Sony thinks quality will win out (for them)

[mobilewilier]

I have the PRS-600 and the thing that bugs me is the zero effort Sony make to improve the software for it. The audio file management is a joke and for a company that has so much experience in walkmans and audio players the basic functionality reeks of neglect.

I also have an iPhone, and just to see how many updates appear for iBooks makes you feel that you are actually moving forward with Apple. They might not be perfect, but they give you enough updates to generate some excitement.

For starters, Sony need to introduce an easy way to read other fonts (languages) without forcing loyal customers to hack their machines.

Just feel that Sony have so many different divisions that they can't get them to leverage off each other's expertise. Shame really....

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's what I like about the BeBook Neo. It has a Wacom touch screen, so has all the benefits of a touch screen with none of the sacrifice of image quality that a resistive touch screen (such as Sony use) entails.

Fully agree. Sony tried to go the cheap-touchscreen-way and didn't use a Wacom screen and a 7.1" instead of the 8.1". That is why I got the Irex 800 and not the Sony 900.

Sony is not the leader they once were. They are under attack for all their product lines, TVs, gaming, computers, ereaders, phones. And they are not responding with innovation, they are responding with cost cutting -- a game they can never win. Their future doesn't look very bright.

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Sony tried to go the cheap-touchscreen-way and didn't use a Wacom screen and a 7.1" instead of the 8.1". That is why I got the Irex 800 and not the Sony 900.

Yes, you bought the 8.1" Irex device with Wacom touchscreen, good for you! And where is Irex today? Bankrupt! I guess, if you continue your logic chain, Sony should have followed their lead, coming out with a super expensive to make device, which nobody wants to buy?

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by porkupan

Yes, you bought the 8.1" Irex device with Wacom touchscreen, good for you! And where is Irex today? Bankrupt! I guess, if you continue your logic chain, Sony should have followed their lead, coming out with a super expensive to make device, which nobody wants to buy?

Give Sony readers a little more time. They will be gone before you know it. They should have come out with the Irex's function at Sony's price. Sony had economies of scale. Irex was just too small and had lousy marketing -- so they can't compete in today's environment.

[dixieknits]

What good is the highest quality E-Reader in the universe (assuming one would agree that a Sony is that) if one can't read the text for the blinding glare of the screen?

[davidspitzer]

Originally Posted by dixieknits

What good is the highest quality E-Reader in the universe (assuming one would agree that a Sony is that) if one can't read the text for the blinding glare of the screen?

i returned my 600 because of the glare

[blueoyster]

Originally Posted by davidspitzer

Third haha. There are only 3 game platforms on the market. Look at the amount of games for the wii and xbox and compare that to the amount of games form the ps3 and that is all that needs to be said. The ps3 is awesome hardware, but they are losing the consumer war. The same story every time with Sony - awesome hardware, consumers lose interest

PS3 matches or exceeds its rivals in quality and quantity of games available. PS3 hardware is far more reliable than xobx which has been marred with quality problems right from the beginning. The fact that PS3 is behind by only 5 million units in spite of being an year late and launched with a very steep price speaks volume about how much customers care about quality. I suspect that the only reason dell optiplex.arr.. I mean xbox 360 is ahead is because it includes RROD replaced units as well.


http://www.brownbot.com/Images/Consoles/XboxDell.jpg

[corona]

Originally Posted by mobilewilier

I have the PRS-600 and the thing that bugs me is the zero effort Sony make to improve the software for it. The audio file management is a joke and for a company that has so much experience in walkmans and audio players the basic functionality reeks of neglect.

I'm thinking you probably never owned a Sony minidisc. Fantastic technology; software that reduced the strong to tears. Sony never managed to get it right, either, in spite of having a very dedicated user base. This seems to be the Sony way -- brilliant gear, abysmal user experience.

[blueoyster]

Originally Posted by Lilly

What are you talking about. You guys are brainwashed. Sony has released a new model every year since 2006 (2009 - 3 models). Way more than any other e-book manufacturer. They have also giving the biggest software updates, DRM ePub & PDF usage in 2008 at the time with their proprietary LRX format. Not text to speech and Collection usage like Amazon (which Sony should have branded the name to make sure that Amazon could not use it). Also I've been able to make Collections since buying my PRS-505 in Dec of 2007. The biggest software updates Amazon gave is PDF (and only non-drm cripple PDF). Now they want to add annotation, highlighting, dictionary lookup as new PDF functions for the Kindle which Sony Readers have had the whole time. Yes, these things are new, only to the Kindle.

