My 3 takeaways on the Kindle DX

First here is a good video from the Wall Street Journal which shows the differences between the Kindle 2 and the DX.

Now for my takeaways:

1. $489 is a steep price, but the talk of subsidies could make the DX more palatable. Look at the cell phone model and specifically the iPhone. Although the problem will be how much of a subsidy is reasonable given a paper subscription averages about $15 a month vs. AT&T minimum plan of $70 a month. The $199 iPhone pricing skyrocketed sales; in order to meet that figure newspapers or magazines would need to subsidize $290 of the DX's price. Over a 2 year subscription that is $12 a month. This does not leave newspapers or magazines with a lot room to work with. Maybe a subsidy of $130 or $5.41 per month is more appropriate making the DX the price of a Kindle 2. I have a feeling this is the target they are shooting for. This will be an interesting experiment.
2. Will individuals be swayed by the screen size and readability factor or just purchase a Netbook for that price? I think the DX will be a dud unless it is subsidized; still with a subsidy I find it expensive compared to a Netbook and its functionality.
3. Do you really want to carry around another device? Over the years I have been trying to carry around fewer devices. When I travel I carry a small factor laptop (Fujitsu U810), an iPhone or Windows Mobile device, a Sony HDRCX12 camcorder and an iGo multicharger. I can fit it all it into a small over the shoulder bag. Do I want to add a Kindle 2, probably not…and certainly not another device the size of a Kindle DX.

An interesting tidbit from Jeff Bezzos was that books with a Kindle version derive 35% of their sales from Kindle users.