Adios, Sony!

[DrMoze]

Originally Posted by slayda

I am quite happy with my Cybook Gen3 that I have received 2 free SW upgrades for. Thank you very much.

Glad you're happy with your Cybook. But, what happens when/if they release a bigger/faster Cybook Gen4 in a year or so and your Gen3 can'tbe upgraded because of hardware issues?

[mcramer]

Originally Posted by BettyE

Adios, Sony!

Bye then *waves hand*

[suineg]

I think it's really hard to detach yourself from an issue and come to grips with limitations such as hardware when we get a software update.

I liken this whole issue to DirectX 9 vs. 10.

I am disappointed in Sony but I totally understand it and my 500 is still going to be by my side for a long time until probably the 510....

[Peto]

I really don't understand all this fuss about the 500. I don't understand the idea of pretending to return the 500 and get a discounted 505. What then? Return the 505 and get a discounted 510? I think that is crazy.

The 500 had some firmware updates, has lots of hacks and works nice. It is still a 500. So? What did you buy? a 5xx? No. A 500. No update will change the fact that the screen (the most important part) is worse. The rest has been tuned as far as the 500 can go.

I have a 505. I am sure, and I certainly hope so, that the 510 will be far better than the 505. I am sure that the 505 will be upgraded once or twice more at the out most and then the efforts will be concentrated in the 510 and the next 5xx. And so it should be.

That won't make my 505 any worse. I like it as it is, as you all did when there was only the 500. The amount of books you can get or your reading experience has not gone to worse since you bought it. It has actually gone to better. It only gets worse by comparison, but that is a lose-lose idea when talking about tech. Why don't we ask Sony to make an Iliad at $300 too?

My idea is to make my 505 last two versions, I hope it lasts through the life of the 510 and then I'll buy a 515. If I think things have got so much better and want to change, I'll sell my 505 on Ebay. If my 505 breaks today, I won't wait for the 510. I'll get another 505. And make it last as it is.

I don't understand the concept of "trusting Sony" or "helping Sony". I don't give a damn about Sony. I bought the 505 because I thought it was the best product for the price, and I will evaluate all the readers again when the time comes to replace the 505.

All I wanted was a firmware update that would correct the possible bugs and so that the hacks can be developed. In that sense, the release of the original firmware would have been enough, since the existing bugs are IMHO minor things, and should have taken place along with the release of the PRS itself.

From there on, Sony and I are even.

[jerryleejr]

I guess I am going to have to chime in, Sony overall does support their customers. They have a trade up program for cameras, camcorders, notebooks, and TV's. I am sure that if the customer base was large enough for the Readers they would also have a similar program available. Now Let me play devil's advocate for a moment, Suppose all the 500 owners that have a significant investment of Sony ebooks decide to cut ties and go to another device doesnt matter which one. And low and behold in 6 months when a new model of the one they just purchased is released and The manufacturer announces they are moving to Epub and Adobe DE support? OH and for the previous model owners we are terribly sorry but the older model can't support this new format. So Hind sight twenty-twenty a 505 would have given you the ability to continue your BBeB library and add Epub and DE ebooks to it as well. But nope you abandoned Sony bought a new device only to learn that you will have to buy yet another device to move to Epub and DE plus whatever format your current Reader supports. (Makes you head hurt doesn't it.) I am not posting in support of Sony, Just with the realization that no matter which route you go there are certain unknown variables you must consider and be able to live with.

JJ

[slayda]

Originally Posted by jerryleejr

I guess I am going to have to chime in, Sony overall does support their customers. They have a trade up program for cameras, camcorders, notebooks, and TV's. I am sure that if the customer base was large enough for the Readers they would also have a similar program available. Now Let me play devil's advocate for a moment, Suppose all the 500 owners that have a significant investment of Sony ebooks decide to cut ties and go to another device doesnt matter which one. And low and behold in 6 months when a new model of the one they just purchased is released and The manufacturer announces they are moving to Epub and Adobe DE support? OH and for the previous model owners we are terribly sorry but the older model can't support this new format. So Hind sight twenty-twenty a 505 would have given you the ability to continue your BBeB library and add Epub and DE ebooks to it as well. But nope you abandoned Sony bought a new device only to learn that you will have to buy yet another device to move to Epub and DE plus whatever format your current Reader supports. (Makes you head hurt doesn't it.) I am not posting in support of Sony, Just with the realization that no matter which route you go there are certain unknown variables you must consider and be able to live with.

JJ

Mobipocket is much more universal than either Sony's or Kindle's unique proprietary formats. Even with epub, I don't think it will go away soon. It already meets all my requirements, i.e. includes images, TOC. So I am, as I said, quite satisfied with my Cybook Gen3. Plus it has dictionary support.

