Walmart PRS-505 at $268.98

[mjh215]

I had just noticed this but Walmart.com has the silver and blue PRS-505's listed and both are at $268.98. Here's a link to each:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=8216491
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=8216490
Hope that is a help to someone. -MJ

[Ervserver]

I didn't know Wally even sold em

[NatCh]

I don't think they did, until recently, anyway.

[dhbailey]

That's a good thing -- it would be even better if they put them in their stores, but at least being on Walmart.com they will have a bigger exposure than before. I'm getting tired of people walking up to me and asking me "Oh, is that a Kindle?!? Neat!" Then I have to go into a lengthy explanation of how it's the Sony, which has a better form factor and which came out first and which I think is better, blah blah blah.

Sony needs to hire a better Vice President In Charge of Making Sure Everybody On the Planet Knows About Sony Products.

[HarryT]

Do they ship internationally?

[Madam Broshkina]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Do they ship internationally?

According to the website the answer is no.

Shipping outside the United States
We do not ship to Canada or other destinations outside the United States except for major offshore territories and protectorates of the United States

[mjh215]

dhbailey - It says there is 'Limited Store Availability' and a search from your location. I checked both models and no stores in my area had them. Perhaps it's a test rollout, or they just started carrying them and Sony can't supply all 6 million of their stores

-MJ

[HarryT]

Thank you. This is rather a "non news" item, then, isn't it, given that everyone in the US can easily enough buy one from Sony directly? Third party retailers are only really of interest to people outside the US, who can't buy from Sony.

[JSWolf]

But you can get free site to store delivery and then go get the 505 at your local Walmart.

[mjh215]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thank you. This is rather a "non news" item, then, isn't it, given that everyone in the US can easily enough buy one from Sony directly? Third party retailers are only really of interest to people outside the US, who can't buy from Sony.

Then by all means delete/lock the thread. It's not my forum. I say this with no malice, just statement of fact

I don't use a credit card and don't have a Sony store in my area (like many) but I do have a Walmart (like many) and the ability to go in, order the Reader at a discounted price, or at the very least grab a gift card for the amount and order it was very tempting, though that day/next day I found one second hand.

I normally wouldn't post a link to a commercial entity but there had been several previously posted links with store information and sales from places like Sam's (Which is owned my Walmart) and Costco and wanted to return the favor to the community.

-MJ

[NatCh]

I think the news here is that something as ubiquitous as Wal-Mart is carrying them at all. That's something that may not be obvious to folks outside the U.S. but Wal-Marts are everywhere here -- they're like cockroaches, only useful.

[HarryT]

Fair enough .

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by NatCh

That's something that may not be obvious to folks outside the U.S. but Wal-Marts are everywhere here -- they're like cockroaches, only useful.

hmm... like cockroaches, maybe... not sure about the "useful" part. i saw this documentary : Walmart : the High Cost of Low Price, and if i lived in the US, i would boycott Walmart. i technically *am* boycotting them, from a long way away...

however (sorry about the off-topicness...), the fact that a big "mainstream" chain is carrying the 505 is probably good news for public awareness as well as easier distribution. i only wish it were a different chain (do you have other ones as big as that ?).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

however (sorry about the off-topicness...), the fact that a big "mainstream" chain is carrying the 505 is probably good news for public awareness as well as easier distribution.

Given the shortage of screens affecting ALL eInk devices, doesn't more distribution outlets simply mean that they'll run out of stock even more rapidly?

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Given the shortage of screens affecting ALL eInk devices, doesn't more distribution outlets simply mean that they'll run out of stock even more rapidly?

well, personally i like to hope that that is a temporary problem, which will be resolved in a not-too-distant future. whereas even if there are shortages of stock, distribution by high-profile chains should raise general awareness, and hopefully interest, which could only be beneficial.