Does this sound sensible to you?

[boxcorner]

Edited by boxcorner

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

@ fjtorres
Sorry, I should have noticed the Pocketbook forum and thanks for the helpful link. Is Pocketbook a Russian company? I look forward to reading reviews of the 902 and users' comments in due course.

Comments about firmware delays are a bit off-putting. Am concerned about the reliability of their products and after-sales support. I can no longer afford to be an early adopter of gadgets, so nowadays prefer to let others be the pioneers.

Interesting that you think the Kindle 3's build quality is as good as the Sony. Is the membrane silicone rubber? Do the keys, when pressed, provide any tactile or audible feedback? What about the ergonomics - are the keys sufficiently well spaced? My fingers are not exactly dainty!

I read a lot of books, so that would be its main use. PDFs, infrequent.

Pocketbook is Ukrainian.
The product I can speak to is the one I own, the PB360 which is a delight to own. Stable, solid, and ergonomically a joy to use for hours on end. The delayed firmware in question (as far as the PB360) is to bring new features without introducing new bugs. And between introducing new readers and stamping out the bugs during the beta testing, they are late releasing a bug-free version. (shrug) Your call whether you prefer frequent buggy updates or fewer debugged ones. While I would like to see the new software, bug free, the device I bought running the firmware it came with it rock solid, so I can't complain. Those that bought the PB302 expecting a more robust web browser might have a case though.

As to the kindle; yes, the build quality is as good as any. Why shouldn't it?
Kindles are solid and robust for all their thinness. Just because they are the cheapest doesn't mean they are poorly made; poorly made products don't last long in the marketplace, after all.
The keyboard has a sort-of tactile feedback from the dome switches but the real tactile feedback is on the buttons, which is what gets the bulk of the use. (I'm not a fan of keyboards or numbered switchboards on readers but the latest kindle design is not too offensive.) The keyboard is just a bunch of dome switches spaced out so as allow use by thick fingers. It's better (faster, more accurate) than an onscreen keyboard or a cellphone keyboard but it's nothing magical. What it is is minimally intrusive; it does not get in the way of holding/using the device.

The paging buttons is where the action is and the Kindle paging buttons are very good and very well-placed. Me, I favor side-mounted paging buttons over bottom mounted ones or swipe-screens so Sonys and iPads are automatically excluded right there. (Another reason I love my PB360; the size and button placement is perfect for my grip so the paging button naturally and comfortably falls under my thumb. All I have to do is increase the pressure slightly. The same applies to the Kindles and larger Pocketbooks. They're all descended from the original Nuvomedia Rocketbook, the granddaddy of ebook readers from 1998. I know a lot of people who refuse readers without side-mounted paging buttons so I'd suggest you give some thought to how *you* are going to hold the reader. Ergonomics matter, as you pointed out.

As to lighted cases, I don't use them.
But the Kindle 3 lighted case is highly rated:
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Lighted.../dp/B003DZ165W
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sINv06Wss4

Good luck!

[boxcorner]

Edited by boxcorner

[boxcorner]

Edited by boxcorner

[church mouse]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

@ church mouse
It looks less robust than the Sony, though.

The K3 is less solid than an old 505, that is for certain. However, the new Sonys are far more plastic than a 505. The K3 is better built than I had expected and I don't think the new Sonys have much of an edge there anymore.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

@ fjtorres
PB and the 360 both sound good, which bodes well for the 902.
Do either Sony or Kindle issue firmware updates?
Thanks for the helpful link.

Kindle does update their firmware.

Sony has in the past, when they updated the 505 to allow it to read ePub and support ADE. However, the 300 and 600, to the best of my knowledge never had a firmware update. That being said, their firmware usually works rather well. While a lot of us would have liked to see a firmware update to allow for fully justified ePubs on the 505,300,600,700, I don't think many of us feel that an update was necessary.

--
Bill

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

@ fjtorres
PB and the 360 both sound good, which bodes well for the 902.
Do either Sony or Kindle issue firmware updates?
Thanks for the helpful links.

Kindle offers updates a couple times a year, usually adding new features. Not all new features are always available to older models.

Sony has offered an update or two on *some* models but there recently was a flap online over their stated intent *not* to update last year's models to this year's firmware.

In both cases, the updates are more for enhancements than they are for bug fixes, unlike other second-tier vendors where updates are frequent and necessary to patch up unstable firmware. In that respect, Sony, Kindle and Pocketbook operate on a different level of stability than other (regional)vendors that rely on rebadging chinese OEM products. Top-tier vendors recognize that in consumer electronics a reputation for stability is more important than feature-list marketing. In general it is best to be wary of vendors that offer up a long laundry list of features unless said vendor has a track record of actually delivering those features.

And there are very few of those.

[boxcorner]

Edited by boxcorner