Sony's competitive future with Kindle

[bumblesby]

One of the competitive features of a Sony is the ability to read books via Overdrive from a public library. Now that the Kindle will be able to do this by year-end will the Sony eReaders suffer? Yes, we love the Sony touch-screen and small footprint.

I do not know the specifics of what Amazon is going to "enable" on the Kindle, if anything. What this may mean is that Overdrive would now have the rights to the Amazon format. If that happens, could it be the end of ePub on Overdrive? Would libraries have to buy a license for both the Amazon format and ePub? It would be a market-monopoly move for Amazon to do that.

I am not against Kindles or any other e-reader; I may even try one someday, but the story is an interesting one.

[carld]

Is library access a primary reason Sony users picked their reader? I'd always thought it was the touchscreen and the build quality, but I'm saying that as an outsider looking in.

[brbubba]

Library access had no effect in my overall decision. Size and resolution were my main factors. I actually had a Kindle and then returned it because the resolution was too low.

Also I've checked out my local library's offerings and everything is almost always checked out. Having to put myself on a waiting list for god knows how long is a lot more bothersome then just stopping by the library on my way home from work. Also with interlibrary loan I can get stuff that would never show up in the digital collection.

[Asawi]

I don't think library access is such a big decider. I think it's more of a general ePub thing. And also a general interest in quality. And the touch screen...

[Pomtroll]

Library access was not a decider for me either. I liked the size & the touch screen.

[Salgueiros]

I never used the library access function.

I think the Sony is good because it is very well designed, has a very good screen, great touchscreen function and is well built. Besides the small size makes it almost irresistible. I don't think this library thing will affect it that much to be honest. The ability to read several (open) formats, and not being linked to a store/format were the main selling points for me.

[graycyn]

Hubby and I both bought Nooks when the price came down to $149 for the new WiFi model last summer. Prime criteria at that time were price and library access. We also liked the idea of touchscreen. We both wanted e-ink.

However, if Sony had been out then with the 650 and 950, it might well have gone another way. We both just saw the 350 and 950 (at Best Buy) and we both now crave owning the 950. Me probably a bit more than hubby, as at the rate I'm accumulating books, I'll crash the Nook's file handling capabilities within another six months.

Price is still a bit of an obstacle, even though Best Buy had the 950 in stock, that's a lot of money. And of course, we wonder if Sony will come out with anything new this fall. Naturally *my* suggestion was that we could get a 950 for me now and then if Sony came out with something I liked better this fall, hubby could get the older 950 from me, while I got the new version, LOL!

We saw both the Sony models and then later, at BN, the Nook Color device. We both felt rather "Meh." about Nook Color. (I found the text HORRID to read on the backlit device.)

The Sony, on the other hand, elicited a quite rare "WOW!" exclamation out of my hubby before he'd had it in his hands for little more than a minute. And he only got to play with the 350 device... because I had grabbed the 950 and practically had to be dragged away from it.

Will people like us be enough of a market? I don't know, but I sure want one! I'm thinking the sheer enjoyment factor would be worth the higher price. However, I want to do some more research on it before we take a plunge.

[elemenoP]

Library access was the reason I bought my reader. (My physical library is undergoing a multi-year renovation, and I needed my fix, man.) I originally wanted a Kindle but found out it doesn't do library books. Then I thought I would get a Nook but it seemed big and clunky to me, I just disliked it as a gadget. This is how I ended up with a Sony. The touch screen was not much of a decision factor for me (although I love it now). So yes, I do think the Kindle having access to library books is going to be a big problem for Sony and B&N.

eP

[gudrun45]

I decided on the Sony because of the library access. It is a better looking device than the Kindle (in my opinion) and that was a bonus, but the library lending was the clincher.

[Poppaea]

It will definetly make a difference in the American market in favor of Amazon, but will have no impact outside of America. So there is no need to fear for Sony. They do most of their business now outside of the States and they will just continue to do so.

