Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

(Preliminary note: despite the date on my review, this is a review of "Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 9.7" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology," the latest version as of spring 2011 when I wrote this. I have slowly updated my review as new software updates have come out, and now I have the new hardware to review as well. Be warned that many older reviews may be for the first- or second-generation DX, since Amazon doesn't seem to see a problem with lumping them all together.) First, I'll mention the usual stuff that other people have: the e-ink screen is very readable (nothing like an LCD, which is good for both eyes and battery life). I think the new "pearl" screen on the new (graphite) DX has increased contrast and perhaps a slightly whiter background, as well, which is nice. (Or it could be the graphite bezel tricking my eyes; either way, I like it.) There are so many positives, along with the fact that it's convenient to carry this instead of a bunch of books or papers. I've been using the DX since it was first released, and there have been several nice updates along the way. Be warned if you read older reviews: some of the bad things have been taken care of. For example, "collections" now act like folders, allowing you to organize your files, and the PDF viewer has gained some zoom functionality, although you still have few options as to where exactly to zoom. You can look elsewhere for the advantages of this device, which I have summarized above; in short, it isn't terrible, and I've really enjoyed it. However, there are a few cons I wish I would have known, especially before purchasing the latest generation: * I expected this device to get all the love the Kindle 3 has gotten. For example: ** Kindle 3 has a new WebKit-based experimental browser; the one still has something like the original DX software. Usable (and has saved me from getting lost outside a city once!) but a bit awkward. ** Kindle 3 has WiFi and 3G (or, optionally, Wi-Fi only). Kindle DX has 3G only. It's (currently?) free for most things, which is nice, but Wi-Fi would be great to have at home or school because it's so much fater. Without reading the specs too closely, I really expected the new DX to have it and was disappointed when it didn't. ** Kindle 3 has a new 5-way controller with actual buttons; this one still has the original DX joystick-like mechanism. I don't have a strong preference one way or the other and actually like using the joystick to browse through links or words in a dictionary lookup, but I do sometimes accidentally move it to a side when I mean to press it down. The discrete buttons do not have this problem. * Like the new Kindle 3 (but unlike previous Kindles except the DX line), the number row on the keyboard has been merged with the upper QWERTY row. This means you need to type Alt+letter to get the desired number. I don't understand why; it's much more cumbersome when you're trying to go to a location number or need to type a number for any reason, and the DX is big enough and the keys small enough that they should have room. However, my main concern is that the Kindle 3 got many updates that the DX did not. Some are hopefully software-fixable (e.g., Web browser), but some are mysteriously and, presumably, permanently absent in the hardware (e.g., Wi-Fi).