PRS-500 - Oct 2006
PRS-505 - Oct 2007
PRS-700 - Oct 2008
PRS-300 & PRS-600 - July 2009
PRS-900 - December 2009

By the way I think the PRS-900 is a way better value than the $189 kindle or $199 Nook (you are getting a great deal more an extra $50 or $60). Plus there is nothing wrong with the screen. By the way once you go touchscreen, you'll never go back. I can not imagine having a cell phone now that's not touchscreen and the same thing can now be said for my ebook readers.

I have to agree here. The features Amazon is touting here, Sony readers have had them for more than an year. They have the best implementation of dictionary. They had their hearts in the right place with touch screen based annotation system but perhaps the technology wasn't just there. Kindle still uses kludgy button based navigation.

It's ridiculous to compare year old readers with a new reader. I am pretty sure that with new readers Sony will again set the benchmark. Now, only if they could improve their software. I have a feeling that will integrate their ebook store with PSN, which is quite good.

[ProfCrash]

Give me kludgy buttons any day. I am not the only one who feels this way, there are plenty of Kindle owners who have said one of its selling points is the lack of a touch screen. I hate fingerprints on my screen.

[blueoyster]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Give me kludgy buttons any day. I am not the only one who feels this way, there are plenty of Kindle owners who have said one of its selling points is the lack of a touch screen. I hate fingerprints on my screen.

It comes with a stylus. A well implemented touch screen will always trump buttons. They only need to solve glare problem.

[hamfitz]

Coming from an Aluratek libre (basically jetbook) I have been looking to upgrade but I think sony might have to offer glare-free touch screens to all their readers if they want to compete and say they have better quality. (well the ones that would be at a similar price point of k3)
I tested a few at a store and I'm not sure I really like the metal casing either.

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by Ziguezon

I think Kobo has more to worry about than Sony does. Sony is no doubt on the verge of announcing a new product line to compete with the K3 anyway, but the bare-bones $149 Kobo reader is a brand new product! How on earth will it compete with the feature rich K3 at $139?

$99. Kobo has no choice unless they want to fold the company. And continue to improve its bookstore and distribution (they are already in Wal-mart in Canada).

Originally Posted by blueoyster

It's ridiculous to compare year old readers with a new reader. I am pretty sure that with new readers Sony will again set the benchmark. Now, only if they could improve their software.

You're quite right and that's exactly the issue: nothing new in market in a year from Sony whilst
• Amazon released Kindle 2i, updated the firmware twice, added free 3G in 100 markets, launched the DX internationally, updated the DX to Pearl, lowered the price of all models, announced the Kindle 3;
• B&N launched the Nook, updated the firmware (twice?), released a WiFi only edition, lowered the price;
• Kobo entered the market with a stripped down reader (then) at half the price of the Sony units;
• Irex, Cool-er, Foxit eSlick withdrew from the market (at the hands of their creditors);
• several heavily promised brand-name e-readers turned to vapour;
• Apple launched iPad and iBookstore.

To all this, Sony management's answer is "quality will in out". Hummphhhh!

[Penforhire]

Prof, opinions vary. I am totally sold on a touchscreen interface even though my PRS-900 screen suffers glare and loss of contrast. I do want a clearer screen but I also want the largest screen I can easy handle. Adding a keyboard makes the device larger than it has to be. I had dreams of a Kindle with a detachable keyboard but that costs more to make and isn't as idiot-proof as an integrated KB. So make it a touch screen without the loss of contrast. It can happen.

[jcatl]

Sony, the Black Knight of e-reader manufacturers (Monty Python reference).

There will be a lightly used PRS-900 up for sale in the near future - not sure if a K3 will replace it as I want to see how the rest of the market reacts. I'm sitting in a condo at the beach and was really getting into my book when the lighting changed (clouds went away and sun came out) and after that I just got frustrated shifting around, moving the Mighty Bright this way and that, to no avail (I'm indoors, it's 115F heat index right now). I've stopped using the touch features except to look up a definition now and again, and so the continuous struggle to find a suitable reading position is a frustrating deal-breaker. I'm over it.

Sony talks as if they have some upper hand on quality, and sure, the unit is probably more solid than a Kindle but so what? My experience with it has sucked. It starts and ends with the quality of the screen. But I could go on . . . Being tied to Sony's horrible bookstore at what feels like dial-up speeds is also a huge problem for me.

I toyed with returning it the day after I bought it and regret that I didn't when I had the chance. It's amazing that everyone here raves about their 505's yet Sony seems to just not get it. I'll be surprised if they don't come out with a non-touch reader in the very near future, unless they just surrender the e-reader market to Amazon, Apple and B&N. I suppose it's possible they could release one with the Wacom panel but I'll believe it when I see it - they seem fairly flat-footed in this market.

Frankly a Sony with the Daily Reader features minus the touchscreen but with Wi-Fi would be a keeper at the K3's pricing. Time to step up or bow out, Sony.