Europe is split into ~50 countries with nearly 100 languages. No way for Amazon to satisfy the needs of this market. Now think about Asia and you will be able to guess why it is so important to have companies selling devices that work with a lot of different shops. The Amazon business model of a heavly subsided device to make people buy in their store is very hard to bring into a market as diverse as Europe.

[Prestidigitweeze]

I was just about to reply when I saw Poppaea's post. Thanks for making the argument and saving me the trouble.

Additionally, American libraries' selection will have to improve greatly for me to be interested. While I'd still love to check out innumerable physical books, the NYPL doesn't offer a single eBook that interests me in any format: No Nabokov, no Ingeborg Bachmann, no Paul Celan, no E.M. Cioran, no J.G. Ballard, no John Hawkes, no Robert Coover, no Jorge Luis Borges, no Roland Barthes, no Raymond Roussel, no Robert Desnos, none of the Calvino that interests me -- only bestsellers, genre novels, obvious political diatribes and other demoralizing pabulum.

[Ripplinger]

For myself, I decided on the Sony because it's just a better made product... smaller size, loved the touchscreen, quality feel with the metal case. I hated how big the Kindle was because of the keyboard, the page buttons on it were pretty stiff to push also. Now that could have just been the store demo, but the size and plastic alone was enough for me to not like it.

The fact that the Sony can also handle library books was a bonus, but it's definitely not a reason I'd buy a reader I didn't like just for library access.

[Bookworm_Girl]

I would expect that libraries will have to buy additional licenses for the Amazon format. Before EPUBs became the dominant format, my library used to have both PDFs and mobi versions of books. It's really no different than having MP3 and WMA formats of audiobooks. I don't think the EPUB format will die at libraries because of international demand as pointed out previously and also because there are so many brands of ereaders that use EPUB's. I borrow library books for use on my Sony and my B&N Nook Color. What is likely to happen is that libraries may split the number of licenses that they purchase for a particular book between EPUB and Amazon formats, which would result in longer wait-times for a best-selling book in EPUB format.

[library addict]

The ability to borrow library books was not a factor in my decision to go with the 650 since my library doesn’t do ebooks.

That said, my library just signed with overdrive last month and is set to start offering library books this summer, so I will start using it for that. I will be bummed if overdrive discontinues ePub, but that's not my understanding at this time.

I would still want a Sony over a Kindle because of the aesthetics. I love the look of the Sony and dislike the clunky-looking keyboard on the Kindle. (Shallow I know )

I do use Amazon for DVDs, treats for my dog, and a bunch of other stuff. And I occasionally use them to buy both print books and Kindle books. I’m not anti-Amazon. I just don’t like the idea of Amazon taking over publishing and do like the ability to shop around for my books.
I was very surprised that Amazon agreed to allow library lending since their objective is to sell books. I honestly never thought they would. But even knowing now that Kindle will allow library loaning, if given the choice again, I’d still pick the Sony.

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by library addict

The ability to borrow library books was not a factor in my decision to go with the 650 since my library doesn’t do ebooks.
That said, my library just signed with overdrive last month and is set to start offering library books this summer, so I will start using it for that. I will be bummed if overdrive discontinues ePub, but that's not my understanding at this time.
I just don’t like the idea of Amazon taking over publishing and do like the ability to shop around for my books.
I was very surprised that Amazon agreed to allow library lending .

This addresses the worries I have, that even the lending market in all of Amazon's markets will possibly become skewed towards their device being regarded, even more than it is already, as the default ereader and system.
Many people I have spoken to about ereading, who may well be the target group in mind here, think the kindle reader

a)the only one available,

or

b) the best one there is.

Both of which are, of course, untrue.....................

Sadly, I can't help thinking Amazon are more likely, at present, to make that step-leap into reaching the real mass-market that I'm sure they're after.
Their whole approach to ereading seems to have been been so much more focused on the long-term than the electronic giants, and with more of a game-plan in mind..............