PRS-T2 Sony and Updates ?? How is the support and Update Policy of Sony

[Ababakar]

As i am stumbling mostly between Pocketbook and the Sony PRS-T2 as reader to buy - and found some comments that are rather disappointed about Support i wanted to ask about your expierience after you bought a Sony reader.

How is Sonys update policy?
Are readers (software) still improved after they are on the market?
What about older readers? - or only the newest model?
How about "user" wishes for software updates? Is the support reading here or elsewhere to see what users like/dislike or would want to be improved/added?

[Mark Nord]

Originally Posted by Ababakar

How is Sonys update policy?
Are readers (software) still improved after they are on the market?

If it benefits to Sony-sales, mostly related to their ebook-store.

What about older readers? - or only the newest model?

Until now, there are only updates for the current models.
For older ones, your are at your own.
But there is an very active community for current T1/T2 models over at the-ebook.org, and there is PRS+ for some of the pre-T1 models.

How about "user" wishes for software updates? Is the support reading here or elsewhere to see what users like/dislike or would want to be improved/added?

Never heard about it. Thought there are some guys from "SONYLISTENS" around here. But usually they a) are too late, b) are targeted at hardware failures and c) only points you to the official Sony-support-pages.

OTOH Sony readers are well developed at their marked launches, and are well suited for reading in the supported formats. Though they are e-readers and not tablets with e-ink-displays.

[vxf]

Originally Posted by Ababakar

As i am stumbling mostly between Pocketbook and the Sony PRS-T2 as reader to buy - and found some comments that are rather disappointed about Support i wanted to ask about your expierience after you bought a Sony reader.

How is Sonys update policy?
Are readers (software) still improved after they are on the market?
What about older readers? - or only the newest model?
How about "user" wishes for software updates? Is the support reading here or elsewhere to see what users like/dislike or would want to be improved/added?

SONY's update policy is:
"



"

[jamadams]

I completely agree with the above. I reluctantly stopped buying Sony devices because of this. And their telephone tech support (the ereader division anyway) is abysmal.

[trocchietto]

Originally Posted by vxf

SONY's update policy is:
"



"

ahaha
sony does not update, it is already a lot they did an initial update,
anyway the good news is that if you root the device you can use it almost as a tablet, thousands of functionality more.
in the end if you root the device and you want a whiter screen with nice dictionaries, it is still the best way to go.

[petercreasey]

Sony's support, especially by phone, is excellent.

The Sony ereaders are arguably your best choice.

[MattW]

Originally Posted by jamadams

I completely agree with the above. I reluctantly stopped buying Sony devices because of this. And their telephone tech support (the ereader division anyway) is abysmal.

That's your right, of course, but I would argue that

(1) the Sony software is usually pretty stable & good to begin with (except for the buggy T1 firmware, which they fixed)

(2) Sony sees their ereaders as consumer devices: once they work, they work. They're not tablets, they don't see the need to constantly improve them.

(3) Historically, they brought ePub to both the (then new) PRS 505 and the older PRS 500.

I don't want updates for my ereaders, I want to read books. If a reader does that to my satisfaction, the lack of further updates doesn't bother me. Bug fixes (as in the case of the T1 and to a lesser extent the T2 are, of course, always welcome).

[Ravensknight]

I concur with MattW. Once it is released, their firmware is pretty stable and finished.

AND

there seems to be a thriving community for hacking, if you're into that...

[david8866]

I agree Sony is less trouble than other ereaders. I still use 505, even I have a few latest ereaders from other makers. For the piece of mind, Sony's own extend warranty is quite good. But Sony's price is high, you can buy two low end Kindle (which is very good) for the price of one Sony reader (plus warranty).

