Sony's competitive future with Kindle

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by astra

Aspect ratio.

I agree. I've never liked the shape of the 9xx (and complained about it when the 900 was first announced.) I always concidered it a cheat to be able to call the screen 7 inches when it has a smaller surface area than a 3:4 7 inch screen would have-- but they don't point that out.

[carpetmojo]

I tend to agree with PF62 - Sony have lost the war, here - and I can't think of anything they can produce that will now give it an advantage over the Kindle for the average first time buyer. If they give the 6/350's wifi & 3g, that's only equalling the kindle (apart from the touchscreen) but at an even higher price difference, presumably.
And the software................ nuff said.

I bought mine 'cos I naturally shy away from any "tied" product anyway, but I also loved the look and feel of it, and the touchscreen.

But, if kindle gets a touch screen, then that'll be game over, sadly, in my opinion.

I just hope Sony will see it as a niche product and stay in the game.

[carpetmojo]

I tend to agree with PF62 - Sony have lost the war, here in the UK.

And I can't think of anything they can produce that will now give it an advantage over the Kindle for the average first time buyer. If they give the 6/350's wifi & 3g, that's only equalling the kindle (apart from the touchscreen) but at an even higher price difference, presumably.

And the software................ .... 'nuff said.

I bought mine 'cos I naturally shy away from any "tied" product anyway, but I also loved the look and feel of it, and the touchscreen.

But, if kindle gets a touch screen, then that'll be game over, sadly, in my opinion.

I just hope Sony will see it as a niche product and stay in the game.

[astra]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I just hope Sony will see it as a niche product and stay in the game.

I hope that Sony, as a hardware corporation, would like to keep on producing an excellent piece of hardware for the sake of hardware. Hopefully, the premium price covers the cost and generates some good profit.

[Prestidigitweeze]

The problem with Sony is that they're so large and so scattered in focus that their best hardware gets aborted -- often during development -- whenever it's expected to fail to appeal to an immense demographic. Look at the Qrio robot and Qualia, their short-lived audiophile line, which included a minidisc player machined from a single block of metal long before Apple had the idea for their laptops.

[petercreasey]

Originally Posted by astra

Aspect ratio.

A, Admirable brevity!

So how does the "aspect ratio" ruin the Sony 950 experience for you...or otherwise impact it?

[astra]

I might start with why I would not buy 5" but love 6".

The amount of text that fits in one line. I hate it when there are 2 words per line. It breaks my concentration and ruins reading enjoyment. On very rare occasions I read in Large fonts on 6" (when on a train/bus), otherwise small or medium. 5"? Out of question. However, 5" is at least smaller and I see its benefits.
Sony 7". It is bulkier than 6". It would not fit my DVD tin box, it is heavier and generally less comfortable because it is tall and its mass centre is not located as comfortable as in 6". I would avert my eyes from all of these drawbacks, more over, I would probably not notice them if the difference between 6" vs. 7" would be similar to 5" vs. 6". Bigger screen, wider text line........oops We get the same width! The screen is only taller, but not wider. I don't care about its hight. 6"'s hight is fine by me. I want the screen to be wider, to grow in size proportionally. Like iRex iLiad's 8". Drawbacks entailed by handling a bigger ebook reader should be cancelled by some benefits. The only benefit for me would be wider screen. Like 5" vs. 6". Otherwise I would buy 5", because the raw amount of text per screen doesn't bother me.
What do I get from Sony? A bigger reader, heavier, less portable....and the same screen size (from my point of view)? Not interested at all.

P.S. please do not suggest landscape mode. I don't like holding reader like that.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

I was just about to reply when I saw Poppaea's post. Thanks for making the argument and saving me the trouble.

Additionally, American libraries' selection will have to improve greatly for me to be interested. While I'd still love to check out innumerable physical books, the NYPL doesn't offer a single eBook that interests me in any format: No Nabokov, no Ingeborg Bachmann, no Paul Celan, no E.M. Cioran, no J.G. Ballard, no John Hawkes, no Robert Coover, no Jorge Luis Borges, no Roland Barthes, no Raymond Roussel, no Robert Desnos, none of the Calvino that interests me -- only bestsellers, genre novels, obvious political diatribes and other demoralizing pabulum.

I agree. I'm in Chicago. The selection of ebooks is not even good enough to be bad.

To paraphrase Lord Chesterfield, the access is awkward, the selection is miserable, and the value worthless.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

For myself, I decided on the Sony because it's just a better made product... smaller size, loved the touchscreen, quality feel with the metal case. I hated how big the Kindle was because of the keyboard, the page buttons on it were pretty stiff to push also. Now that could have just been the store demo, but the size and plastic alone was enough for me to not like it.

The fact that the Sony can also handle library books was a bonus, but it's definitely not a reason I'd buy a reader I didn't like just for library access.

My sentiments exactly, save that the library access is worthless where I am.

