A little advice before I take the plunge

00hkelly · 05-11-2009, 09:12 AM

Hi,

I am seriously considering buying a Sony PRS 505 in the next few days and was looking for a bit of advice before I do (if I do).

1. Firstly, are there any rumours of a new device being released soon, (my biggest fear is paying for a new bit of tech only to find it being surpassed in a few months (I know about the PRS 700 though).

2. Similarly, is there any more information about the Kindle being released in the UK, as this could influence my decision to buy the sony?

I am going to be using the device to get back into reading (was a big reader as a child but stopped for some reason in the mid teens. One of the major factors that is stopping me reading big books again, is that I like to read whilst on my side in bed and the strain of holding a big book open with one hand and turning pages etc. makes it uncomfortable, hence my interest in a ebook reader.
I am also going to be going to university in September, so am thinking of the advantages of not having to carry around the books that I will have to read as well (plus about £50 of book/waterstones vouchers I have).
I have been doing a lot of research and looking around on the internet and already have a few books on my computer as well as Calibre (mac).

I am really just interested to hear if anybody thinks a different reader would suit me better and if they know of a better price than the play.com offer of the reader and leather cover for £180.

Thanks for your help!

ladyjane · 05-11-2009, 09:19 AM

Hi, not sure whats available in the UK but I can tell you I have the Sony 505 and love it..I looked at the 700 but found the screen to be to dark for me and the back lighting just didn't cut it . Here the 700 is $100 more than the 505. Ki dle is not available here in Canada so I didn't have that option..but if you do go with the Sony 505 you won't be disappointed..There are tons of free books here on this site and many others..As like myself alot of authors I never heard of but I am slowly appreciating the opportunity for many a good read...Thats MY opinion and I'm sticking to it.

lilac_jive · 05-11-2009, 09:24 AM

There's a possibility Sony will be coming out with a larger device, but that won't affect you. If you're reading just regular old books, you can't go wrong with the 505. I think it'll be a while before the Kindle gets out of the US.

And the 505 is perfect for reading on your side, which I was doing last night

I fold the cover back, prop it up on a pillow, and poke the page turns

zelda_pinwheel · 05-11-2009, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00hkelly

Hi,

I am seriously considering buying a Sony PRS 505 in the next few days and was looking for a bit of advice before I do (if I do).

1. Firstly, are there any rumours of a new device being released soon, (my biggest fear is paying for a new bit of tech only to find it being surpassed in a few months (I know about the PRS 700 though).

well... there will always be new devices coming out (sometimes, mere weeks or days after you finally make up your mind and buy one !

) but, don't worry about that ; the devices currently available are great and i'm sure you'll be happy with your choice. you'll just have to live with the device envy most of us suffer from every time a new model is introduced.

and eventually you can always upgrade later !

Quote:

2. Similarly, is there any more information about the Kindle being released in the UK, as this could influence my decision to buy the sony?

probably not : the kindle is currently US only and this is probably for 2 main reasons : negotiations with the telecoms to implement a "whispernet" feature in europe is rather complicated, and also there is the question of acquiring international rights to sell titles. i imagine amazon would like to expand to other regions but we've got no indication this will happen soon.

Quote:

I am going to be using the device to get back into reading (was a big reader as a child but stopped for some reason in the mid teens. One of the major factors that is stopping me reading big books again, is that I like to read whilst on my side in bed and the strain of holding a big book open with one hand and turning pages etc. makes it uncomfortable, hence my interest in a ebook reader.

i love to read in bed on my side too and i know just what you mean ! since i've got my reader i can't go back to reading paper books ; the ergonomics are terrible !

Quote:

I am also going to be going to university in September, so am thinking of the advantages of not having to carry around the books that I will have to read as well (plus about £50 of book/waterstones vouchers I have).
I have been doing a lot of research and looking around on the internet and already have a few books on my computer as well as Calibre (mac).

glad you've discovered calibre already ! it's a fantastic tool. i find it indispensable. and being able to carry hundreds of books in such a lightweight device is pure heaven !! for students, but also for travelling and even just in daily life. it's one of my favorite things about ebooks.

Quote:

I am really just interested to hear if anybody thinks a different reader would suit me better and if they know of a better price than the play.com offer of the reader and leather cover for £180.

personally, i have a sony 700 and i adore it, so i'm a bit biased no doubt.

as a student, i would say it could be a really great choice for you, because of the search functions and highlighting / notetaking functions. i'm not a student but i use those all the time and i wouldn't want to be without them. also, the touch screen interface makes navigation really easy and comfortable ! i've gotten spoiled by it and it's another function i couldn't give up. the other feature which is really important to me is the epub support. epub is the new industry standard, and it's an open format. most european publishers are adopting epub for their ebooks, some exclusively. it's a very robust format which allows for much more complex formatting than any other, and since it's based on xhtml and css, and open, it's very future-proof which means it's highly unlikely that you'll lose access to your books some day if you switch devices. i recommend you definitely get a device supporting epub, whichever you choose, particularly since you're in the UK.

but i'm sure you'll end up loving whatever you buy. once you narrow it down, be sure to take a look in our ebooks section (ebooks link in the blue nav bar at the top of the page) for thousands of free ebooks formatted by our members ! feedbooks.com is another excellent source for free books.

Quote:

Thanks for your help!

don't hesitate to ask questions ! you'll see we've got some very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful people around here ! enjoy !

