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Old 05-06-2009, 11:56 PM   #1
davlewis
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Kindle 2 reliability

In looking at some reviews (mainly on Amazon) the Kindle 2 has received a significant number of 1 star ratings. A lot of spontaneous failures after a week or so. Broken displays. Questions around moving magazines from a Kindle 1 to a Kindle 2. One user who indicated theirs dropped 5 INCHES and the screen was trash after it was picked back up.

Is the general consensus that the Kindle 2 is very fragile? For example if I place it in a small laptop bag along with a Netbook for traveling on a plane do I risk breaking the thing?

The Kindle has the advantage of the vast number of books on Amazon, the wireless purchase of new books and Whispernet sync with my iPhone, and the first chapter samples. But, if the thing breaks if you look at it wrong, then all of these are for naught.

At the moment I am leaning towards the Sony PRS-505. Granted no wireless (and no direct Mac support), and it appears that books on the Sony store are consistently a dollar or more expensive than the same title on Amazon. But the reports I have seen on the Sony are indicating a more robust build quality (less plastic feeling). The availability of the dark blue (or even red) is claimed to help contrast as opposed to the white surround of the Kindle. And of course the Sony is cheaper than the Kindle. The Sony has both the Memory Stick and a SD card slot, I am amazed that Amazon removed the SD card capability on the Kindle 2.

So, any thoughts, for owners of a Kindle 2 is it as fragile as what I have seen? If I could find a Kindle 1 online that was in good shape would it be a better option than the Kindle 2?

Thanks,
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Old 05-07-2009, 12:32 AM   #2
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The Kindle 2 is no more or less fragile than the Sony. If you put the Kindle 2 in a cover it will do fine in a laptop bag.

There have been quite a few Kindle 2s that have suffered from manufacturing defects: fading in sunlight during page turns, battery problems, or screens dying in a couple of weeks. However, you're hearing about them more often than Sony because you've got an easy place to read about the failures all collected, plus Kindle has sold many times the number Sony has. The good news is Amazon will replace all of these faulty Kindles for free, so there's no risk to your money.

If you're worried about breakage, buy the 2-year extended warranty which covers one accidental breakage.
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Old 05-07-2009, 12:53 AM   #3
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Kindle has outsold Sony many times?? please state where this fact is listed
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Old 05-07-2009, 01:24 AM   #4
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Kindle has outsold Sony many times?? please state where this fact is listed
It's not listed anywhere, but deduced from other known estimates of Kindle sales.
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Old 05-07-2009, 02:40 AM   #5
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last time I heard, kindle sales were in the Half Million Area.

I doubt sony comes close. the numbers speak for themselves, there are many times more kindle ads than sony ads. or craigslist, or anywhere.
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Old 05-07-2009, 03:52 AM   #6
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The financial estimates are that Amazon sold 400,000 to 500,000 Kindle 1s in 2008, and over 300,000 already in 2009. The estimates for Sony are in the 300,000 - 400,000 range. Okay, so that's only about 2 times more, not "many times', but Kindles will sell another 500,000 or so this year and Sony won't even come close to that.
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Old 05-07-2009, 04:23 AM   #7
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The financial estimates are that Amazon sold 400,000 to 500,000 Kindle 1s in 2008, and over 300,000 already in 2009. The estimates for Sony are in the 300,000 - 400,000 range. Okay, so that's only about 2 times more, not "many times', but Kindles will sell another 500,000 or so this year and Sony won't even come close to that.
I have nothing against the kindle but Sony and Kindle each has its ups and downs. But Im' just curious you have predicted the sales of Kindle this year as against Sony.
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Old 05-07-2009, 05:23 AM   #8
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Again, the predictions are analyst predictions. Amazon could sell a lot more. Who knows how popular the DX will be. Could Sony suddenly take off? You'd have to postulate some reason why it would, and a personal conviction that Sony is better than Kindle just isn't going to cut it. Sony has *nothing* to compete with Amazon's supply chain for ebooks, and isn't going to have anything in the next 6 months, either. That doesn't mean Sony can never defeat Amazon with newer and better ereaders in the future; just that it's not happening in 2009.
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Old 05-07-2009, 11:35 AM   #9
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I have owned both Sony 505 and Kindle 2 and they are apples and oranges in a lot of areas. Both have the same e-ink technology so that is a mute point. I think that since the K2 is so thin, it is more likely for accidental breakage, but as previous poster states, keeping it in a cover greatly improves the odds of it not getting broken. The Amazon stock cover works nicely for the K2 and mine travels everywhere with me in my purse with no worries.
Certainly the advantages of auto downloads of my newspaper is a big bonus point with me so I am not tied to my computer for downloads. Nice when traveling. I recently became a Mac owner, so was thrilled to see that Calibre is Mac compatible! Yea!
And customer service with Amazon was top notch when I received one of the K2s that fades in the sunlight. They replaced it immediately and the replacement model works perfectly.
Sony going to have to up their game to be competitive with Amazon, as their reader is a good basic electronic reader, but Amazon has got the bells and whistles that makes their reader a step up model. As for the new DX model, I think it is geared more towards students and professional folks. Should be interesting to see how it does!

