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Sony versus Kindle

Started: 10:14:05 - Feb 25, 2009 by: Angela James (moderator)
The big question on everyone's mind. I'm stealing a post I wrote on another forum and will update as needed.

I owned a Kindle 1, and now own a Kindle 2, a Sony 505 and an Ebookwise, as well as an iPhone. I use the Sony 505 as my primary device.

I think the first thing is to ask what you want to use it for? Do you commute, travel much? Will you be reading newspapers on it or just books. If you're a commuter or travel more, the Kindle might be a better option for you, especially if you're a newspaper reader. The wireless delivery of newspapers (for a monthly fee) is a nice feature for commuters/travelers. Other than that, you can buy books wirelessly but I'll add that 1) I did not do this because I refuse to have any books I purchase locked into one device (you can only read books bought at Amazon on the Kindle) and 2) though I did use wireless for sending submissions to myself, I don't miss that feature.


Are you located in the US? If you're located outside the US, you'll want to consider the Sony because 1) it's supported outside the US now and 2) the only real advantage the Kindle has is wireless and it's not usable outside the US

Do you plan on putting a lot of books of different genres on your ereader and will you want a way to sort them? If you want to be able to sort your books any way other than by author, date, genre than avoid the Kindle at all costs. It has TERRIBLE file management. You can sort your books alphabetically by author and title, or by date added. Keeping in mind that files might (and do) show up on your Kindle named odd things so you may find yourself looking at something and wondering what it was icon_razz.gif

The Sony, on the other hand, allows you to sort via tagging. So you create your own tags, whatever they may be and on the Sony you can view each separate "collection" whether you've used genres, series names, or other tags (for instance, I have a tag called submissions).

Will you shop at Amazon or do you want to shop at places like Harlequin and other traditional publishers? Are you computer savvy and would you feel comfortable buying books in a different format and stripping the DRM for use on your reader, or do you want to be able to buy it and put it on your device? If you're fine shopping at only Amazon (keeping in mind again you will only ever be able to read the books you buy at Amazon on a Kindle/Amazon device), or hunting down places that sell non-DRM'd files, then the Kindle will suit your needs. If you like to shop at a variety of online bookstores and publishers, then you'll quickly find yoursel frustrated with the Kindle. The Kindle doesn't currently read any DRM'd file formats except the azw format. Which you can only buy at Amazon. That means you need to be either tech savvy enough to strip the DRM from whatever you buy (which is still illegal, btw, even though you own the book) and put it on the Kindle, or you need to find stores that sell non-DRM'd files. And good luck with that icon_razz.gif With the exception of epublishers, most publishers still sell only DRM'd books.

On the other hand, Sony does recognize and use DRM'd Adobe PDFs, which are one of the formats more commonly sold. It also accepts epub format, which is beginning to be adopted as a universal format.


What's most important to you in the device you buy? My Kindle 2 is arriving today, so I can't compare other than what I've seen on the net, but as far as I can tell, if you're shopping for looks/size, the Sony has an edge over the Kindle. The Sony is sleeker, smaller and just plain sexier icon_razz.gif I carry a small purse and the Sony, in it's case, fits into my purse no problem. The Kindle is a little longer so I'll report back after I get it on how it compares. I do know that it doesn't come with a case.

Since the new Kindle has different design/buttons, I can't comment on comparison between the two on handling, but I'll let you know.

Customer service reports seem to indicate that Amazon wins that "war" and is more responsive to customer concerns and issues than Sony. But Amazon is not without its issues in that department and has been known to let emails go unanswered for months (in regards to Kindle issues).

If you use a Mac, I would recommend the Sony. Using the Calibre software, the Sony is Mac compatible.

If you're not going to use the whispernet to transfer books to the Kindle, then transferring of books on the two is a wash. Both are simple.

Whatever you choose, I recommend Calibre, an open source (free) library program for your ebooks. It's especially useful for those with Sonys, because you can do all of your transfers using it. But it is an absolutely beautiful way of organizing your ebooks.

Which do I choose personally? The Sony. The lack of file management on the Kindle drove me absolutely batty. I want to be able to organize my books so I can go directly to my submissions, to pleasure reading, to contemporary or urban fantasy or whatever I'm in the mood for. I also didn't love the design of the first Kindle (okay, I hated it). So far, I don't miss anything about the Kindle, including sending myself submissions wirelessly. Being able to organize and properly tag the submissions (using Calibre) has been of far greater benefit to me.

Remember, the reason I ask questions of what you're looking for is because every users needs are going to be different. So just because I like the Sony or someone else likes the Kindle, doesn't mean it's right for you. You need to choose based on your needs, not just how well someone else likes it!
 
created: 08:58:12 - Jun 5, 2009 by: BooksForABuck
I still use and love my eBookwise but I do have Kindle/Sony envy.

Rob Preece
Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com
created: 16:21:09 - Feb 20, 2010 by: getthewealth
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