My final word (I think)--Sony vs. Kindle smackdown

PsyDocJoanne · 08-15-2008, 01:36 PM

Hi everyone,

I know some of you had followed my previous thread about choosing between the Kindle and the Sony.

I've now had a chance to read pretty extensively on both (I've had the Kindle for a week and a half, and the Sony since earlier this week, and I've been reading the heck out of both).

I've come to the not-so-shocking conclusion that they both have pros and cons, and it's much more of a personal decision than a head-to-head technology shootout (at least for me).

When I first got the Sony, I was enamored with its good looks, sleek design, the fact that it's lightweight, and that the buttons seem very intuitive and well placed. However, I had about 4 hours of total frustration trying to get .lit books downloaded, run through convertlit, and converted to .lrf with Calibre. Talk about blood, sweat, and tears....I was jonesing for the easy, idiot-proof Kindle download process.

Once I got it figured out, though, the process is as easy as pie. I also really like that the 505 will read secure PDF's, which means I can read e-library books...my library has quite a few, and I'm looking forward to some contemporary, no-cost downloads.

And I know that there are some Kindle folks who would vehemently disagree with me, but seeing the two side-by-side made me realize how much more I like the aesthetic of the Sony v. the Kindle. The wedge doesn't sit well with me, I don't like the cover, and maybe I'm just a retard, but I can't manage to read without occasionally hitting the wrong buttons.

That said, the Kindle really is quite easy...love the instantaneous downloading, and the super easy access to Amazon. But, I don't think that's enough for me. I see the wireless as kind of a novelty, at least for me and how I read (I'm perfectly happy to download a bunch of content once a month or so, sync up, read till it's gone, and do it again). While I think I'd use the wireless a lot the first few months, I don't think it would be a long-run kind of asset for me.

So it's looking more and more like the Kindle is going back. My main reason for choosing the Kindle would have been content availability, but now that I can easily convert .lit to .lrf, and I can get library books, I think it's going to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship between me and Sony!

pilotbob · 08-15-2008, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsyDocJoanne

So it's looking more and more like the Kindle is going back. My main reason for choosing the Kindle would have been content availability, but now that I can easily convert .lit to .lrf, and I can get library books, I think it's going to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship between me and Sony!

Agree with everything you say. When I fist got my Sony... back when it had just been released the Sony store was a waste land of nothing and what was there had high prices. Thanks to the Kindle this is no longer true... the selection and prices on the Sony store have much improved.

As you said, to each his own. I have one of each right now. I have still yet to buy an eBook from Amazon or Kindle. Actually, if the Astak Mentor comes through with a great device I may just switch to that. Both my sons have iPod touchs so we would be able to share eReader books.

Really... most of the frustration of selection is not so much hardware but content. I am hoping that ebooks eventually go the way of emusic which now has a "standard" format of .MP3 and many stores that sell it DRM free.

Yes, I know I live in Disneyland... <G>

BTW: Good Choice <for you>. Enjoy your Sony!

BOb

RickyMaveety · 08-15-2008, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsyDocJoanne

And I know that there are some Kindle folks who would vehemently disagree with me, but seeing the two side-by-side made me realize how much more I like the aesthetic of the Sony v. the Kindle. The wedge doesn't sit well with me, I don't like the cover, and maybe I'm just a retard, but I can't manage to read without occasionally hitting the wrong buttons.

Well, you'll never hear me disagreeing with a personal opinion. Also, I would never call anyone a "retard" for hitting the wrong buttons. A "klutz" maybe .... but even klutzes are entitled to an ebook reader that works well for them.

Enjoy the Sony.

PsyDocJoanne · 08-15-2008, 02:00 PM

Hi Ricky!

Well, thanks for affirming that I'm only a klutz, but not a retard. My employer will be pleased to hear that

But in all seriousness, it sounded from a lot of posts here that after a few days, my reading style should have just gotten "Kindle-ized", and I should have adjusted to the device and found a way to make it easily work for me. Unfortunately, that didn't happen...but luckily, the Sony solved that problem for me.

I will still anxiously await Kindle 2.0, though, and if there's enough styling/design improvements, I would consider giving it another shot.

RickyMaveety · 08-15-2008, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsyDocJoanne

Hi Ricky!

Well, thanks for affirming that I'm only a klutz, but not a retard. My employer will be pleased to hear that

But in all seriousness, it sounded from a lot of posts here that after a few days, my reading style should have just gotten "Kindle-ized", and I should have adjusted to the device and found a way to make it easily work for me. Unfortunately, that didn't happen...but luckily, the Sony solved that problem for me.