Yes it would be nice if it can be upgraded for epub. It would also be nice if it could "fold" small enough to fit in my pocket, had all my PDA capabilities plus the ability to be viewed easily in bright light and had color. I don't expect a HW upgrade to achieve all this. Didn't expect a HW upgrade on the PRS-500 but would have really liked it if Sony would continue with SW upgrades. IMHO Sony threw it away too quickly and no longer provides SW support.

Yes the Sony still works as good as it did. When I bought it, it was the only e-ink display reader. And I do tend to live on the "bleeding edge". That doesn't make me masochistic, just an incurable gadget freak who likes to read.

As I've said before, I have been burnt by Sony products before. They build great HW but IMHO have a p--s poor customer support (and I do not mean as regards warranties, etc. but in satisfying their customers after the sell.)

[NatCh]

The important bit here is the same one it always is: get the best device for your needs that you can, based on what you know at the time.

Of course there's the added point of trying to choose your "time" as wisely as you can, but you just never can know what's going to get launched next month or whenever.

[MerLock]

I understand from a consumers viewpoint that I would like to have Sony support the PRS-500 for as long as possible. But I also understand that it was new techonology and Sony probably chose the minium hardware requirements that would make the system usuable since bleading edge tech is usually costly. Even the current cost of the unit makes a lot of people hesistate to buy one, imagine if the price was 100 to 200 dollars more at the time.

As a company I imagine Sony developed a product that could be some what afforadable. And as we all know, hardware prices can drop a lot over the period of two years, not to mention improvement in the technology. I'm guessing that there is a lot of things that that were not included on the 510 because of the cost of including it (touch screen, wifi, perhaps?).

Lets say the next version of the reader includes a touch screen and wifi etc. Perhaps they will stop making firmware updates for the 505 since most of the updates are related to the new functions of the new model. That's just the way technology goes and I don't see Sony as abandoning the people who bought the previous models. The previous models still does that it was intended to do and I would be happy.

I would be unhappy with Sony if they released a reader that had bugs that can be solved with a firmware update but instead of fixing the bugs they just jump to support the latest unit. But that doesn't seem to be the case (could be wrong).

Maybe Sony did try to offer the same firmware update for the 500 but it's just impossible since it's a hardware issue. It just seems like from your post you feel that Sony didn't even think about the 500. If Sony was really evil, they could have easily just not have released a firmware that included all these features for the 505 and just released a new model.

If there are some firmware updates for the 505 that isn't hardware related (perhaps deleting files from the reader itself) that you would like to see done for the 500, you can write to them and bring it to their attention. Or if you want to ask about a trade up program you can ask about that too. I think that when Apple cut prices on the iphone a lot of people who recenlty bought their phones became unhappy and due to the complaints, Apple offer a restrospective discount for people who bought the phone in the previous weeks of the price cut.

[astra]

Originally Posted by dhbailey

I'm a happy owner of the PRS500 and while I'd like Sony to upgrade the firmware so that it could take advantage of the Adobe ePub releases, I also realize it's not in their best interests to put money into it and so they may not. On the other hand some techie in the PRS division may try to see if it can be done and then we'll get it.

I bought it as it was when I bought and have been very happy with. When it dies, I'll buy the then-current model of the Sony.

I certainly wouldn't abandon the company over a perceived slight in the lack of current firmware update for a 2-year product.

But then I'm still happily using my iRiver MP3 player which hasn't had a firmware upgrade in 3 years.

I buy products for what they can do when they're purchased, not for some potential upgrade in the future.

Excellent points.
I do not comprehend why people complain.


Btw. I bought Toshiba CRT TV some years ago. Then Plasma TVs hit the market. I believe Toshiba had to offer me one for half price to love them more than I love my pioneer plasma..... Shame on you Toshiba. You lost a customer.
Also I bought Intel P3 some time ago. I believe Intel should upgrade me half price or I will turn my back on them and buy brand new AMD! (I am only a bit worried that in a few years when AMD refuses a cheap upgrade of my system and I turn my back on them as well, where I am going to buy a new PC?...Mac?? )

[jason.rs]

Originally Posted by astra

Also I bought Intel P3 some time ago. I believe Intel should upgrade me half price or I will turn my back on them and buy brand new AMD! (I am only a bit worried that in a few years when AMD refuses a cheap upgrade of my system and I turn my back on them as well, where I am going to buy a new PC?...Mac?? )

VIA!! or maybe... ditch native x86 and go with RISC!!! Apple uses Intel chips now, so that's out. Severely off topic, I know, but I had to chime in. I'll take any chance to push RISC PC development.

