Sony PRS-600 or Kindle 2?

Yoshi 1080 · 10-26-2009, 08:22 PM

I'm about to buy my first eBook reader but I can't really decide which one to get. So I'm hoping that maybe you can help me with that decision! I know these damn noob questions about stuff that's been asked a thousand times before in different combinations sucks, but my head's already smoking from all that thinking and deciding!

So, I have narrowed it down to the Sony PRS-600 and the Kindle 2. These are the only readers that are visually appealing to me (important) and have interesting features.

Sony PRS-600:

+ beautiful, sleek aluminium case
+ red

+ touchscreen, great navigation
+ ePub, PDF support
+ small

- no justification (I find ragged type to be distracting)
- no UMTS
- some glare, not as good contrast (minor issue)

Amazon Kindle 2:

+ nice white design (though inferior to the 600's design)
+ UMTS
+ Amazon store with gigantic selection
+ newspapers and magazines, though without pictures in EU and small selection
+ really good text-to-speech feature
+ awesome image quality
+ 60€ less than Sony

- pretty much everything outside the Kindle store has to be converted
- no touchscreen, therefore far inferior navigation
- bigger
- the keyboard looks to be distracting during reading (poor concentration)

So, here is where I am stuck. Actually, I prefer the Sony for it's design and it's navigation. It also has ePub support and works with Adobe DRM, so I don't have to get creative to get part of my eBook collection on it (although the same holds true for my few Kindle eBooks). I also really like standards, and ePub is the de-facto standard for eBooks. But the lack of a justification option and the missing text-to-speech really bother me. Although I do have some real audiobooks, I like the idea of being able to listen to any eBook I own. In the YT videos Kindle's voice sounded pretty good. Or does that feature wear off quickly and Kindle owners don't really use it?

Regarding the other Kindle features: Being able to buy eBooks wherever I am sounds great, but I'm not actually reading that much so I wouldn't really "need" it. The selection in the Amazon store is huge, but most books are English. While this is fine, at least occasionally I'd like to read some German books, too. The newspapers and magazines are cool, but without pictures I don't think I would use this feature very often.

Thanks for any help, I appreciate it!

edit: Just FIY, Kindle 2 only came to my interest when Amazon announced a reader software for the Mac. I need to be able to view my eBooks on my Mac as well. Converting one or two Kindle books is okay with me, but I wouldn't want to mess with that on every book I purchase. In a way I'd wish Amazon would stop the development of that app as that would make the decision much easier for me!

forkyfork · 10-26-2009, 08:26 PM

It sounds like epub is really important to you.
I had a Kindle 2, but I ended up sending it back. Then again, this was when it was $300. Now they can be hand for a lot less, and if you're willing to buy used, you can get them for even cheaper.

Do you really think you'll use text to speech that much? The quality is good enough to where it doesn't sound robotic, yet.

Yoshi 1080 · 10-27-2009, 01:36 PM

Thank you for your reply! Well, ePub is kinda important to me since it is the defacto standard for eBooks. Almost everyone except Amazon and B&N is using it. I like open standards and don't necessarily want to be limited on a proprietary format by one single company if I can help it. If the Kindle store had an even greater selection and more international books then I could forget about my principles but since the selection is not completely satisfying me I think eventually I'd prefer ePub over the Kindle store.

I just read that the Kindle app for Mac will only be released in a couple of months which is longer than I thought. Also, the first video preview of it on YT didn't make the impression that copy'n'paste was possible, which would be important to me. So I guess I'll just take the Sony reader. There are some eBooks I only found in the Kindle store so far, but since they are not Topaz files I think I can live with that ...

Yoshi 1080 · 10-27-2009, 07:10 PM

... On the other side many non-Kindle eBooks are only available as PDFs, whereas Kindle books always have a flexible layout. For example I just compared the book "The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses" in a PDF version from diesel-ebooks.com and on my iPhone in the Kindle version (both are samples). Now, obviously the PDF version has a prettier layout and nicer fonts, but its fixed nature limits the displaying options severely.

