Reasons I'm not getting a Kindle but the Sony 505 instead.

[ylmrog]

Originally Posted by Astropin

1) Price......This coming from a guy who paid $700 for a PS3 ....

700.00 for a PS3 with not many games out (at the time it ws 700.00) and you can't pay an extra 100 for tech you might want later on?

odd.

Originally Posted by Astropin

2) The Kindle is frigging ugly......the Sony looks nice.

You consider "ugly" a valid reason?
You're reading a book, not impressing the ladies.
I think it is hiddeous, but so what?

Originally Posted by Astropin

I'm trying to imagine a scenario where I suddenly NEED to download a book onto my reader?

wow.. I see Sooo many reasons it would take too long to list them.
I haven't received mine yet but I can't wait to be able to surf the web with this at lunch after I am done reading a chapter or two.. and thats just the first reason., on the can....

no need to litter the loo with old magazines!!

[Astropin]

Originally Posted by ylmrog

700.00 for a PS3 with not many games out (at the time it ws 700.00) and you can't pay an extra 100 for tech you might want later on?

odd.

Still see no need for the wireless access in a book reader. I've read several novels on my 505 now and I LOVE it. The ONLY thing missing from my 505 (IMHO) is a searchable dictionary. Oh, BTW, I love that PS3.....there are some really fantastic games out for it now with many more on the way......plus it absolutely ROCKS as a blu-ray player. It's also nice to know that blu-ray will win the war against HD-DVD ......that did have me a little worried for a bit there.

Originally Posted by ylmrog

You consider "ugly" a valid reason?
You're reading a book, not impressing the ladies.
I think it is hiddeous, but so what?

Hey.....to each his own....I love electronic gadgets.....and aesthetics does play a role.....a small one....but a role non the less (for me).

Originally Posted by ylmrog

wow.. I see Sooo many reasons it would take too long to list them.
I haven't received mine yet but I can't wait to be able to surf the web with this at lunch after I am done reading a chapter or two.. and thats just the first reason., on the can....

Good luck surfing the net on a Kindle Have you read the reviews about actually trying to surf with that thing? I'll keep my Nokia N800 for that (and It looks cool to boot ) I've got room for 160 novles on just the built in memory.....why would I possibly need to download a novel on the fly?

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by Astropin

Still see no need for the wireless access in a book reader. I've read several novels on my 505 now and I LOVE it. The ONLY thing missing from my 505 (IMHO) is a searchable dictionary.

-snip-

Originally Posted by Astropin

Good luck surfing the net on a Kindle Have you read the reviews about actually trying to surf with that thing? I'll keep my Nokia N800 for that (and It looks cool to boot ) I've got room for 160 novles on just the built in memory.....why would I possibly need to download a novel on the fly?

I definitely agree that you don't NEED wireless access but it sure is nice. I don't think any of this is about what we NEED. We like fun toys. But you're right, trying to surf with it is dreadful. If I need to do that when I'm out, I use my smartphone. Whispernet really is for getting content (and Wikipedia search) but I do find it a great convenience, actually. Some places I've loved having it:

-When I'm on the road. I could plan ahead and buy several books but I really prefer to try the samples first. My moods shift as far as what I want to read so it's hard to anticipate what I'll want at any given moment.
-It's late. I'm in bed and I've finished a book and want another. Bed, kitties and husband are warm and I don't want to disturb them.
-I've just finished a sample and want to keep reading without taking several minutes to go to my computer, buy a book and load it breaking the flow of my reading.
-When I'm just hanging out or listening to the radio and someone mentions a book I think I might like, I can quickly get the sample before I forget.

Would I pay extra for it? No. I paid extra for the searching and dictionary functions. Whispernet was just a bonus. It's a bonus I've realized I like more than I thought I would. If I weren't a really comfortable computer user, though, I may find it a huge benefit.

[JSWolf]

Why is it nobody seems to remember Amazon screwing people when they sold ebooks before? Am I the only one?

[Alisa]

What an odd assumption. I've seen quite a few people here talk about it. It seems common knowledge. Personally, I don't trust any DRM to be around later but I don't re-read books usually. That's why I don't buy ahead with Amazon books. I buy what I want right now.

[Ervserver]

Its easy to think that Amazon, a book seller, would be successful selling ebooks and likely wouldn't abandon Kindle owners.

[Alisa]

I think they're more likely to be successful than Sony in the content war but I don't have more faith in them not to abandon support for their DRM if they don't stick with this business.

[rationalbiker]

Originally Posted by Alisa

I definitely agree that you don't NEED wireless access but it sure is nice. I don't think any of this is about what we NEED.

