Sony, kindle or kobo?

[JSWolf]

Don't you need a credit card that has a US billing address to shop at the Amazon Kindle store in the US?

[ATDrake]

No, a Canadian credit card with a Canadian address works fine.

But since they charge in USD, it's better to use an Amazon.com gift certificate to minimize the currency-conversion surcharges that most credit card providers apply.

[foghat]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Don't you need a credit card that has a US billing address to shop at the Amazon Kindle store in the US?

To buy from the US store, you need to use a US billing address. Switching your account to the US billing address is what activates the US store. You can use a Canadian credit card no problem.

Amazon has made it simple to change from one address to the other, so it is really well, simple to do.

The only caveat is when in Canada and buying from the US store, you have to do it on your computer and you need to download the book to your pc and load to the kindle from there. If you send straight to kindle, amazon will start sending you emails about how you are not in the country registered to your account.

I suppose they could take away the ability to do this at any time. But given that you don't have to do anything very 'sneaky' to make this work, Amazon has to know this is happening and for whatever reason is allowing it and has been for the 1.5 years I've been using my k3.

[Suzanna]

Actually, there is no Kindle bookstore at the Canadian site. We have to buy Kindle books at Amazon.com, and not Amazon.ca. I have a Canadian address and a Canadian credit card, and that's sufficient to buy a Kindle ebook. The same isn't true of other services - we can't access the document thing that Americans can, no digital music, no cloud, no apps, no streaming, but we can buy Kindle ebooks.

I don't have a Kindle, but I have downloaded freebies and sale books for the PC reading app and it's seamless. I know there are ways to game the system to gain access to all the other services Americans can access, but I'm not really interested in jumping through all those hoops.

[joseslepian]

Ummmm ... Nook

Originally Posted by bcgirl

I love reading on iPad because of backlight, and also layout but it's heavy to carry around. Thats really the only reason I consider now a Sony (found out today that Sony pocket model is discontinued?)Kobo Touch or Kindle. I prefer books from Amazon (cheaper than Kobo) also I find that layout, locations etc is nicer than Kobo. What do you recommend? How are Sony ereaders? I buy books from iBooks, amazon kindle and sometimes Kobo. Not really into borrowing library books.

[foghat]

Originally Posted by Sao

Actually, there is no Kindle bookstore at the Canadian site. We have to buy Kindle books at Amazon.com, and not Amazon.ca. I have a Canadian address and a Canadian credit card, and that's sufficient to buy a Kindle ebook. The same isn't true of other services - we can't access the document thing that Americans can, no digital music, no cloud, no apps, no streaming, but we can buy Kindle ebooks.

I don't have a Kindle, but I have downloaded freebies and sale books for the PC reading app and it's seamless. I know there are ways to game the system to gain access to all the other services Americans can access, but I'm not really interested in jumping through all those hoops.

True there are no ebooks at amazon.ca, but you will notice when you are signed into amazon.com and buying an ebook from amazon.com that your country is set to Canada. Select 'Kindle Store', from the 'Shop All Departments' drop down menu. Then look towards the top left of the site. It will say 'Your Country or Region'. If you have a Canadian address it will say Canada.

This is what limits the ebooks you can buy as a Canadian. What I am saying is if you set up a US address (can be any valid US address) and then use that address (go to Manage Your Kindle, select Country Settings and then pick your US address) your Country or Region will be set to United states and then you have access to pretty much all the ebooks at amazon.

Now, there has only been a couple of times that I have had to do this as the Cdn kindle store has a very good selection - and often the pricing is better than in the US store...

[pelenor]

Just traded in my 300 for the Sony T1 and gotta say I am loving it.

[Borges]

I live in Canada and own and use the Sony T1 and Kindle Touch. I much prefer the Sony. Now that the price has come down I think it is the best reader of it's kind. Unless you have a need for a special feature of the Kindle I think the Sony is the more useful device.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by foghat

I myself have a kindle keyboard. I like it, it is a good reader. That said I am getting a sony t1 for Christmas. The kindle's interface is so old and quite frankly, ugly. T1 interface is light years better from what I have seen.

Given how easy it is to remove drm and convert to any format required going with the sony was a no brainer for me. Especially now that it appears they've resolved the page turn bug.

I have a Sony T1 and a KK. I greatly prefer the T1 as an EBR but the Amazon Kindle store is where I tend to buy my ebooks. I strip the DRM, use calibre to convert to EPub, and read on the T1. I have the basic Sony case which turns the T1 into a nifty little portable reading package. Better than the Sony pocket edition and not much larger.

