I think we all knew that the Kindle Keyboard 3G's days were limited and apparently they are now over, as this model has been removed from the current Kindle Family lineup at Amazon. Amazon is no longer taking orders on any of the Keyboard models, both are showing as out of stock and no known time when they will come back in (there are a few used ones that can be ordered).In the meantime, though, a model we all thought was gone for good has come back: the graphite Kindle DX, complete with free 3G and global coverage. From the specs and images I can see, this is identical to the 2nd generation Kindle DX that disappeared from their lineup earlier. For those who read a lot of PDF's, the DX's size is ideal; it can be a bit slow loading PDF's and those that are image only can be slow turning pages, but those are the same files that can be impossible to read on the smaller Kindles that are out there. If your eyesight isn't as good as it used to be, the DX lets you enlarge the print much more (and you get more words on the page when you do), plus it has sound support (which is lacking in the rest of the eInk Kindle line-up, at this point). That means you can use the Read-to-Me feature on your books and newspapers, as well as load up on audiobooks for the times when reading isn't as convenient. And, of course, you can listen to music and podcasts and there is a basic web browser for checking your email or shopping on the web.
I will say, I was hoping that the DX would return with a lit screen (essentially, a Paperwhite DX), preferably without losing features and memory, as has been the recent direction Amazon has taken with their devices. One by one, we've lost the ability to add books and music via SD card, then the keyboard, then sound entirely. Sure, some of those features are on the tablets, but none of those will give us 2-3 weeks of battery life (or even 3 days, for mine) and it is a lot easier (and faster) to transfer music and audiobook via an SD card than it is to try to reload them via the slow internet connection we have here (or find in most hotspots).
