Owners of both Kindle and Sony PRS-505

[eBookNerd]

Which device are you using more often? I'm thinking of selling one or the other, but I'm not sure which one to keep. I've been having lots of fun with the Sony, using conversion software and downloading all the freebies. But I'll also go to the Kindle for a download of the newest best seller that I have to read right away - it's my "quick fix" device!

Does it make sense to have both devices?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by eBookNerd

Does it make sense to have both devices?

No, you should sell me the Kindle for $50.

BOb

[Ervserver]

We own both, I liked the looks of the Sony where we thought the Kindle would be easier for the better half to purchase books. I never use her Kindle and she doesn't touch my Sony. We are happy

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Ervserver

We own both, I liked the looks of the Sony where we thought the Kindle would be easier for the better half to purchase books. I never use her Kindle and she doesn't touch my Sony. We are happy

So, you don't share books?

[MickeyC]

I have a Sony 505 and have had my hands on a Kindle for the last few days and sort of prefer the Sony. I find it too easy to accidentally turn the pages on the Kindle and it feels a bit plastic-y to me. OTOH, I love the wireless interface and the convenience of using the Kindle.

If I was lucky enough to own both I'd damn sure keep 'em.

[Ervserver]

Nope, she reads entirely fiction, I read bios and historical stuff, true crime stuff

Originally Posted by pilotbob

So, you don't share books?

[Smashwords]

I would second Cassidym's complaint about the Kindle's page turning. It's very difficult to hold the Kindle for long periods of time without accidently flipping forward many pages, and it's difficult to find your way back. Nearly the entire right hand side of the device has a page turning bar as its edge.

On the plus side, I like the wireless component and the ability to download a book anywhere. It's also easy to import DRM-free .mobi files of other books from your PC.

[Shenzhov]

I've had a 505 for about 4 months and a Kindle for 2 weeks. I love the Kindle and have not used the Sony since it arrived. I find the buttons on the Sony much too hard to push and the little buttons on the right will jump 5 or 10 pages ahead if you push them a bit too long. I find the Kindle much more enjoyable to read with and don't find the paging a problem at all. Lots of free content for the Kindle just as for the Sony, but the wireless on the Kindle is amazing. Not being anchored to a computer in order to purchase content is wonderful.

[dordale]

I've got a PRS 505 and I love it. One thing about the Kindle--I know I'd spend way too much money on books if I had it! With the Sony I can't do the kind of impulse buying I'd be bound to do with the Kindle!

dordale

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by Shenzhov

Not being anchored to a computer in order to purchase content is wonderful.

I'm a Sony fan ( 505). I had considered the Kindle before opting for the Sony but chose the Sony because the Kindle was too much like my laptop -- and when I read, I want to be as far from the idea of work as possible .

Most of the raves I read for the Kindle focus on the wireless capability. My take on that is this: First, it is a Sprint network, so if you have trouble with Sprint cell phone coverage in your area (or wherever you happen to be), then the wireless isn't any advantage.

Second, the readers -- both the Kindle and the Sony -- hold more books than I could read in a month of doing nothing but reading, so I don't see what the downside is to having to plug my Sony into my computer to download content or the upside to being able to wirelessly buy books. I spend my workday sitting at my computer so spending a few minutes to add to my Sony doesn't seem to me to be a big deal -- especially as this is not a daily task. I keep 60-80 books on the Sony, so even if I start one that is poorly written, I can move on to another. And those 60-80 books still leave me 140MB of memory on my sony for even more books.

Third, using the Sony is an experience closer to reading a paperback than is using the Kindle. And it is the reading experience that I want, not the computer experience. Truthfully, rather than buy a Kindle I would buy a small laptop. It can do the same as the Kindle plus more for just a little bit more money. Settling for a Kindle seems like settling for a half loaf if the big draws are wireless and a keyboard. Why not get the full loaf?

[sjohnson717]

Both the Sony 505 and the Amazon Kindle use the same screen so it comes down to buttons and software. In short, the Amazon Kindle wins.