I mostly buy ebooks from Amazon, or get them from Gutenberg. I put samples on my Sony 350 and read them in the smallest room in the house. I put recreational reading (fiction for the most part) on my Sony 650. I use my Kindle DX for non-fiction - I find the large form factor best for that kind of reading. I do own a K3 but I use it mostly for reading articles sent from my web browser or newreaders to the K3 via my free.kindle account. Once in a while I put the same book on the K3, the KDX and the 650 so that I have access at work (650), home (KDX) or in transit (K3) - I'm doing that right now with David Foster Wallace's Pale King.

But I'm always the happiest using the Sonys, and if I had to have just one EBR, it would be the 650 because of the touch screen and screen size.

Thank the God of Reading (supposedly Minerva but I'm thinking Bacchus) for calibre & Apprentice Alf...

What I get from the library these days is DVDs that I can't get from Netflix. Silent flicks, & educational stuff.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by PF62

"Sony's competitive future with Kindle"

In the UK I believe that Sony has lost the war with Kindle and may as well pack up and go home now.

Same here in the States, I think. I have never seen a Sony on the train or bus here in Chicago, nor out at lunch. It's always a Kindle & usually a K3. Though I did see an ancient K1 at lunch today.

I think the Kindles are inferior to the Sonys (& the Nooks) but the Amazon ecosystem is superior. Chose the ebook on Amazon & send it automagically to the K3. The race is over right there. The only way it could be easier is if Amazon figured out a way to deliver the ebook without your having to turn on the wireless access.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by angpsi

Hello all,

Although I have no experience whatsoever with ebook readers, I'm looking to buy one for my girlfriend as a birthday present. After a week's thorough research I've decided against the Kindle 3, and for the Sony readers, especially the 350 which looks really nice and cute (in pink!). My main concern then is the size factor, since it seems the mainstream goes for 6'': would you advise me against the 5'' of the 350? I'd easily go for the 650, it's still within my price range if it really makes a difference. Otherwise I'll probably go for the 350 because of the cute'n'pink aesthetics!

Btw, if anyone has an actual experience and thinks that pink is hideous please tell me so! It seems cute in pics, but I haven't seen it live yet! :-D

It seems to me that the great advantage of a 350 for a woman is precisely the small form factor. Fits pocket or purse. Lightweight. Pretty in Pink - I've seen one.

The 650 is a better size for reading, but not by so much that the other factors are outweighed, so to speak.

[Bookworm_Girl]

I had the not so pleasant experience to spend 2 hours this morning at the local Department of Motor Vehicles. I had my 350 to entertain me. I was surprised there was another person with a Sony there. No Kindles or any other ereaders. Actually I was surprised that few people even had smartphones out.

[GlenBarrington]

Even though I'm not a big fan of Sony anything, I DO love my Sony eReader. Sony's commitment to product lines of any sort is remarkably shallow though. They seem willing to drop a well designed, competitive line the minute they hit a rough patch without regard to customer opinion.

Now that is not necessarily a bad thing from a bottom line/Share holder point of view. But you can bet once Sony determines that the long term growth of eReading with Sony devices isn't very good, the Sony eReader will be dropped and existing stock will be remaindered out. They won't fight to be the last eReader standing.

By adopting the ePub standard though, and its rugged design, our readers will continue to be viable if Sony does decide to leave the market at some point, or if they don't. People can buy Sony eReaders with confidence that their device has a long economic life.

Like it's cousin, well reasoned thought, the future of reading has been bleak through out history. That will never change.

Don't worry, be happy!

[carpetmojo]

[QUOTE=GlenBarrington;............
By adopting the ePub standard though, and its rugged design, our readers will continue to be viable if Sony does decide to leave the market at some point, or if they don't. People can buy Sony eReaders with confidence that their device has a long economic life................
Don't worry, be happy![/QUOTE]


But, Glen, we come back to the service aspect of things, sadly.

Can you imagine Sony being interested in doing a reasonably priced repair/refurbishment set-up ? Or sell spares so we can get repairs done ourselves ?

Yeah, right !

They can't do it at present, when the lines are selling, in big demand (so we're told) , and getting praise.

I suspect they might do one improvement - like WiFi say - and sit back and see.
Not really realising they've either missed the boat, or simply priced the kit too high to beat the other leaders.
It says something that so many people do buy Sonys, despite the lack of WiFi etc..

P'raps we're all just rebels ............

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

But, Glen, we come back to the service aspect of things, sadly.

Can you imagine Sony being interested in doing a reasonably priced repair/refurbishment set-up ? Or sell spares so we can get repairs done ourselves ?

Yeah, right !

They can't do it at present, when the lines are selling, in big demand (so we're told) , and getting praise.

I suspect they might do one improvement - like WiFi say - and sit back and see.
Not really realising they've either missed the boat, or simply priced the kit too high to beat the other leaders.
It says something that so many people do buy Sonys, despite the lack of WiFi etc..

P'raps we're all just rebels ............

You have zeroed in on it. Not that we are rebels, although no doubt many of us are. But that we buy the Sonys DESPITE the lack of wifi, & the miserable store. The device itself is simply the best EBR. Not that it couldn't be improved. Sony makes great products, but has a terrible ecosystem.

Is the price too high? Kinda sorta. But we bought them, didn't we?

I have to say,though, that my one experience with Sony Customer Service was entirely satisfactory.