MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Reasons I'm not getting a Kindle but the Sony 505 instead.

spooky69 · 12-10-2007, 08:23 PM

I'm going to be getting a Sony Reader PRS-505 for Christmas, and I feel pretty confident with that choice. Here's a list of reasons why:
-The side buttons on the Kindle. I said this in another thread, but they seem like a monumentally bad idea. I don't want to be restricted to only holding the reader by the bottom 1/3, even if doing so isn't that awkward. They clearly had the idea of trying to make the most important buttons on the machine really big and "user-friendly," without giving any thought to the actual usability of their final design. This is the one factor that will *have* to change before I'd even consider buying a Kindle.
-The price of the PRS-505 is more reasonable, although I feel that the extra features on the Kindle do justify the price difference. They're both pretty expensive no matter what, though.
-I simply won't be buying many books for my device if they're available for free somehow, so the online book selection isn't much of an issue at the point. For those who do plan on buying a lot of books, I could definitely see where Amazon would have the upper hand.
-I don't want/need most of the the extra features on the Kindle, though it's nice that they're there for those who have it. I'm getting the PRS-505 as device to read books and other texts, and it seems like the Reader is going to meet that requirement quite well, perhaps even better than the Kindle does currently.
-No matter what, the PRS-505 will continue to perform its primary function right out of the box, with no foreseeable degradation of this functionality for the life of the device itself. The wireless connectivity of the Kindle, however, will always be in a state flux, whether it gets better, worse, or unusable altogether. If the Kindle's internet capability or its web-based services disappear, a major part of its functionality will be lost. Even if the Reader is discontinued by Sony, I feel like the usability of it will probably still continue to be refined by users creating their own hacks for it, and, at worst, will simply stay the same.

Now, there are some points of concern with the PRS-505 compared to the Kindle:
-Sony. It doesn't seem like their support for the Reader so far has been that great, although they hit most of the big targets with the hardware upgrade from the 500 model. Despite that, everything I've read points to some serious complacency in regards to the firmware. Why are there still no separate folders for different MP3 books/albums? It seems like that would be an extremely easy feature to implement, but it's the type of thing that will continually be overlooked in the "it works well enough as it is" type of development environment that can plague software projects. The limited available font sizes and lack of alternate fonts also seems like a pretty straightforward issue that hasn't been addressed despite plenty of complaints. I'm really hoping that the Kindle's release and subsequent popularity will be a big kick in the ass for Sony. The thoroughness of their firmware updates for the 505 and how well they address the demands of the users will be the biggest factor in determining whether I buy a newer model if/when I purchase a new e-book reader after this one. Despite my worries about Sony's abilities to hone their product, it also remains to be seen how well Amazon can accomplish the same task. People (both members of the press and casual observers) reacted extremely negatively to the design of Kindle's original "prototype." What changes did they make to the design in the year it took them to release the device? They added some tacky-looking and pointless embossing to the rubber pad on the back. This doesn't speak well to Amazon's ability to listen to what the consumer wants.
-On the other hand, the dictionary is really an extremely desirable feature. I'd hope that Sony (or the users) could find a way to get a Dictionary on the Reader (pretty doable, although I imagine the interface for this feature would be a little cumbersome without the scroll wheel) then I'd have virtually no reason to want a Kindle.
-Amazon simply has a better ability to offer content for their device. I mentioned that the usefulness of the Kindle's internet connectivity will change throughout the life of the product, but no matter what, it will probably continue to function for longer than the Sony's Connect book store. I saw on here that they'll probably be starting a partnership with Barnes & Noble, so we'll see how that changes things.
-Faster page turns on the Kindle. Hopefully this is something that could be optimized on the 505 with future firmware updates.

Anyway, a lot of that was pretty long-winded, but I'm really looking forward to getting my Reader. I'm still open to getting a Kindle at some point, but they'll have to do a lot with the next version to show that they've learned from people's input. If they don't, somebody else is sure to come out with a much sleeker, more well-rounded internet-capable reader.