Well, we don't "need" books for that matter. We don't need houses either. We can survive just fine without houses if you don't mind the change in your quality of life, and perhaps bundling up a little more and sleeping under trees, etc.

I have a different perspective on what it means to "need" something (similar to Maslow's heirarchy). We need those things which fulfill our lives, not simply things which allow us to keep breathing until the next moment, not simply those things that keep us avoiding the morgue for one more minute. The level to which you prioritize those needs may change with the context of your life, but life is more than simply avoiding the grave, it's about being happy, productive and fulfilled. We (humans) need those things.

I was not interested in ebooks or readers until Amazon came along with the Kindle. The Kindle introduced something in an ebook reader that I needed to make it useful and purposeful for my life.

Anyway, please don't take this as an attack or anything. I'm merely trying to share a different perspective on what it means to need things in the context of our lives.

As to this thread in general however, what I don't need is to go tell Sony users why I bought a Kindle instead. They can use the device that serves their needs without me trying to shoot it down.

[rationalbiker]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Why is it nobody seems to remember Amazon screwing people when they sold ebooks before? Am I the only one?

For the sake of those of us who are new to ebooks, would you share with us your opinion on how Amazon "screwed" people before? Thanks in advance.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by rationalbiker

Anyway, please don't take this as an attack or anything. I'm merely trying to share a different perspective on what it means to need things in the context of our lives.

Of course not. I just sometimes think about what a high-class problem it is debating which expensive fun toy to buy. I feel lucky to be where I am with what I have.

My point was mostly that I think it comes down to the cost/benefit analysis we all do when making buying decisions. I think that oftentimes people tend to pit the connectivity aspect of the Kindle against the Sony to justify that extra cash where, while I do not deny it's great and more a benefit than I had originally estimated in my purchasing decision, for many of us the big benefit was something else. Maybe it was the selection of the Amazon store. For me it was search and dictionary lookup.

[rationalbiker]

Originally Posted by Alisa

Of course not. I just sometimes think about what a high-class problem it is debating which expensive fun toy to buy. I feel lucky to be where I am with what I have.

It's a good "problem" to have.

As to luck, two quotes;

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” - Seneca

“I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson

Perhaps instead, you have earned where you are and what you have.

I do agree that different things may have cinched the decision for different people. While I only mentioned the wireless access, I do the Kindle injustice by not recognizing that it was the total package that sold me. Massive content, search, annotation, wireless, etc. etc. What a strong package. I was aware of ebook readers before (never owned one) but this is the device that persuaded me that perhaps this was something that would be worthwhile to me, and worthwhile to support with my money.

Now, the one reservation I have at this point is getting this great package in a device that won't break on me overnight like my first one has done. This innovative device serves me no purpose if it is unreliable and will not function when I need it to function.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by rationalbiker

For the sake of those of us who are new to ebooks, would you share with us your opinion on how Amazon "screwed" people before? Thanks in advance.

In the past Amazon had a eBook store similar to all the other eBook stores on the web and sold eBooks in multiple formats. PDF, LIT, and Mobi among others I believe with DRM. Then they dropped the products a year or so ago and people who purchased them cannot re-get copies if theirs gets lost or move them to different devices any longer since Amazon doesn't any longer support what they sold.

Dale

[rationalbiker]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Then they dropped the products a year or so ago and people who purchased them cannot re-get copies if theirs gets lost or move them to different devices any longer since Amazon doesn't any longer support what they sold.

Thanks for the info. Did they guarentee or claim (or disclaim) how long they would offer support for these books? Do you know if this venture resulted in a profit loss for them? (aside from perhaps the tertiary effect of loss of business due to loss of customer faith) How long should they have supported this venture assuming they were losing money on it?

Do you think they will drop support for the current scheme IF it remains profitable for them?

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by rationalbiker

Now, the one reservation I have at this point is getting this great package in a device that won't break on me overnight like my first one has done. This innovative device serves me no purpose if it is unreliable and will not function when I need it to function.

I must say that this is one of the reasons I am so curious as to how many were sold in this first round. I've read several sad accounts online so far of early failures. In the drive to make mobile devices small enough to be easily portable, the failure rate out of the box (or shortly thereafter) is higher than many other electronic products. The connections are prone to damage in shipping. I could more easily gauge if the Kindle was par for the course or particularly poorly manufactured if I knew how many were sold. It's not much consolation for those that got a dud with no replacements available. It's just a matter of idle curiosity on my part.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Ervserver

Its easy to think that Amazon, a book seller, would be successful selling ebooks and likely wouldn't abandon Kindle owners.

It's also easy to think of the past and think... YES AMAZON ABANDONED EBOOKS!