Is it possible to convert PDFs to reflowing PDFs (hypothetically of course)?

HarryT · 10-28-2009, 04:05 AM

I have both a PRS-600 and a Kindle 2, so perhaps I can offer my perspective.

I find that the "reading experience" is better on the Kindle; the screen is sharper and clearer (because of the touch screen on the Sony).

However, if I were to only keep one machine it would be the Sony. It's smaller and more compact; the build quality is better; the touch screen annotation is superb, and the dictionary is better. I also prefer the Sony's library management and search facilities.

You really can't go wrong with either machine, though; both are excellent.

Yoshi 1080 · 10-28-2009, 08:35 AM

Thank you, that really helps me!

So I guess my best option would be to go with the Sony. When I need an eBook from the Kindle store there would still be ways to get that on the Sony too.

kelly1010 · 10-28-2009, 04:42 PM

Kindle Ebooks can only be read on the kindle. I think you have to have a kindle to even BUY a kindle book. But Sony has alot more websites where you can buy ebooks, and you can also get free ebooks from the library. And more and more libraries are starting to offer books in epub format.

I have the Sony 505 and I love it more and more everyday. Good luck with deciding!

Filark · 10-28-2009, 05:23 PM

Hi there!

I have a Sony PRS-600 and my husband has a Kindle 2. We bought them at the same time and love them! He thinks his is superior, and I think mine is.

The Kindle screen is a little bit smaller than the Sony, but has better contrast and less glare (except in bright sun where I think the Sony is easier to read), as has been said. I like the Touch, he likes the keyboard.

If money is a factor, being able to download library books, easily, as opposed to easily buying every book that appeals could decide you.

. . . That is if you can find a library that will let you borrow and that has enough of the books you want. You might check on that now, before buying.

We listened to the Kindle when he first got it. I would use it if I went blind, but otherwise no.

Good luck!
Fi

Wunderkind · 10-28-2009, 05:32 PM

I have both the 600 and the K2. The screens are the same size, although the K2 screen might look smaller since there is so much more surrounding the screen than what you'll see on the Sony. I use the TTS on the K2 when I am on the treadmill (I turn the volume off) so that the page turns automatically. I have listened to the TTS sound and it actually works pretty well but I don't have a lot of situations where it is needed.

The Sony is great because of the library feature -- I have access to the New York Public Library and they have a pretty good selection of ebooks. That is the primary reason I bought the Sony, since the K2 did not have that capability. The screen on the Sony is not as crisp as the K2, but it doesn't bother me that much. The Sony's form factor is terrific. So, as another poster stated, you can't go wrong with either machine; it just depends on what features are most important to you.

Yoshi 1080 · 10-28-2009, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelly1010

Kindle Ebooks can only be read on the kindle. I think you have to have a kindle to even BUY a kindle book.

Kindle books can also be read on and sent to an iPhone. Also, unencrypted Kindle books can be easily converted to ePub.

HarryT · 10-29-2009, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Filark

The Kindle screen is a little bit smaller than the Sony,

No, it isn't. The screen size is identical - 90x120mm. They are the SAME screen, made by the same company (PVI) on the same production line, in the same factory, in Taiwan.

jj2me · 10-29-2009, 02:54 PM

Although a non-owner, fast-forwarding (by swipe-and-hold) on the Sony touchscreens seems to work perfectly (I tried it on the Sony 600 and 700 in store). You end your fast-forwarding exactly where you wanted. Like TIVO (which actually backs up a little from where you released the FF button), rather than overshooting like when you fast forward a DVD or VHS tape. This is useful if you read a lot of Calibre magazines, as you'll want to jump ahead to the next article. Yes, you can navigate via links and button presses, but geez, there's 400-1,300 pages in the typical magazine or newspaper.

600 owners, please correct me if I'm wrong, since I've only tested this with about ten fast-forwards, and I'm the reactive, quick-reflexes type (glaucoma puff tests and open-eyed flash photographs were nearly impossible), so it may be just at my limit and not feasible for less reactive people.

