New Sony reader in August?

[forkyfork]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry to be cynical, but it is VANISHINGLY unlikely that a bookstore manager will have any "inside knowledge" of a new Sony device which has not previously appeared on sites like MR. Since we have heard nothing concrete about new Sony devices (other than speculation that Sony, like everyone else, will release a device with a 9.7" screen), I would take this with a very, very large "pinch of salt".

This is what I thought too, but the manager seemed very confident. He was telling it to me as though it was common knowledge (and I pretended as such).

I was just passing the information along. The specs he told me make sense, especially since Sony would want to compete with the Kindle.

[MickeyC]

Originally Posted by rjfarrell

For those of you on the fence about buying now or waiting, you can simply wait forever for the next best device, or get one now and enjoy.

I see the plethora of ebook readers available now and those rumored/stated to be coming out...I still love my Sony 505. I bought it 6 weeks ago to replace my 700 which I still have but do not like so much.

The 505 is rock solid. Form Factor and usability is 100%. Easy to take with everyday. I am never without my reader.

So, will I ever buy a new one? Absolutely. But buying the 505 now is STILL a great idea.

Absolutely agree. I was going to buy a 500 with a gift certificate I anticipated getting in June 07 which never materialized. So, I stalled around till early 08 and bought a 505 and really like it. And wouldn't trade it for a 700.

[Lemurion]

I just bought the 505 at Borders - it's great. I'm another that doesn't believe it's being discontinued because it's still selling very well and being rolled out across Europe.

I personally think it's one of the best designs out there - and after 18 months on the market it's still fully competitive.

[kelly1010]

Yeah, I'd be "interested" to hear about this new reader, but at the same time, I love my 505...it's still practically brand new--only 2 1/2 months old, and 5 books read on it so far. I really don't have a need for a bigger screen. The wifi is the only thing that would tempt me.

[forkyfork]

I worry about how much the wi-fi would drain the battery. I would think it would be more powerful than amazon's cell phone service connection, but I don't know.

[Seabound]

More PRS-505 love here. I think the only new features which would make me seriously consider buying a new Sony reader are annotation and dictionary lookup capabilities, assuming Sony does not mess up the screen. WiFi, eh, don't need it.

[HansTWN]

A reader with a big screen and WiFi would be great for downloading newspapers (could directly download it every morning and read it -- who wants to fire up a computer before breakfast and then transfer files?), and for large format documents. For regular books the 505 is big enough, big is not always better, especially if you want to take it with you. A big screen device would be great as a second reader, not a substitute for the 505.

[Renaldo]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

I'm another that doesn't believe it's being discontinued because it's still selling very well and being rolled out across Europe.

I personally think it's one of the best designs out there - and after 18 months on the market it's still fully competitive.

I've got to agree. Unless a new reader is coming out at the same price point as the 505, I don't think it's being discontinued. The price drop isn't a price drop, it's a sale at Borders, who got stuck with a lot of readers that weren't moving. I know when I bought my 505 there a few months ago, it came with coupons that had already expired while sitting on the shelf. I don't see Target or other retailers having a sale like this to dump 505's. If anything, I could see it as a move by Sony to put more 505s in people's hands versus the Kindle.

[jgray]

Originally Posted by rjfarrell

For those of you on the fence about buying now or waiting, you can simply wait forever for the next best device, or get one now and enjoy.

Absolutely. The rule with any technology purchase is "If you can buy it, it is already obsolete". If you know for a fact that something better will actually be available for purchase next week, then wait for it. Otherwise, buy the best gizmo you can today and enjoy the use of it, rather than waiting eternally for something better. There will always be something better coming along next month or next year.

[Donnageddon]

All I can say is a 9.7" Sony Reader is an automatic sale for me.

Me wants the precious.

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

All I can say is a 9.7" Sony Reader is an automatic sale for me.

Me wants the precious.

Me too!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by forkyfork

I worry about how much the wi-fi would drain the battery. I would think it would be more powerful than amazon's cell phone service connection, but I don't know.

Mobile devices with WiFi generally have a way of switching it off, for exactly that reason.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

I agree that electronics tend to go obsolete quickly--maybe even as fast as "if you can buy it then it's obsolete". On the other hand there are levels of obsoleteness. I'd rather buy an e-reader that's only going to be a little bit obsolete than one that is completely obsolete. For example if I buy a 505 now I would only consider it slightly obsolete. But if Sony were to come out with an e-reader in a month that completely rectifies all the complaints that people have about e-ink screens then that reader would go from a little obsolete to completely obsolete. I just want to make sure I'm on the right side of the divide.

[kaas]

I am eagerly awaiting new readers. While I was very happy with my sony reader, the low processor speed annoyed me to no end. It took ages to repaginate after a font size change or opening larger books...

cheers,

kaas

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

I agree that electronics tend to go obsolete quickly--maybe even as fast as "if you can buy it then it's obsolete".

This is specially true for those of us in europe where the only one that has launched is the 505 and in a number of countries that happened after the 700 showed up in the states, but then again even knowing all that I still bought mine and think its great.