I mail-ordered my wife a 505 for Xmas and she loves it. I think it rocks too. After wrestling with the Kindle choice I decided to buy a second 505 for me. Our reading time overlaps too much to share.
So after reading the about the new Borders promotion, and not getting ANY information from two local store managers, I bit the bullet and just bought it. We had a traumatic experience at Borders since they seriously wanted to charge me $349!
There are three price points for the same SKU code ($249, $299, and $349) in their system. The first manager did not believe me when I told him it sells for $299, well, everywhere. Had to return later and take another crack at them (since it was sold out in other local electronics stores and at the other local Borders). Phew! Crisis averted and I didn't have to be hauled off by the police for wringing his neck...
It did come with a "$10 off e-book" code, a 12 letter+number scratch-off-covered sticker on the box. It also rang up the $50 promotion details (straight credit at the Sony/Borders site) on the receipt! Yay! The monkeys behind the counter were dumbfounded.
So, I eagerly take it home plug it in and follow their instructions, sending me to the ebooks.connect.com/borders store. Hmm, at least the front page is put together sexier than the original Sony site.
First weirdness is my Library software is now updated to version 2.1.00.10240/BR. My wife's installation was not yet at 2.1 and did not think there was an update available. Odd. I haven't spotted any improvements but I glossed over some text assuring me there are some. If so, why doesn't the original Sony software want to update itself?
Second weirdness is I am unable to register myself as an independent account at the Sony Borders store. It recognizes that our single home PC already has an account (my wife's) and "only one is allowed." I checked the FAQ's and e-mailed tech support to see what they have to say.
I can probably redeem my new credits ($50 + $10 off one book) to my wife's account even though hers was mail-ordered elsewhere. If so, what about the extra 100 Classic books I am also entitled to? I'll be a bit peeved if I have to use my laptop or work PC just to get around the "one account per PC" nonsense in their set-up.
I can't be the only Sony fan here with only one reader though, extravagant as it may sound. Anyone else out there? I'll post up what I get back from tech support. At least the reader is awesome and I'm obviously doing my part to fund the next generation.