MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - So how does everyone feel about SONY now?

vxf · 10-23-2011, 03:55 PM

I have long been a SONY fan. I can't count the number of their products I have loved - from the Walkman, to Playstations, to Vaios. And yes, the ebook reader - my PRS350 and 950 are great. So, I don't rejoice in what I am seeing...

Over the spring and summer it looked like SONY was getting out of the ebook reader business. No news, models not in stores, bugs were ignored... it looked like the end of the line.

Then over the summer announcements of a new reader came out. After a couple of months of waiting, we have been treated to a product that looks in some ways like a scaled down version of last year's offering (compared to the 950, at least), but which also had some potential. But the strategy is clear - SONY is moving down-market to offer a cheaper product more in line with its competitors. Apparently, there just weren't enough customers willing to pay a premium price for a quality product - which was SONY's previous positioning.

Then, reality set in. The new device is buggy, at least for a percentage of users. The new software even worse than the old one - which is a feat in itself.

What worries me is not as much the bugs - which are annoyances, but I can live with them. The real problem is just the lack of commitment to the product line, the impression that the T1 was never tested properly and that the software is programmed by some sixteen-year-old intern over the weekend...

Customer service is hit-or-miss, depending on whom you talk to. But one thing is for sure - they are in denial mode. No problems here, move along...

I, for one, was looking forward to buying a T1, but now have decided to wait for a Kindle Touch to hit the market. I have never owned a Kindle and I figured - rather than buy a new SONY that does not add much to what I already have, I will try a new system.

Of course, I could also not buy anything... but where would the fun be in that

So where do you think SONY is heading? Is this the end of the line, will they wake up, or will they linger in the limbo of being a second-league player in the ebook reader market?

10-23-2011, 03:55 PM	#1
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	So how does everyone feel about SONY now? I have long been a SONY fan. I can't count the number of their products I have loved - from the Walkman, to Playstations, to Vaios. And yes, the ebook reader - my PRS350 and 950 are great. So, I don't rejoice in what I am seeing... Over the spring and summer it looked like SONY was getting out of the ebook reader business. No news, models not in stores, bugs were ignored... it looked like the end of the line. Then over the summer announcements of a new reader came out. After a couple of months of waiting, we have been treated to a product that looks in some ways like a scaled down version of last year's offering (compared to the 950, at least), but which also had some potential. But the strategy is clear - SONY is moving down-market to offer a cheaper product more in line with its competitors. Apparently, there just weren't enough customers willing to pay a premium price for a quality product - which was SONY's previous positioning. Then, reality set in. The new device is buggy, at least for a percentage of users. The new software even worse than the old one - which is a feat in itself. What worries me is not as much the bugs - which are annoyances, but I can live with them. The real problem is just the lack of commitment to the product line, the impression that the T1 was never tested properly and that the software is programmed by some sixteen-year-old intern over the weekend... Customer service is hit-or-miss, depending on whom you talk to. But one thing is for sure - they are in denial mode. No problems here, move along... I, for one, was looking forward to buying a T1, but now have decided to wait for a Kindle Touch to hit the market. I have never owned a Kindle and I figured - rather than buy a new SONY that does not add much to what I already have, I will try a new system. Of course, I could also not buy anything... but where would the fun be in that So where do you think SONY is heading? Is this the end of the line, will they wake up, or will they linger in the limbo of being a second-league player in the ebook reader market?