I think I pretty good idea about the features and abilities of these. So here's my verdict.The good- The sound quality is really good. This is among the best (in-ear) headsets I've tried. And what I like very much is that the sound quality is as good with and without the noise cancelling turned on. Ability to use the set even without noise cancelling turned on is a very good and appreciated feature.- There are four ear pieces in the package - and I found easily a well fitting pair from the package. I've used them long periods of time (eg 5 hours) without problems or my ears hurting one bit. There are individual differences of course, but for me these worked really…

First, let me say that I purchased and use my Kindle DX daily. I thought about how to accurately write this review for some time now. When it gets right down to it, all eReaders on the market - and the flood now hitting the market - use the same e-ink panels made by the same company, generally have the same features as far as reading an actual book, etc. When this was a niche product in a market with no real competition than the product would get a much higher rating. However, it is now a market with many choices. The only way to be fair about writing a review is to assume that there are some basic functions that MUST exist (wireless access, reader screen quality, basic zoom/bookmark features, etc.) that all e-readers today have. The review should be what is UNIQUE about the Kindle DX and review those features. If you just want to download a book and read it on an e-ink panel than every single e-reader on the market today will work fine.To that end, when looking at what makes the DX unique, I have to honestly say that I would not purchase this reader again - there are better options out there with several more just announced. After careful consideration, it becomes clear that Amazon just felt that they could get away with a sub-par device based on their name and position in the market.1) PDF issues: This is a larger format reader, presumably for the purpose of reading standard sized documents (8.5" by 11"). It is also being marketed heavily to students. Both of these…