For me, the advantage of the KK is an odd one - I have a Tuff-Luv case which props up the EBR on the table when I read at lunch, and the keyboard elevates the screen to a nice comfortable reading height. So I keep it at work, charge it there, and can send ebooks to it from Amazon from my iPad, computer or iPhone.

If I could only have one EBR, it would be the T1 without question. Once you learn to strip the Kindle DRM & convert the file to ePub using calibre, you are set because most everything else is already ePub. (PDF is miserable on both.)

Short of that, if everything you want is on Amazon, get a Kindle Touch & have done. It's not as sweet an EBR as the T1, but it will do just fine.

[RosanaE]

Originally Posted by bcgirl

It's down to Kindle or Sony...I do love my iPad though, colour is nice and everything about iPad is awesome, reading books, magazines, checking email while on the sofa, etc. it's just heavy to bring it "on the road" on working days. Easier to grab a lightweight I think.

bcgirl: I even have the same icon as you do! I have an ipad, a Kindle 3 (that has a keyboard- bulky with the cover) and a Sony 350. Since you already have an ipad for the color stuff (magazines and the like), get a Sony 350 (that is the pocket version, I take it), since you can still find it. It is cheap, small, light, you can take it anywhere, that is the only one I travel with. The Kindle, I mainly use at home to read books, because with the cover is bulkier (granted, it has the keyboard and the newer ones without keyboard and cover may be ok). Book reading is a much better experience on eink and the battery life is great. You do need to get acquainted with calibre and the conversion tools from apprentice alf, so you can convert the formats and read them in whatever ereader you want.

[bcgirl]

Originally Posted by RosanaE

bcgirl: I even have the same icon as you do! I have an ipad, a Kindle 3 (that has a keyboard- bulky with the cover) and a Sony 350. Since you already have an ipad for the color stuff (magazines and the like), get a Sony 350 (that is the pocket version, I take it), since you can still find it. It is cheap, small, light, you can take it anywhere, that is the only one I travel with. The Kindle, I mainly use at home to read books, because with the cover is bulkier (granted, it has the keyboard and the newer ones without keyboard and cover may be ok). Book reading is a much better experience on eink and the battery life is great. You do need to get acquainted with calibre and the conversion tools from apprentice alf, so you can convert the formats and read them in whatever ereader you want.

Hi twin sister, haha! I get more and more convinced that I would like to get a Sony. At the moment BestBuy has a PRS350 for $79 (refurbished though) but I think its a good one. I just prefer sony more than a Kindle right now. The case, looks, and all that. The only thing that is still holding me back is, do I really need an extra ereader besides my iPad? But it is quite heavy to carry it with me, and I love to read between my deals at work (insurance with lots of waiting time). Also, I feel so spoiled with the nice page flipping, back light on the iPad. But yeah Sony looks good. So we have more in common than our icon, haha. I think I'll get one on Boxing Day...

[Laura81]

I just got a new Kindle 4 non touch and I love it. But I also have heard great things about the T1 so I'd say go for either one! I don't think you can go wrong with a Kindle or a Sony ereader.

[Kevin8or]

bcgirl, I use a lot of Calibre's "recipes" to fetch news and create convenient e-book editions. The format on my Kindle is great, especially the nested tables of contents, but I've heard that the format varies with devices. Better? Worse? I don't know. It might be something to compare.

E-ink really is a revelation. I'm not certain, but it might be easier on my eyes than actual paper.

[clayhmn]

I would go for the PRS-T1 (I have it and the Kindle Touch 3G). The Sony is much lighter, screens seems sharper, has buttons and touch, you can draw your notes on it, and mp3 support too (not experimental). Add Calibre and all it's news feeds and you have plenty to read every single day. With a little effort you can recover your Kindle library too.

[bcgirl]

Originally Posted by clayhmn

I would go for the PRS-T1 (I have it and the Kindle Touch 3G). The Sony is much lighter, screens seems sharper, has buttons and touch, you can draw your notes on it, and mp3 support too (not experimental). Add Calibre and all it's news feeds and you have plenty to read every single day. With a little effort you can recover your Kindle library too.

Comes down to either PRS-T 1 for $119 or the refurbished PRS350'is $79. Am not sure which one; is it that you can purchase books online with the wifi and with the pocket reader only with USB cable to computer?