Sony eReader vs. Kindle

[RitaE]

If your library offers books from the Overdrive system, you can get them onto the Kindle but it takes some work with Python scripts. Amazon frowns on it - their legal team has sent letters to a couple of websites requesting that the instructions be taken down. In addition, if you ask your library they will tell you it isn't possible because technically it is a hack and not supposed to be done. There are still plenty of places where you can learn how though. The most common formats coming from Overdrive are ePUB, secure PDF and MOBI. The MOBI files are the easiest to get onto the Kindle.

In general, ePUB is slowly emerging as the dominant format everywhere except with Amazon...all the smaller bookstores (booksonboard, shortcovers, etc) are becoming heavily dominant with ePUB.

There's another reader being released soon by iRex that looks very promising. It will be sold through Best Buy and Costco - supposedly in late October or early November and will download books from Barnes and Noble and from the Library Overdrive system.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/172447/best_buy_verizon_promote_irex_ereader.html

I have a Kindle 2 and I really like it. The battery life is awesome, I get good connectivity nearly everywhere and the book pricing at Amazon is extremely competitive and their Customer Service is top notch.

Still, if I were going to buy myself a new digital reader soon - I'd give the Sony and especially the new iRex a close look, just because that library access is very very tempting and getting the books onto the Kindle is a bit of a pain.

 

[luvmy3]

I went ahead and ordered the Sony this morning. I went with the simplest one, the pocket because I really like the compact size. Best Buy was runnng a promo that you get the pocket reader, a cover and a $25 Sony card for $230. I also joined My Rewards Zone a few days ago when I made a purchase so this one will give me a $5 certficate back, and I used MyPoints and this purchase put me over the minimum for a GC I had been wanting
If in the future if I find I need all the extras that come with the touch version or the Kindle, I'll pass this one onto dd and upgrade myself


OP, have you made a decision yet?

 

[Darcy03231]

Check out:

www.mobileread.com

Its a great place to get information and ask questions. I've been debating between the two (Kindle and Sony) for a while and based on the information I got there I've decided on the Sony.

 

[big_red_s]

I've actually been looking at e-readers even though I don't think the price point is low enough for a limited use gadget where I'm willing to get one (they need to either get cheaper or start selling books cheaper), I've been leaning towards the Sony.

If you check how Amazon uses the Kindle's wifi (and law suites involved) you'll get an ulcer, also I like Sony's open format as well as Google backing them up (you can download books from Google Books) as well as borrowing books from libraries.

I believe that the Kindle's high price point (on both the gadget and the books), their misuse of wifi and closed format will lose to Sony's open format and ability to join other technologies.

 

[maggiew]

When all said and done, I feel the Kindle wins the match. Although the toggle mouse is a little frustrating to use, the Kindle's ability to search and download titles over the air is a *HUGE* benefit. I've seen press releases on Sony coming out with a internet able device using AT&T within the next few months, but it's MSRP was noted at $499 and it doesn't support web browsing; the internet access only provides access to the Sony eBook Store. The Sprint Whispernet capability of the Kindle provides the most versatility of the device. You can sit in a hammock on the beach at the Poly, download and read a novel, check the weather or read the DIS (albeit a very clunky surf).

So you don't need to be in a Wifi spot to download the book? And you can check the DIS with it? Do you need to pay any sort of monthly access fee?

Maggie

 

[FLAngie]

Which version of the Sony is better? I see that one has a 5" screen and one a 6" screen. Is the 6" that much better for the price? If you have the pocket version, do you wish that you had the touch version?

 

[Dancemom03]

I've been working on trying to convince my dad to try a kindle. He has wet macular degeneration and is hesitant without being able to actually see the largest text size to know if it'll work for him.

I know we can see the Sony locally but do any bricks & mortar retailers carry the kindle? I'm guessing that 6 text sizes might be bigger than sony's five but would really like to see them side by side.

 

[RitaE]

No, you have to order the Kindle online but they do have a 30 day Return policy so he'll have plenty of time to try it out. If you can stomach the higher price, I'd consider the Kindle DX. The larger screen allows for more large font words on the page and fewer page turns per book. Don't ignore the Text To Speech function for him either.

Sony's snazziest reader, the Daily Edition, will not be available until early December. If I were going to buy a Sony - that would probably be the one I'd get. It will have wireless access to the Sony Store (you can download directly to the reader, not computer and then transfer to reader) and a 7 inch touch screen.

 

[Dancemom03]

No, you have to order the Kindle online but they do have a 30 day Return policy so he'll have plenty of time to try it out. If you can stomach the higher price, I'd consider the Kindle DX. The larger screen allows for more large font words on the page and fewer page turns per book. Don't ignore the Text To Speech function for him either.

Thanks, that's what I thought too and tried to convince him to order it with the return policy in mind. He's in his 80's though, a former executive dept head, and used to being in charge. That was years ago though when computers took up an entire building and the technology advances have left him confused. He has a computer but won't do things online and doesn't want anyone else to order before he can see it & decide for himself. It's a disappointing and vicious circle that age and poor vision have him running right now. The specialist are selling him magnifying glasses and other gadgets that cost $500+ each, and aren't returnable if they don't work out after arrival, but of course they're "experts" so they must know best...

 

[big_red_s]

The specialist are selling him magnifying glasses and other gadgets that cost $500+ each, and aren't returnable if they don't work out after arrival, but of course they're "experts" so they must know best...

There is a magnifying utility that comes standard with any Windows operating system.

It's under All Programs-Accessories-Accessibility-Magnifier

 

[TDC Nala]

I got a Sony Reader for my birthday, have been happily downloading library books, but there is a glitch in the Overdrive system my library uses in which you cannot keep the Overdrive books in different formats (EPub and PDF) on the reader at the same time - the books from one format will open but will show the "protected page" error. So I have to finish the one I have before I put another one of a different format on the reader. Overdrive apparently says they are working on fixing this.

I also bought an older Sony because I do not like the touch screens. Kindle appears to have the better screen in my opinion though

 

[zaneymax]

Lots of good advice and suggestions! I am subscribing to this thread to use as reference for future! Thanks Disboards friends!

 

[brattosa]

So you don't need to be in a Wifi spot to download the book? And you can check the DIS with it? Do you need to pay any sort of monthly access fee?

Maggie

This may be a terminology difference. The Kindle doesn't use a true WiFi but rather Sprint's WhisperNet access which is kind of like a cellular data network. This means that you don't need to visit Panera or Starbucks to download a book (unless you need a snack). There is no monthly access fee to use the WhisperNet service. I haven't tried surfing the DIS specifically (yet) but going to the National Weather Service, CNN and AllEars works but is clunky. I would imagine that the DIS is no different.