Leaning towards Sony PRS-505 & would like feedback

[Zapped]

Hi, first post here. As I was packing six books before heading on a Caribbean cruise tomorrow I starting thinking about eBook readers again.

I'm a newbie in these parts, but I've looked through relevant postings for a few hours and am leaning towards the Sony PRS-505. I'll explain my reasons & hopefully folks will let me know if I've made the right conclusions or should consider another model.

Types of content supported - I don't initially see myself wanting to buy DRM-locked books. I'd like to read free classics and possibly free & legal books from other sources like the Baen Free Sci-Fi Library.

Loading content - I'm an engineer & comfortable using the USB connection to upload to the Sony. I do realize the Kindle makes that easier, but I don't believe it would be any easier to upload my own free ebooks to a Kindle. I'm also comfortable using software to reformat pdfs, or convert text to pdf, etc.

Resolution - I definitely want at least the current 800x600 rez of E-Ink's latest displays, which I believe the PRS-505 provides. I like a larger screen but don't think I can find one for anywhere near the price of a Sony PRS-505.

Aesthetics - a friend has a Kindle and I actually object mildly to the full QWERTY keyboard taking up so much real estate. The Sony design is more pleasing to my eye, and I'm not particularly a Sony fanboy.

Size/weight - The Sony Reader is marginally smaller and lighter than the Kindle. This is important to me.

Cost effectiveness - I'm "frugal" (cheap?) so this is a big factor too. $200 for the PRS-505 from sonystyle.com if I apply for and use a SONY Visa, vs $359 for the Kindle. A minor point is that the Sony includes a cover but the Kindle doesn't. Also a resale consideration: if a significantly better technology comes out soon I would imagine I could sell the Sony at a small loss - $50 to $75, but the Kindle has a much higher starting price and I wonder how it would hold that value if, say, Amazon decided to start subsidizing the purchase price of a newer Kindle.

I'm not listing battery performance as a significant factor, since either the Sony or Kindle should be fine. Same with built-in storage, and I know I can add SDHC cards to the Sony if I chose to.

I'll be on vacation for a week, but I will check back after June 1 to check responses. Since I can't say thanks for a while, I'll just say thanks in advance!

- Jim in Austin

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by Zapped

Hi, first post here. As I was packing six books before heading on a Caribbean cruise tomorrow I starting thinking about eBook readers again.

Welcome and enjoy the cruise!

Types of content supported - I don't initially see myself wanting to buy DRM-locked books. I'd like to read free classics and possibly free & legal books from other sources like the Baen Free Sci-Fi Library.

I have several books from the Baen Free sci-fi library on my Sony, which are fine. Also, there's plenty of nicely formatted free classics here in many formats.

Loading content - I'm an engineer & comfortable using the USB connection to upload to the Sony. I do realize the Kindle makes that easier, but I don't believe it would be any easier to upload my own free ebooks to a Kindle. I'm also comfortable using software to reformat pdfs, or convert text to pdf, etc.

I use Calibre as my library management tool, and upload using the USB cable via that. I've also just dragged-and-dropped a couple of things.

Resolution - I definitely want at least the current 800x600 rez of E-Ink's latest displays, which I believe the PRS-505 provides. I like a larger screen but don't think I can find one for anywhere near the price of a Sony PRS-505.

I believe all of the larger ones are pricier

Aesthetics - a friend has a Kindle and I actually object mildly to the full QWERTY keyboard taking up so much real estate. The Sony design is more pleasing to my eye, and I'm not particularly a Sony fanboy.

That's a personal thing. I do think Sony tend to have good designs, including the 505, but not everyone agrees

Cost effectiveness - I'm "frugal" (cheap?) so this is a big factor too. $200 for the PRS-505 from sonystyle.com if I apply for and use a SONY Visa, vs $359 for the Kindle.

I know others have said in other threads that you'll soon make up that difference with cheaper ebooks for the Kindle. But if you're going to be reading more free stuff then that's not so much of a factor.

Personally, I think for what you've said you want, the Sony 505 will suit your needs perfectly.

[Zapped]

Thanks for your patient & thoughtful response, ShortnCuddlyAm.

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

I have several books from the Baen Free sci-fi library on my Sony, which are fine. Also, there's plenty of nicely formatted free classics here in many formats.

I'm just about to settle down (before 9pm CDT) and read good old paper before my drive to the Galveston port tomorrow morning. I'm reading the first of Weber's Honor Harrington series, all of which seems to be available from the Baen free library. I'm just not sure if it's my cup of tea yet - On Basilik Station could just as easily have been set in the British colonial era, and I usually like my sci-fi with a bit more sci in the fi.

Personally, I think for what you've said you want, the Sony 505 will suit your needs perfectly.

Appreciate the confirmation & I look forward to learning more here when I return.

[kelly1010]

I also have a Sony 505. I looked at the Kindle, but decided it wasn't for me. I liked the price of the Sony, and decided that the Kindle didn't offer anything more that was worth paying the extra $100. TO ME, that is. I already know Kindle books are cheaper, but I read so many free books that it offsets the books I buy and it will take a long time for the price difference in books to make up for the amount of money I saved by buying the Sony.

