Put it in Perspective

jerryleejr · 06-18-2008, 07:33 AM

This really isnt a which one is best or which one to buy. What I would like to know is does the device make the experience or does the content? I know most of you will say content hands down because after all, we all are here for the joy of reading. But I have read many post on all the devices. I myself seem to have justified the Sony PRS 505 despite the fact that I have a Mac, alot of the books I like are on the Kindle for cheaper, And the effort involved in finding another format and converting it for the Sony(if I can find the book at all) Seems to be alot of work just to have the same experience as others are having with just a click of the mouse or push of a button. All because I like the look and feel of the Sony. Dont get me wrong I am not saying the Sony is a bad choice. But in my situation if looked at objectively maybe the Kindle would have been a better choice? My problem is that where I am at(Military Deployed) I cant use whispernet. My wife would have had to load up the Kindle with books before shipping it to me. So maybe a Cybook 3 Would have fit the bill. If money were no object I would have a Iliad no question because I have a ton of PDF's. I know that the only reason I looked at a kindle was content and price of books. Aesthetically Kindle does nothing for me, I didnt want a keyboard and the wireless function although nice I am just as happy to use my computer to load the device. Maybe someone will take the guts out of a kindle and cram them into a 505 Then I can have the best of both worlds. Really all want is for the Sony store to offer the same price and selection as the others. Let the email bombardment begin.

Sorry for the long rambling Post I know there is no definitive answers it all boils down to what you want and what you can live with or without in features and functionality. I have just been frustrated the last couple days seeing the books for less elsewhere and more of them.

basschick · 06-18-2008, 09:08 AM

actually the prices of other ebooks are quite competitive with the kindle - sometimes even better. check out booksonboard.com and fictionwise.com

the sony has a nice collection of books, and - unlike the kindle - they're not just sold at the sony ebook store; you can buy them at other stores. the sony was the first reader i ever put my hands on, but for me the cybook read the most formats with no conversion, including the formats found on free book sites, and there are lots and lots of mobipocket books. but what decided me on the cybook is that if it's lost or damaged, i can read all my mobipocket books on my computer or many pdas using the free mobipocket.

btw, converting to either the sony formats or to mobi is a lot easier than you think. i was doing both without even bothering to read the instructions, and it takes around a minute per book.

DixieGal · 06-18-2008, 11:03 AM

Can you download the books from this website to wherever you are? It's that great opportunity to read all of the classics you always wanted to read, and they are already formatted for Sony.

astrodad · 06-18-2008, 11:27 AM

I wouldn't let the Sony store be the deciding factor. If you are able to do a little bit of work, made almost brainless by calibre and a couple other tools, you could get just about any ebook release at other sources and put them on the Sony. That's what I do and I've never had a problem.

jerryleejr · 06-18-2008, 12:10 PM

Let use for example the Mission Earth series by L. Ron Hubbard it is available at the kindle store and Mobipocket in Secure Mobi and Adobe I have yet to find an MS reader version of all the books in the series. I dont mind doing the conversion. I am just not finding some of the titles.

Ervserver · 06-18-2008, 12:25 PM

I have several hundred books for my Sony and only a handful are from the Sony store and those were free classics.

HarryT · 06-18-2008, 12:41 PM

The reason I decided a while ago to standardise on MobiPocket is that so many devices support it. I don't know what I'll be reading on in 10 years time, but I'm pretty confident that I'll still be able to get a MobiPocket device then. I'm not at all confident that Sony will still be in the eBook business in 10 years. Yes, files can of course be converted, but if you have a large collection of eBooks, having to reconvert them all to a different format is a lot of work.

=X= · 06-18-2008, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerryleejr

Let the email bombardment begin.

Carefull what you ask for you just might get it

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerryleejr

... Really all want is for the Sony store to offer the same price and selection as the others. ...

This is really hits the jest of it and should be the ultimate decision maker.

The experience ultimately is based on the combination of content, it's price and the device.

Personally I think the Kindle is a great choice. It is effortless, the devices has all the essential features, Amazon has the best selection and usually the best prices. It has a high upfront cost but you will get your money back, for me it would take a year to 1.5 yrs.

I have the SONY 505 and have had it for 1/2 year. With tools such as Calibre( book convetere, rss), PDFLRF (PDF to LRF creator), Bookit (web to LRF) and DictionaryLauncher it has made it a more flexible choice for me than the Kindle, but they are all with more effort. I've only ever bough t 1 book from SONY Connect and it was nice being able to read the book without having to tinker with the book format.

