Once more... Kindle/PRS-700... Central America

[anymade]

Hello people! Name's Annie and I'm about to have a heart attack because I just can't decide which I prefer.



I'll tell you all what I like about each and then will LOVE your help. So far I'm between the Sony PRS-700 and the Amazon Kindle. I've had no previous readers, I live in Panama City, Central America. I have a Sony Center and a Sony Corporation of Panama (heard it's important for the Sony warranty?) I know about the purchase restrictions on the Kindle but they're no problem for me.

If you know of a better reader for me around the same price of those two or cheaper, please tell me about it!

I will mainly use my reader for novels. Meaning no textbooks or complicated PDF's at all. Maybe a comic here and there too, black and white.

So here's what I think of each:

Kindle
I have the amazon store. That's the main reason why I'm considering the Kindle. I won't use the whisper at all since it's not supported in Panama. That means no on the go store, no suscriptions, etc. I don't like the fact that it barely supports PDF (many of my books are in that format), however I heard it has a built-in dictionary that doesn't need whisper. I've also ehard it's bulkier and I do like to read in comfy chairs and in bed. Honestly... I don't like the design. Sony's far more elegant but that's the least of my concerns.

PRS-700
Supports more file formarts, touchscreen sounds lovely too. I heard it's a lot faster than the kindle and it has better grayscale (for comics?). Also the built in light it's attractive since I read in dark places often. The design is more elegant but I heard it doesn't have a dictionary and that the sony story is really limited.

Most of this things I've only heard of. Most people keep saying the greatest advatage the Kindle has is the whispernet, but since I can't use it, I feel I won't like the Kindle that much. I don't know anything about warranty on these readers in Panama so I would love if someone could tell me more about it. Most of my books are in PDF/Word format. I heard the Sony has a software to transform them, but I don't know if it works well enough.

Anyway, that's my drama. Opinions are MORE than welcome!


EDIT*** Forgot to mention. I have an Ipod Touch and a reader on it. But to use it, I need to break my books in chapters first and THEN add them to the ipod. Doing that takes almost 2 hours per book and it's plainly annoying. <--- Main reason why I want a reader.

[daffy4u]

It seems pretty clear that you wouldn't be happy with a Kindle so you shouldn't consider it. And unless you have an address and credit card in the U.S., you won't be able to order one anyway.

You should probably stick with the Sony. There are sources beyond the Sony bookstore where you can buy books, so you should be covered.

BTW, welcome to MobileRead!

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by anymade

Hello people! Name's Annie and I'm about to have a heart attack because I just can't decide which I prefer.

We can't have that.. I better try to help.

Originally Posted by anymade

previous readers, I live in Panama City, Central America. I have a Sony Center and a Sony Corporation of Panama (heard it's important for the Sony warranty?) I know about the purchase restrictions on the Kindle but they're no problem for me.

I don't think having a local Sony office changes any thing. The Sony Reader is not sold in panama. It "may" help. But, I would say that is a wash.

Originally Posted by anymade

If you know of a better reader for me around the same price of those two or cheaper, please tell me about it!

Not "better" but the other two would be the CyBook (from France) and the BeBook/EZ Reader. Sorry, don't mean to confuse you more.

Originally Posted by anymade

Kindle
I have the amazon store. That's the main reason why I'm considering the Kindle. I won't use the whisper at all since it's not supported in Panama. That means no on the go store, no suscriptions, etc. I don't like the fact that it barely supports PDF (many of my books are in that format), however I heard it has a built-in dictionary that doesn't need whisper. I've also ehard it's bulkier and I do like to read in comfy chairs and in bed. Honestly... I don't like the design. Sony's far more elegant but that's the least of my concerns.

You can still get subscriptions, you will just have to d/l them to your PC and USB them to the Kindle. Yes, Kindle has a built in dictionary which the Sony does not have. however, the 700 does have the potential to have one given the touch screen and better processor.

More bulky... well not really... I have both (500 not 700) and yes the Sony is a bit slimer and lighter... but actually I think holding the Kindle is about the same, maybe a bit better. Its like the different between using a standard pen and one of those "comfort grip ones. Alot of people say the fat one is more comfortable to hold, some people feel the opposite.

Also, if you are only reading fiction PDF support will not be an issue for you. Kindle doesn't have the PDF conversion service.

Originally Posted by anymade

PRS-700
Supports more file formarts, touchscreen sounds lovely too. I heard it's a lot faster than the kindle and it has better grayscale (for comics?). Also the built in light it's attractive since I read in dark places often. The design is more elegant but I heard it doesn't have a dictionary and that the sony story is really limited.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "Sony Story" is limited? Sony is dedicated to ebooks and the reader as evidenced by the release of three models in three years and the commitment to have 100k books in the estore by the end of the year.

Originally Posted by anymade

Most of this things I've only heard of. Most people keep saying the greatest advatage the Kindle has is the whispernet, but since I can't use it, I feel I won't like the Kindle that much. I don't know anything about warranty on these readers in Panama so I would love if someone could tell me more about it. Most of my books are in PDF/Word format. I heard the Sony has a software to transform them, but I don't know if it works well enough.

