Germany gets the Sony Reader on March 11th, 2009

[Alexander Turcic]

Update: Pre-order link @ Thalia.

http://www.thalia.de/shop/:/artikeld...524544787.html

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

From what I heard the German e-book offering for the Sony will also be somewhat limited. I heard the focus lied on "quality" rather than "quantity"...

But, at least to me, that seems inconsistent with selling them in epub format unless Sony intends to fix the Reader firmware soon to provide for full justification of epubs.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by pozo

Pretty overpriced though, when compared to 210 euro in the US (without ship/handle to EU) and 255 euro at Waterstones UK (S&H to Netherlands included).

That was my first reaction too.

I suggest:
1. go to www.sonystyle.com
2. pick one PRS505 and add it to your shopping cart
3. add 2 years warranty
4. enter your ZIP code (10001 will do as an example)
5 press "calculate price
6. You get $379.29 (including tax, 2year warranty)

I am very impressed with the price, because according to google
299 Euros = 382.8994 U.S. dollars

I would like to ask our German speaking fellow mobilereaders to have a look and tell us if the 299Eur is with or without Value Added Tax (Mehrwertsteuer)
Thank you.

[Alexander Turcic]

kacir, why do add a two years warranty option when comparing US and Germany prices?

At J&R, the PRS-505 is available for around $290 (including NYC taxes as in your example).

http://www.jr.com/sony/pe/SON_PRS505_SL_SC/

[philippd]

hi

299 € is the recommended retail price for Germany including V.A.T.
By the way the website is called libri.de

I'll try to find out if it will be possible to buy books from outside the EU but I think that it will be no problem.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

kacir, why do add a two years warranty option when comparing US and Germany prices?

Because in Germany - and in the whole European Union - you automatically get two years warranty with *anything* you buy (with the exception of perishable goods).

[Alexander Turcic]

Originally Posted by philippd

...called libri.de

Oops.

I'll try to find out if it will be possible to buy books from outside the EU but I think that it will be no problem.

That would be excellent!

[kaas]

9

Originally Posted by HarryT

Das ist eine ausgezeichnete Neuigkeit!

(Or should that be "Die ist"....?)

"Das ist eine ausgezeichnete Neuigkeit!" is quite correct (Neuigkeit is a neutrum, that is why you wouldn't use "Die ist...".

You could also say: "Das sind ausgezeichnete Neuigkeiten", which is a bit more commonly used. Do you speak German as well as Latin?

cheers,

kaas

[pozo]

Originally Posted by kacir

That was my first reaction too.
6. You get $379.29 (including tax, 2year warranty)

Ah right, sorry I wasn't aware of the fact that there is no required warranty by US law.
But still, consumers are protected in a similar way as in the EU right? At least that's what I gather from this:
http://www.answers.com/topic/implied-warranty
The implied warranty (as I understand it) means that a product should, under normal operating conditions, do what it is supposed to do. If it ceases to do such a thing, the product was faulty and should be replaced at little or no cost to the consumerm, like in the EU.

Or do I misunderstand this (very possible)?

But still the reader costs only 255 Euros in the UK, with 'full EU benefits', so I still think it's a bit overpriced

[podo]

€249 in Dublin, Ireland.
Why the price differential?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by kaas

9


"Das ist eine ausgezeichnete Neuigkeit!" is quite correct (Neuigkeit is a neutrum, that is why you wouldn't use "Die ist...".

You could also say: "Das sind ausgezeichnete Neuigkeiten", which is a bit more commonly used. Do you speak German as well as Latin?

cheers,

kaas

I used to speak quite good German, but it's a bit "rusty" these days, unfortunately.

[sianon]

If sony are arranging deals with local book stores, than all I can say is beware if it is rolled out in Australia, cos the only option would by Dymocks which is a pretty poor option judging by there current site.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by pozo

Ah right, sorry I wasn't aware of the fact that there is no required warranty by US law.

The warranty IS required. It is just MUCH shorter period warranty than two years mandated by EU. In some cases the warranty period is something like 6 weeks.

Originally Posted by pozo

But still, consumers are protected in a similar way as in the EU right? At least that's what I gather from this:
http://www.answers.com/topic/implied-warranty
The implied warranty (as I understand it) means that a product should, under normal operating conditions, do what it is supposed to do. If it ceases to do such a thing, the product was faulty and should be replaced at little or no cost to the consumerm, like in the EU.
Or do I misunderstand this (very possible)?

You did understand correctly.
The default warranty in the USA is just much shorter. That is why additional wrranty from sony for up to two years costs another 49 bucks.

In EU, for example, there is law that you can return (for a very limited time) ANYTHING purchased from an internet store for a full refund. Even without any reason. You just state that you do not like the goods.

Situation is even more complicated, because Credit Cards used to purchase the vast majority of goods offer various interesting aditional warranty enhancements.

Sonystyle, for example does not have one single warranty period for electronics, each device has individual warranty conditions.
This is what I found at the page describing PRS505
---- quote ----
Service and Warranty Information
* Limited Warranty : Labor- 90 days from the date of purchase Parts- 1 Year from the date of purchase. See actual warranty for details.
---- quote ----

I was unable to find "The actual warranty" anywhere on site. I suspect you have to unpack the shrink-wrapped box and read the booklet.
Today I will try to find the warranty information that came in my PRS500 box.

[leandroide]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I would image that it would be rolled out in countries like Spain soon, but I suppose they need to arrange local deals with book stores, eBook distributers, etc, before they can do that. In every European country that it's so far been released in, it's being sold primarily via large chains of bookstores.

Yes... they say that in Spain October this year. The information is here. According to this newspaper, the readers is going to be sold in "La casa del libro", "El corte inglés" and FNAC.

L.

[camilla]

Originally Posted by podo

€249 in Dublin, Ireland.
Why the price differential?

i'm quite surprised, too. i got mine from Xtra-Vision ( a video shop) in Limerick, Ireland for €249.

I normally expect to get ripped off in Ireland... Have you seen the latest ARGOS catalogue? they want €349!! Argos UK is taking only £224