Comparison photos of new Sony 350 and Kindle 3

[901hw]

Yes absolutely sure about the 3g here in germany. I think the only way I could use it properly is if I changed my address for my amazon to an US address. Otherwise I can only use wikipedia with my 3G Kindle. Personally I find even the new PDF support on the Kindle to be a slight letdown. There is no reflow and only 3 zoom settings, also its difficult to zoom the right place in a page as left and right scrolling (even with the nudge function) makes too large steps. It certainly looks like this is handled in a better way by the sony. As most of my books are in pdf format and I dont want to spend too much time converting them all and I dont really need the wifi/3g due to phone and or netbook, I am very strongly thinking of sending the kindle back, actually already preordered a sony prs 650!

@Psykhe how did you get student discount on the ebook reader? When I tried to do that with my 650 preorder the site said one cannot get student discount on ebook readers.

[Psykhe]

Originally Posted by Papi

Are you sure about that ? I heard about someone on this forum who hadn't internet access (from Germany also), but it seems most did...That was with Kindle 2i though, maybe it has changed with the new firmware.

I have no personal experience of cource, but from what I have heard it changed with the Kindle 3.

As "german" Kindle (aka a Kindle registered at a german Account) Internet was nerver possible (outside of buying books and using Wiki).

Previously you could get a fake US adress to make an US account and register it there as US Kindle and use the 3g for browsing worldwide.
This is still possible, but it seems Amazon learned from people doing that and charges now 5$ for each week you use the 3g of your kindle abroad.

Originally Posted by 901hw

@Psykhe how did you get student discount on the ebook reader? When I tried to do that with my 650 preorder the site said one cannot get student discount on ebook readers.

I just went to sonystyle.de, klicked on "Sony und Bildung" below the product list on the left, put in my name and uni, got a code. In the page after that ereaders where listed as one of the "-10% items." Put one in my shopping bag, went to the checkout and there you can put in the code which worked just fine.

And then I cancled my order because of sonys retarded payment options. I mean, seriously, the only option to transfer money directly is to a bank in scotland? But I should get my amazon creidt card next week, will preoder it then.

[daffy4u]

I just used my K3 to download a book from my Calibre Library on my PogoPlug via wifi. So wifi isn't just for purchasing books but having access to your books when you are away from your computer.

[Psykhe]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I just used my K3 to download a book from my Calibre Library on my PogoPlug via wifi. So wifi isn't just for purchasing books but having access to your books when you are away from your computer.

Assuming you have a wifi hotspot you can access.

Also, this kinda asks the question why you did not have it on the Kindle to begin with. 2 gig are a LOT of books.

And if you now answer "I had no space" then the Sony wins. Because you can use an SD card to upgrade its memory to 34 gig. Good luck filling that with books. And you'll be totally independant to wifi hotspots to access your library.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Psykhe

And if you now answer "I had no space" then the Sony wins. Because you can use an SD card to upgrade its memory to 34 gig.

Unfortunately, though, if you have more than a few hundred books on a Sony the library scan that occurs every time you add new books makes the system essentially unusable.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by Psykhe

Assuming you have a wifi hotspot you can access.

Also, this kinda asks the question why you did not have it on the Kindle to begin with. 2 gig are a LOT of books.

And if you now answer "I had no space" then the Sony wins. Because you can use an SD card to upgrade its memory to 34 gig. Good luck filling that with books. And you'll be totally independant to wifi hotspots to access your library.

4G on K3. I don't want to carry all my books with me all the time. I used to but I got over that.

You're right about the hotspots but I have a PalmPre and can generate my own wifi hotspot should the need arise.

I said in an earlier post in this thread that if Sony made a large Dx sized reader I would seriously consider buying it. If it had wifi, that would push me even closer. I was not doing a "who wins comparison" I was explaining wifi can useful.

BTW, I do own a 505, so I'm not anti-Sony.

[Psykhe]

Never called you anti-sony And true about the 4g, I somehow had 2g in memory but I was mistaken.

But always carrying with you a wifi-hotspot capable phone with you is IMO at least as bothersome as looking for hotspots.

I simply do not see it as any real "use" for most people since I highly doubt many will keep more than 1000 books on it.

Originally Posted by HarryT

Unfortunately, though, if you have more than a few hundred books on a Sony the library scan that occurs every time you add new books makes the system essentially unusable.

Well, that throws a wrench in the gears for sure. Had some wrong impressions about the way the sony reader manages its books, it seems a bit "special".

[Boston]

Great Pictures (so much better than the crude ones I posted!).

I was surprised at the multi-step process for adding/reading notes on the Sony...so much easier on the Kindle unless you need to scribble directly on the screen. For my use, this largely defeats the convenience of the touch screen.

While I prefer my Sony PRS-505, I won't be giving up my Kindle unless Sony adds the ability to buy, share and push books to another reader. My mom has a Kindle and I can buy/push books to her Kindle despite being 500 miles away. She just needs to turn on her wireless and they appear. Even the Sony rep was wow'd that I could do this (he said, he's always having to go to his dad's house to transfer books). I tried giving my mom a non-wireless reader so we could share non-DRM reading...after she read the first books I put on it, she never picked it up again. Not everyone has this need, but for me its a huge benefit of the Kindle's wireless tie to the Amazon store.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by Psykhe

Never called you anti-sony And true about the 4g, I somehow had 2g in memory but I was mistaken.

I took your "Sony wins" statement to be a Kindle vs Sony contest. If I mis-read your intention... mea culpa.

But it still remains that you can get over 8 times the Kindles memory on the sony (at least on the 650), so IMO the "can access you library anywhere" argument simply isn't valid as advantage for the kindle, since you quite simply do not need to access it remotely with the sony 650.

