New here, Nook or Sony? please help!

[NorthernPines]

Hi everyone,

I know you all probably get tired of this but I'm relatively new to the e-reader market and am really having trouble deciding on what to get. I really like the Kindle, I know someone who has one but the lack of epub/public library lending has pretty much disqualified it from my choices. I do lots of library books, and would like to begin doing audio books from my library along with text ebooks, so I think the Kindle is out.

So I then went to a local B&N and looked at the Nook, and kind of liked it, but it did seem a tad bulky compared to the Kindle. I've also read the battery life is pretty short (5 days) for real world users and I suppose 99% of the time that wouldn't really be an issue. But I can imagine a scenario where I might like a longer charge. Though now that I think about it, I guess that would be pretty darn rare.

I do have LOTS of pdf books I've collected over the years and haven't read much of them because, well I hate reading books on a computer, even on a laptop. And then epub will be a BIG deal with me. However I would also like to buy ebooks and Sony seems to be the most expensive out of the 3 big e-readers. Not much more, but a dollar or two adds up.

I like the idea of being able to take a Nook into B&N and having it serviced if need be, and I like the idea of being connected to a big company who specializes in books like B&N. I have a B&N membership etc. I would also be sharing the e-reader with someone who isn't "technology" tuned up as it were, and the Nook seemed a little, maybe even a lot complicated. Even selecting books etc seemed overwhelming even for me. Is the Sony simpler to use? What are the pros and cons of a Nook VS Sony reader? I've searched all over the net but can't really find too much more than the typical reviews. I'm still kind of new to all this so any help would be great.


NP

[NorthernPines]

Oh yes, I definitely want an e-ink screen. No glare, gloss etc. And my price range is the sub $150, so I'm looking at the Nook Wifi only or the Sony "pocket" reader.

[Latinandgreek]

Well, the Sony Pocket reader has the new Pearl screen and I believe it has a higher resolution as well, so it should be easier to read from. It is quite a bit smaller and lighter than the Nook, which is a pro for those who want something that will fit in their pocket, but a con for those who want a larger screen (5 inch vs. 6 inch). The Sony reader comes with 12 dictionaries included on the device. It doesn't have any sort of internet connection, so you have to side load books. To me, that's not a big deal at all - in fact, I drag and drop most of my books onto my Sony 505 as if it were a usb. Others swear by wi-fi and 3g equipped readers, so YMMV.

The Sony seems (from online video reviews that I've seen) to be very easy to use, and I believe that it has a longer battery than the Nook, but with the Nook you get BN's bookstore. Sony seems to be the best (non 9.7 inch) device at rendering PDFs, from what I've heard, so that's something to take into consideration as well. You can annotate and use dictionaries on PDFs with the Sony devices.

Try looking up some video reviews on youtube, I find that the longer reviews tend to be quite well done. Also, check out this site:

http://www.the-ebook-reader.com/

They have really great reviews, often accompanied by a video.

[boswd]

well the nook gives you more bang for your buck. the sony is a nice little machine but you are getting less screen real estate and no wireless connection and a so so bookstore platform.

the nook wifi you get a 6 inch screen, be able to see your book covers in color, be able to download books wirelessly either through your computer or through the device itself (Yes it is a huge convienence) BN's bookstore is head and shoulders above Sony's IMHO.

The nook also has much better aftermarket accesorries and intangibles, it has the Lend Me, the read InStore, Freebies from the Starbucks Cafe, Free Friday's, Coupons, More InStore.



Sony not really a whole lot for aftermarket stuff.

both do epub, both will not be your best choice for some PDF's, some will be fine, some may not. the sony will have a better battery life due to the nooks lcd screen,( I get 5 to 6 days on my nook, so that's not a problem at all)

If the best possible eink display for PDF is going to be a high priority, then I would suggest to up your budget a $100 for the Sony 950.

If not then I would go with the nook wifi, overall it's a better deal.

