for var. reasons I bought them both.

the Iliad lets me buy and read books from var webstores in var languages and I liked the look and feel of the Reader. Its just more compact and in my opinion looks better.

My main problem with the Reader is that it only lasted for 4 weeks, then the screen died. Thats when you realize what it means to buy a Sony..

The Sony stylestore staff pointed out that my Reader not working was very sad but not their problem as I didnt bring it back withing 30 days after purchase but after 36 and therefore they couldn't help me.
I guess thats why it is called style store, the staff looked as good as my reader in their black suits and they were about as useful as it is right now..
It was interesting though that I wasn't the only person in the shop with defect Readers , the lady next to me tried to return hers as it died after two weeks.

Ill keep everybody posted on how easy / difficult a replacement will be but my first experiences made me glad I also bought an Iliad

The iliad is still doing fine, the battery life is much shorter then the Sony's but I knew that before, its much bigger and bulkier but maybe that helps keeping it alive.

Whilst the Iliad cradle thing is total nonsense and the most unpractical thing ever , the Iliad itself is totally easy to use and it is no problem whatsoever to transfer files and books.

So my fazit so far is that if you want some cool looking gadget that might or might not work and some horrible service experience then go for the Reader.

If you just want to have a pleasurable e book experience then go for the Iliad.

it might be more expensive and not as sexy but it works . .

Sorry to hear about that, klaatubar, do please keep us posted as to what happens, we have a great deal of interest in that topic around here (Welcome to MobileRead, BTW).

Have you been talking to the Sony Support folks directly, then?

for var. reasons I bought them both.

the Iliad lets me buy and read books from var webstores in var languages and I liked the look and feel of the Reader. Its just more compact and in my opinion looks better.

My main problem with the Reader is that it only lasted for 4 weeks, then the screen died. Thats when you realize what it means to buy a Sony..

The Sony stylestore staff pointed out that my Reader not working was very sad but not their problem as I didnt bring it back withing 30 days after purchase but after 36 and therefore they couldn't help me.
You have it all wrong here...

The 30 days is for a return to the SonyStyle Store. You still have a warranty on the Sony Reader. You need to contact Sony to get it fixed under warranty. So give Sony a call. The Customer Care number for the reader is 1-866-962-7669.

No, i got that, i sent it off to Sony. I just find the lack of care outrageous, i would understand if they had told me the same if id gone there in 3 month but the fact that they lose interest six days after their commitment is over is just wrong .

Anyway, doesn't matter, i am now eagerly awaiting their response to my warranty claim.

ill keep everyone posted.

Anyway, doesn't matter, i am now eagerly awaiting their response to my warranty claim.

ill keep everyone posted.

Good luck!

Welcome to MobileRead.:)

Sorry your Sony Reader died on you. I don't think that's typical, based upon the responses here, but sometimes it does happen.

How are you enjoying the iliad?

Did you buy both units at the same time, or after the Sony died on you?

Don

I think like most retail places, it depends on the store management. Not sure where you're located, but the Sony Style store in Cincinnati has been pretty good to me and the manager there is a nice guy, he probably would have bent the rules a little for a 36 day return. I'm sure Sony customer service will take care of it for you, albeit with the loss of your Reader for a few weeks. :(

You guys need to work on your state legislature a bit harder. By law here all items sold to consumers have to have a minimum of 90 days guarantee

You guys need to work on your state legislature a bit harder. By law here all items sold to consumers have to have a minimum of 90 days guarantee

The minimum in the UK is 1 year. But that has to be provided by the manufacturer; there's no obligation for the store where you purchased the item to exchange it beyond, I think, 7 or 14 days - something like that. In this case, I believe what happened is that the store wouldn't exchange it after 30 days and that they informed the customer that he would have to send it back to Sony - that seems perfectly reasonable to me.

No, i got that, i sent it off to Sony. I just find the lack of care outrageous, i would understand if they had told me the same if id gone there in 3 month but the fact that they lose interest six days after their commitment is over is just wrong .

Well, my country is not nearly as ... aehm ... civilized ... aehm ... as USA, but if the shop I have purchased the thing in told me to they have nothing to do with my purchase while it was stil under warranty I would call "State Merchant Inspection" on them. And they would be fined heavily.

I buy something in a *store*. They made a hefty profit from my purchase. So it is their responsibility to act as my proxy with the manufacturer / importer / wharehouse / whomever *they* purchased the merchandise from. So I bring it back to the store when it gets broken. If they do not manage to get it repaired or replaced within 30 days I get my money. Simple and easy.

... And by the way, the warranty here in European Union is 24 months.

The company I work for has also a small computer store. The customer brings in a computer with a dead motherboard. He has purchased it 23 months ago and the Tchaiwan manufacturer went out of bussiness ... We still have to repair the computer. Tough luck.

Now that I think of it, this might be the reason everything electronic here in the European Union is more expensive than in USA for this reason ...

... And by the way, the warranty here in European Union is 24 months.

Are you sure about that?
Then, how come that I get only 12 months warranty for my iLiad? :blink:

It's certainly 12 months for most products here in the UK, and we're a part of the EU :).

