When should we start seeing 350/650 in stores

[Selcien]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

My guess is that Sony got so many orders for the PRS-650 that they've been unable to ship to stores and now the stock they had is now on back order.

My guess is that they never got any in stock and simply changed the status from pre-order to back ordered the moment that part of the US hit the supposed launch date. I say this because the pink 350 that I ordered has mimicked the 650's (went from pre-order straight to back ordered with no change to my order status) and surely the demand for the pink 350 wouldn't have been high enough for them to sell through all of their stock if they ever had any to begin with.

Originally Posted by Avwriter

If that's true, then why have we not heard of a single person in the US receiving one, or even having one shipped? Even outside the US, there have only been a couple of posters in Australia to have obtained a 650. Its pure speculation, but I am starting to wonder if something went seriously wrong on the 650 production line. After all, dozens of people have been posting about their 350s for about a week now, all around the world. I would somewhat prefer the 650, but if Sony does not start giving some kind of clear indication of when they will be available, I may just opt to get the cheaper 350 instead.

I would think that it's a supply issue, after all, Amazon only recently launched their K3's which use the same six inch Pearl screen that the 650's use. Amazon doesn't use the five inch Pearl screen which is likely why the 350's have been the most common.

[Avwriter]

Quite possibly. The big question is whether any of this supply will actually make it to the Sony retail shops for the launch. After all, the supply must have gone somewhere, and clearly the customers who pre-ordered were not very high on the priority list. I suppose that tomorrow, we shall find out.

[Avwriter]

I will answer my own question. I tried calling my local store, and actually got to speak to a manager this time. He said that they do now have the silver 350 in stock, and it is up for sale now. He said that the 650 is not showing up on their shipment list at all, which he says means that it definitely will not be available tomorrow, "and may not be available for some time, as he usually has info on his shipments a week or so in advance." Oh well, at least he was honest about it... now I have to decide if I want to wait for the 650, or go pick up a 350 now. That is a tough one. I have heard a lot of good things about the 350 so far, but initially had my heart set on the 650.

[speedygnomes]

For Toronto, Bestbuy actually has the silver PRS350 in stock. I bought one at the Eaton Centre location, and returned it the next day. Below are some random notes and thoughts.

Pros:
- The screen is absolutely beautiful, noticeable difference, when compared to my PRS505 and PRS600. I was able to reduce the font and read comfortably.
- The touchscreen is very responsive, faster and better then PRS600.
- Extremely light, should be much easier to hold for long trips (versus the PRS600)

Minor Quibbles:
- Construction feels cheaper, both my previous Sony readers felt more solid. I don't think it will be an issue, but I do hope the PRS650 is better.
- On the left side of the reader, my red PRS600 had nice brushed metal spine, whereas on the silver PRS350, the brushed metal appeared streaky, I almost wondered if it was painted plastic (hopefully other colors are better)
- The stylus is no longer chrome metal, it is cheaper, lighter plastic.

P.S. The reason for returning, was because the silver just looked utterly unappealing. I still plan to buy the PRS-650 (or the Kindle 3). I'm a heavy reader, so the Pearl screen is a must!

[slantybard]

Okay, I talked with the Sony style stores here in the lower mainland of Vancouver, BC, Canada. As I posted before, the 350's are available in stock at many of the stores still. The 650's came into the local warehouse yesterday. Today, each local store got their preorders delivered for the prepaid customers. All others are being shipped out to other Canadian and US cities to fill out their preorders first. I was told that any left over stock might make it into the local stores next week. Most sony stores can see their warehouse inventory, all they have to do is be motivated to actually look that info up.

[jaxx6166]

my store has them in the warehouse. However, there are no accessories. One store had received (7) 350's and (0) 650's. The second, in the ritzier part of the county, got zero/zero.

I was told to check back tomorrow. But my Sony Rep seems to think they sold out their pre-orders. Which, as we've learned from previous experience, is usually a market ploy to create artificial demand. Especially considering he showed several in the warehouse

Maybe I will get lucky tomorrow.

[darex2]

I just got mine today (a 350). It's not quite true that there's NO reflection. Try reading it directly beneath a bright light. You can't, but a slight angle correction, and the glare is gone.

