PRS 505 to K3+wifi?

[ellabella]

Trying to decide whether it is worth it to change readers?

I hear so many things about the Kindle, but maybe it's because it's all that people I know have? I have a sony reader, and love it, though it is a bit heavier(which can be a good thing depending).

I do like that I can read most formats, though I do know that I can convert for the kindle.

My sony does have some damage to the bottom corner(where the volume/headphone jack is) which could affect it in the future in terms of functionality.

The problem is I don't know if I am just hearing from people that the Kindle is better and it isn't. I've been reading threads on here for a while, but still just have no clue what to do!

[desertgrandma]

Welcome to MobileRead,ellabella

For you........its a win/win situation.

If you buy the K3 and don't like it......return it within 30 days and just pay shipping......use it, download stuff, see how it works for you.

In order to read your Sony books tho, if they have drm, you'll have to 'liberate' them..

[Pegster]

Have you looked at the new Sonys that just came out? The 650 is the same screen size as the 505 (6" screen) but it's smaller and lighter. I went from the 505 to the 350, which is a 5" device. It's small and neat, but I've had no problems reading on it despite the smaller size! Both the 650 and the 350 are touchscreen, and the screen readibility is even better than the 505. They don't have wifi, but I've never had to buy a book so badly that I couldn't wait until I got home or to the office. They're more expensive than the K3, but you benefit from open format and being able to purchase books at a number of sites. As well, you can also borrow library books in the US.

I'd check out the discussions on the Sony and Kindle forums.

Whichever one you choose, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[fjtorres]

Simple question: is the Sony giving you trouble?
Are you having trouble reading or wish it had an important feature?
Or is it just "gadget itch"?
If you have a satisfactory reading experience today, don't fret what others are doing/getting. It's not about the gadget, but rather the reading, right?

Besides, you can always wait for the Kindle4 to come out next summer and one-up all your K3-loving friends.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by ellabella

Trying to decide whether it is worth it to change readers?

I hear so many things about the Kindle, but maybe it's because it's all that people I know have? I have a sony reader, and love it, though it is a bit heavier(which can be a good thing depending).

I do like that I can read most formats, though I do know that I can convert for the kindle.

My sony does have some damage to the bottom corner(where the volume/headphone jack is) which could affect it in the future in terms of functionality.

The problem is I don't know if I am just hearing from people that the Kindle is better and it isn't. I've been reading threads on here for a while, but still just have no clue what to do!

Be careful of taking advice from people who just got shiny new devices... They often are in that first blush of love and cannot see the disadvantages. One important disadvantage is that you just spent $139 on a device. That may not be too much, but if you have a perfectly usable ereader all ready, why spend the money.

That being said, here are the basics.

Do you buy a lot of books, or do you mostly read Public Domain books and freebies? If the former, the Kindle does have certain advantages in that it certainly makes buying and loading books easier than anyone else.

If on the other hand, you mostly get your books from here, PG, Baen and other sites that offer freebies or DRM free books, then either way, you have to load the books onto your reader. Therefore, Kindle's wireless looses some of its utility.

Yes, the Kindle's new screen is nice, but we both know that the screen on the PRS-505 is pretty good too.

You mention your reader is damaged and that it might impact the function in the future... well, unless this impact would involve you loosing access to books, I don't see why this can't be a concern for the future. After all, all our ereaders will die eventually.

So ultimately, unless the Kindle (or indeed any new ereader) has a function that you feel you would really use, there is probably no rational reason for you to replace your PRS-505. That being said, there is the coolness factor, after all, all ebook readers that function well (and the Sony's and the Kindle both qualify there) are pretty cool!

--
Bill

[jj2me]

I have both.

I like the added K3 for its
- browser (only use in 3G at a vacation house, so wouldn't use if I had the wi-fi model like you're looking at)
- free Kindle books
- slightly brighter screen and faster page turns
- Calibre magazines "skip to next article" (or something like that)

Other than that, "eh." It definitely satiated my e-reader gadget lust, possibly because there's just not that much "gadgety" difference among e-readers, at least not for me (let's face it, you're mostly just changing pages for 10 hours straight). I haven't even yet used the dictionary.

Just not a big enough jump to hit my I'm-so-happy button. Can't read PDFs any better (mostly worse) because it's the same size. It's not more portable, again, because it's the same size. I'm waiting for a reader with a really white background, probably in a different size.

That's just me and my usage. You might like the ease of buying books (you can also buy them from your PC and they get delivered over wireless directly to your Kindle), or the Amazon catalog, or be thrilled by the speed and contrast and dictionary.

[zeke_stone]

I was in the same position you are now about 2 weeks ago, i decided to take the plunge and today i got my K3 3g/WF. I too bought it to try out as i knew i could return it in 30 days with Amazon paying the return fee.

As soon as i took it out of the box, i knew i wasn't returning it....