Well, I bought the iliad after the sony but then i didnt know about it when i bought it, they don't really seem to be doing a lot of marketing for the iliad . I read about it first on this site and its working great and I dont have battery problems. Its all good.

Sony is now quoting 250$ repair costs which is roughly what i paid for it in the first place, am trying to find out why that is (warranty) ,but am tempted to accept it as part of the Sony experience and forget about the whole thing.

Well, I bought the iliad after the sony but then i didnt know about it when i bought it, they don't really seem to be doing a lot of marketing for the iliad . I read about it first on this site and its working great and I dont have battery problems. Its all good.

Sony is now quoting 250$ repair costs which is roughly what i paid for it in the first place, am trying to find out why that is (warranty) ,but am tempted to accept it as part of the Sony experience and forget about the whole thing.

I have noticed a few ppl buying a Sony then moving up to an iliad and I have to admit as of yesterday when I ordered my iliad I'm one of them. Having said that my Sony is working well and I've never had a problem with it. I just like the extra features of the iliad.

They really are different devices, I've not thought of them as competitors for over a year now. :shrug:

They really are different devices, I've not thought of them as competitors for over a year now. :shrug:


I agree; the Sony is a dedicated bookreader; the iLiad is a general-purpose computer.

The reason I plan to buy a CyBook (when it becomes available) is because I want an equivalent of the Sony which will handle MobiPocket format, so I can use the same book format on both a highly portable device like the CyBook and a larger-format one like the iLiad.

I share your view that the devices are complimentary rather than "rivals".

Now I do see the Cybook and the Reader as direct competitors. :grin:

Or, I will, when the Cybook actually launches. :rolleyes:

The reason I plan to buy a CyBook (when it becomes available) is because I want an equivalent of the Sony which will handle MobiPocket format, so I can use the same book format on both a highly portable device like the CyBook and a larger-format one like the iLiad.


I wonder if someone will be able to port the MobiPocket reader so it runs on the Sony - theoretically it should be possible.

Probably not. My guess would be that it's the same Java-based MobiPocket reader that the iLiad uses. The Sony Reader doesn't have a Java JVM.

Probably not. My guess would be that it's the same Java-based MobiPocket reader that the iLiad uses. The Sony Reader doesn't have a Java JVM.

I have to admit I haven't looked into the technology that operates these readers yet. I had assumed that the reader software had been ported to operate natively in linux rather than thu the JVM. A native linux port would work tho but I spose that would mean the whole thing would have to be re-coded in C or C++ unless there's another option.

The MobiPocket reader on the iLiad works very well indeed; I'd be very happy to see that same reader on the CyBook. The only thing I really miss on it, compared with the Sony Reader, is a bookmark facility but, on the other hand, it has many features which the Sony doesn't, such as a virtually limitless variation of font size (compared with the Readers's "S/M/L") and much better "navigation" through a book.

I must add that it being the same Java-based reader that the iLiad uses is pure speculation on my part - I could be completely wrong!

Hello All,

I found this website a few days ago when I was looking for how to get the Sony reader in Europe. Your posts are really helpful, thanks!

However, I've also discovered the Iliad now and I'm tempted to get it instead of the Sony Reader.

You mentioned before that they are different and not competitors.
What is so different about them (apart from battery life and the possibility to write in one)? Do the extras the Iliad has justify the price?

The iLiad is a general-purpose computer; the Sony is a dedicated bookreader. Both are wonderful devices, but if I had to choose between them I'd choose the iLiad.

Is it worth the extra? It is (and was) to me; everyone has to make that decision for themselves.

Are you sure about that?
Then, how come that I get only 12 months warranty for my iLiad? :blink:
The European union recommends (and tries to force its members to "harmonize") laws. In my country we switched from standard 12 months warranty to 24 months to "harmonize" with an European union. It is 24 months only for consumer goods for final customers - real people. I have recently acquired a fancy Makita angle grinder. For me - a person - the warranty is automatically at least 24 months, but it the same product is purchased by a commercial entity - a company for example - for use as a manufacturing tool the warranty is automatically 12 months (or more, depending on the contract).

But even a 12 months warranty is much, much better than what an US citizen would get :grin2:

I wonder if someone will be able to port the MobiPocket reader so it runs on the Sony - theoretically it should be possible. If the new Cybook is using MobiPocket's Java Reader, then this demonstrates that it is indeed possible - since the two devices (Cybook and Sony) are using the same display controller and, probably, a very similar Linux base O/S. However, the only "someone" who could do this in practice is Sony and they would have to port a Java JVM to the device first (as iRex has done on the iLiad and presumably Bookeen has done on the new Cybook). Since Sony has announced future Adobe Digital Editions support (on some e-book device or other), they are unlikely to go the MobiPocket route.

The iLiad is a general-purpose computer; the Sony is a dedicated bookreader. Both are wonderful devices, but if I had to choose between them I'd choose the iLiad.

Is it worth the extra? It is (and was) to me; everyone has to make that decision for themselves.

I have also bought both and have to agree with Harry and say I'd choose the iliad so now I have the iliad and my wife has the Sony.

2 things where the Sony has an advantage are:


Sony's choice of tonts (I think irex is looking into addressing this in a software update to come)



The Sony's battery seems to last forever without needing to be recharged