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MickeyC · 06-14-2009, 07:36 PM

The July issue of Consumer Reports rates the Kindle 2 above the Sony 700. Main issues are wireless on the Kindle plus less resolution on the 700. CR makes a few mistakes. For example: they state that you turn the page on the Kindle by pushing the navigation bar but have to swipe the screen on the 700. They missed that the 700 also has page turn buttons.

Here are the details:

E-readers: Kindle beats Sony
Last reviewed: July 2009
Kindle

Sony Reader PRS-700BC
Turn by turn
You change pages on the Kindle, top, by pressing a navigation bar. On the Sony, above, you swipe a finger across its touch screen.

This article is the archived version of a report that appeared in July 2009 Consumer Reports magazine.

If you're shopping for an e-book reader, as in portable electronic text display, two brands dominate: Sony and Amazon. We compared the latest models from each, the Amazon Kindle 2, $359, and the Sony Reader PRS-700BC, $349.
Convenience

The Sony requires you to install software on your PC (it's not Mac compatible) and connect it using a USB cord to download new content. The Kindle is wireless, connecting automatically and at no extra cost to your Amazon.com account via Sprint's 3G network. It took an hour or more of work to set up the Sony. But we were reading within 5 minutes of opening the Kindle box.
Screen

Both have 6-inch, black-and-white screens that use so-called e-ink, a technology that's very frugal with power (both should run for days on a charge). Reading in a range of light conditions is generally fine. Type and images are rendered more crisply and accurately on the Kindle, though, and pages of type appear a little more quickly as they turn.
Navigation

The Sony has a slight advantage here. Its touch screen, a first for an e-book reader, made navigating content even easier than with the Kindle, which makes you use a five-way joystick to select what you want to read or buy. The touch screen is about as sensitive as those on most cell phones we've tested; that is, you have to press down firmly as you swipe your finger across the screen to advance to the next page. (You can also change pages by using two awkwardly tiny tabs at the bottom of the screen.) You turn pages on the Kindle by clicking navigation strips on each side of the screen.
Portability

Each weighs about 10 ounces. The Kindle is a bit thinner than the Reader and some smart phones.
Availability of titles

That is the only toss-up. The Kindle Store has 270,000 titles and counting, far more than Sony's E Book Store, and best sellers cost $9.99, a few dollars less than Sony's usual price. Amazon also offers a free first chapter or introduction for every title sold; Sony offers only a handful of such freebies at a time.

But Sony's software allows easy access to 500,000 free public-domain titles, in very old editions, digitized by the Google Book project.
Versatility

The Sony is solely for reading books, but the Kindle can also read them to you in mechanical but understandable male or female voices. It also offers (at extra cost) feeds from select blogs and wireless newspaper and magazine subscriptions. There's also a basic Web browser under an "Experimental" tab.
Bottom line

The Kindle is easier to use and more versatile, thanks to its wireless coverage. The Kindle DX, with a larger, 9.7-inch screen, appears to be identical in resolution of type and images. It will cost $489 when it's released this summer. The Sony is worth considering for its touch screen and night-light. If you can forgo those, the Sony Reader PRS-505, $300, performs comparably and also gives you access to Google books. [/B]

06-14-2009, 07:36 PM	#1
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,732 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Consumer Reports Says Kindle Beats Sony The July issue of Consumer Reports rates the Kindle 2 above the Sony 700. Main issues are wireless on the Kindle plus less resolution on the 700. CR makes a few mistakes. For example: they state that you turn the page on the Kindle by pushing the navigation bar but have to swipe the screen on the 700. They missed that the 700 also has page turn buttons. Here are the details: E-readers: Kindle beats Sony Last reviewed: July 2009 Kindle Sony Reader PRS-700BC Turn by turn You change pages on the Kindle, top, by pressing a navigation bar. On the Sony, above, you swipe a finger across its touch screen. This article is the archived version of a report that appeared in July 2009 Consumer Reports magazine. If you're shopping for an e-book reader, as in portable electronic text display, two brands dominate: Sony and Amazon. We compared the latest models from each, the Amazon Kindle 2, $359, and the Sony Reader PRS-700BC, $349. Convenience The Sony requires you to install software on your PC (it's not Mac compatible) and connect it using a USB cord to download new content. The Kindle is wireless, connecting automatically and at no extra cost to your Amazon.com account via Sprint's 3G network. It took an hour or more of work to set up the Sony. But we were reading within 5 minutes of opening the Kindle box. Screen Both have 6-inch, black-and-white screens that use so-called e-ink, a technology that's very frugal with power (both should run for days on a charge). Reading in a range of light conditions is generally fine. Type and images are rendered more crisply and accurately on the Kindle, though, and pages of type appear a little more quickly as they turn. Navigation The Sony has a slight advantage here. Its touch screen, a first for an e-book reader, made navigating content even easier than with the Kindle, which makes you use a five-way joystick to select what you want to read or buy. The touch screen is about as sensitive as those on most cell phones we've tested; that is, you have to press down firmly as you swipe your finger across the screen to advance to the next page. (You can also change pages by using two awkwardly tiny tabs at the bottom of the screen.) You turn pages on the Kindle by clicking navigation strips on each side of the screen. Portability Each weighs about 10 ounces. The Kindle is a bit thinner than the Reader and some smart phones. Availability of titles That is the only toss-up. The Kindle Store has 270,000 titles and counting, far more than Sony's E Book Store, and best sellers cost $9.99, a few dollars less than Sony's usual price. Amazon also offers a free first chapter or introduction for every title sold; Sony offers only a handful of such freebies at a time. But Sony's software allows easy access to 500,000 free public-domain titles, in very old editions, digitized by the Google Book project. Versatility The Sony is solely for reading books, but the Kindle can also read them to you in mechanical but understandable male or female voices. It also offers (at extra cost) feeds from select blogs and wireless newspaper and magazine subscriptions. There's also a basic Web browser under an "Experimental" tab. Bottom line The Kindle is easier to use and more versatile, thanks to its wireless coverage. The Kindle DX, with a larger, 9.7-inch screen, appears to be identical in resolution of type and images. It will cost $489 when it's released this summer. The Sony is worth considering for its touch screen and night-light. If you can forgo those, the Sony Reader PRS-505, $300, performs comparably and also gives you access to Google books. [/B]