Spotted at DFW: Sony Reader vending machine!

[DixieGal]

Boss, that pic is very disturbing indeed.

[Patricia]

It's an interesting idea, but does the Reader come ready-charged? If not, then some buyers will be a bit frustrated with it at first.

[daffy4u]

I'm not that surprised about the Sony vending machine. Last year, I found one selling iPods in a local grocery store. I'd upload the picture I took with my cell phone but I lost the phone not long after.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

go?

Believe it or not ... there is a type of insane that not even I have approached.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

I can see the headline: Ebook Kills Traveler. The story would explain about the product stuck in the vending machine, the attempt to buy an SD card to jar it loose, it too getting stuck, then an attempt to rock the machine, and it toppling and crushing the man. Looters grabbed Readers from the broken machine. They were all apprehended later, of course, when they registered their product on the Sony Connect site.

This story then used as justification from publishers for 1) not supporting the ebook market, and when they grudgingly do, requiring 2) DRM.

As an odd detail in the story, the dying man was heard to mutter "the blue one, next to the fish". Fascinated readers, googling the phrase, joined MobileRead and bought Kindles.

and

[Catire]

Originally Posted by Patricia

It's an interesting idea, but does the Reader come ready-charged? If not, then some buyers will be a bit frustrated with it at first.

Mine came with a charge, i bought it at the Borders Store in the Miami airport and read some of the samples on the flight to New Orleans.

[RCR]

Am I missing something here?

You buy the Sony from the airport vending machine - but don't you then have to charge the battery which could take several hours?

And how do you charge it? If the Sony doesn't come with a power brick, won't you have to charge the battery via the usb on your laptop (assuming you are carrying one)?

Oops, someone has already answered this. The Sony comes pre-charged apparently.

[RCR]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

see, i just don't understand that at all. i can't WAIT to retire, i am counting the minutes

Oh dear, this is going terribly off-topic but...

I retired two and a half years ago and there hasn't been a moment of regret. The days aren't long enough to do everything I want to do. I love it.

About five years before I retired, I happened to visit the company counsellor over another matter. As part of our chat I mentioned that while I used to love my job, I now increasingly saw it as an inconvenience that intruded into time I would rather spend doing other stuff. Was there anything wrong with me?

The counsellor explained that it was a healthy sign - I was gradually separating from my work identity. She was absolutely right. After I pulled the pin, I had no desire to go back to work. After one year the organisation asked me to come back part-time but I declined. I enjoy being retired too much.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by RCR

About five years before I retired, I happened to visit the company counsellor over another matter. As part of our chat I mentioned that while I used to love my job, I now increasingly saw it as an inconvenience that intruded into time I would rather spend doing other stuff. Was there anything wrong with me?

that's exactly how i feel, quite often...

The counsellor explained that it was a healthy sign - I was gradually separating from my work identity. She was absolutely right. After I pulled the pin, I had no desire to go back to work. After one year the organisation asked me to come back part-time but I declined. I enjoy being retired too much.

i've always been precocious , but i probably should have waited a *little* bit longer to begin "separating from my work identity"...

[AJ Starr]

What we need now is an Airport kiosk where you RENT the eink device, Sony or other, and then turn it back in at your destination. Similiar to the rental of audio books at the resturant (Country Kettle???) and turn it back in at the next one after you finish it. You get your money back except for a low rental fee.

Any ideas.......

A

[Patricia]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

What we need now is an Airport kiosk where you RENT the eink device, Sony or other, and then turn it back in at your destination. Similiar to the rental of audio books at the resturant (Country Kettle???) and turn it back in at the next one after you finish it. You get your money back except for a low rental fee.

Yes, that's similar to a scheme that operates on the Eurostar trains between Paris and London. You can hire a dvd player, earphones and a film at a stall in the terminal, then return it at the destination, getting your deposit back.

[BookishDreamer]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

Similiar to the rental of audio books at the resturant (Country Kettle???) and turn it back in at the next one after you finish it. A

You're thinking of Cracker Barrel. Living in Georgia, I can't drive more than 50 miles without seeing one. I've never used the service, but it's an interesting concept.

Dreamer

[JSWolf]

Please see https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20243 for the original frontpage thread on the Sony vending machine.

[Taylor514ce]

The original article said this was a pilot program in three locations. Since I saw this "robotic store" at DFW (not one of the pilot sites), we can presume that people really do use these, else Sony wouldn't have expanded the program.

[Madam Broshkina]

I saw one of these the other day and was going to buy a shiny new blue 505 but the machine would not take my wrinkled dollar bills and I only had 1195 quarters on me.