How many MobileReaders have a PRS-500? - Page 5

fdp · 08-15-2009, 07:36 PM

The 500 is still my main reader. I don't use it often anymore as much of my reading has become technical and the screen is simply too small. I still buy the occasional book (well, did) but accept that the device is soon to be useless. I became frustrated with Sony's stance on support some time ago and won't be "upgrading" to another Sony product. The expectation with Sony is that you are not purchasing a device for the lifetime of the electronics, but for the period of time that they decide you can have it before needing to pay them more money.

I won't be buying a Kindle either, as Amazon's treatment of users is despicable. I liked Amazon before the Kindle, now it seems like they are a poster child for the draconian policing of books. As far as I am concerned investing in a Kindle is handing money to those who would destroy the free market on written words in order to make a quick buck in the process.

My experience with e-readers has opened my eyes to the problems of handing over control of my reading habit to any company that wants to make money off of it. Sure, there will almost always be a publishing company between me and the authors I read, but no single publisher has control over my access to books in the way that an e-book manufacturer does, intentionally or incidentally. I have lost almost all interest in dedicate reading devices, and will make a laptop with an PixelQi screen my next direction for electronic reading. Sure it won't be as small or light, and the battery won't last weeks, but I will be able to read on it as I damn well please.

-FDP

DrMoze · 08-15-2009, 08:12 PM

I still have a 500 ($60 new from the Sony credit card deal), but it is now my gf's main reader. I have been using a 505 for about 1.5 years. SHe may get the 505 upgrade if I get a 300 soon....

sayhello · 08-15-2009, 09:56 PM

When I finally decided to buy the 500, I searched everywhere for it. None of the stores around here had it, stores I called didn't know what I was talking about. I searched the internet, but everyone was sold out. I finally found *ONE* on Circuitcity.com, and ordered it. Then, about 20 minutes later, I found out that the 505 had just come out, and no stores had it yet, but I could purchase it direct from Sony, with no shipping charge. So back to Circuitcity, canceled the order, and ordered the 505 from Sony.

And the rest is history! I've had my beautiful blue 505 for almost 2 years now, and love, love, love it!

Sayhello

Gravitas · 08-16-2009, 04:41 PM

My PRS 500 was my first (amd so far only) electronic book reader. I bought from that store in New York online not long after it was released in the states as I didn't want to wait until an eventual launch in the UK.

I use it every day and it is my very favourite techy gadget - if my house was on fire and I could only grab one item, it would be my PRS500.

I just hope that whatever the upgrade path will be, Sony wont forget about those of us whp imported our devices early (and in a small way helped prepare the ground fro the launch of devices in the UK).

RWood · 08-17-2009, 12:00 AM

I have had and used my 500 since about a month after they launched in the US. I still use it on a daily basis and it performs so well I wasn't even tempted by the 505. I did a side-by-side with the 700 and it was less clear than the 500 (although the menus were better.)

I have about one and one-half lifetimes of LRFs to read (both from the MR library and self created.)

Now Bob, I do not think you will ever get rid of your 500. You will keep it at least for that fine case Yvan made. (Think of it as art.)

Bob Russell · 08-17-2009, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWood

I have had and used my 500 since about a month after they launched in the US. I still use it on a daily basis and it performs so well I wasn't even tempted by the 505. I did a side-by-side with the 700 and it was less clear than the 500 (although the menus were better.)

I have about one and one-half lifetimes of LRFs to read (both from the MR library and self created.)

Now Bob, I do not think you will ever get rid of your 500. You will keep it at least for that fine case Yvan made. (Think of it as art.)

Yep, I will likely be keeping the case longer than the Reader itself! It's definitely a highly valued item. And the dock is also a reason to keep the 500. It's not a necessity, but a nice luxury that I wouldn't pay for again in the future.

Plus, I bet I'm not the only one with a strange emotional attachment to the 500. Maybe not unlike the feeling some people have about paper books. So even if I do upgrade, I'm not sure I want to trade in the old one. That will be a very painful decision if Sony offers a large credit for a 500 trade-in! I might still have to consider keeping the 500 for sentimental reasons. If it's a good offer from Sony, that will be a very tough call.

sic · 08-17-2009, 05:35 PM

I switched from my PRS500 to this:
download the book from TPB and similar torrent sites, print it in the office

still the best way IMO

yvanleterrible · 08-19-2009, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWood

I have had and used my 500 since about a month after they launched in the US. I still use it on a daily basis and it performs so well I wasn't even tempted by the 505. I did a side-by-side with the 700 and it was less clear than the 500 (although the menus were better.)

