Sony thinks quality will win out (for them)

[davidspitzer]

Originally Posted by jcatl

Sony, the Black Knight of e-reader manufacturers (Monty Python reference).

There will be a lightly used PRS-900 up for sale in the near future - not sure if a K3 will replace it as I want to see how the rest of the market reacts. I'm sitting in a condo at the beach and was really getting into my book when the lighting changed (clouds went away and sun came out) and after that I just got frustrated shifting around, moving the Mighty Bright this way and that, to no avail (I'm indoors, it's 115F heat index right now). I've stopped using the touch features except to look up a definition now and again, and so the continuous struggle to find a suitable reading position is a frustrating deal-breaker. I'm over it.

Sony talks as if they have some upper hand on quality, and sure, the unit is probably more solid than a Kindle but so what? My experience with it has sucked. It starts and ends with the quality of the screen. But I could go on . . . Being tied to Sony's horrible bookstore at what feels like dial-up speeds is also a huge problem for me.

I toyed with returning it the day after I bought it and regret that I didn't when I had the chance. It's amazing that everyone here raves about their 505's yet Sony seems to just not get it. I'll be surprised if they don't come out with a non-touch reader in the very near future, unless they just surrender the e-reader market to Amazon, Apple and B&N. I suppose it's possible they could release one with the Wacom panel but I'll believe it when I see it - they seem fairly flat-footed in this market.

Frankly a Sony with the Daily Reader features minus the touchscreen but with Wi-Fi would be a keeper at the K3's pricing. Time to step up or bow out, Sony.

They are "done - son"

I laugh at that saying becuase my son always says it after he blows up someone in a game - I was trying to remember it the other day and said "you are "over - mister". (he laughed for 3 minutes straight) So now he says that instead, because he thought it was so funny that I was so lame to get it wrong

any way Sony you are "over - mister"

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by rblover

So-Davidspitzer-what is your gripe about Sony...price, programming...what? It seems that Sony can use more files in more formats, than anyone else. Have you had specific problems with downloading, or something? Why be vague?

I have a couple of Sony EBRs*, & from the perspective of build & design, I like them. But the problem is that Sony doesn't have the infrastructure right. By "infrastructure," I mean the process of acquiring books and getting them onto the EBR, and onto the auxilary EBRs represented by the various phones & tablets (apples, androids) that will run EBAs.** (EDIT: someone else called this the ecosystem, which is a better word, I think.)

The Sony Library/Store stinks. Having to link to my computer to transfer books is only the half of it. It just isn't user friendly at any point. The inability to read Sony based EBs across devices (because of no app) is annoying to the point of being a deal breaker all by itself. These things are not offset by Sony's quality.

If I ran Sony, I would ditch the Sony EB Store and try to make deals with Amazon, B&N, etc. to access & use their respective stores to acquire books. I might even see about making a deal with Apple to link to the iBook Store. My objective would be to have Sony EBRs positioned to read books purchased from *any* store. In a sense, the Sony EBR would be a free-floating app for all the various EB sellers.

I would also try to position the Sony EBRs as the upscale EBR, the alternative to the downscale Kobos, Nooks, & Kindles. But for the upscale tactic to work, Sony would have to sell something that demonstrates the quality. I think that could be by making the best screen, or by introducing color. And all their EBRs should have wifi capability.

The point is, in the EBR universe, Sony's "quality" is not enough, because it is not up to date.

===============
* EBR = E Book Reader
** EBA = E Book App

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

If Sony want's to compete on quality it has to be quality overall, not just the perceived quality of the physical device. They need to get their software into shape on both the desktop and reader side of things. They need to make their readers Mercedes and Porsches compared to B&N and Amazon's Fords and Chevys. Right now the only thing they have is the perception that they're higher quality because of the metal casing while everyone else is plastic. There's certainly room for a higher tiered group of readers and Sony can fill that.


On the bookstore side of things I think they should open it up so you don't have to use their software to buy books. I know plenty of people who avoid buying there simply because they don't want anything to do with Sony's software.

A GIANT Amen to that! I love the reader, but Sony's computer interface software has so many bugs, I don't know whether it needs a programmer or an exterminator. I don't even use the software any more. I import books to the device using calibre.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by jcatl

......Being tied to Sony's horrible bookstore at what feels like dial-up speeds is also a huge problem for me......