[cooltrumpet98]

I originally got the Kindle because I thought I would like having the wireless and universal search option (plus Mobipocket compatibility), but if I had to do it over again I could have easily leaned to the Sony. Calibre is able to cleanly convert just about anything you throw at it to epub/lrf, so getting books for the Sony won't be a problem. I've also found that I drag and drop most of the stuff to my Kindle anyway. On a side note, keep going with the Honor Harrington series. I recently read through them all and in my opinion they seem to get better as you get further into the series.

Also, if you like the Baen sci-fi books, check out http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/ Baen has given permission to post their promotional CDs, so there are a ton of free ebooks to download.

[AnemicOak]

Sounds like the 505 would work well for you, I had one for over a year and it's a great device that sometimes I wish I'd kept. I went with a K2 primarily to get access to books (already saved over $200 over FW/BoB prices since I got it), although the dictionary has turned out to be a nice feature (though not a must have) which I didn't think I'd have a real use for. If I was buying all over again I'd probably grab a 505 or a BeBook/EZ Reader/Hanlin.

[enarchay]

If I was buying all over again I'd probably grab a 505 or a BeBook/EZ Reader/Hanlin.

Just curious, but why?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by enarchay

Just curious, but why?

No super solid reason. While I like the Kindle's book availability and (for the most part) book pricing I really don't like the lack of organization ability. Maybe the Sony spoiled me, but collections are very useful IMO and I miss them. I also like the "feel" of the 505 just a bit better. I don't miss the random reboots when the battery got low I was getting with the 505. I barely use Whispernet so that feature doesn't mean much to me.

[F1Wild]

Originally Posted by Zapped

Hi, first post here...a newbie...leaning towards the Sony PRS-505...folks will let me know if I've made the right conclusions...Types of content supported - I don't initially see myself wanting to buy DRM-locked books. I'd like to read free classics and possibly free & legal books from other sources like the Baen Free Sci-Fi Library.

Hi, I'm fairly new here, spent the last several weeks lurking to aid in my decision between Kindle and the Sonys 505 & 700 (got tons of info!!). I ended up buying the Sony PRS 505 last night-got a great deal at Fry's (no waiting for postal!) at $249-instore price, no obligations. I've found tons of free ebook sources, including here, also Gutenberg, The Burgomeister's Books (www.truly-free.org although not tried yet), etc.

Originally Posted by Zapped

Loading content - I'm an engineer & comfortable using the USB connection to upload to the Sony.

I'm only an engineer by marriage (haha), but had no trouble at all charging, loading the library software, downloading and moving my first book onto the reader. I was actually a bit surprised that it was such a cakewalk - truly impressed! I did buy a book (I've been wanting to read for a pretty long time so I didn't mind paying a wee bit) through the Sony bookstore. When you load the library software onto your computer you can automatically use it to enter the store without need for a browser window-made it a bit easier.

Originally Posted by Zapped

Resolution - I definitely want at least the current 800x600 rez of E-Ink's latest displays, which I believe the PRS-505 provides.

I tried out the Kindle, 505 and 700 and found the resolution to be similar, but the 700 did lack a bit in contrast. Was one of the major factors in my decision.

Originally Posted by Zapped

Aesthetics - a friend has a Kindle and I actually object mildly to the full QWERTY keyboard taking up so much real estate. The Sony design is more pleasing to my eye, and I'm not particularly a Sony fanboy.

Another one of the tie-breakers for me. The 505 is mostly readable screen. I guess if you are going to use the reader for Internet then the keyboard is nice, but just in the way for me (now watch I'll buy a Kindle next).

Originally Posted by Zapped

Size/weight - The Sony Reader is marginally smaller and lighter than the Kindle. This is important to me.

Totally surprised how lightweight the 505 is. I did add the cover/lightwedge which makes it about as heavy as a paperback - still much lighter than my usual 5-10 books stuffed into carry-on for an international flight (which is a MAJOR PITA!!).

Originally Posted by Zapped

Cost effectiveness - I'm "frugal" (cheap?) so this is a big factor too. $200 for the PRS-505 from sonystyle.com if I apply for and use a SONY Visa, vs $359 for the Kindle.

As I had said, $249 with no strings attached was a price not beaten unless going private or ebay especially with the huge number of free books available. Only .68/day for the first year is a bargain considering the number of books I read and the hassle of carrying them around.

Originally Posted by Zapped

I'll be on vacation for a week, but I will check back after June 1 to check responses. Since I can't say thanks for a while, I'll just say thanks in advance! - Jim in Austin

Hope you have a great time, wear your sunscreen and look forward to further adventures when you return to reality.

Cheers!