[Pomtroll]

Quote: I like the idea of being able to take a Nook into B&N and having it serviced if need be, and I like the idea of being connected to a big company who specializes in books like B&N. I have a B&N membership etc. I would also be sharing the e-reader with someone who isn't "technology" tuned up as it were, and the Nook seemed a little, maybe even a lot complicated. Even selecting books etc seemed overwhelming even for me. Is the Sony simpler to use? What are the pros and cons of a Nook VS Sony reader? I've searched all over the net but can't really find too much more than the typical reviews. I'm still kind of new to all this so any help would be great.

A few things that may decide you one way or another. You really can't get your Nook serviced at a B&N store. They can help you figure out how to do things, but if you have a malfunction it goes back to B&N.

Your B&N membership does not apply to e-books.

That said once you get the hang of shopping for books it is easy. If you are near a store have them show you.

I don't have a Sony but have been eying them since I do like the touch screen. I suppose I could get used to side loading books with a Sony but find that with my Nook I mostly shop through the e-reader store & have them directly download what I order.

Not only is the Sony more expensive the Sony store doesn't have as many books & some are more expensive. You can easily work around that by side loading from other stores & places.

The Nook does not really have 5 days worth of reading without charging. If you maybe read an hour a day you might get that. I usually have to re-charge every 2-3 days.

Hope this helps.

[ProfCrash]

It would be helpful to know what features you are most interested in in an e-reader.

You mentioned using the library and battery life but that is about it.

Do you like using touch screens?
Do you care about wireless connectivity?
Is screen size important to you?
Will you be taking notes?

All I can tell you know is that both are good readers and will serve you just fine. I would suggest going to best buy and checking both readers out. That might help you decide which you prefer.

[jocampo]

If lending from public libraries is a must, get a Nook.

But the following are some of the advantages of having a Kindle over a Nook 1st gen (I used to own a Nook, sold it and buy a Kindle 3)

-Kindle is lighter
A few oz that after an hour or so of reading or even on the beach, you will notice, trust me on that.

-Kindle battery life is much better
I use my Kindle almost all days and I recharge every 3 weeks, average, with wifi off. At some point you are going to travel and then you will value the Kindle's battery life!

-Pearl screen (advanced eink screen)
Only Sony has a similar and modern eink screen. Contrast is better than Nook for a better reading experience. This is a fact, not an opinion.

-Amazon support
No questions, no problems, you don't like it you return it. If stop working for some reason (rare) they will exchange.

Sony ereaders are good, excellent quality. If you buy or get free books, you will be quite happy, but Sony's online bookstore is not as big as B&N or Amazon. Then you will have to deal with breaking DRM and converting via Calibre; if that's on your plans, getting the Sony will give you the best balance between PDF support and battery life.

Sony and Kindle have no problems when reading outdoor, but because the Nook 1st gen uses a small LCD screen for navigation, that can be a problem. I had problems with mine because the sun hits directly there and it's difficult to use that small LCD screen or navigate between chapters. The Nook eink screen has no glare though.

Honestly, all of them are easy to operate but I find the Kindle 3 easier to use than Nook, which most navigation is LCD screen which is kind of unresponsive at times.

[dordale]

I have both a nook and a Sony 650. Both are great readers.

That said, I find myself almost exclusively using the Sony for the following reasons:

1. It's much smaller and lighter than the nook, so it's easier to carry with me.
2. The battery life is also significantly longer (3 weeks as opposed to 1 week).
3. I love the touchscreen interface of the Sony--personally, I find the LCD screen on the nook cumbersome.
4. The dictionary on the Sony is the best I've seen in an e-reader. It's great just to be able to double click on a word and see the definition. On the nook, you have to use the arrows on the lcd screen to navigate to the word you want to look up--or spell out the word completely. And it's impossible to look up a word unless you know the exact spelling. The nook will give you a message along the lines of "word not found" and that's it. On the Sony, you can scroll through the dictionary on screen similar to the way you scroll through a paper dictionary.
5. PDF support on the Sony is much better than the nook. Granted, it's still not perfect.

In my opinion, the only two things the nook has over the Sony is wi-fi (which I rarely use anyway) and price.