I will still anxiously await Kindle 2.0, though, and if there's enough styling/design improvements, I would consider giving it another shot.

Hey, you know .... if there was any one reading device that was perfect for everyone, we'd all be using the same device.

That's part of why it's so nice to have things like meet-ups, so that people can get their hands on different devices and talk about things like content availability. It's got to be one of the hardest choices for a person to make ... and it's not exactly a cheap thing to have to decide on.

Me .... I wanted a Kindle the second I saw it. It fits my hands perfectly. I really don't have a single complaint about it. But ... that's me. That's why whenever I hear someone posting that they don't like the Kindle, for any reason, but they feel somehow like that's their only choice ... my advice is always the same ... if you don't like it .... don't buy it.

I'm just glad that you found something that works well for you. Oh ... the crew is here .... must dash.

SkaWes · 08-25-2008, 12:22 AM

Can anyone tell me how they like the ergonomics of the Kindle? I have heard that it is hard to read the Kindle while holding it on it's right side, that you hit the page forward and backwards buttons a lot.

I was looking at pictures of it and it looks like the right side edge are the forward and backwards buttons. If that's the case I forsee that as being a big problem, I read in bed a lot and I hold all of my books on the right side usually. I don't want to have to hold it in a way that I feel to be akward.

Leep · 08-25-2008, 12:21 PM

I too had issues with hitting the wrong buttons on my Kindle when I first got it. I found that the M-edge cover helped greatly since it has a wider left edge to hang on to. I also learned to "put my Kindle to sleep" whenever I'm carrying it around. With these two things, and small adjustments over time, I rarely have the "wrong" button problem now. I definitely agree that the Kindle ergonomics could be better however. On the plus side, it's very light and comfortable to hold when reading in bed.

cheers

pilotbob · 08-25-2008, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkaWes

I was looking at pictures of it and it looks like the right side edge are the forward and backwards buttons. If that's the case I forsee that as being a big problem, I read in bed a lot and I hold all of my books on the right side usually. I don't want to have to hold it in a way that I feel to be akward.

You can just hold it down near the keyboard... works fine. I hold mine in my right hand without a problem.

BOb

carld · 08-25-2008, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkaWes

Can anyone tell me how they like the ergonomics of the Kindle? I have heard that it is hard to read the Kindle while holding it on it's right side, that you hit the page forward and backwards buttons a lot.

I can't speak for anyone else, but like Leep, I read with my Kindle in its cover (The original cover is fine for me), and I rarely hit buttons I don't intend to.

JSWolf · 08-25-2008, 02:31 PM

I can hold my 505 in my right hand without an issue. No need for my left hand.

DaleDe · 08-25-2008, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I can hold my 505 in my right hand without an issue. No need for my left hand.

I guess you should cut it off then

No reason to carry around something you have no need for.

Dale

Steven Lyle Jordan · 08-25-2008, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I can hold my 505 in my right hand without an issue. No need for my left hand.

Yes, but can you juggle it with a watermelon, a kitten and a scythe?

PsyDocJoanne, are you sure the lack of access to all that Amazon content won't bug you? Or do you expect that virtually all books in the future will have e-book editions available in multiple formats?

Alisa · 08-26-2008, 02:28 AM

I do fine with the Kindle in either hand and don't have an issue with inadvertently hitting the buttons. I tend to hold it with my thumb between the keyboard and the bottom of the screen and it feels quite natural to me. My husband likes to hold his on the side so he always reads with the Kindle in the case. He's adjusted but it feels less natural for him. He wishes the firmware would allow him to turn off the buttons on one side.

DrMoze · 08-26-2008, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Yes, but can you juggle it with a watermelon, a kitten and a scythe?

PsyDocJoanne, are you sure the lack of access to all that Amazon content won't bug you? Or do you expect that virtually all books in the future will have e-book editions available in multiple formats?

ZOMFG, I can't access Amazon's e-content with my Reader! [jumps off bridge.]

Seriously, there are other reliable formats out there that are far less restrictive than Amazon's proprietary format, and I'll bet some will be here to stay. For example, I'm tickled pink with my Reader's formats. Besides the conversion utilities, it handles pdfs nicely now, and better yet it does ePub and the Adobe DE books which I can borrow free from the local library. All this in addition to the stuff for sale on Sony's site and the tons of compatible free content out there.

So no, I for one am not afraid of 'missing out' on e-books because I don't own a Kindle.

daffy4u · 08-26-2008, 06:19 PM

I'm glad you were able to compare the two and make the decision of which was best for you. You won't be wondering "what if...". But did you really have to use the word "smackdown" in the thread title.