I have about one and one-half lifetimes of LRFs to read (both from the MR library and self created.)

Now Bob, I do not think you will ever get rid of your 500. You will keep it at least for that fine case Yvan made. (Think of it as art.)

Aw, the bubinga one, that was my favorite!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Russell

Yep, I will likely be keeping the case longer than the Reader itself! It's definitely a highly valued item. And the dock is also a reason to keep the 500. It's not a necessity, but a nice luxury that I wouldn't pay for again in the future.

Plus, I bet I'm not the only one with a strange emotional attachment to the 500. Maybe not unlike the feeling some people have about paper books. So even if I do upgrade, I'm not sure I want to trade in the old one. That will be a very painful decision if Sony offers a large credit for a 500 trade-in! I might still have to consider keeping the 500 for sentimental reasons. If it's a good offer from Sony, that will be a very tough call.

There you are! Fleeing us again?

Nice to see you Bob.

I still use the 500 as my main reader. I will keep it and maintain it as long as it will work, the I'll put it in its box and berry it... in a cupbord somewhere, just like a picture album. This reader I was procured with came from good friends here, I can never forget that...

I was thinking of getting the Opus soon but my car and computer show signs of old age, just like that guy I keep seeing in the mirror every morning.

Bob Russell · 08-20-2009, 08:26 AM

It's remarkable to see how many people in the poll have either kept the original PRS-500 Sony Reader, or have moved on to another Sony Reader. That seems like a lot of customer loyalty for such a new market category with other famous options like the Kindle.

If that holds across the market with many of the early adopters, that would seem to be incentive for Sony to treat these folks well and keep them as Reader customers for life.

yvanleterrible · 08-20-2009, 05:25 PM

In my case, I don't think I can remain faithful to Sony. It is still not available in Quebec after all that time, but Bookeen is... The little Opus has all I need, that's enough for me to switch.

jasonkchapman · 08-21-2009, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Russell

It's remarkable to see how many people in the poll have either kept the original PRS-500 Sony Reader, or have moved on to another Sony Reader. That seems like a lot of customer loyalty for such a new market category with other famous options like the Kindle.

If that holds across the market with many of the early adopters, that would seem to be incentive for Sony to treat these folks well and keep them as Reader customers for life.

I couldn't agree more. Hopefully, Sony will take note. It's not like the old days where build quality and features alone could lead to a win. Now, you have to have all of that AND focus on building a community around your product line. That should be inherently obvious from the whole system-based approach of hardware-software-content as a package, but it hasn't been to a lot of companies.

And just to be able to say that I did address the topic: I'm still using my 500 every day. The 300, however, has a definite appeal for the subway commute.

billsuds · 08-21-2009, 11:46 PM

still using the 500

eddyj · 08-22-2009, 03:42 PM

I passed my 500 to my oldest son, when I upgraded to the 505. I recently bought another 505 and passed the older one to that son, and the 500 went to my younger son. Now the wife wants one too, so I am off to pick up another 505 at Costco.

j0sh · 08-22-2009, 04:42 PM

The prs-500 is my only reader. I kind of wish I waited to buy one of the newer models though.. I spent a lot on it and didn't start using it very much until recently.

happyreader · 08-22-2009, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Russell

It's remarkable to see how many people in the poll have either kept the original PRS-500 Sony Reader, or have moved on to another Sony Reader. That seems like a lot of customer loyalty for such a new market category with other famous options like the Kindle.

If that holds across the market with many of the early adopters, that would seem to be incentive for Sony to treat these folks well and keep them as Reader customers for life.

I certainly hope that Sony will do the right thing and provide a firmware update. I'm currently holding off purchasing books from their store until their intentions become known.

Been tempted by the Kindle, waited till the DX and then was completely disappointed by the pricing.

Would love to have a larger screen than the 6 inchers but not interested in paying over say $300 for it.

Wish that the Sony store offered the same magazines/newspapers as the Kindle.

So I'm still waiting to see if Sony or someone else is going to deliver...

View Poll Results: Do you still have a PRS-500?
Yes, and it's still my main e-reader	98	38.58%
Yes, and I also have another newer e-reader	53	20.87%
No, I use a newer Sony model	93	36.61%
No, I read in other ways now	10	3.94%
Voters: 254. You may not vote on this poll

08-15-2009, 09:56 PM	#63
sayhello Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 373 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505 (Blue!), PRS-650 (Black), iPad, iPod Touch	When I finally decided to buy the 500, I searched everywhere for it. None of the stores around here had it, stores I called didn't know what I was talking about. I searched the internet, but everyone was sold out. I finally found ONE on Circuitcity.com, and ordered it. Then, about 20 minutes later, I found out that the 505 had just come out, and no stores had it yet, but I could purchase it direct from Sony, with no shipping charge. So back to Circuitcity, canceled the order, and ordered the 505 from Sony. And the rest is history! I've had my beautiful blue 505 for almost 2 years now, and love, love, love it! Sayhello Last edited by sayhello; 08-15-2009 at 09:59 PM.

