WWYD? Replacing a broken 505

[RWJ]

My 505 is in the shop. I don't yet know how much it will cost to fix; the technician said if he can fix it using existing parts, it will be ~$50, in which case that is what I shall do, but if he needs to order replacements it will cost more than buying a new one.

So let's assume it's the latter case. I'm not eager to live without a reader for terribly long, so waiting for a sale somewhere (unless I know one will happen in the near future) isn't really desirable. The Daily Edition looks appealing, but a) is expensive, b) isn't available until year's end, and c) has features I don't particularly want to pay for, like 3G - and may not be available in Canada anyway.

I'm not particularly interested in the 300 because I don't want a smaller reading area, and I have the booklight cover, a dressy Medge leather cover, and an Medge "outdoor" cover that keeps sand and such out of the whole assembly, so I'd rather get one that fits the $100 worth of covers I own.

So the options are, buy another 505 ($299 Cdn) or buy a 600 ($399 Cdn.) I love love love the 505. However, I worry that support for it from Sony will be dropped once the 600 is fully rolled out (although with Calibre that's not a big issue - I seldom use the Sony software). And while I am extremely reluctant to buy something with lower contrast/readability than the 505, and I'd rather press a button than swipe a finger to turn a page, the ability to annotate - particularly to read and mark up my own writing without needing to lug a computer or binder of paper with me - is intriguing.

They are both in stock at my local store, so in either event I could go there and buy one the day I get word that my existing 505 is not worth fixing.
I'm also considering buying the extended warranty, although I'm not sure it covers breakage. So anyone with thoughts on the above, feel free to jump in!

A large part of me is horrified at the notion of spending this much money on a luxury; but it has become really one of my most valued possessions.

[bill_mchale]

Well, I am not sure of the thread, but I believe I saw that the 505 was going to still be offered in Europe for a while. So I doubt that Sony is getting ready to orphan it. Also I think buying now means that Sony pretty much would continue to support it for a couple of years. Now if you bought a used one in a year or two, you might have a bigger risk.

--
Bill

[DrMoze]

Note that the lightwedge cover will not fit the 600. That said, I'd go with another 505. Great device, and there are still many to be found for sale.

[RWJ]

Originally Posted by DrMoze

Note that the lightwedge cover will not fit the 600. That said, I'd go with another 505. Great device, and there are still many to be found for sale.

Ah, that's really good to know. That might be the deal breaker; I spent Cdn$60 on that thing, and need it to read in bed.

Why doesn't it fit? From the pictures, it looks like it has "dimples" to fit the case, and the dimensions are very close.

And thanks for the heads up!

[pilotbob]

I think on another thread someone said Fry's had them for $229.

BOb

[mrgiedrnkr]

I dropped my 505 a couple weeks ago and my laptop fell on it. I know it is a luxury but it now a necessity for me. I went through exactly what you are going through. I ordered the 300 and the 600 to compare. They are both going back and I ordered the 505 from Frys. I was willing to compromise the screen quality on the 600 (and trust me - there is a HUGE compromise) for the touch screen. However, you have to push hard or use a nail to swipe the screen. Nothing like what I was expecting based on my iphone.

The 600 fits in the light wedge cover but it must be thicker as the wedge will not lay on top of it.

[RWJ]

I just got back from the mall, where I looked at a 600, and they had a 505 for comparison. I'm with mrgiedrnkr - if my 505 is unsalvageable, I shall get a new one, not a 600. (I like the red, but think it might be distracting for long reading sessions.)

I found there was glare, that the touch screen needed a lot of pressure, and that the contrast wasn't as good. I'm sure that if I had no choice I would adapt to the 600 fairly fast; when I first got a cat's tongue laptop mouse, I hated it, but learned to use it fast, ditto a touch mousepad. But I do have a choice. When it comes down to it:
annotation/search (+ touch screen, although to me that's a wash if not a slight negative) is not worth less contrast, not being able to use my light wedge, and an extra $100.

I do appreciate all the discussion here; nobody I know IRL thinks this is anything other than a silly toy, let alone something to mull over and debate.

[mrgiedrnkr]

I ended up getting the red at Frys so I didn't lose out on the color. I really did like the 300 - I loved the placement of the page turning key - right where my thumb would hit on either hand. However, I couldn't justify paying $199 for that and $229 for the 505 and 1) lose the memory card 2) Lose the ability to us my light wedge. 3) Lose an inch - which seems like a big deal to me 4) Lose my other covers I had invested in.

I hope yours is fixable but I would recommend ordering the 505 now and returning it if you need to. They are starting to sell out quickly!
Stacy

[DrMoze]

Originally Posted by RWJ

Ah, that's really good to know. That might be the deal breaker; I spent Cdn$60 on that thing, and need it to read in bed.

Why doesn't it fit? From the pictures, it looks like it has "dimples" to fit the case, and the dimensions are very close.

And thanks for the heads up!

Dimensions are close but not exact. And, I'm sure you are familiar with just how precisely the lightwedge sits on the 505 screen, inside the case. The 505's screen is located closer to the top of the case than the 600's. I believe the distance from the right edge is also different. Without an exact fit, the lightwedge won't sit against the screen between the edges. It won't fit or work well.