Wifi is more important to me than carrying every book I own with me at all times. I have a Kindle 1 with an SD card which does carry every ebook I own on it's SD Card.

If carry every ebook you own is important to you... fine. I don't have a problem with that.

Why on earth wouldn't you want to carry all your books with you if you have no space issues? There is no logic in that at all.

I just don't. My choice. The number of ebooks (500 give or take) I own would not fill up my Kindle memory, so it's not that I can't, I just don't want to.

And always carrying with you a wifi-hotspot capable phone with you is IMO at least as bothersome as looking for hotspots.

It's my cell phone. It's always with me anyway.

And even if you ignore all of this it is IMO still no advantage since if you *really* need a book you do not have on the device right now you can download it on a phones own SD card and then plug it in the sony.

Downloading into a phone or downloading directly into a reader... not much difference to me accept saving the step of moving the card from the phone to the reader.

Not all phones have an extra SD card slot, of cource. But neither have all phones a wifi hotspot function. I.e. my phone has an SD slot but cannot make hotspots.
So both ereaders have the ability (or not) to get books from your library while abroad depending on the phone you have.

In short, I get that you we explaining a scenario where wifi is usefull.

But *my* point is that "kindle + wifi" is still far worse than "sony + sd card" in terms of your accessability of your own library.

If that's how it is for "you" then I have no argument. It's not the same for me but we're not the same people so it's all good.

[sbtx99]

Wifi may not be important to everyone, but it does have uses beyond just instant gratification.

Wifi is the main reason I've decided to trade my prs-600 for a Kindle 3. I read on three devices, depending on what I'm reading and where I am at the time: my Sony reader, my iPod Touch (Stanza/Kindle/Txtr), or my Android phone (Aldiko/Kindle). My number one reason for wanting wifi on my reader is the ability to sync reading locations between devices. When switching between the Sony reader and mobile devices, I either have to wait until I get to a new chapter or spend time searching for my reading location (since Stanza and Aldiko use their own page numbering system). With the Kindle reading apps, you just open your book and click 'Yes' to go to your furthest reading location.

There are other reasons that, for me, make the wifi a nice to have feature. But syncing reading locations is currently at the top of my wishlist.

[Psykhe]

Firstly, I had some wrong impressions about how the sony manages its books, meaning quite a few things I wrote seem to be not possible (like adding books from an SD card or carrying all your books around with you), so I edited my previous post. Too slow though it seems

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I took your "Sony wins" statement to be a Kindle vs Sony contest. If I mis-read your intention... mea culpa.

Well, it is one to be honest. This thread is a comparsion of Sony vs Kindle. So when you explain something a Kindle can do you cannot just handle it like it is is said in a vacuum. If you point out one feature of a device you always indirectly compare it with its competitors.

Wifi is more important to me than carrying every book I own with me at all times.

Yeah..but...well...why?

There is no logic in preferring to download books from your library with wifi + mobile hotspot over just keeping them on the device. Simply because the latter is less hassle and seems to have not disadvantages.

It's my cell phone. It's always with me anyway.

Yes, but it is another limitation you have to take into account. Just because you have one and have it always with out it does not apply to everyone. It is a limitation just as finding a normal hotspot.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by Psykhe

Well, it is one to be honest. This thread is a comparsion of Sony vs Kindle. So when you explain something a Kindle can do you cannot just handle it like it is is said in a vacuum. If you point out one feature of a device you always indirectly compare it with its competitors.

I just pointed out two features that would push me towards adding another Sony to my collection (size and wifi).

Yeah..but...well...why?

There is no logic in preferring to download books from your library with wifi + mobile hotspot over just keeping them on the device. Simply because the latter is less hassle and seems to have not disadvantages.[/quote]

Because I don't want to. It's not something I have to justify or make you understand. You can accept my choice or not. It's up to you.

Yes, but it is another limitation you have to take into account. Just because you have one and have it always with out it does not apply to everyone. It is a limitation just as finding a normal hotspot.

I said you were right about the hotspot issue in a previous post and just added that for "me" I could use my cell phone.

I feel we're getting into nitpick territory. I accept your needs, wants and access to wifi are different than mine (I am only speaking for myself). We don't have to agree to point out things we feel are important to us.

[WT Sharpe]

Sony does PDF files better than a Kindle. The Kindle can only zoom and pan through a PDF file. My Sony PRS-600, can also zoom and pan, but in addition it can re-flow text, which beats the heck out of the cumbersome pan and zoom function. On the other hand, when Sony uploads text that has been copied to a PC, it truncates it. I'm not sure of the character limit, but I believe it only allows you to copy around a hundred characters. The Kindle doesn't have this limitation, except in those cases where a publisher doesn't allow copying of text, or only allows only limited copying.

I use my 600 mainly for PDF files. For everything else, I prefer the Kindle. Both are excellent readers, however.

[Psykhe]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Because I don't want to. It's not something I have to justify or make you understand. You can accept my choice or not. It's up to you.

It is your device and you can do everything you want with it. I am not questioning how you use your Kindle.

I am questioning your argumentation. Your "wifi usefulness" scenario entirely depends on an artificial limitation you put yourself under "just because you want to".
Which isn't really a good way to argue/compare/point out advantages because you can construct pretty much everything that way.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by Psykhe

It is your device and you can do everything you want with it. I am not questioning how you use your Kindle.

I am questioning your argumentation. Your "wifi usefulness" scenario entirely depends on an artificial limitation you put yourself under "just because you want to".
Which isn't really a good way to argue/compare/point out advantages because you can construct pretty much everything that way.

You're the one who wants to argue, I'm just pointing out what I want in a reader.

And with that, I'm through with this conversation.