Kindle Books with the Sony PRS600

ForMyWife · 06-03-2010, 04:54 PM

Looking at the 600 for my wife's Bday. Haven't found a clear answer to my question in searching. Does the 600 work with Kindle Books?

The wife really likes Amazon's selection; I like Sony's price.

Thanks a ton!

-C

susan_cassidy · 06-03-2010, 04:58 PM

No, the formats are incompatible, not to mention the DRM. You would have to remove the DRM, and convert the format from Amazon (Mobipocket) to Sony (ePub).

Worldwalker · 06-04-2010, 01:17 AM

Just because I am an incorrigible nitpicker, I have to point out that correctly, that's converting from Mobipocket (Amazon) to ePub (Sony) -- Amazon and Sony are vendors, not formats. Mobipocket and ePub are the formats, and .mobi and .epub are the file extensions. Yes, I know: those who live by the nit shall die by the nit, and there's a giant killer nit waiting in my future somewhere.

Part of the problem with ebook readers that are tied to specific stores, right now, is that nobody is quite sure how the publishers' cartel ("Agency 5") which has been formed is going to work out in the long run. Right now, they're forcing retailers to charge more for ebooks than for paperbacks -- sometimes even more than for hardcovers -- and they clearly want the prices to go up, even though their costs, compared to a physical book, are considerably lower. So I'd be really paranoid about buying an ebook reader right now with the intention of depending on any given manufacturer's bookstore.

If I were buying a reading device today, I'd be looking at flexibility. What file formats can it handle? Can I get the books on there without outside intervention? How much control does the manufacturer have over my device (e.g., the 1984 debacle)? Can I read what I want to read -- and perhaps more important, will I still be able to read it next week, even if the vendor changes formats, goes bankrupt, or just abandons the market?

My personal solution to those problems has been straightforward: I do not buy DRM-restricted ebooks, and I don't buy ebooks that cost more than their pbook counterparts. I realize that some people would rather trade rights for convenience, and some are wealthy enough not to care about ebook prices, but even for them, the matter of flexibility, store independence, and future-proofing should be a consideration. Platform lock-in is only good for manufacturers and publishers; it's very, very bad for us.

bevdeforges · 06-04-2010, 01:56 AM

OK, the simple answer is "no" - but as a fan of amazon, I understand your wife's point of view. Oddly enough, I have a Sony PRS-600 and just LOVE it.

For e-books, you have a fairly wide range of bookstores with the epub format. Check the wiki page here on the forum for the lists of e-book stores, free sources for e-books and e-book lending libraries. You aren't actually limited to a single source for your books - especially with a format like epub.

I actually bought my Sony through Amazon (obviously, one of their vendors), and I suspect that after all the Agency pricing stuff shakes out, Amazon may also be selling books in a variety of formats, too. But take a look at what some of the other online booksellers offer - I use primarily the Sony store (US) and Kobo, though I admit to checking the Amazon listings for books I'm interested in purchasing - mostly for the reviews.
Cheers,
Bev

06-03-2010, 04:54 PM	#1
ForMyWife Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Sony vs. Kindle	Kindle Books with the Sony PRS600 Looking at the 600 for my wife's Bday. Haven't found a clear answer to my question in searching. Does the 600 work with Kindle Books? The wife really likes Amazon's selection; I like Sony's price. Thanks a ton! -C

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Just received my Sony PRS600	Frank Damen	Introduce Yourself	7	07-08-2010 08:58 AM
Newbie here - sony prs600 or kindle? :-)	blackcat	Which one should I buy?	6	06-28-2010 01:00 PM
Sony PRS600, Kindle, or BeBook Neo?	eMadman	Which one should I buy?	19	02-03-2010 08:02 AM
Preloaded books for SONY PRS600	NYUDeb	Sony Reader	2	12-28-2009 06:49 AM
2 questions on Sony PRS600	MaynardGKrebs	Sony Reader	8	12-26-2009 07:22 PM

06-03-2010, 04:58 PM	#2
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	No, the formats are incompatible, not to mention the DRM. You would have to remove the DRM, and convert the format from Amazon (Mobipocket) to Sony (ePub).

06-04-2010, 01:17 AM	#3
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	Just because I am an incorrigible nitpicker, I have to point out that correctly, that's converting from Mobipocket (Amazon) to ePub (Sony) -- Amazon and Sony are vendors, not formats. Mobipocket and ePub are the formats, and .mobi and .epub are the file extensions. Yes, I know: those who live by the nit shall die by the nit, and there's a giant killer nit waiting in my future somewhere. Part of the problem with ebook readers that are tied to specific stores, right now, is that nobody is quite sure how the publishers' cartel ("Agency 5") which has been formed is going to work out in the long run. Right now, they're forcing retailers to charge more for ebooks than for paperbacks -- sometimes even more than for hardcovers -- and they clearly want the prices to go up, even though their costs, compared to a physical book, are considerably lower. So I'd be really paranoid about buying an ebook reader right now with the intention of depending on any given manufacturer's bookstore. If I were buying a reading device today, I'd be looking at flexibility. What file formats can it handle? Can I get the books on there without outside intervention? How much control does the manufacturer have over my device (e.g., the 1984 debacle)? Can I read what I want to read -- and perhaps more important, will I still be able to read it next week, even if the vendor changes formats, goes bankrupt, or just abandons the market? My personal solution to those problems has been straightforward: I do not buy DRM-restricted ebooks, and I don't buy ebooks that cost more than their pbook counterparts. I realize that some people would rather trade rights for convenience, and some are wealthy enough not to care about ebook prices, but even for them, the matter of flexibility, store independence, and future-proofing should be a consideration. Platform lock-in is only good for manufacturers and publishers; it's very, very bad for us.

06-04-2010, 01:56 AM	#4
bevdeforges Addict Posts: 288 Karma: 1094000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Essonne, France Device: Kobo Forma; Sony PRS600B; Sony 350; Sony T-2	OK, the simple answer is "no" - but as a fan of amazon, I understand your wife's point of view. Oddly enough, I have a Sony PRS-600 and just LOVE it. For e-books, you have a fairly wide range of bookstores with the epub format. Check the wiki page here on the forum for the lists of e-book stores, free sources for e-books and e-book lending libraries. You aren't actually limited to a single source for your books - especially with a format like epub. I actually bought my Sony through Amazon (obviously, one of their vendors), and I suspect that after all the Agency pricing stuff shakes out, Amazon may also be selling books in a variety of formats, too. But take a look at what some of the other online booksellers offer - I use primarily the Sony store (US) and Kobo, though I admit to checking the Amazon listings for books I'm interested in purchasing - mostly for the reviews. Cheers, Bev

Advert