08-15-2008, 01:36 PM	#1
PsyDocJoanne Loves her 505 and her Z4! Posts: 157 Karma: 631 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Weston, FL Device: Sony PRS-505	My final word (I think)--Sony vs. Kindle smackdown Hi everyone, I know some of you had followed my previous thread about choosing between the Kindle and the Sony. I've now had a chance to read pretty extensively on both (I've had the Kindle for a week and a half, and the Sony since earlier this week, and I've been reading the heck out of both). I've come to the not-so-shocking conclusion that they both have pros and cons, and it's much more of a personal decision than a head-to-head technology shootout (at least for me). When I first got the Sony, I was enamored with its good looks, sleek design, the fact that it's lightweight, and that the buttons seem very intuitive and well placed. However, I had about 4 hours of total frustration trying to get .lit books downloaded, run through convertlit, and converted to .lrf with Calibre. Talk about blood, sweat, and tears....I was jonesing for the easy, idiot-proof Kindle download process. Once I got it figured out, though, the process is as easy as pie. I also really like that the 505 will read secure PDF's, which means I can read e-library books...my library has quite a few, and I'm looking forward to some contemporary, no-cost downloads. And I know that there are some Kindle folks who would vehemently disagree with me, but seeing the two side-by-side made me realize how much more I like the aesthetic of the Sony v. the Kindle. The wedge doesn't sit well with me, I don't like the cover, and maybe I'm just a retard, but I can't manage to read without occasionally hitting the wrong buttons. That said, the Kindle really is quite easy...love the instantaneous downloading, and the super easy access to Amazon. But, I don't think that's enough for me. I see the wireless as kind of a novelty, at least for me and how I read (I'm perfectly happy to download a bunch of content once a month or so, sync up, read till it's gone, and do it again). While I think I'd use the wireless a lot the first few months, I don't think it would be a long-run kind of asset for me. So it's looking more and more like the Kindle is going back. My main reason for choosing the Kindle would have been content availability, but now that I can easily convert .lit to .lrf, and I can get library books, I think it's going to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship between me and Sony!

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08-15-2008, 02:00 PM	#4
PsyDocJoanne Loves her 505 and her Z4! Posts: 157 Karma: 631 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Weston, FL Device: Sony PRS-505	Hi Ricky! Well, thanks for affirming that I'm only a klutz, but not a retard. My employer will be pleased to hear that But in all seriousness, it sounded from a lot of posts here that after a few days, my reading style should have just gotten "Kindle-ized", and I should have adjusted to the device and found a way to make it easily work for me. Unfortunately, that didn't happen...but luckily, the Sony solved that problem for me. I will still anxiously await Kindle 2.0, though, and if there's enough styling/design improvements, I would consider giving it another shot.

08-25-2008, 12:22 AM	#6
SkaWes Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: NA	Can anyone tell me how they like the ergonomics of the Kindle? I have heard that it is hard to read the Kindle while holding it on it's right side, that you hit the page forward and backwards buttons a lot. I was looking at pictures of it and it looks like the right side edge are the forward and backwards buttons. If that's the case I forsee that as being a big problem, I read in bed a lot and I hold all of my books on the right side usually. I don't want to have to hold it in a way that I feel to be akward.

08-25-2008, 12:21 PM	#7
Leep Guru Posts: 739 Karma: 1018859 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Near Seattle Device: kindle1, K3, K3G (thanks MR), iTouch, Kindle Touch	I too had issues with hitting the wrong buttons on my Kindle when I first got it. I found that the M-edge cover helped greatly since it has a wider left edge to hang on to. I also learned to "put my Kindle to sleep" whenever I'm carrying it around. With these two things, and small adjustments over time, I rarely have the "wrong" button problem now. I definitely agree that the Kindle ergonomics could be better however. On the plus side, it's very light and comfortable to hold when reading in bed. cheers

08-25-2008, 02:31 PM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,998 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I can hold my 505 in my right hand without an issue. No need for my left hand.

08-26-2008, 02:28 AM	#13
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	I do fine with the Kindle in either hand and don't have an issue with inadvertently hitting the buttons. I tend to hold it with my thumb between the keyboard and the bottom of the screen and it feels quite natural to me. My husband likes to hold his on the side so he always reads with the Kindle in the case. He's adjusted but it feels less natural for him. He wishes the firmware would allow him to turn off the buttons on one side.

08-26-2008, 06:19 PM	#15
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	I'm glad you were able to compare the two and make the decision of which was best for you. You won't be wondering "what if...". But did you really have to use the word "smackdown" in the thread title.

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