MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Mac owner and PRS-505

kikar · 05-22-2009, 07:13 AM

I have a PRS-505 and a Kindle 2 both are used with my Mac primarily ( I use a PC to buy some books form the Sony store). The Calibre software is a godsend and works wonderfully with both the 505 and the Kindle. Each of these devices has their plusses and minuses. (the following is my opinion)

The 505 looks and feels more like a book. I get so caught up in the 505 that I find myself reaching to turn the page by the top corner. This hasn't happened with the Kindle yet (maybe due to the fact I don't have a cover for it). The 505 has positioned the page turn buttons perfectly. The 505 is solid and and metal whereas the front of the Kindle is plastic so it seems more fragile. So to me the booklike experience is a tad better on the 505.
That being said the Kindle is no slouch. I it sleek and lightweight and alot more comfortable to hold than I thought. I enjoy buying books on the fly and I love the dictionary on the Kindle. I bring these up first because they are the two things I thought I didn't care about that I now use quite a bit. I like having newspapers and magazines delivered and waiting when I wake in the morning. The big thing with Amazon is the price of the books and that is what prompted me to get another reader. My wife and I read alot and spend alot on books and we noticed that since moving from analog to digital we are consuming even more than ever.
Doing the math, if my wife and I had purchased all the books we have for the 505 from Amazon over the last nine months we would have saved 143.64 which is a decent amount of savings. Now the 505 is used for library books and the occasional purchase from one of the other stores if they have something Amazon does not (e.g. W.H. Smith has Boris Starling).
In my opinion you cannot go wrong with either device they each have strengths and weaknesses. The Sony will save you money now and possibly in the future if your main source of books is the library. The Kindle will cost more upfront but could possibly save you more money in the long run. Examine your wants and needs and your reading habits and pick which device you feel best fullfils them. As I said there is no wrong choice when it comes to these two readers.

05-22-2009, 07:13 AM	#6
kikar Zealot Posts: 138 Karma: 258574 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Knoxville, TN Device: Too many eReaders, One annoyed wife.	I have a PRS-505 and a Kindle 2 both are used with my Mac primarily ( I use a PC to buy some books form the Sony store). The Calibre software is a godsend and works wonderfully with both the 505 and the Kindle. Each of these devices has their plusses and minuses. (the following is my opinion) The 505 looks and feels more like a book. I get so caught up in the 505 that I find myself reaching to turn the page by the top corner. This hasn't happened with the Kindle yet (maybe due to the fact I don't have a cover for it). The 505 has positioned the page turn buttons perfectly. The 505 is solid and and metal whereas the front of the Kindle is plastic so it seems more fragile. So to me the booklike experience is a tad better on the 505. That being said the Kindle is no slouch. I it sleek and lightweight and alot more comfortable to hold than I thought. I enjoy buying books on the fly and I love the dictionary on the Kindle. I bring these up first because they are the two things I thought I didn't care about that I now use quite a bit. I like having newspapers and magazines delivered and waiting when I wake in the morning. The big thing with Amazon is the price of the books and that is what prompted me to get another reader. My wife and I read alot and spend alot on books and we noticed that since moving from analog to digital we are consuming even more than ever. Doing the math, if my wife and I had purchased all the books we have for the 505 from Amazon over the last nine months we would have saved 143.64 which is a decent amount of savings. Now the 505 is used for library books and the occasional purchase from one of the other stores if they have something Amazon does not (e.g. W.H. Smith has Boris Starling). In my opinion you cannot go wrong with either device they each have strengths and weaknesses. The Sony will save you money now and possibly in the future if your main source of books is the library. The Kindle will cost more upfront but could possibly save you more money in the long run. Examine your wants and needs and your reading habits and pick which device you feel best fullfils them. As I said there is no wrong choice when it comes to these two readers.