However I TOO want my to buy books at amazon's prices the only way I've been able to do this was to buy from Fictionwise.com. With their book club discount and reward points I can come within a dollar cost and many time even cheaper. So Fictionwise has gotten most of my business. The drawback to Finctionwise has the worst ebook selection for the books I'm interested in of all the eBook sites.

In the end I believe that regardless of your choice, in the end you will be 100% satisfied with the ebook experience.

=X=

RickyMaveety · 06-18-2008, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Can you download the books from this website to wherever you are?

Ummm .... yes. And, it's one of the reasons I really love my Kindle. I don't know what download straight to the book from where ever you are options the Sony has ... but that one point sold me on the Kindle, and I've made a lot of use of it.

daffy4u · 06-18-2008, 02:32 PM

Quote:

My problem is that where I am at(Military Deployed) I cant use whispernet. My wife would have had to load up the Kindle with books before shipping it to me.

Since you have computer access where you are deployed, you can always download the books from Amazon on to the computer or an SD card and transfer them to the Kindle that way. Lack of whispernet will not hold you back from accessing Amazon's catalog.

Gideon · 06-18-2008, 03:38 PM

What they said.... I'm in Mexico at the moment, and have got my copy of the NYTimes every day and a couple of books, too. Just download them to computer and transfer.

I had a Sony Reader first, myself... and while it is a very nice device, the software only being PC, the insane amount of time I spent converting things, and the poor selection made me take it back.

Aside from the rather... cruddy issue with USB charging, I've been delighted with my Kindle.

Dean · 06-18-2008, 05:46 PM

I wrote a letter to Sony Canada explaining that I did not appreciate the price difference on books between Kindle and Sony. Their response was actually reasonable. They told me that different businesses had the right to price differently.

It is a nice ploy to wrap a platform at a lower price, and charge more for the content. That said, I really wanted something I could use to read research papers in pdf format, and with this site's help it made the Sony very nice.

l1n1234 · 06-18-2008, 05:57 PM

I have found the Dictionary lookup and search features really enhance my reading experience on the Kindle.

Elsi · 06-18-2008, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The reason I decided a while ago to standardise on MobiPocket is that so many devices support it. I don't know what I'll be reading on in 10 years time, but I'm pretty confident that I'll still be able to get a MobiPocket device then. I'm not at all confident that Sony will still be in the eBook business in 10 years. Yes, files can of course be converted, but if you have a large collection of eBooks, having to reconvert them all to a different format is a lot of work.

And, as has been discussed on another thread, MobiPocket format is easy to "undo" back to HTML. So far, I've not been as successful in recovering anything close to the original HTML from a Sony file.

Gideon · 06-18-2008, 07:02 PM

That's a big reason I didn't like the Sony Store much, too (format.) Sony doesn't have the best track record when it comes to this sort of thing. Music stores, minidisks, UMD's, etc... I don't trust them not to pull out at any given point in time and leave everyone screwed.

Now, Amazon may... and that they retreated from the adobe ebooks left me with content I can't use...

But since they use a form of Mobipocket, I'm pretty sure someone will crack that eventually and I'll still have options.

But end of the day.. Amazon has more content at a cheaper price. I also get to annotate and markup. Whispernet is nice, but not essential. And I get magazines and newspapers delivered wonderfully.

06-18-2008, 07:33 AM	#1
jerryleejr Koby-rific! Posts: 941 Karma: 191112 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: 2' From My MacBook Pro Device: Kobo Sage,Kobo Aura One, Glo HD,PRS-T1,PRS-950, PRS 300, PRS 350	Put it in Perspective This really isnt a which one is best or which one to buy. What I would like to know is does the device make the experience or does the content? I know most of you will say content hands down because after all, we all are here for the joy of reading. But I have read many post on all the devices. I myself seem to have justified the Sony PRS 505 despite the fact that I have a Mac, alot of the books I like are on the Kindle for cheaper, And the effort involved in finding another format and converting it for the Sony(if I can find the book at all) Seems to be alot of work just to have the same experience as others are having with just a click of the mouse or push of a button. All because I like the look and feel of the Sony. Dont get me wrong I am not saying the Sony is a bad choice. But in my situation if looked at objectively maybe the Kindle would have been a better choice? My problem is that where I am at(Military Deployed) I cant use whispernet. My wife would have had to load up the Kindle with books before shipping it to me. So maybe a Cybook 3 Would have fit the bill. If money were no object I would have a Iliad no question because I have a ton of PDF's. I know that the only reason I looked at a kindle was content and price of books. Aesthetically Kindle does nothing for me, I didnt want a keyboard and the wireless function although nice I am just as happy to use my computer to load the device. Maybe someone will take the guts out of a kindle and cram them into a 505 Then I can have the best of both worlds. Really all want is for the Sony store to offer the same price and selection as the others. Let the email bombardment begin. Sorry for the long rambling Post I know there is no definitive answers it all boils down to what you want and what you can live with or without in features and functionality. I have just been frustrated the last couple days seeing the books for less elsewhere and more of them.