[trocchietto]

Originally Posted by david8866

I agree Sony is less trouble than other ereaders. I still use 505, even I have a few latest ereaders from other makers. For the piece of mind, Sony's own extend warranty is quite good. But Sony's price is high, you can buy two low end Kindle (which is very good) for the price of one Sony reader (plus warranty).

true but I would consider the amazing way to manage notes in prsT2 and the excellent dictionaries, and the possibility to read epub , features that the kindle could miss a bit imo

[carpetmojo]

You can put me in the yay Sony camp too - never had any serious problems, when I have, I've had good responses, but most problems have been down to me and my TechDunce status.....
And the devices are well made (the 650 & 350's, if you can get any, are still a superb piece of engineering - that works.) and I agree with MatW and others, I like a dedicated reader that is designed that way, and for that purpose, not a jack of all trades.
If you must have a multifunction gadget, you don't want a dedicated reading experience.
And, although I swear by, and am never without my Swiss Army knives (one in car -the big chap! - one on bike, one in kitchen, etc....) the saw is not big enough to cut a tree down (well,easily, anyway), the pliers aren't big enough for large nuts, the file won't get you out of prison (well, easily, anyway) ...... I trust you see my point .
(Speaking of which, the knife blades, incidentally, are suitable for almost everything !)

[Rizla]

My 650 died on me 14 months after purchase. Enquired about repair but it was the mobo that was effectively going and repair was more than the price of new T1. So IMO Sony support was s**te.

I still buy Sony but I buy used and refurbed. They are all built to bust, even more now than ever, and Sony support is not a patch on Amazon.

Re: update of firmware, forget it. They get it to the point it works okay, then no more updates. But there is a healthy 'hacking' scene for Sonys.

Despite my misgivings, I still buy Sony, but don't buy new.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by Rizla

My 650 died on me 14 months after purchase. Enquired about repair but it was the mobo that was effectively going and repair was more than the price of new T1. So IMO Sony support was s**te.

I still buy Sony but I buy used and refurbed. They are all built to bust, even more now than ever, and Sony support is not a patch on Amazon.

Re: update of firmware, forget it. They get it to the point it works okay, then no more updates. But there is a healthy 'hacking' scene for Sonys.

Despite my misgivings, I still buy Sony, but don't buy new.

Hardly just a Sony approach... I've got a colour laser printer that's a couple of years old and will cost more than a new one to repair, most laptops cost more than they're worth to fix if the motherboard goes out-of-warranty and the same applies to most tech especially motherboards as they represent most of the cost of an item... most new stuff costs less than your last purchase and/or offers more features... it's the nature of tech and generally all you can do is balance the cost of an extended warranty/insurance against value/replacement out of initial warranty period... not enjoyable but reality and applicable to virtually every company...

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Hardly just a Sony approach... I've got a colour laser printer that's a couple of years old and will cost more than a new one to repair, most laptops cost more than they're worth to fix if the motherboard goes out-of-warranty and the same applies to most tech especially motherboards as they represent most of the cost of an item... most new stuff costs less than your last purchase and/or offers more features... it's the nature of tech and generally all you can do is balance the cost of an extended warranty/insurance against value/replacement out of initial warranty period... not enjoyable but reality and applicable to virtually every company...

I think you also have to take into account the efficiency at which the product was manufactured, and the inefficiency at which it is repaired. If the device was put together with the same amount of effort that goes into repairing it (i.e. some one, highly skilled, person doing all the tasks of assembly), it would cost a good deal more than what it cost to put it together in an assembly line of mixed humans and robots. Under the former circumstances, repair would be a "cheap" option compared to the high purchase price. However, the repair would be no cheaper than it is today (because it takes the same amount of skill and effort), it would only feel so.

I recently had a mechanical watch overhauled by a watchmaker at a cost of about $150Cdn. I could easily buy a more accurate new quartz watch at a fraction of the cost. The watchmaker didn't rip me off; his skilled labour was worth that much. He couldn't build me a watch himself at such a cheap price. It's the same factors that make repairing an ereader as expensive as building a new one.

[elcreative]

What rkomar says... it's part of the same thing and applies across the board...