Now, as I said earlier, both are great readers. I was perfectly happy with my nook until Sony came out with the 350/650/950 line. I read about all the features and decided even though my nook was in perfectly good shape I was going to get the 650. Bought one about a month after they were released and haven't regretted it one bit.

Good luck with your decision!
dordale

[diamante]

I have a Kindle 2 and until recently I couldn't imagine buying any e-reader other than a Kindle. I've examined the Nooks quite closely. The e-ink Nook seems very clunky to me compared with my Kindle, even with the latest software updates. Then the other day I was at Borders and I took a look at a Sony Reader Pocket Edition. It has two English dictionaries and 10 translation dictionaries--and they all work MUCH better than the Nook's dictionary. The touchscreen responds to your finger or the included stylus. The Sony is half the size of my Kindle 2 and so light. I thought about it for a few days and couldn't resist. I now have a second e-reader. If you can do without wireless connectivity, I say go for the Sony, especially if you use Calibre to manage your e-books. If you will be using the dictionary a lot, I would go as far as to say that getting the Sony over the Nook is a no-brainer. Good luck, and let us know what you decide! By the way, the Pocket doesn't have any audio capability; I don't know offhand if the Nook does.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by boswd

If the best possible eink display for PDF is going to be a high priority, then I would suggest to up your budget a $100 for the Sony 950.

I agree, if you plan on reading mostly PDFs, a larger screen (Sony PRS-950 or the Kindle DX, Pocketbook 902 / 903) will probably be a much better fit for you.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Sony ereaders are good, excellent quality. If you buy or get free books, you will be quite happy, but Sony's online bookstore is not as big as B&N or Amazon. Then you will have to deal with breaking DRM and converting via Calibre; if that's on your plans, getting the Sony will give you the best balance between PDF support and battery life.

You don't have to buy books from the Sony store. There are many other bookstores that you can buy from, and you don't have to break the DRM to use them on your Sony. In fact, to the extent of my knowledge, only B&M's books have a version of epub DRM that won't work with the Sony. That means that you can buy books from Kobo, Fictionwise, you local library, etc. and use them on a Sony or Nook device.

[diamante]

By the way, the Sony Reader Pocket has just gone on sale for $129 at Sony Style, Amazon and elsewhere.

[speedlever]

Methinks a good pdf reader and a price range of sub $150 are mutually exclusive at this time.

If you have no EBR experience at all (as did I), you may not have a good idea of where your books will come from. Being an avid library book reader, I assumed that I would get a lot of books from the library. But as it turns out, the library option has gone way down on the priority list for me due to two factors: 1) limited ebook selections at my local library and, 2) limited availability due to long waits for the books to become available.

If you need technical books (IT, for instance), Amazon is your store. If you're just reading classics and/or novels, you have a wide range of stores to shop in (and many free books).

If you have a hardware preference and don't wish to be limited to a particular store, learn how to deal with option limiting DRM. Then you can buy the book of your choice from the store of your choice and read it on the device of your choice... as it should be.

Good luck.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

In fact, to the extent of my knowledge, only B&M's books have a version of epub DRM that won't work with the Sony. That means that you can buy books from Kobo, Fictionwise, you local library, etc. and use them on a Sony or Nook device.

B&N and Apple's ePub DRM won't work on the Sony. B&N's DRM is easy to overcome. I don't know about Apple's DRM as I have never bought an Apple product. Otherwise ebooks from all other ebookstores that sell in the ePub format can be read without problem on a Sony.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

You don't have to buy books from the Sony store.

You have to buy something that is epub. And what's the biggest (at least in USA) store which sells books on that format? B&N. There are others, yes, but the biggest and most complete is B&N

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

you don't have to break the DRM to use them on your Sony

Yes you do. As far as I know, you cannot read B&N books there. You can read Sony books on Nook though.

There will always be online stores where you can get DRM free books for all devices, regardless of the format, but let's face it: the biggest and most complete stores are B&N and Amazon.Whatever you buy, you must ensure that is DRM free and epub (or a Sony compatible format)