[cghipp]

I just upgraded to the PRS-T2 with the recent $30 refurbished sale at Tiger Direct; I bought two for $60, which kills me since I bought one brand new PRS-T1 for $130 only a coupe of years ago. The devices are indistinguishable from brand new models. I have to say, I love it. I was using the PRS-T1, and I bought a Kobo Glo to try out but didn't love it; I gave it to my husband. (I would still like to try out the Aura.) My daughter had a Kobo mini, but I upgraded it to a PRS-T2 when I got mine, as an early birthday present.

The PRS-T2 screen is clearer than the previous version. I was able to find a new Sony lighted cover on Ebay for $20 (2/3 the price of the device, and most auctions were $10-$30 more expensive for the same product), and this combination is just about perfect for my needs. I only wish I could customize the home page without having to root the device; I'd like to have some features - like the Text Memos (as opposed to Notes) - available on the Home screen, and from within the document as well. It's tedious to go from the Book/Home/Applications/Text Memo/my memo, then back to Home/Book. First world problem, but the interface design on many of these devices is terrible and it makes me crazy, because there's no good reason for it.

The Kindle tablets are the worst for interface design, though - don't even get me started on the basic, Design 101 flaws in Free Time; it's abysmal. It's a moot point for my personal use, because I have come to realize that I just can't read on any tablet for more than a few minutes without having problems with my (already terrible) vision; I end up using my HDX 10.9 for recipes (no place for my laptop in our counter-space-poor kitchen), wasting time - I mean playing games, checking my email, and so on. I buy books on it, but I don't read much on it. But I gave a 7" HD to my son for his birthday, and it's a chore to make some very simple adjustments. I chose it because it was the one I could afford (as opposed to a Samsung tablet, for example) and I didn't want to spend more on something so likely to be accidentally destroyed, and I didn't know enough about the reliability of the "off" brands to choose one. But that doesn't help keep the swearing down. (And if you're interested in one, DO NOT get the 8GB version; at least half of the memory is taken up by the system.)

After all of that whining about the Kindle tablets, one thing I love is the ability to use Calibre Companion. If I could actually use the Kindle tablet as a reader, CC would be the "killer app" that renders all complaints null and void. Of course, if my PRS-T2 had a customizable home screen, customizable in-document shortcut menu, fast browser, fast page redraw, and Calibre Companion compatibility... but that's science fiction!

Edits to add: I never had a metal-body Sony, so the PRS-T1 and T2 don't feel flimsy to me. I would probably feel the same way, but the improvements in the e-ink screens since that model would probably still push me toward a newer model. (Sort of like loving a classic car but ultimately choosing something in fiberglass with bucket seats and air bags.)

My PRS-T1 held up far beyond my expectations. Not too long after I got it, I was walking while reading (note: don't), tripped over something (or nothing), and fell toward a table corner. Somehow the reader took the brunt of it, as it was pushed into the sharp corner SCREEN FIRST. (The couch potato version of falling on a grenade.) The only damage is a small (3mm?) blot on the screen that looks like a stray pencil mark - something that would cause me to return a brand-new reader, but in reality not an actual problem that measurably hinders my use of the device.