Last edited by MsAstoria; 05-07-2009 at 11:38 AM.
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Old 05-07-2009, 02:58 PM   #10
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Regarding reliability--I take mine almost everywhere (I am seriously having to tell myself I *really* mustn't take it on the 7 day canoe-camping trip I have planned this summer). I have used it bicycling, walking and weightlifting and have never had a problem. I have read at the dinner table, in the bathtub (in a ziplock bag) and while walking in the pouring rain (ditto), and I have slung the kindle in a bag and had it read to me while I pulled dandelions for 2 hours at a time.

I would have no qualms at all about putting it in a bag with a netbook and getting on a plane.

On the other hand, I treat it with the same kind of respect I would treat a laptop or a netbook. I don't set a dumbbell (or even a teacup) on the screen; I don't toss it on the floor (though I will toss it on the bed), I make sure I don't sit on it, and I haven't (so far) dropped it or anything. So it hasn't been through any kind of serious test.

I hope that info is helpful as you make your decision.
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Old 05-07-2009, 03:14 PM   #11
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Could Sony suddenly take off? You'd have to postulate some reason why it would
Perhaps a reason might be that Sony sells in quite a few more countries than the Kindle? And perhaps another reason might be that the book market of the UK and Germany combined are already larger than that of the US? And publishers in Europe have decided to go for ePub and stay away from Amazon?

There is life outside the US, really.

-maarten
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Old 05-07-2009, 04:15 PM   #12
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life outside of the US

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?

There is life outside the US, really.

-maarten
There is? LOL

Course you are correct to point out that there is a huge market that Amazon ignores. Amazon needs to change their credit card policy so that non-US card holders can buy Kindles. But then , they probably don't ship internationally so until they welcome the global market, other e-book companies will be glad to fill the void.
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Old 05-07-2009, 04:16 PM   #13
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My kindle lives in and out of it's Amazon leather book dealy. I rides in my laptop bag whenever I'm out of the house or at the gym. In the house it's usually naked.

No problems or worries beyond the normal, dropping, kicking, etc, but those worries extend to my iPhone, laptop, and my N800 when I had one.
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Old 05-07-2009, 04:38 PM   #14
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Perhaps a reason might be that Sony sells in quite a few more countries than the Kindle? And perhaps another reason might be that the book market of the UK and Germany combined are already larger than that of the US? And publishers in Europe have decided to go for ePub and stay away from Amazon?

There is life outside the US, really.

-maarten
Copyright law, much less publisher attitude is vastly different in other countries. There are many, many Science Fiction and Fantasy books I have to order from Amazon UK because they are not available here. There is life inside the US, too.
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Old 05-08-2009, 05:26 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by MsAstoria View Post
I have owned both Sony 505 and Kindle 2 and they are apples and oranges in a lot of areas. Both have the same e-ink technology so that is a mute point. I think that since the K2 is so thin, it is more likely for accidental breakage, but as previous poster states, keeping it in a cover greatly improves the odds of it not getting broken. The Amazon stock cover works nicely for the K2 and mine travels everywhere with me in my purse with no worries.
Certainly the advantages of auto downloads of my newspaper is a big bonus point with me so I am not tied to my computer for downloads. Nice when traveling. I recently became a Mac owner, so was thrilled to see that Calibre is Mac compatible! Yea!
And customer service with Amazon was top notch when I received one of the K2s that fades in the sunlight. They replaced it immediately and the replacement model works perfectly.
Sony going to have to up their game to be competitive with Amazon, as their reader is a good basic electronic reader, but Amazon has got the bells and whistles that makes their reader a step up model. As for the new DX model, I think it is geared more towards students and professional folks. Should be interesting to see how it does!
Technically, the support chipsets in the Sony PRS 700 and Amazon Kindle 2 are a bit closer, not the 505, granted, the Sony PRS 700 has clarity problems, but you would get there a screen light and touch screen. K2 might be very slightly ahead, technology wise, but it's always a leapfrog thing, and when you get down to it, mostly it's minor differences, all are very similar.
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