12-10-2007, 08:23 PM	#139
spooky69 Stats: Posts: 233 Karma: 1189 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Sony PRS-505	I'm going to be getting a Sony Reader PRS-505 for Christmas, and I feel pretty confident with that choice. Here's a list of reasons why: -The side buttons on the Kindle. I said this in another thread, but they seem like a monumentally bad idea. I don't want to be restricted to only holding the reader by the bottom 1/3, even if doing so isn't that awkward. They clearly had the idea of trying to make the most important buttons on the machine really big and "user-friendly," without giving any thought to the actual usability of their final design. This is the one factor that will have to change before I'd even consider buying a Kindle. -The price of the PRS-505 is more reasonable, although I feel that the extra features on the Kindle do justify the price difference. They're both pretty expensive no matter what, though. -I simply won't be buying many books for my device if they're available for free somehow, so the online book selection isn't much of an issue at the point. For those who do plan on buying a lot of books, I could definitely see where Amazon would have the upper hand. -I don't want/need most of the the extra features on the Kindle, though it's nice that they're there for those who have it. I'm getting the PRS-505 as device to read books and other texts, and it seems like the Reader is going to meet that requirement quite well, perhaps even better than the Kindle does currently. -No matter what, the PRS-505 will continue to perform its primary function right out of the box, with no foreseeable degradation of this functionality for the life of the device itself. The wireless connectivity of the Kindle, however, will always be in a state flux, whether it gets better, worse, or unusable altogether. If the Kindle's internet capability or its web-based services disappear, a major part of its functionality will be lost. Even if the Reader is discontinued by Sony, I feel like the usability of it will probably still continue to be refined by users creating their own hacks for it, and, at worst, will simply stay the same. Now, there are some points of concern with the PRS-505 compared to the Kindle: -Sony. It doesn't seem like their support for the Reader so far has been that great, although they hit most of the big targets with the hardware upgrade from the 500 model. Despite that, everything I've read points to some serious complacency in regards to the firmware. Why are there still no separate folders for different MP3 books/albums? It seems like that would be an extremely easy feature to implement, but it's the type of thing that will continually be overlooked in the "it works well enough as it is" type of development environment that can plague software projects. The limited available font sizes and lack of alternate fonts also seems like a pretty straightforward issue that hasn't been addressed despite plenty of complaints. I'm really hoping that the Kindle's release and subsequent popularity will be a big kick in the ass for Sony. The thoroughness of their firmware updates for the 505 and how well they address the demands of the users will be the biggest factor in determining whether I buy a newer model if/when I purchase a new e-book reader after this one. Despite my worries about Sony's abilities to hone their product, it also remains to be seen how well Amazon can accomplish the same task. People (both members of the press and casual observers) reacted extremely negatively to the design of Kindle's original "prototype." What changes did they make to the design in the year it took them to release the device? They added some tacky-looking and pointless embossing to the rubber pad on the back. This doesn't speak well to Amazon's ability to listen to what the consumer wants. -On the other hand, the dictionary is really an extremely desirable feature. I'd hope that Sony (or the users) could find a way to get a Dictionary on the Reader (pretty doable, although I imagine the interface for this feature would be a little cumbersome without the scroll wheel) then I'd have virtually no reason to want a Kindle. -Amazon simply has a better ability to offer content for their device. I mentioned that the usefulness of the Kindle's internet connectivity will change throughout the life of the product, but no matter what, it will probably continue to function for longer than the Sony's Connect book store. I saw on here that they'll probably be starting a partnership with Barnes & Noble, so we'll see how that changes things. -Faster page turns on the Kindle. Hopefully this is something that could be optimized on the 505 with future firmware updates. Anyway, a lot of that was pretty long-winded, but I'm really looking forward to getting my Reader. I'm still open to getting a Kindle at some point, but they'll have to do a lot with the next version to show that they've learned from people's input. If they don't, somebody else is sure to come out with a much sleeker, more well-rounded internet-capable reader.