Sony is a hardware company. Their software and service is really poor. Product support is non-existent which is why I found this forum--trying to get an answer to any non-sales question from Sony is almost impossible. The client software for buying and installing books attempts to copy iTunes without any of the elegance. Sony's fonts are ugly Window fonts and italics are just slanted letters rather than an actual italic font. However, you can easily load free books in RTF format; this is virtually impossible on the Kindle. You can also load PDFs but you can't really read them--it sounds better in the brochure than it really is.

The Kindle hardware is clumsy--buttons everywhere!--but the software makes up for it. The fonts are more readable. You can mark or annotate passages for review later. You can buy books (perhaps too easily!) and they are loaded wirelessly to your Kindle. However, getting free books and documents into Kindle is convoluted; you email them to Kindle but the author becomes your email address. Annoying. If you are a power-user, you can convert doc or pdf files using utilities but you really gotta want it.

If you want to buy and read books, get a Kindle. If you want to load an ebook with free books, the Sony may be marginally better.

In the end, the Sony was built by people who love hardware; the Kindle was built by people who love books. I imagine Sony will discontinue this--or stop improving it--in 18-24 months when they get bored while Amazon will continue to bring out new versions.

In an ideal world, I would prefer the Sony hardware with the Kindle software.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by sjohnson717

However, you can easily load free books in RTF format; this is virtually impossible on the Kindle.

Sorry - "virtually impossible"? How long does it take to convert an RTF file to Mobi format using MobiPocket Creator?

However, getting free books and documents into Kindle is convoluted; you email them to Kindle but the author becomes your email address. Annoying.

Why not just upload them directly via the USB connection? There are vast numbers of free books available in MobiPocket format which the Kindle can read directly.

[mdibella]

I have both and I do use both, but I prefer the Kindle. I have read the complaints about how easy it is to turn the page accidentally with Kindle, but my own feelings are exactly the opposite. I read my Kindle in its cover, and I find it very comfortable to hold the cover and whap the page-turn button with my hand or finger when I need to. I can move my hand around and still reach the button.

With the Sony, the button is quite small. Add that to the small page size (which means I am turning the page quite often) and I get cramped hands from having to keep my hand in exactly the right position to hit that tiny button every few seconds.

Sony could, I think, solve this problem very nicely by offering a USB remote control...plug it into the USB port on the reader and have bigger buttons to avoid the hand-cramping problem. Until/unless they do that, I think the Kindle is more comfortable for long reading sessions.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mdibella

Sony could, I think, solve this problem very nicely by offering a USB remote control...plug it into the USB port on the reader and have bigger buttons to avoid the hand-cramping problem.

The Sony, like all eBook readers except the iLiad, can only act as a USB client, not as a USB "host". What you are suggesting couldn't, therefore, be done.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by sjohnson717

However, you can easily load free books in RTF format; this is virtually impossible on the Kindle.

The Mobipocket Reader software will import an RTF file and convert it to Mobi format with very little problems.

Originally Posted by sjohnson717

However, getting free books and documents into Kindle is convoluted; you email them to Kindle but the author becomes your email address.

I guess you haven't found Feedbooks yet. You can download from them via Wispernet just as easily as getting a book from the Kindle store using the device. See http://feedbooks.com/help/kindle .

Originally Posted by sjohnson717

Annoying. If you are a power-user, you can convert doc or pdf files using utilities but you really gotta want it.

As I said above, Mobipocket reader software does this easily. Downside of course is that it is Windows only software.

Originally Posted by sjohnson717

I imagine Sony will discontinue this--or stop improving it--in 18-24 months when they get bored <snip>

This I very much doubt. eBooks and eBook readers are at the very early stage. There is alot of money to be made once the market hits _The Tipping Point_ ($7.99 on the Kindle store BTW).

BTW: I also have the Sony 500 and the Kindle. Had the Sony over a year and the Kindle for 2 days now.

BOb