Amazon.com Inc. on Wednesday plans to unveil a new version of its Kindle e-book reader with a larger screen and other features designed to appeal to periodical and academic textbook publishers, according to people familiar with the matter.

Beginning this fall, some students at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland will be given large-screen Kindles with textbooks for chemistry, computer science and a freshman seminar already installed, said Lev Gonick, the school’s chief information officer. The university plans to compare the experiences of students who get the Kindles and those who use traditional textbooks, he said. [via wsj]

So what do we already know about what people are calling the “Kindle DX”? The following information has pretty much been confirmed:

• The 6-inch display has been increased to 9.7-inches
• There is an included PDF reader
• Added ability for note-taking and annotation
• The price of newspaper subscriptions might be dropped. Specifically mentioned was the NY Times, which makes sense because Arthur Sulzberger Jr. is said to be making an appearance tomorrow.
• The web browser will have improved functionality, though it’s not clear if this will be over the 3G Whispernet service
• Amazon has made deals to have the new Kindle in the hands of college students for the fall semester. Specifically Pace, Princeton, Reed, University of Virginia, and Arizona State were mentioned.