00hkelly · 05-11-2009, 09:53 AM

Thanks for the quick replies! I will definitely be placing my order in the next day or two. I'm looking forward to reading again!

zelda_pinwheel · 05-11-2009, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00hkelly

Thanks for the quick replies! I will definitely be placing my order in the next day or two. I'm looking forward to reading again!

wait and see, you'll love it !

kazbates · 05-11-2009, 10:10 AM

OHhhh! You mean take the plunge to by a reader!!

I thought you were going to get married and wanted advice from some of us old married folks!!

Okay. . .changing gears. . . I have LOVED both of my readers! You really can't go wrong with the Sony. I love my 700 and read it everywhere (well, almost).

Since new technology seems to come out as soon as you buy any form of tech gear, don't wait. You will never be able to get the latest and greatest!

Kaz

00hkelly · 05-12-2009, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kazbates

OHhhh! You mean take the plunge to by a reader!!

I thought you were going to get married and wanted advice from some of us old married folks!!

Okay. . .changing gears. . . I have LOVED both of my readers! You really can't go wrong with the Sony. I love my 700 and read it everywhere (well, almost).

Since new technology seems to come out as soon as you buy any form of tech gear, don't wait. You will never be able to get the latest and greatest!

Kaz

Haha, no, fortunately my decision is a bit smaller

I just placed the order for a 505 anyway. Now just the wait before it arrives...

lilac_jive · 05-12-2009, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00hkelly

Haha, no, fortunately my decision is a bit smaller

I just placed the order for a 505 anyway. Now just the wait before it arrives...

Congrats!! I had to buy mine in the store, I hate waiting

zelda_pinwheel · 05-12-2009, 09:05 AM

ooh, congratulations !! you're going to love it ! be sure to download calibre (it's got its own forum here) ; it's a free library management, conversion, and rss aggregation tool which will quickly become indispensable to you. and don't hesitate to ask any questions.

now, while you're waiting for it to arrive, go load up on some books to read !! take a look in our free ebooks forum (ebooks link in the blue nav bar at the top of the page). for sony, i recommend epub format, or you can get lrf as well. another great site for more free public domain / creative commons books : feedbooks.com.

happy reading !

05-11-2009, 09:12 AM	#1
00hkelly Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Sony PRS 505	A little advice before I take the plunge Hi, I am seriously considering buying a Sony PRS 505 in the next few days and was looking for a bit of advice before I do (if I do). 1. Firstly, are there any rumours of a new device being released soon, (my biggest fear is paying for a new bit of tech only to find it being surpassed in a few months (I know about the PRS 700 though). 2. Similarly, is there any more information about the Kindle being released in the UK, as this could influence my decision to buy the sony? I am going to be using the device to get back into reading (was a big reader as a child but stopped for some reason in the mid teens. One of the major factors that is stopping me reading big books again, is that I like to read whilst on my side in bed and the strain of holding a big book open with one hand and turning pages etc. makes it uncomfortable, hence my interest in a ebook reader. I am also going to be going to university in September, so am thinking of the advantages of not having to carry around the books that I will have to read as well (plus about £50 of book/waterstones vouchers I have). I have been doing a lot of research and looking around on the internet and already have a few books on my computer as well as Calibre (mac). I am really just interested to hear if anybody thinks a different reader would suit me better and if they know of a better price than the play.com offer of the reader and leather cover for £180. Thanks for your help!

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05-11-2009, 09:19 AM	#2
ladyjane I hate to clean Posts: 125 Karma: 1155 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Burlington, ontario Device: Sony PRS-505, Acer NetBook	Hi, not sure whats available in the UK but I can tell you I have the Sony 505 and love it..I looked at the 700 but found the screen to be to dark for me and the back lighting just didn't cut it . Here the 700 is $100 more than the 505. Ki dle is not available here in Canada so I didn't have that option..but if you do go with the Sony 505 you won't be disappointed..There are tons of free books here on this site and many others..As like myself alot of authors I never heard of but I am slowly appreciating the opportunity for many a good read...Thats MY opinion and I'm sticking to it.

05-11-2009, 09:24 AM	#3
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	There's a possibility Sony will be coming out with a larger device, but that won't affect you. If you're reading just regular old books, you can't go wrong with the 505. I think it'll be a while before the Kindle gets out of the US. And the 505 is perfect for reading on your side, which I was doing last night I fold the cover back, prop it up on a pillow, and poke the page turns

05-11-2009, 09:53 AM	#5
00hkelly Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Sony PRS 505	Thanks for the quick replies! I will definitely be placing my order in the next day or two. I'm looking forward to reading again!

05-11-2009, 10:10 AM	#7
kazbates Wizard Posts: 2,627 Karma: 406616 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Northern Virginia Device: SurfacePro, SurfaceBook 2	OHhhh! You mean take the plunge to by a reader!! I thought you were going to get married and wanted advice from some of us old married folks!! Okay. . .changing gears. . . I have LOVED both of my readers! You really can't go wrong with the Sony. I love my 700 and read it everywhere (well, almost). Since new technology seems to come out as soon as you buy any form of tech gear, don't wait. You will never be able to get the latest and greatest! Kaz

05-12-2009, 09:05 AM	#10
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	ooh, congratulations !! you're going to love it ! be sure to download calibre (it's got its own forum here) ; it's a free library management, conversion, and rss aggregation tool which will quickly become indispensable to you. and don't hesitate to ask any questions. now, while you're waiting for it to arrive, go load up on some books to read !! take a look in our free ebooks forum (ebooks link in the blue nav bar at the top of the page). for sony, i recommend epub format, or you can get lrf as well. another great site for more free public domain / creative commons books : feedbooks.com. happy reading !

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