I have to say, this is a fantastic upgrade to my 505. I wasn't sure about the 350 due to its size, but here's what I have found:

1) it's so amazingly light, it's a pleasure to hold and not the least bit weighty. This is how an e-book should be! This is the first e-book that is this way, in my opinion.
2) the build quality is as good as all the previous version. Yes, the edge is now plastic, but it's still very solid
3) the touch screen is as good as you could possibly want it to be. It's super-responsive, transparent and effortless to use
4) the Pearl screen is vastly sharper (better contrast, that is) than the 505's.
5) screen refreshes aren't vastly quicker, but they're certainly improved.
6) small and medium fonts are eminently legible. I will NOT be missing the 6" screen.
7) menu functions are much, much more accessible than they were on the futzy 505.

On paper, the 350 may not seem like competition to the Kindles, but in practice, it nails the e-reading experience in a way that Kindle fans won't understand. Connectivity is rather irrelevant. This device is for reading, and reading is a pleasure on it, and the portability and light weight, and comfort in-hand are what make all the difference. ZERO buyer's remorse here!

[darex2]

Originally Posted by speedygnomes

- On the left side of the reader, my red PRS600 had nice brushed metal spine, whereas on the silver PRS350, the brushed metal appeared streaky, I almost wondered if it was painted plastic (hopefully other colors are better)
- The stylus is no longer chrome metal, it is cheaper, lighter plastic.

P.S. The reason for returning, was because the silver just looked utterly unappealing. I still plan to buy the PRS-650 (or the Kindle 3). I'm a heavy reader, so the Pearl screen is a must!

The unit is most definitely not painted plastic. The spine is "streaky", because it's curved and stretched around the spine. It's more akin to woodgrain, and definitely not a defect. I suspect it's deliberate, to add a tiny bit of texture to the edge, for added "grip".

As for the stylus, I personally doubt I'll ever even use mine, so who cares?

I don't plan to make written notes on my novels and such, and my finger seems perfectly accurate for selecting text or double-tapping, or pushing toggles.

To each his/her own, I guess. I'm delighted with mine, and pleasantly surprised by the quality and readability of it. If a plastic spine is part of the trade-off for how light it is, then I'll take that trade.

I'm sure all the new Sony's make any of the Kindles feel suitably "cheap" by comparison.

I got an email from Waterstone's this morning telling me that my 650 has been dispatched via a courier. Unfortunately, there is no tracking available so I am not sure when it will arrive. Since I have planned to do a lot of work in the garden today and tomorrow, maybe it shouldn't arrive until tomorrow!

I see that the price for the 350 has now been permanently adjusted to £129.99 (instead of it being shown as a special offer price). It would have been so nice if they had reduced the price of the 650 a bit as well, even if only for pre-orders; I feel rather discriminated against!

[speedygnomes]

The unit is most definitely not painted plastic. The spine is "streaky", because it's curved and stretched around the spine.

Maybe it is the silver color or a defective unit, but my red PRS600 has the same type of brushed metal, and the difference is day and night.

Don't get me wrong, most of my issues are cosmetic or nitpicks. The unit is great for reading, and the pros I listed, far outweigh the cons. I do plan to buy a red or black color PRS650.

[viviena]

I'm guessing many Aussies will either order theirs online or try to go to a Sony Centre, but some might still be interested to know that Borders is now stocking both the 350 and 650.

[deltop]

Originally Posted by savethebutterfly

I got an email from Waterstone's this morning telling me that my 650 has been dispatched via a courier. Unfortunately, there is no tracking available so I am not sure when it will arrive. Since I have planned to do a lot of work in the garden today and tomorrow, maybe it shouldn't arrive until tomorrow!

I see that the price for the 350 has now been permanently adjusted to £129.99 (instead of it being shown as a special offer price). It would have been so nice if they had reduced the price of the 650 a bit as well, even if only for pre-orders; I feel rather discriminated against!

My Waterstones order just arrived! Black PRS-650. It's soo light! At least compared to my 505.

[astra]

I have been to local Waterstone's.
No readers in the stock because they didn't receive them yet. They think they are going to receive readers sometime next week.

[jaxx6166]

Borders eh? Is that just a thing for my friends on the other side of the pond or here in the us as well? Investigation continues...

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Avwriter

If that's true, then why have we not heard of a single person in the US receiving one, or even having one shipped? Even outside the US, there have only been a couple of posters in Australia to have obtained a 650. Its pure speculation, but I am starting to wonder if something went seriously wrong on the 650 production line. After all, dozens of people have been posting about their 350s for about a week now, all around the world. I would somewhat prefer the 650, but if Sony does not start giving some kind of clear indication of when they will be available, I may just opt to get the cheaper 350 instead.

The 650 is available in the Netherlands without problems. My mother got hers yesterday (the 16th).