Price cut on the Sony PRS-700

[JenPen1]

Originally Posted by el.astrologo

I was just checking the Sony Style site to show a friend of mine what the reader looks like (I had forgotten mine at home) when I discover that the actual price went from $399 to $349.

I just thought people should know about this in case they were thinking about buying it but thought it too pricey.

In January/09 I bought my PRS505 for $299.00. Right now up at the www.sony.ca site the 700 is $449.99 and the 505 is $349.99. Are they trying to discourage the purchase of the 505 in favour of the 700, which doens't seem to be quite so popular?

~Jen

Just seen a sale for USA only for PRS 700 on sale for $349.00 and the 505 on sale for $278.00. Both can receive $40.00 in Reward dollars and 100 free books.
http://www.booksonboard.com/index.ph...uct&PRODUCT=37

~Jen

[jbruce]

It could be that they finally realized they could have done better on the screen. But, they still need to recoup the R&D for the 700. So, raise the 505 by $50 - reduce the 700 by $50 - put the $50 from the 505s against the R&D cost of the 700.

The Sony US site still has the 505 listed at $299. It could also be that they recouped the R&D (miscalculation of market demand); thus, reduced the price. (Apple did the same thing when they miscalculated initial market demand for the iPhone. People were none-to-please.)
Just a guess.

J

[Lemurion]

They might be coming out with a 707 - because if the screens were equal $50 more for a 700 would be a sweet deal.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Wow, you folks are silly. I paid over $2000 for a Core Duo laptop right when the new chips were released. 6 months later I bought my son a similar speced laptop with a Core 2 Duo for $800.

Prices on tech goes down... and tech gets better. That's just how it works.

BOb

I paid more than $3500 for my first computer in mid-80's. My daughter's netbook, which doesn't run *@#% Vista, was $400.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

I paid more than $3500 for my first computer in mid-80's. My daughter's netbook, which doesn't run *@#% Vista, was $400.

You don't have to run Vista you know. Ubuntu is totally free.

BOb

[grisjuan]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

*@#% Vista

Since we're off topic already, let's just keep going!

Personally, I like Vista quite a bit. It runs great, never crashes on me, and looks a lot nicer than XP.

Under the hood, there's also a lot to like about Vista over XP, although most users don't ever know about the cool plumbing (e.g. the registry and file system are transactional).

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by grisjuan

(e.g. the registry and file system are transactional).

I didn't know the registry was. That said, do you know any apps that actually take advantage of this. It doesn't come for free, that apps have to use the API specfically. And doing that basically means your app won't run on XP. Not many vendors want to go there quite yet.

What I don't understand is why in 2009 Windows Explorer isn't a client/server/distributed type system.

BOb

[grisjuan]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

apps that actually take advantage of this

I don't think it's common in general purpose apps for exactly the reason you say: apps that use those features will only run on Vista. I could see it on the server-side where you have control over the machine... Or maybe someday some of the features will show up in the .NET Framework Class Library and therefore will be widely available.

Now I'm feeling guilty about talking about .NET in the PRS-700 forum so I will throw in my opinion on the whole price-cut issue

Today, I sent my Kindle2 back to Amazon (I found it hard to hold...I kept dropping it while reading, I didn't need the keyboard, couldn't read library books, etc. etc.).

Before sending it back though, I took it to the SonyStyle store and compared it to the 505 and 700. The screen on the 700 was so much worse than the others...I really really wanted to like the 700, but I just couldn't. The contrast was bad and the glare was horrible. I'm surprised Sony displays the 505 and the 700 side-by-side...If I were them I'd keep them far apart so people could not compare the two.

So I see the price cut as a way for Sony to sell more of a slightly flawed product. I really hope it also indicates an updated model is on the way, but I think it's too new for an update just yet.

[jbruce]

I paid more than $3500 for my first computer in mid-80's. My daughter's netbook, which doesn't run *@#% Vista, was $400.

Get a Mac.

Wouldn't say I'm a total Mac-head - but, most stable OS I've had since Windows 2000 Professional. And, it runs windows - which, oddly enough, I never use (except to test sites I develop for IE, or download books from Sony). And, most of the software is pretty inexpensive - in comparison to the Windows side of things.

J

ps. I have a friend trying to run Ubuntu - and having all sorts of compatibility issues. So, for now, I'm sticking with Mac (and for certain things - XP).

[shighfield]

jbruce: I love the mac. I just sold my 20" iMac to help fund something else so I'm stuck using my old 12"iBook G4 and this vista machine. (Too many darn computers)
After only 3 days without my iMac I told my wife I'm buying a new one.

But vista really isn't as bad as people say... I've found it to be pretty stable over the last three days. (It was a video game box before so wasn't really used for anything else) I'm actually very pleased with vista... Shocked but pleased.

[Lord KiRon]

There is some strange wild speculation going around that Sony preparing new version of the device (705?) and dropped the prices in preparation to it.
What do you think ? Does this rumor have a chance ?

[Alphapheemail]

Originally Posted by Lord KiRon

There is some strange wild speculation going around that Sony preparing new version of the device (705?) and dropped the prices in preparation to it.
What do you think ? Does this rumor have a chance ?

I think so! They probably saw this site amoung many others complaining about the screen glare issue, and also probably saw the hack here.
They also probably heard the clamor for dictionary support (which only makes sense for a device that can highlight text... almost implied!) and for wifi.
Now as a PRS 700 owner, I love it if it had these modifications it WOULD BLOW KINDLE 2 into OBLIVION!! Just on the simple basis that it supports a multitude of formats and you are not attached by a ball and chain to Amazon's Digital Rights Mutilation.

If they do come out with some type of improvement to the 700 it would be welcomed with open arms, I would only throw a fit if they do not give the old PRS 700 users the ability to update the firmware and add the dictionary for the old model FREE OF CHARGE!!!!

(just in case they are listening....) GrRrRRrrrRRrRRrrrrrr

[thibaulthalpern]

Originally Posted by Lord KiRon

There is some strange wild speculation going around that Sony preparing new version of the device (705?) and dropped the prices in preparation to it.
What do you think ? Does this rumor have a chance ?

Where are you hearing these speculations?

[el.astrologo]

Originally Posted by Lord KiRon

There is some strange wild speculation going around that Sony preparing new version of the device (705?) and dropped the prices in preparation to it.
What do you think ? Does this rumor have a chance ?

It's WAY too early for them to release a new device, it hasn't even been six months since they released the current model... Methinks the price cut is entirely Kindle-2-induced...

I mean, come on, touchscreen is "kewl".. you give people touchscreen for the same price and suddenly wirelessness is less enticing.

(I know, I know, there were some things there that weren't even words... sue me )

[jbruce]

If memory serves.

When the iPhone scenario happened Apple said they had underestimated demand. Therefore, when units started flying off the shelves they recouped their R&D expenses so quickly - that they were able to drop the price.

Most people I have talked to while reading mine didn't even know Sony made an eReader. One woman said I should get the Kindle (we had a civil discussion).

So, it could just be Sony underestimated how many units they would sell in a short period. (Not to mention Sony did save a few pennies on the touchscreen.)

J