One of the first things i noticed was how aesthetically pleasing it was, it has a distinct minimalistic style made from lightweight polymer whereas the PRS 505 looks antiquated with it's metal shell. Lifting it out of the box i was amazed by how light it was, about half the weight of the PRS 505 i would guess. The profile is thin too about the size of a pencil.

They pack a usb charging cable with a mains converter adapter so you can charge your kindle via your computer USB or via the mains. Theres a little instruction booklet but it's not that useful.

Upon charging it for the first time a msg came up saying i could read books whilst it charged in the background, something the PRS can't do, i thought it was worth remembering that. The first charge too about 1-2 hours, not really sure.

My main gripe would be that as a new kindle operator there seems to be a lack of intuitiveness about it. I was confused about how to go about adding books, when confronted by this keyboard and menu buttons it took awhile for me to get use to it all. The PRS 505 definately wins here as everything you needed was in folder format when connected to a computer and it seemed easier to get started. There are no extra buttons but there are no extra features either on the 505.

I thought Amazon might have had their own software that i had to install but that doesn't seem so. I ended up using Calibre which i knew how to use from my PRS 505 days. Transfer of books were no problem whatsoever although i am still trying to port over all my books and making sure they all work.

One of the big questions i had was how restricted to Amazons formats i was going to be since i read alot of epubs. Calibre converted all my epubs in a few seconds so it ended up not being worry over nothing.

Experimental

That's right theres an actual category in the menu that says "experimental", within it lies the the web browser, the music player and Txt to speech.

The web browser is something like you would find on an old 90's computer but in black and white, the 3g and wifi is kinda slow loading pages, you would probably be better off using a cell phone or itouch if you want to browse the internet properly. Upon reflection, because of the slowness and basic browser, i don't think it's worth getting the 3g version of the k3 unless you travel alot and wish to buy books or get updates from areas not covered by wifi. so my recommendation is wifi unless you have loads of cash to blow.

My other gripe would be that the k3 music player doesn't seem to display a track list, so you have to always start playing music from the first track and press alt f to skip tracks or alt space to stop playing. The 505 has an edge over the K3 in this regard as it devotes the page to display all your music tracks.

Although the K3 has built in speakers and phone jack whereas the PRs 505 only has the phone jack. All in all i am disappointed by the experimental features, they seem to be very basic, half baked features. Hopefully Amazon will address these issues in a software update although i don't know how much support they will give it once the K4 comes.

Readability

The most important thing about an e-reader is how well you can read off the screen. Both the PRS 505 and K3 have very similiar screens. The main difference being the K3 have letters with darker contrast, i saw pictures comparing the two



and i would say it was very accurate representation. My problem with the PRS 505 was that sometimes it would seem like the letters were washed out especially in different light levels and it seemed that it varied from page to page.

I know there were posts about how you could open it up and mess about with the contrast settings etc but that was beyond my expertise. When i saw the picture above comparing the two e-readers i thought the k3 would look unnatural because of the darker contrast, but i when i held it up close i was actually pleased as it was now easier to read. I did not like the font on the kindle though but im sure someone out there has a fix for it.

Refresh rates, you notice a quicker page turn and page refresh on k3 but there is still a little lag when you quickly press the button so it's not like an instantaneous refresh but it's better than that of 505.

There are alot more hidden options about the k3 that i have yet to explore although first impressions are good. I'd say go for it just because of the lightweight reading experience and if your not too concerned about playing music or browsing the internet. I always felt there was something missing when i read on the prs 505, the K3 whilst not perfect seems to make e-reading a bit better.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

If on the other hand, you mostly get your books from here, PG, Baen and other sites that offer freebies or DRM free books, then either way, you have to load the books onto your reader. Therefore, Kindle's wireless looses some of its utility.

Not necessarily. Those sites can be visited via the web browser on the Kindle and books downloaded that way. Also, some sites like MobileRead and Feedbooks have guides, which are really catalogs with links that you click to open the browser to download the selected book.

The issue of having to load books yourself comes in when there is lack of an internet connection or if one wants to grab a bunch of books and/or use multiple sites in a short amount of time which is easier on a computer.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Not necessarily. Those sites can be visited via the web browser on the Kindle and books downloaded that way. Also, some sites like MobileRead and Feedbooks have guides, which are really catalogs with links that you click to open the browser to download the selected book.

The issue of having to load books yourself comes in when there is lack of an internet connection or if one wants to grab a bunch of books and/or use multiple sites in a short amount of time which is easier on a computer.

Ah, I didn't know you could download books from the free sites over the Kindle's browser. In fact, I had (obviously) been under the impression that you couldn't download files over the browser. Well that certainly gives the Kindle a plus.