10-26-2009, 08:22 PM	#1
Yoshi 1080 Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 204 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany Device: iPad, iPhone, Mac	Sony PRS-600 or Kindle 2? I'm about to buy my first eBook reader but I can't really decide which one to get. So I'm hoping that maybe you can help me with that decision! I know these damn noob questions about stuff that's been asked a thousand times before in different combinations sucks, but my head's already smoking from all that thinking and deciding! So, I have narrowed it down to the Sony PRS-600 and the Kindle 2. These are the only readers that are visually appealing to me (important) and have interesting features. Sony PRS-600: + beautiful, sleek aluminium case + red + touchscreen, great navigation + ePub, PDF support + small - no justification (I find ragged type to be distracting) - no UMTS - some glare, not as good contrast (minor issue) Amazon Kindle 2: + nice white design (though inferior to the 600's design) + UMTS + Amazon store with gigantic selection + newspapers and magazines, though without pictures in EU and small selection + really good text-to-speech feature + awesome image quality + 60€ less than Sony - pretty much everything outside the Kindle store has to be converted - no touchscreen, therefore far inferior navigation - bigger - the keyboard looks to be distracting during reading (poor concentration) So, here is where I am stuck. Actually, I prefer the Sony for it's design and it's navigation. It also has ePub support and works with Adobe DRM, so I don't have to get creative to get part of my eBook collection on it (although the same holds true for my few Kindle eBooks). I also really like standards, and ePub is the de-facto standard for eBooks. But the lack of a justification option and the missing text-to-speech really bother me. Although I do have some real audiobooks, I like the idea of being able to listen to any eBook I own. In the YT videos Kindle's voice sounded pretty good. Or does that feature wear off quickly and Kindle owners don't really use it? Regarding the other Kindle features: Being able to buy eBooks wherever I am sounds great, but I'm not actually reading that much so I wouldn't really "need" it. The selection in the Amazon store is huge, but most books are English. While this is fine, at least occasionally I'd like to read some German books, too. The newspapers and magazines are cool, but without pictures I don't think I would use this feature very often. Thanks for any help, I appreciate it! edit: Just FIY, Kindle 2 only came to my interest when Amazon announced a reader software for the Mac. I need to be able to view my eBooks on my Mac as well. Converting one or two Kindle books is okay with me, but I wouldn't want to mess with that on every book I purchase. In a way I'd wish Amazon would stop the development of that app as that would make the decision much easier for me! Last edited by Yoshi 1080; 10-26-2009 at 08:27 PM.

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10-26-2009, 08:26 PM	#2
forkyfork Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 1664 Join Date: May 2009 Device: It's a long story ;)	It sounds like epub is really important to you. I had a Kindle 2, but I ended up sending it back. Then again, this was when it was $300. Now they can be hand for a lot less, and if you're willing to buy used, you can get them for even cheaper. Do you really think you'll use text to speech that much? The quality is good enough to where it doesn't sound robotic, yet.

10-27-2009, 01:36 PM	#3
Yoshi 1080 Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 204 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany Device: iPad, iPhone, Mac	Thank you for your reply! Well, ePub is kinda important to me since it is the defacto standard for eBooks. Almost everyone except Amazon and B&N is using it. I like open standards and don't necessarily want to be limited on a proprietary format by one single company if I can help it. If the Kindle store had an even greater selection and more international books then I could forget about my principles but since the selection is not completely satisfying me I think eventually I'd prefer ePub over the Kindle store. I just read that the Kindle app for Mac will only be released in a couple of months which is longer than I thought. Also, the first video preview of it on YT didn't make the impression that copy'n'paste was possible, which would be important to me. So I guess I'll just take the Sony reader. There are some eBooks I only found in the Kindle store so far, but since they are not Topaz files I think I can live with that ...

10-27-2009, 07:10 PM	#4
Yoshi 1080 Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 204 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany Device: iPad, iPhone, Mac	... On the other side many non-Kindle eBooks are only available as PDFs, whereas Kindle books always have a flexible layout. For example I just compared the book "The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses" in a PDF version from diesel-ebooks.com and on my iPhone in the Kindle version (both are samples). Now, obviously the PDF version has a prettier layout and nicer fonts, but its fixed nature limits the displaying options severely. Is it possible to convert PDFs to reflowing PDFs (hypothetically of course)?