[Lilly]

I love my Kindle 2 (had the kindle 1 from Oct 30th 2008 to Feb 9th 2009), now I have the Kindle 2, but I still have my 1st love (My Blue PRS-505)! When I bought My PRS-505 on Dec 2007, I was a major shopper at the Sony Bookstore site for about 9 months, so I have a lot of books in the LRX format. Not that I mind because I really don't plan on parting with my PRS-505 for a long time! I definitely prefer the PRS-505 for the History Section, How I can organize my library, and last but not least, page numbers (I love how I can easily jump 10, 20, 30 pages etc. without any hassle). I have no need for the dictionary and have only used it a couple time for demonstration purposes but I guess it's a nice thing to have. I love the Whispernet that comes with the Kindle; though I shop on Amazon via my computer 99.9% of the time, I do send my purchase to my Kindle via the wireless connection (basically, for those who don't have a Kindle, you buy the book with your computer, you don't have to hook your Kindle via USB cable, you just pick send it to my Kindle as your option and then turn on the wireless on the Kindle, and your book purchases download without you having to do anything); love that part. I love owning both the Kindle and the PRs-505 but I would not give up my PRS-505 for a Kindle.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Zapped

On Basilik Station could just as easily have been set in the British colonial era, and I usually like my sci-fi with a bit more sci in the fi.

It is, in essense. The books are an SF "parallel" to C.S. Forester's "Hornblower" books - Honor Harrington's career (H.H. = Horiatio Hornblower!) is pretty much analogous (at least in the early books of the series) to Hornblower's.

[Renaldo]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It is, in essense. The books are an SF "parallel" to C.S. Forester's "Hornblower" books - Honor Harrington's career (H.H. = Horiatio Hornblower!) is pretty much analogous (at least in the early books of the series) to Hornblower's.

This is good to know. I've been a fan of David Drake's "Daniel Leary" and "Hammer's Slammers" series for years because of the way he uses historical battles, naval/military procedures and events to tell these stories. I'm also a big fan of Horatio. I'm going to check out this series next when I'm ready for more sci-fi.

[Zapped]

I should have realized in advance that if I posted on a reader's forum that the replies would be carefully reasoned and grammatically correct, but in the nerd forums I usually frequent I'm used to being one of the few posters using complete sentences! Thanks to everyone for those useful responses.

I'm sure I'll be putting a few dollars into Sony's coffers when we return from our cruise. My wife & I are online in the local public library on Grand Cayman right now, in the middle of our cruise. I'd wager I'm the only patron carrying two books from the Austin (TX) Public Library in our bags today!

@HarryT: I appreciated for the info about the parallels to the Horatio Hornblower series. I finished On Basilik Station and really enjoyed Weber's writing style but am still ambivalent about the "Schooners in Space" aesthetic. Just started Jack McDevitt's Infinity Beach but I'm wondering if it's just "Ghosts in Space". I'll have to re-read some Larry Niven to clear my head

[lilac_jive]

You're going to be so mad after you buy one that you didn't have one on vacation I'm still mad I didn't have mine on my trip to Greece a full year before I bought mine!

[jj2me]

Originally Posted by Zapped

Types of content supported - I don't initially see myself wanting to buy DRM-locked books. I'd like to read free classics and possibly free & legal books from other sources like the Baen Free Sci-Fi Library.

Loading content - I'm an engineer & comfortable using the USB connection to upload to the Sony. I do realize the Kindle makes that easier, but I don't believe it would be any easier to upload my own free ebooks to a Kindle. I'm also comfortable using software to reformat pdfs, or convert text to pdf, etc.

Resolution - I definitely want at least the current 800x600 rez of E-Ink's latest displays, which I believe the PRS-505 provides. I like a larger screen but don't think I can find one for anywhere near the price of a Sony PRS-505.

Aesthetics - a friend has a Kindle and I actually object mildly to the full QWERTY keyboard taking up so much real estate. The Sony design is more pleasing to my eye, and I'm not particularly a Sony fanboy.

Size/weight - The Sony Reader is marginally smaller and lighter than the Kindle. This is important to me.

Cost effectiveness - I'm "frugal" (cheap?) so this is a big factor too. $200 for the PRS-505 from sonystyle.com if I apply for and use a SONY Visa, vs $359 for the Kindle. A minor point is that the Sony includes a cover but the Kindle doesn't. Also a resale consideration: if a significantly better technology comes out soon I would imagine I could sell the Sony at a small loss - $50 to $75, but the Kindle has a much higher starting price and I wonder how it would hold that value if, say, Amazon decided to start subsidizing the purchase price of a newer Kindle.

I'm not listing battery performance as a significant factor, since either the Sony or Kindle should be fine. Same with built-in storage, and I know I can add SDHC cards to the Sony if I chose to.

You forgot metal. Otherwise, it's like you're the sales manager for the 505.

Size/weight, cost, aesthetics, you don't buy so many books and don't mind USB. Yeah, you're that rare buyer whose requirements point you clearly in one direction.

I am also, uh, thrifty, and chose the 505 for many of the same reasons. A couple of times I wished for a dictionary, and search and notes seem like they would be nice, but nah. As Lilly points out you'd give up some organization capabilities, and the page go-to capabilities and bookmarks and history are quite enough for most navigation purposes. And if you become a big Calibre free magazine/newspaper devotee, you'd need USB anyway. I'm very happy with the 505.