Sony or Kindle help me decide.

[Entu]

Sorry if you find my english funny its not my native languague and i'm never learn it at any school

I live in Poland and i want to buy e-reader i'm choosing between Kindle 3 3G or Sony ( don't know which model yet) i probably will convert my whole pdf library which contain mostly old books ( i'm not really into new ones ) so i probably will not buy any books via internet, but i'm wearing glasses and want good and clear text from my reader.

[SkyDream]

K3 and Sony both have Pearl screen which is the best e-ink screen currently available and used by products which are on sale.

K3 have a keyboard while Sony x50 model use a very good touchscreen with no glare.

Personally i think Sony x50 (350, 650, 950) do have a better PDF engine. Therefore i would recommend Sony.

Which model ? Well, Sony 950 would be best but is sold only in the US and must be ordered using services like USunlocked.com or a store which ships overseas. PRS-350 would be to small for PDFs although PDF reflow is very good on Sony models. So it may come down to PRS-650 which is available ouside the US and 6" are better than 5" for PDF viewing.

[Pregasviel]

I share the point of view of SkyDream. I had a Kindle 3 Wifi+ 3G that I used for two weeks before returning it the last monday. The sreen was a little damaged and it made me crazy to see this little defect all the time. It was a ridiculous defect but I had the impression it was all over the screen so i decided to return it and i see if i could get a better device.

Let me give my point of view about the kindle 3: It is a really great device, it made me want to read more than I read before when I had to read paper books. The screen quality is perfect, the contrast is good and so on. The device itself is a pleasure to carry, it is very light. I had regret about modification of the books organisation, the possibility to create collections was not sufficient for me, it could be optimized.

Moreover, one french problem that I expected, the kindle store has a lot of content in english...it does not affraid me but the lack of french content is a serious issue. I think it's one of the reason why the Kindle is not adapted to the european market ( QWERTY keyboard, full english OS, etc...) but it's not actually amazon's fault, I should blame french editors who frighten books dematerialization. In my mind, Amazon waits for having french business partners to create a european device.

Otherwise, I think that the kindle's keyboard would have made me bored as time went on, i find it not so practical, not enough user friendly for me. The fact to explore the text with the physical pad is a con, just a personnal opinion.

That's why I purchased the Sony PRS 950 which i find excellent according to the review i saw, the extra inch seems usefull and the touchscreen quality is a big advantage. I ordered it on B&H and i'm still waiting for it because of the fact that the device is backordered for the moment. I really think that the quality of Sony's device makes it a very good product, but i can assure you that you don't make a mistake if you purchase the kindle 3. Anyway, if it does not fit your needs, you can easily return it and ask for a full refund.

I hope I helped you.
Please excuse my mistakes, I'm french and i try hard to honour english language.

[dorino]

Both e-readers offer identical screens, while the Sony x50s are touch-enabled.

The Kindle is the cheaper one, and it's a bit easier to use due to the included wifi.

[Cpl Punishment]

Buy both, then return the one ya dont like...

[JeremyR]

If you are just going to read your own books, you don't really need the Kindle 3G model, just the 3 Wifi.

OTOH, if you are going to read PDFs (which are really the wrong format for e-books, IMHO), you're probably better off with a Sony.

[daffy4u]

Welcome to MobileRead Entu!

I'm not sure about the Sonys but if you're going to convert your PDF books, keep in mind that the Kindle has 8 font sizes for easier reading.

[Entu]

@Cpl Sadly this option its not hmm... avilable.. for me in Poland

@Duffy thanks for welcome!


I think i will get SONY 650 as i will not use WiFi or 3G anyway, i was hold in my hand today prs-300 and i really like build quaity and such, i'm not big fan of Sony as company for some reasons but i will gie it another shoot.

I know 650 its a bit pricey over Kindle but well its got lots of positive responses over then net, only cons for me are price

[sun surfer]

I think that's a great choice Entu. I'm planning to get a 950 soon. I agree with you about not being a fan of Sony the company - I've heard their customer service isn't anywhere near as good as Amazon or B&N's. But I think their product is superior enough to warrant dealing with less than stellar service, if ever needed.

[Entu]

I was wondering about 950 too but as i'm read only 350 and 650 have pearl included?

[sun surfer]

The 950 also includes the Pearl screen. And it offers wifi and 3g, which you said you won't need. It also has a few extra smaller features, such as landscape 2-page view, where you can read it like a book with two pages side by side.

[Entu]

650 and 950 cost almost same for me diffrence its 10$ and 950 got bigger 7" screen, hmm worth considering then

[sun surfer]

Wow, if the 950 is only $10 more (assuming that's equaling $10 U.S.), then I would without a doubt recommend you get it. The only reason in the world not to would be if one really preferred the smaller 6" screen and body to the 7", but you just said an advantage to you is the bigger screen.

You may already know, but here in the U.S. the 950 is $50-$70 more than the 650, so price is the major reason many people opt for the smaller one.

[Entu]

For me 650 cost 1040 Polish Zloty and 950 cost 1099 Polish Zloty so diffrence is about 60 PLN ~ 20$ ( i was wrong about 10$ :P )


I assume 650 and 950 both got same functions? 950 got only WiFi 3G and bigger screen? What about build quality?

Sorry for many questions but i don't have chance here go to shop and see it on my won eyes :S

[SkyDream]

Originally Posted by Entu

For me 650 cost 1040 Polish Zloty and 950 cost 1099 Polish Zloty so diffrence is about 60 PLN ~ 20$ ( i was wrong about 10$ :P )


I assume 650 and 950 both got same functions? 950 got only WiFi 3G and bigger screen? What about build quality?

Given this price i would go for the 950

950 is a superset of the 650. You won't loose any functionality when buying the 950. Build quality is the same...really good.