--
Bill

[lalebarde]

From Amazone Kindle site and License Agreement and Terms of Use, you are not allowed to download or navigate elsewhere than at Amazon. They can lock it or charge it at any time. Wifi and 3G are included only for their business, not your comfort. Their economic model is copied from printers one : cheap device but jailed to expensive usage (or time consuming for format convertion and USB uploads). So the connectivity capabilities of Amazon devices is only an advantage if you buy their ebooks.
Other readers, like the ones of Bookeen, offer free and open navigation, like all manufacturers that do not sell ebooks.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by lalebarde

From Amazone Kindle site and License Agreement and Terms of Use, you are not allowed to download or navigate elsewhere than at Amazon. They can lock it or charge it at any time. Wifi and 3G are included only for their business, not your comfort. Their economic model is copied from printers one : cheap device but jailed to expensive usage (or time consuming for format convertion and USB uploads). So the connectivity capabilities of Amazon devices is only an advantage if you buy their ebooks.
Other readers, like the ones of Bookeen, offer free and open navigation, like all manufacturers that do not sell ebooks.

That is not correct. If it were there wouldn't be a browser on the Kindle. The Kindle store and Wikipedia are separate from the browser. Use of 3G may be restricted and cause you to be charged for its use but using with Kindle with WiFi incurs no charges from Amazon and has no restrictions.

2. Wireless Connectivity

Use of Wireless Connectivity. Your Kindle uses wireless connectivity to allow you to shop for and download Digital Content from the Kindle Store. In general, we do not charge you for this use of wireless connectivity. Your Kindle may use wireless connectivity to make other services available to you for which we may charge you a fee, such as personal file download and subscriptions when you are located in another country. The fees and terms for such services are located in the Kindle Store and may change from time to time. If your Kindle functions with third party services, such as WI-FI access points, a third party may charge you fees for the use of those services.

Your Conduct. You may use the wireless connectivity provided by us only in connection with the Service. You may not use the wireless connectivity for any other purpose.

Availability. If your Kindle is located in an area in which it cannot maintain wireless connectivity, you may not be able to use some or all of the Service. We are not responsible for the unavailability of wireless connectivity for your Kindle or any corresponding loss of Service. Events beyond our reasonable control (such as changes in service or terms by wireless carriers) may impact the terms or circumstances under which we provide you wireless connectivity and may result in a change to these terms or a temporary or permanent modification or loss of wireless connectivity for your Kindle.

[ProfCrash]

If you are happy with your Sony and it is still working then don't worry about buying a new reader.

If you are longing for a new reader fo whatever reason then make a checklist of the features that are important to you and look at the different readers based on what is on that checklist.

There is no need to change readers simply because all of your friends have Kindles. I would only do that if I had a really good friend who was willing to share an account and I would be able to read while spending less on books. I am not sure I know anyone who I would be willing to do that with outside of my family.

From Amazone Kindle site and License Agreement and Terms of Use, you are not allowed to download or navigate elsewhere than at Amazon. They can lock it or charge it at any time. Wifi and 3G are included only for their business, not your comfort.

If this was the case then Amazon would not include an internet browser. I am sure that Amazon is aware that sites have set up ways for people to download books directly to their Kindles from the browser. It is not like the sites hide this fact, most of the ones who do post step by step instructions for people. The browser on my DXG came with popular websites bookmarked for me. Sites like CNN. Why would they sell and ship me a product that they had programmed to break their own terms of use?

[lalebarde]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

If this was the case then Amazon would not include an internet browser. I am sure that Amazon is aware that sites have set up ways for people to download books directly to their Kindles from the browser. It is not like the sites hide this fact, most of the ones who do post step by step instructions for people. The browser on my DXG came with popular websites bookmarked for me. Sites like CNN. Why would they sell and ship me a product that they had programmed to break their own terms of use?

That's good news. So their LA&TOU are not in line with their commercial policy and deserve them.

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Use of 3G may be restricted and cause you to be charged for its use but using with Kindle with WiFi incurs no charges from Amazon and has no restrictions.

Their LA&TOU do not precise between wifi and 3G. They only use the term wireless, which apply to both. I think they have taken precautions to be able to adapt their service in terms of opening/closing, depending on the market evolution.

But possibly I am too much paranoid .

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by lalebarde

Their LA&TOU do not precise between wifi and 3G. They only use the term wireless, which apply to both. I think they have taken precautions to be able to adapt their service in terms of opening/closing, depending on the market evolution.

Notice they use the terms both "wireless" (connectivity provided by us = 3G) and "WiFi" (3rd party access).

But possibly I am too much paranoid .

[ellabella]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the great responses! I have read them all and really appreciate it.

Still not entirely sure, but am leaning towards keeping my sony until it dies and then deciding. I have an ipod touch(not a cellphone owner or user) that I use for wifi, and I do not buy books for my sony in general unless I get them as a gift.

Maybe when this one dies, there will be a clear winner/option for me and I can switch or stay with the same then. Of course this decision will very much depress my husband who was excited to know exactly what to get me for christmas. haha