For me, the advantage to the Kindle is the content available at the Kindle store and the prices.

I think for warranty with Kindle you will be ok, if you have a US address to ship it to/form. Also, you can return it within 30 days if you don't like it. So, maybe try it first, if you don't like it go with the Sony.

If you really prefer the touch screen then the Sony is the only device out there right now with that. If you just want an eink device to read on and you aren't locked into any format right now then pretty much any device will be ok for you.

BOb

[HarryT]

I would suggest too that you look at the CyBook. It has the best support for MobiPocket of any eInk device currently on the market, and MobiPocket is the most widely-supported eBook format in terms of numbers of different bookstores to buy from. It also has pretty good PDF support.

[anymade]

You should probably stick with the Sony. There are sources beyond the Sony bookstore where you can buy books, so you should be covered.

BTW, welcome to MobileRead!

Thank you!!! Maybe you're right... I'm just really confused... wish I could at least have one in my hand before purchasing but tough luck.... I'm considering the sony a lot more now... someone told me the grayscale is better in 505 than kindle.. for comics you know =D

Bob: Thanks a MILLION! I think I'll go to the sony store myself and ask. They don't sell the readers here, but it wouldn't hurt asking =D
I'll look this CyBook and see what it has to offer then!
I meant Sony Store... my keyboard has been acting up all day. But I think you answered anyway. I went around the amazon store for a while and realized many of their books don't have a kindle version. Only some of the bestsellers do. I'm going to explore the sony store further and see what they have versus amazon.

Again, thanks a MILLION! many hugs for you!

I would suggest too that you look at the CyBook. It has the best support for MobiPocket of any eInk device currently on the market, and MobiPocket is the most widely-supported eBook format in terms of numbers of different bookstores to buy from. It also has pretty good PDF support.

Thanks a lot Harry! I will look it up. PDF support is love for me!! Thanks for all the help!

[ProDigit]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

.... Sony is dedicated to ebooks and the reader as evidenced by the release of three models in three years and the commitment to have 100books in the estore by the end of the year....BOb

100 ebooks?

at this time Sony has little over 52.000 books in their store, which is about half the amount of books of Amazon.
Sony books cost about $4 more on average than books from Amazon.

Also maybe interesting to know is that most formats can be converted to other formats on a pc.
I don't know about the kindle, but it seems for the kindle you need to upload files to get them converted? ..Or maybe that's to get the document converted in kindle format...

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by anymade

I have an Ipod Touch and a reader on it. But to use it, I need to break my books in chapters first and THEN add them to the ipod.

You can use eReader on your Touch, see Using eReader for iPhone and iPod touch, and also Stanza. The former is easiest if you just want to buy ebooks and read them without conversion, but Stanza converts between many DRM-free formats.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

100 ebooks?

at this time Sony has little over 52.000 books in their store, which is about half the amount of books of Amazon.
Sony books cost about $4 more on average than books from Amazon.

Also maybe interesting to know is that most formats can be converted to other formats on a pc.
I don't know about the kindle, but it seems for the kindle you need to upload files to get them converted? ..Or maybe that's to get the document converted in kindle format...

I'm guessing he meant 100K.

For conversion, Kindle can read DRM-free Mobipocket books so the same software conversion tools would be usable.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

1
at this time Sony has little over 52.000 books in their store, which is about half the amount of books of Amazon.

It's actually about 25% of what Amazon has (just over 196,000 books).

[ProDigit]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

It's actually about 25% of what Amazon has (just over 196,000 books).

Thanks for the correction!Last week I took the time to count the books in Sony Ebook library. I haven't spend time with amazon seeing that Sony took me a couple of hours to finally get the amount of books!
Small books and smallstories included it's little over 53.500 books.

I doubt Sony will be able to get 100.000 books ready by the end of the year!

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

100 ebooks?

Typo... changed to 100k books.

BOb

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

It's actually about 25% of what Amazon has (just over 196,000 books).

How many of those are "real books" and how many are "other items"?

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by HarryT

How many of those are "real books" and how many are "other items"?

My *guess* is that the great majority of them are "real" (as in not self-published). There is no way that 75% are "other items" to bringing the Amazon catalog in line with the Sony.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

My *guess* is that the great majority of them are "real" (as in not self-published). There is no way that 75% are "other items" to bringing the Amazon catalog in line with the Sony.

The reason I'm curious about it is that all the major publishers seem to publish their e-books in all the major formats - MobiPocket, LIT, and Adobe PDF. It's unusual to find a book that's available in one format, but not another. That's what makes me doubt that there are that many "real" books that are available on Amazon and not in the other eBook stores.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The reason I'm curious about it is that all the major publishers seem to publish their e-books in all the major formats - MobiPocket, LIT, and Adobe PDF. It's unusual to find a book that's available in one format, but not another. That's what makes me doubt that there are that many "real" books that are available on Amazon and not in the other eBook stores.

Maybe that's why Sony feels they can pump up to 100K titles. Publisher's are *now* beginning to spread the wealth after Amazon softened them up.

There is no way for *me* to answer your question. I'm in the Kindle store daily and my impression is that there are way more books published by publishing houses (large and small) than there are self-published titles.