In what way are you tied to Sony's bookstore?

I have never ever used the Sony bookstore in two years of owning a Sony Reader.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by boswd

yes but with the Prs300 you are getting a smaller screen, no wireless, smaller internal memory. So why would I purchase that over a Kindle or a Nook for the same price?

Well, there's this to be said for the 300 - it's a nifty little pocket EBR that will actually fit in a lot of pockets. And the smaller screen is not an issue, at least for me. It's adequate for portable reading.

All other things being equal, I'd take the 300 over the other EBRs I've seen. But they aren't equal, since the 300 lacks wireless, and a decent EB store.

So basically, my 300 is a Calibre based EBR. And as a lot of people observe about Sony EBRs, they read more file formats than any other dedicated EBR.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

Yeah, no wifi, but it really is a minor feature. Plus I'd say the use of epub is better, since you can buy from so many more places than with the kindle. Kindle, you're pretty much stuck with Amazon. Epub is all over the place.

I think you are too quick to discount wifi. It appears to me that Amazon sees it as essential - otherwise, why not just have a low-budget tethered EBR? But with wifi, the customer can, with a little effort, connect to the EB store away from home, or hop on the computer or iphone & buy/send a book directly to the EBR.

Wireless connectivity is a critical factor for EBRs, I think.

[jcatl]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

In what way are you tied to Sony's bookstore?

I have never ever used the Sony bookstore in two years of owning a Sony Reader.

Of course you can sideload books with a PC and Calibre but I want to be able to buy books while on the go. It's not impossible of course but the experience is appropriate for early 2000 technology. Sony's bookstore is not competitive in today's market. On more than one occasion I've finished a book and gone looking for a book from a particular author only to find it missing from Sony's store but freely available from Amazon. Usually this is when I'm already in bed and not of a mind to go grab the laptop and all that entails. I just want to buy, download and read a book. No muss, no fuss. I program computers for a living but I prefer my gadgets just work.

The store is not nearly as bothersome as the screen - that's the main reason I'm very unsatisfied.

I put 100% of the blame on myself for not returning the device when I still could. It was an expensive lesson.

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

In what way are you tied to Sony's bookstore?

I have never ever used the Sony bookstore in two years of owning a Sony Reader.

Exactly. You have just summed up the (missing) value proposition of the Sony ecosystem. Nothing wrong with having multiple vendors (I acquire some Kindle ebooks outside of Amazon), but to have purchased not one single e-book from Sony ... yikes! Bad on them!

Originally Posted by Harmon

I think you are too quick to discount wifi. It appears to me that Amazon sees it as essential - otherwise, why not just have a low-budget tethered EBR? But with wifi, the customer can, with a little effort, connect to the EB store away from home, or hop on the computer or iphone & buy/send a book directly to the EBR.

Wireless connectivity is a critical factor for EBRs, I think.

When the history of e-readers / e-books is written, this will be the defining insight: consumers want persistent, seamless connectivity to their content and to share with their peers. This is at the core of Amazon's vision for e-reading and why everyone else, save perhaps B&N and Apple, are missing the boat.

[frquixote]

I think everyone is pretty much agreed that the Sony Store is a disaster. There are many other good ebook stores to search for epubs ... you just need to look around here to find the Alternatives to SONY CONNECT thread to find lots of them. You can even borrow epubs from a large (and growing) number of public libraries around the country, so lack of reading material sources just doesn't ring true. Support for industry standards has positioned the Sony readers for access to a world of competitive providers (despite the agency model).

As for the convenience of just connecting to Amazon to buy ... its that same convenience that gives Amazon the ability to look over your shoulder and, Big Brother-like, inspect your mobile library and take back your paid-for copy of 1984 (I still chuckle over the appropriateness of that one). If the ability to intrude into your device and examine the contents thereof doesn't bother you, then you've made a good choice. Enjoy!

As for me, I'll take a little inconvenience in the connection department (even when Borders doesn't deliver their books "instantaneously") over yet another snoop impinging on my personal space and freedoms.

[tomsem]

I'm not sure what it means to say "Sony==higher quality", though certainly many of the electronics I've purchased over the years (apart from computers) have been Sony-branded, and I've considered getting a Sony Reader at several junctures in the past, both before and since getting a Kindle.