As for my 2 cents in the matter, Sony is treating the PRS like any other technology product. This doesn't make them right or wrong in their decision to somewhat abandon the 500, it's just the way the business works. AMD(ATI) and NVIDIA release newer faster graphics cards almost every 6 months. Intel has revisions for it's chips staged to be upgraded (process shrink or new architecture) each year. The computer hardware business is quick and unforgiving. Even the casual PC enthusiast is often left feeling a bit hollow after making a purchse, knowing their item *will* be outdated within a year. We have to accept that the PRS series is to be treated like any other piece of hardware.

Another example is the XBOX from Microsoft. I bought an xbox about a year before the xbox360 came out. I was quite happy with it. Then the 360 came out and Microsoft completely dropped the first gen xbox. They stopped selling it, stopped software updates, and even stopped producing games for it. All within a month, the change-over to the 360 was quick and harsh. I didn't buy a 360, since my 1st gen xbox was still quite capable. It can't play any new games, but is still entertaining. I'm not angry about it, I just understand that's how things go sometimes.
*As a side note, Sony is still strongly supporting the Playstation 2 even now after the Playstation 3 has been released for a year. They support the mainstream stuff quite well, it seems.*

[stustaff]

Im never buying a VW car again!

a year after I got it and they have brought out a new model that is better than the one i bought a year ago!
They say i can sell that and buy a new one but I want them to just upgrade this one so it goes as fast as the new one.

but they wont.

"Waaaaaa"

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by stustaff

Im never buying a VW car again!

a year after I got it and they have brought out a new model that is better than the one i bought a year ago!
They say i can sell that and buy a new one but I want them to just upgrade this one so it goes as fast as the new one.

but they wont.

"Waaaaaa"

Bastards! Boycott them and tell everyone what a terrible company VW are not to give you a free upgrade to your car!



I mean, honestly, this is a very silly thread. You buy a device for what it'll do at the time that you bought it. If a new model comes out, you sell your old one and buy the new model if you want to. That's what I did when Bookeen replaced the 64MB Gen3 with a 512MB model.

[slayda]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Bastards! Boycott them and tell everyone what a terrible company VW are not to give you a free upgrade to your car!



I mean, honestly, this is a very silly thread. You buy a device for what it'll do at the time that you bought it. If a new model comes out, you sell your old one and buy the new model if you want to. That's what I did when Bookeen replaced the 64MB Gen3 with a 512MB model.

Harry, do they not have auto recalls in the UK to fix problems that are discovered in "used" autos? In the US they do. Just because a car is a year or two old doesn't stop these "upgrades" that are mostly free of charge. VW doesn't tell their customers that they will be abandoned after the first year when they come out with a new model.

[HarryT]

The only times cars get recalled are for significant safety issues.

I know it's a bummer when you buy a device and then something better comes out, but we've all been there. Think how people felt who bought a 64MB Gen3 the day before a 512MB model for the same price was announced. That's why I say buy a device for what it'll do NOW, not what you expect it to do in the future.

You haven't been "abandoned". No offence, but I think that's a rather melodramatic thing to say. Your Reader still does what it always has done. You can still buy books from the Sony eBook Store. Your Reader doesn't do "less" than it used to, does it?

I sold my PRS-500 when something I considered better came onto the market. I suggest you do the same and buy a 505 if you feel that it's significantly better.

[slayda]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The only times cars get recalled are for significant safety issues.

I know it's a bummer when you buy a device and then something better comes out, but we've all been there. Think how people felt who bought a 64MB Gen3 the day before a 512MB model for the same price was announced. That's why I say buy a device for what it'll do NOW, not what you expect it to do in the future.

You haven't been "abandoned". No offence, but I think that's a rather melodramatic thing to say. Your Reader still does what it always has done. You can still buy books from the Sony eBook Store. Your Reader doesn't do "less" than it used to, does it?

I sold my PRS-500 when something I considered better came onto the market. I suggest you do the same and buy a 505 if you feel that it's significantly better.

You're right, Harry, just like the cars still do what they did when you bought it. At least in the US some of the reasons are not "significant" safety issues. Also as I've said several times, this is not the first time, nor the second time that I've been burnt (my melodramatic terminology) by Sony. So just why would I voluntarily buy a PRS-505? So I could be burnt again? I don't think so. Rather I took your advice and got a Cybook - probably the 64MB one, I don't know but it fits my needs much better and they are still providing updates to the SW to make it better. Just a more customer friendly company, IMHO, than Sony.