MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Can't decide which e-Reader to get for my own preferences

jehane · 01-23-2011, 11:24 AM

What format are your free books in? PDF? Sony will handle that better. There are a lot of freebies from Amazon but a lot of the time they are US only. I've tried downloading free books from Amazon US using US details (was not required to enter a credit card) outside the US but it must have checked my IP address and would not let me download. Work out where you plan to get your books from, and what format they are available in. PDF and epub - Sony. Buying from Amazon - Kindle. Keep in mind that if they are DRM-free you may be able to convert between formats. Kindle also reads mobi files.

Do you have access or would you consider borrowing library books? Generally library books are in epub format so if this is an option for you then go with the Sony. If there is not a library with ebooks in your area, there are some that allow non-resident membership for a fee. The Free Library of Philadelphia is highly regarded here, although it looks like it's been recommended so much that it's membership has exploded. Someone reported being #30 on a waitlist! My local library has a decent selection and I haven't been any more than #2 on a waitlist, and even then I only waited a week or so to get that. It's for residents only though.

The form factor is one which you'll have to decide how important it is. Personally I much prefer the clean lines of the Sony - I find miniature keyboards extremely annoying and ugly. To each his own. The Sonys are generally regarded as the most solidly built, having said that the Kindles aren't flimsy. While Amazon have a great reputation for customer service, I wonder how well that applies from the UAE. If you have to pay return shipping it can get to the point where it's not worth sending it back if you have problems.

There has been a bit of discussion in the past about frame colours, and most people found that dark colours improved contrast. I'm pretty sure the Kindle comes in black and white, and I know that the Sonys come in a variety of colours (mine's a deep pink). So I wouldn't worry too much about disliking the white. You can always get a skin or decal.

01-23-2011, 11:24 AM	#14
jehane Book addict Posts: 441 Karma: 2650464 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Antarctica/Australia/Ohio Device: Sony PRS-300/T1/Asus TF101	What format are your free books in? PDF? Sony will handle that better. There are a lot of freebies from Amazon but a lot of the time they are US only. I've tried downloading free books from Amazon US using US details (was not required to enter a credit card) outside the US but it must have checked my IP address and would not let me download. Work out where you plan to get your books from, and what format they are available in. PDF and epub - Sony. Buying from Amazon - Kindle. Keep in mind that if they are DRM-free you may be able to convert between formats. Kindle also reads mobi files. Do you have access or would you consider borrowing library books? Generally library books are in epub format so if this is an option for you then go with the Sony. If there is not a library with ebooks in your area, there are some that allow non-resident membership for a fee. The Free Library of Philadelphia is highly regarded here, although it looks like it's been recommended so much that it's membership has exploded. Someone reported being #30 on a waitlist! My local library has a decent selection and I haven't been any more than #2 on a waitlist, and even then I only waited a week or so to get that. It's for residents only though. The form factor is one which you'll have to decide how important it is. Personally I much prefer the clean lines of the Sony - I find miniature keyboards extremely annoying and ugly. To each his own. The Sonys are generally regarded as the most solidly built, having said that the Kindles aren't flimsy. While Amazon have a great reputation for customer service, I wonder how well that applies from the UAE. If you have to pay return shipping it can get to the point where it's not worth sending it back if you have problems. There has been a bit of discussion in the past about frame colours, and most people found that dark colours improved contrast. I'm pretty sure the Kindle comes in black and white, and I know that the Sonys come in a variety of colours (mine's a deep pink). So I wouldn't worry too much about disliking the white. You can always get a skin or decal. Last edited by jehane; 01-23-2011 at 11:30 AM.