Quote:
Originally Posted by mike_bike_kite
... the 505 is smaller, infinitely less functional and 2 years old - which in dog years is over a decade out of date. As a geek I'd just find it difficult buying a device that's so old.
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As a geek I judge a device by its function, not by its release date.
My 505 displays ebooks. It does that extremely well. I have not seen another ebook reader that does the job as well, let alone better, without corresponding disadvantages. Should I buy something with a flimsy plastic case, an inconvenient keyboard, and the ability for a large corporation with questionable ethics to rummage around in it and delete any of my content they care to? Or one that has misfeatures that are actually of negative utility to me, such as a touchscreen? Or one too large to carry easily in a coat pocket? What feature is there
that I need on a newer device which would make it worthwhile to give up features that I value and that I already have in exchange?
Nowhere on my geek card does it say I'm limited to buying or using devices manufactured within a specific time limit. Cool stuff stays cool -- despite its release date -- until someone comes out with something cooler, and so far, I haven't seen that happen with ebook readers. Plenty of gimmicks, yes, but no actual cool.
If I was buying an ebook reader today, knowing everything I've learned in the year I've had mine, I'd still buy a 505. There are some things, like the C-130 or the Browning M2, that approach the ideal of their type, and have survived decades in service with only refinements, not major changes. I think the 505 is one of those. It could use a faster processor, yes, and perhaps some minor software changes, but those are refinements. The 505, as it is, does exactly what it's supposed to do, with no unnecessary extras, and does it very well.