MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Sony thinks quality will win out (for them)

rblover · 08-06-2010, 06:59 AM

I had been leaning towards a Sony 900, but changed my mind. The screen is too dark, and it costs too much. Sony got it's heinie kicked in the VCR Wars because it offered too high a quality-video & audio superiority the human eye/ear could not detect without expensive lab equipment-at too high a price. VHS offered 'good enough' video, and sound...for 1/2 to 1/3 the price of Sony's Betamax models. VHS won...carrying JVC, Pioneer, Akai, etc, with it.

Sony seems about to repeat the errors in the E-Reader Wars; losing to Kindle. Sony claims more formats from more sources, than Kindle, including library downloads in epub format. That, and touchscreen, are not enough to warrant the higher price, let alone settleing for a worse screen. Most of the books I would want from the public library are old classics I can get for free, or nearly free, from The Kindle Store. It will take me awhile to get through the 1.8 million books available from Amazon, so I don't think I will need to make use of other sources anytime soon.

I want just a: small, affordable, lightweight, portable, 'easy to read without glare, or eye strain', e-reader which will let me buy, download, store, and read, e-books. I don't want-and won't pay extra for-a bunch of 'already have on my computer' functions...such as email, web surfing, video conferencing, etc. Touchscreen is a fad gizmo I can take, or leave, but will not base a buying decision on. Nor will I pay extra for it. Unless Sony comes out with a '3G+WiFi Kindle like' device for a lot less than the Kindle-and does it within the next few weeks-Sony will be losing my business to Kindle very soon.

08-06-2010, 06:59 AM	#159
rblover Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 26 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none as yet	Sony, Or....? I had been leaning towards a Sony 900, but changed my mind. The screen is too dark, and it costs too much. Sony got it's heinie kicked in the VCR Wars because it offered too high a quality-video & audio superiority the human eye/ear could not detect without expensive lab equipment-at too high a price. VHS offered 'good enough' video, and sound...for 1/2 to 1/3 the price of Sony's Betamax models. VHS won...carrying JVC, Pioneer, Akai, etc, with it. Sony seems about to repeat the errors in the E-Reader Wars; losing to Kindle. Sony claims more formats from more sources, than Kindle, including library downloads in epub format. That, and touchscreen, are not enough to warrant the higher price, let alone settleing for a worse screen. Most of the books I would want from the public library are old classics I can get for free, or nearly free, from The Kindle Store. It will take me awhile to get through the 1.8 million books available from Amazon, so I don't think I will need to make use of other sources anytime soon. I want just a: small, affordable, lightweight, portable, 'easy to read without glare, or eye strain', e-reader which will let me buy, download, store, and read, e-books. I don't want-and won't pay extra for-a bunch of 'already have on my computer' functions...such as email, web surfing, video conferencing, etc. Touchscreen is a fad gizmo I can take, or leave, but will not base a buying decision on. Nor will I pay extra for it. Unless Sony comes out with a '3G+WiFi Kindle like' device for a lot less than the Kindle-and does it within the next few weeks-Sony will be losing my business to Kindle very soon.