08-17-2009, 12:00 AM	#65
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	I have had and used my 500 since about a month after they launched in the US. I still use it on a daily basis and it performs so well I wasn't even tempted by the 505. I did a side-by-side with the 700 and it was less clear than the 500 (although the menus were better.) I have about one and one-half lifetimes of LRFs to read (both from the MR library and self created.) Now Bob, I do not think you will ever get rid of your 500. You will keep it at least for that fine case Yvan made. (Think of it as art.) Attached Thumbnails

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08-15-2009, 07:36 PM	#61
fdp Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: Sony PRS500	The 500 is still my main reader. I don't use it often anymore as much of my reading has become technical and the screen is simply too small. I still buy the occasional book (well, did) but accept that the device is soon to be useless. I became frustrated with Sony's stance on support some time ago and won't be "upgrading" to another Sony product. The expectation with Sony is that you are not purchasing a device for the lifetime of the electronics, but for the period of time that they decide you can have it before needing to pay them more money. I won't be buying a Kindle either, as Amazon's treatment of users is despicable. I liked Amazon before the Kindle, now it seems like they are a poster child for the draconian policing of books. As far as I am concerned investing in a Kindle is handing money to those who would destroy the free market on written words in order to make a quick buck in the process. My experience with e-readers has opened my eyes to the problems of handing over control of my reading habit to any company that wants to make money off of it. Sure, there will almost always be a publishing company between me and the authors I read, but no single publisher has control over my access to books in the way that an e-book manufacturer does, intentionally or incidentally. I have lost almost all interest in dedicate reading devices, and will make a laptop with an PixelQi screen my next direction for electronic reading. Sure it won't be as small or light, and the battery won't last weeks, but I will be able to read on it as I damn well please. -FDP

08-15-2009, 08:12 PM	#62
DrMoze Booknut Posts: 860 Karma: 2852 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida! Device: Sony Reader 500/505/300/350, Nook Glowlight Plus (6")	I still have a 500 ($60 new from the Sony credit card deal), but it is now my gf's main reader. I have been using a 505 for about 1.5 years. SHe may get the 505 upgrade if I get a 300 soon....

08-16-2009, 04:41 PM	#64
Gravitas Muppet Posts: 123 Karma: 107 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nottingham, England, UK Device: Zen Vision :M / Nokia 5800 musicXpress / Sony PRS500	My PRS 500 was my first (amd so far only) electronic book reader. I bought from that store in New York online not long after it was released in the states as I didn't want to wait until an eventual launch in the UK. I use it every day and it is my very favourite techy gadget - if my house was on fire and I could only grab one item, it would be my PRS500. I just hope that whatever the upgrade path will be, Sony wont forget about those of us whp imported our devices early (and in a small way helped prepare the ground fro the launch of devices in the UK).

08-17-2009, 05:35 PM	#67
sic Addict Posts: 202 Karma: 692 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: SONY reader	I switched from my PRS500 to this: download the book from TPB and similar torrent sites, print it in the office still the best way IMO

08-20-2009, 08:26 AM	#69
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	It's remarkable to see how many people in the poll have either kept the original PRS-500 Sony Reader, or have moved on to another Sony Reader. That seems like a lot of customer loyalty for such a new market category with other famous options like the Kindle. If that holds across the market with many of the early adopters, that would seem to be incentive for Sony to treat these folks well and keep them as Reader customers for life.

08-20-2009, 05:25 PM	#70
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	In my case, I don't think I can remain faithful to Sony. It is still not available in Quebec after all that time, but Bookeen is... The little Opus has all I need, that's enough for me to switch.

08-21-2009, 11:46 PM	#72
billsuds Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony PRS-500	still using the 500

08-22-2009, 03:42 PM	#73
eddyj Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Sony Reader 505, Kindle 2, 3, Touch	I passed my 500 to my oldest son, when I upgraded to the 505. I recently bought another 505 and passed the older one to that son, and the 500 went to my younger son. Now the wife wants one too, so I am off to pick up another 505 at Costco.

08-22-2009, 04:42 PM	#74
j0sh Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: prs-500	The prs-500 is my only reader. I kind of wish I waited to buy one of the newer models though.. I spent a lot on it and didn't start using it very much until recently.