One thing that has been lost in iPad mania is that many people are looking for a top notch document device.  I am one of those people.  I don’t need to carry the whole internet around, but I would like to be able to go on a trip with a nice library of books and a load of pdf documents.  

The new Kindle DX is definitely getting closer to being a superb portable document solution.  It has a big screen.  It is thin.  It has pdf support and a nice keyboard.  And, of course, it comes with free 3g wireless built into the price.  I also noticed that they’ve made it black instead of white.  It looks quite a bit like the much awaited, but maybe now not forthcoming, Plastic Logic Que.  

If the notetaking and highlighting functions are good with this new unit (the original Kindle is a little clunky in that respect to me — I really want a stylus), then this could be the device many professionals, academics, and students will want to have around.  The big battery life (say, a week) and the lack of eyestrain are big selling points.  I know the Apple folks downplay reading on a backlit screen, but I know from personal experience with the original Kindle that it does approximate a book whereas computer screens do not.

One more point of interest.  The new Kindle DX can apparently post highlighted passages of books and articles directly to twitter and facebook accounts.  That strikes me as a great additional feature.  Better still if it could post to wordpress and other blog platforms.