Has Sony lost the edge over other readers?

[hwlester]

Originally Posted by filmo

Sony T1 and T2 still has better implemented mature features, pinch zoom, pdf reflow, web browser..... As sold they are among the best e-readers available today.

I was watching a video review of the Kindle Paperwhite recently, and they were showing pinch to zoom and touch for definitions/wikipedia lookup, etc. and my thought was along the lines of "Hey, they're catching up to the features that Sony has." I haven't really played much with the Kindle, but my first eink was the Sony PRS-600 touch model, so I'm stuck on touchscreens.

I do think it's a shame that Sony introduced the T2 as an incremental upgrade JUST before almost everyone else released higher resolution, front lighted screens. If they'd included at least a front light, it would have been more significant. Perhaps the next model will be leaps and bounds beyond what others have on the market now. I'll probably be ready for an upgrade by then.

[induna]

I really hate to say it -- I've using Sony Readers exclusively since the PRS-500 was first released -- but I really do think Sony has basically given up on the E-Reader.

I think it is very telling that the T2 was released in August, when Sony has always released its new models in October. I think this was an attempt to generate some early sales for a Reader that Sony knew was inferior before their competitors announced and released models with superior specs, drying up sales for a comparatively over-priced T2.

Sony has always been among the first to introduce new Reader technology, but this year they have produced a minor refinement of what was already one of their less compelling Readers (many of these refinements really could and should have been made available to T1 users as a firmware upgrade as well). I can't imagine the Sony Readers of old not incorporating the latest high-resolution screen at minimum.

This makes me sad, but I will be moving on to a Kindle PW simply because it offers the latest screen tech, a quality Spanish dictionary (not a translating dictionary), and an excellent selection of Spanish language books. I will always be grateful to Sony for pioneering the e-ink reader and creating, in my opinion, the first really useful technological innovation in reading since the paperback. Of all of the electronic devices I own, I would miss my reader the most if it were to vanish.

I hope I am wrong.