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06-18-2008, 09:08 AM	#2
basschick Wizard Posts: 1,096 Karma: 4695691 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	actually the prices of other ebooks are quite competitive with the kindle - sometimes even better. check out booksonboard.com and fictionwise.com the sony has a nice collection of books, and - unlike the kindle - they're not just sold at the sony ebook store; you can buy them at other stores. the sony was the first reader i ever put my hands on, but for me the cybook read the most formats with no conversion, including the formats found on free book sites, and there are lots and lots of mobipocket books. but what decided me on the cybook is that if it's lost or damaged, i can read all my mobipocket books on my computer or many pdas using the free mobipocket. btw, converting to either the sony formats or to mobi is a lot easier than you think. i was doing both without even bothering to read the instructions, and it takes around a minute per book.

06-18-2008, 11:03 AM	#3
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	Can you download the books from this website to wherever you are? It's that great opportunity to read all of the classics you always wanted to read, and they are already formatted for Sony.

06-18-2008, 11:27 AM	#4
astrodad Guru Posts: 962 Karma: 568242 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle Paperwhite 1, iPad, iPhone	I wouldn't let the Sony store be the deciding factor. If you are able to do a little bit of work, made almost brainless by calibre and a couple other tools, you could get just about any ebook release at other sources and put them on the Sony. That's what I do and I've never had a problem.

06-18-2008, 12:10 PM	#5
jerryleejr Koby-rific! Posts: 941 Karma: 191112 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: 2' From My MacBook Pro Device: Kobo Sage,Kobo Aura One, Glo HD,PRS-T1,PRS-950, PRS 300, PRS 350	Let use for example the Mission Earth series by L. Ron Hubbard it is available at the kindle store and Mobipocket in Secure Mobi and Adobe I have yet to find an MS reader version of all the books in the series. I dont mind doing the conversion. I am just not finding some of the titles.

06-18-2008, 12:25 PM	#6
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	I have several hundred books for my Sony and only a handful are from the Sony store and those were free classics.

06-18-2008, 12:41 PM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The reason I decided a while ago to standardise on MobiPocket is that so many devices support it. I don't know what I'll be reading on in 10 years time, but I'm pretty confident that I'll still be able to get a MobiPocket device then. I'm not at all confident that Sony will still be in the eBook business in 10 years. Yes, files can of course be converted, but if you have a large collection of eBooks, having to reconvert them all to a different format is a lot of work.

06-18-2008, 03:38 PM	#11
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	What they said.... I'm in Mexico at the moment, and have got my copy of the NYTimes every day and a couple of books, too. Just download them to computer and transfer. I had a Sony Reader first, myself... and while it is a very nice device, the software only being PC, the insane amount of time I spent converting things, and the poor selection made me take it back. Aside from the rather... cruddy issue with USB charging, I've been delighted with my Kindle.

06-18-2008, 05:46 PM	#12
Dean Member Posts: 10 Karma: 34 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: PRS-505	I wrote a letter to Sony Canada explaining that I did not appreciate the price difference on books between Kindle and Sony. Their response was actually reasonable. They told me that different businesses had the right to price differently. It is a nice ploy to wrap a platform at a lower price, and charge more for the content. That said, I really wanted something I could use to read research papers in pdf format, and with this site's help it made the Sony very nice.

06-18-2008, 05:57 PM	#13
l1n1234 Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 109 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: kindle	I have found the Dictionary lookup and search features really enhance my reading experience on the Kindle.

06-18-2008, 07:02 PM	#15
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	That's a big reason I didn't like the Sony Store much, too (format.) Sony doesn't have the best track record when it comes to this sort of thing. Music stores, minidisks, UMD's, etc... I don't trust them not to pull out at any given point in time and leave everyone screwed. Now, Amazon may... and that they retreated from the adobe ebooks left me with content I can't use... But since they use a form of Mobipocket, I'm pretty sure someone will crack that eventually and I'll still have options. But end of the day.. Amazon has more content at a cheaper price. I also get to annotate and markup. Whispernet is nice, but not essential. And I get magazines and newspapers delivered wonderfully.

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