Individual requirements and preferences and definitions of quality vary greatly, and while rumors of Sony's EBR division's demise may be exaggerated, I don't see Sony reclaiming their earlier leadership role, except perhaps in specific niches. They could well make the best hardware in terms of MTBF and specs, but it can't live and breathe without a thriving ecosystem, and I have yet to see evidence that Sony knows how to create one.

Regarding wireless capability, lack thereof means you must have a computer to get content onto the EBR. Not everyone has one, believe it or not, and even those that do are likely to find wireless delivery of content more convenient than tethering at least some of the time. And arguably a content pathway that does not involve installing special software on a computer to load (DRM) content onto the device is also more convenient and compelling, at least to me.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by jcatl

Of course you can sideload books with a PC and Calibre but I want to be able to buy books while on the go.

It would appear that we have different requirements; with almost 400 books on my reader I am in no danger of running out of things to read. I just don't need the facility to add books on the fly. You obviously want that and, as it is available with some Sony competitors, it's not an unreasonable requirement.
I hope you find a reader that better suits your needs.

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

Exactly. You have just summed up the (missing) value proposition of the Sony ecosystem. Nothing wrong with having multiple vendors (I acquire some Kindle ebooks outside of Amazon), but to have purchased not one single e-book from Sony ... yikes! Bad on them!

To be fair to Sony, I am in the UK so couldn't use the Sony Store even if I wanted to!

[GeoffC]

You don't even need Calibre to sideload books from PC to device ....

[John F]

Originally Posted by frquixote

I think everyone is pretty much agreed that the Sony Store is a disaster. ...

Make that everyone - 1; I don't think it is a disaster. I buy books from them, and will continue to buy books from them.

[bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

It would appear that we have different requirements; with almost 400 books on my reader I am in no danger of running out of things to read. I just don't need the facility to add books on the fly.

While I have nowhere near 400 books on my reader, I certainly have more than enough "to be read" for the foreseeable future. Connecting now and then to the computer is not an inconvenience - if nothing else it charges my reader (something I have a tendency to forget to do otherwise) while I use Calibre to download my newspapers.

Let's hope the market never gets taken over by a single "vision" of what an e-reader should be. We all have our particular needs and it's extremely useful to have a choice of which features we want or don't want.

I bought a Sony because it had the features I wanted at a price I thought was reasonable. NOT because it was the cheapest reader and NOT because it had all the latest and greatest whiz bang features. I also didn't particularly buy it to make use of the Sony store, though I have bought a few books from them, including a couple where they offered lower pricing than either Kobo or Amazon.
Cheers,
Bev

[Zapped]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

It would appear that we have different requirements; with almost 400 books on my reader I am in no danger of running out of things to read. I just don't need the facility to add books on the fly. You obviously want that and, as it is available with some Sony competitors, it's not an unreasonable requirement.

The battle is not about capacity. I am a Sony PRS-505 owner since last summer, but whenever someone notices my ebook reader and asks for a recommendation, I recommend they get a Kindle. Most people I know would appreciate the simplicity of pulling books down from Amazon via Whispernet over what I do connected to my PC using calibre. Convenience is what it's about.

The convenience factor for the Kindle is huge, and despite some folks saying they've found a better price for a book at places other than Amazon, whenever I read an interesting review of an book in the Sunday NY Times Book Review and then check prices, it's usually lower (at $9.99) on Amazon than elsewhere. So price of the media is a big factor too.

Since I don't have Whispernet (convenience) or access to Amazon pricing (value), when I do find something interesting in the NYTimes Book Review, I usually I just punch up a "hold" on a book at my local library and read the dead-tree version. My Sony reader just holds a motley collection of free, classic, or (heaven forfend!) a few DRM-stripped books.

If more libraries had Overdrive or other ePub lending facilities, then I'd gladly pay more for a non-Amazon reader and use it for library check-in/check-out. But that's not an economic model that makes publishers wealthy so adoption by libraries is moving at a snail's pace. There is no access to ebooks in my Austin, TX library system despite our high-tech reputation.

In summary - the market leader in sales of eBooks isn't just resting on its laurels; it's releasing the best product based on convenience, cost of the reader, cost of the media. Since it's also a product that has a more readable screen and faster page turns than their competitors, doesn't it seem obvious it's over for Sony?