10-28-2009, 04:05 AM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I have both a PRS-600 and a Kindle 2, so perhaps I can offer my perspective. I find that the "reading experience" is better on the Kindle; the screen is sharper and clearer (because of the touch screen on the Sony). However, if I were to only keep one machine it would be the Sony. It's smaller and more compact; the build quality is better; the touch screen annotation is superb, and the dictionary is better. I also prefer the Sony's library management and search facilities. You really can't go wrong with either machine, though; both are excellent.

10-28-2009, 08:35 AM	#6
Yoshi 1080 Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 204 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany Device: iPad, iPhone, Mac	Thank you, that really helps me! So I guess my best option would be to go with the Sony. When I need an eBook from the Kindle store there would still be ways to get that on the Sony too.

10-28-2009, 04:42 PM	#7
kelly1010 Book Addict! Posts: 533 Karma: 1070 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: CA Device: Sony PRS-505, iPod Touch, Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi	Kindle Ebooks can only be read on the kindle. I think you have to have a kindle to even BUY a kindle book. But Sony has alot more websites where you can buy ebooks, and you can also get free ebooks from the library. And more and more libraries are starting to offer books in epub format. I have the Sony 505 and I love it more and more everyday. Good luck with deciding!

10-28-2009, 05:23 PM	#8
Filark Armed with a smile :) Posts: 1,421 Karma: 2463560 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: California, USA Device: enTourage eDGe & Pocket eDGe, Samsung Galaxy Note II	Hi there! I have a Sony PRS-600 and my husband has a Kindle 2. We bought them at the same time and love them! He thinks his is superior, and I think mine is. The Kindle screen is a little bit smaller than the Sony, but has better contrast and less glare (except in bright sun where I think the Sony is easier to read), as has been said. I like the Touch, he likes the keyboard. If money is a factor, being able to download library books, easily, as opposed to easily buying every book that appeals could decide you. . . . That is if you can find a library that will let you borrow and that has enough of the books you want. You might check on that now, before buying. We listened to the Kindle when he first got it. I would use it if I went blind, but otherwise no. Good luck! Fi

10-28-2009, 05:32 PM	#9
Wunderkind Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Kindle, Sony Touch	I have both the 600 and the K2. The screens are the same size, although the K2 screen might look smaller since there is so much more surrounding the screen than what you'll see on the Sony. I use the TTS on the K2 when I am on the treadmill (I turn the volume off) so that the page turns automatically. I have listened to the TTS sound and it actually works pretty well but I don't have a lot of situations where it is needed. The Sony is great because of the library feature -- I have access to the New York Public Library and they have a pretty good selection of ebooks. That is the primary reason I bought the Sony, since the K2 did not have that capability. The screen on the Sony is not as crisp as the K2, but it doesn't bother me that much. The Sony's form factor is terrific. So, as another poster stated, you can't go wrong with either machine; it just depends on what features are most important to you.

10-29-2009, 02:54 PM	#12
jj2me Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 8820388 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505, -350; Kindle 3 3G, DX, PW 2; various tablets	Although a non-owner, fast-forwarding (by swipe-and-hold) on the Sony touchscreens seems to work perfectly (I tried it on the Sony 600 and 700 in store). You end your fast-forwarding exactly where you wanted. Like TIVO (which actually backs up a little from where you released the FF button), rather than overshooting like when you fast forward a DVD or VHS tape. This is useful if you read a lot of Calibre magazines, as you'll want to jump ahead to the next article. Yes, you can navigate via links and button presses, but geez, there's 400-1,300 pages in the typical magazine or newspaper. 600 owners, please correct me if I'm wrong, since I've only tested this with about ten fast-forwards, and I'm the reactive, quick-reflexes type (glaucoma puff tests and open-eyed flash photographs were nearly impossible), so it may be just at my limit and not feasible for less reactive people.