PRS-950 Wanting to pull the trigger on the 950 but...

[graycyn]

Extended warranties and damage coverage.

What's best, a Sony plan or a Square Trade plan? Any thoughts?

Hubby has dropped his Nook WiFi and also fallen with it. I've had my Nook WiFi trod upon by one or other of cats several times. So far, so good, but that lovely 7" screen on the 950 might be more easily damaged than the shorter 6" screen of the Nook.

I looked a bit at the Square Trade plan last night, appears it can only be purchased for new reader devices, which then lets out buying the Sony 950 at the refurb price. I don't know about the Sony extended warranties, could not find a lot of detail or pricing on those or whether they are available on a refurb unit. But it seems like people aren't that fond of Sony CS?

Has anyone had experience working with Sony CS and an extended warranty or damage claim?

Of course, there is part of me that wonders if I shouldn't wait, see what new readers Sony might introduce before Christmas... but I do like the 950 a lot from what I got to see of it at Best Buy. Newer isn't always better.

I'm also wondering whether I just shouldn't just go for the Sony 950 refurb and take the risk that I've protected my Nook from damage so far and that any "issues" will crop up before the 90 day warranty expires. Are the Sony units generally reliable over the long haul if they work correctly from the get go? I've only got 9 months of experience with Nook, but so far it's been reliable as a rock.

Also, does one *have* to use the Sony Reader Library software with the device?

Does the 950 *have* to be registered with the Sony Store if one doesn't plan to shop at the Sony store?

I have the Reader Library software on my computer, because I used it to download some free Sony epubs last year, but I much prefer Calibre for managing my ebooks.


Thanks for any experiences or thoughts!

[raac]

You don't need to use Sony's software, Calibre will work just fine.

I don't think you need to be registered at the Sony store to read, but then again I remove the DRM from all by e-books because I don't trust the content providers to stay in business.

[Ivy]

Yeah, no need to use the software and no need to be registered. I use Calibre and Sony software because I like to get the free books they offer.

As for the other questions, sorry, I don't know the answers to those.

[HarmonS]

I would think any defects would show up within the 90 day period. Dropping it however, can happen anytime, and it is definitely not a good thing. I killed my 505 dropping it, and Sony doesn't repair them for you, they sell you another one, refurbed, at a cheaper rate. So it ain't cheap. But even with that experience, I don't have an extended warranty on my new 950. I do, however, have it in a leather case that is bigger on the edges and corners so if dropped, it will be cushioned a bit.
As for the other, yes, you can just use Calibre, also drag and drop files, but what's wrong with registering at the store as well? You have to register with Sony anyway, to get your warranty. And being able to get books from the store wirelessly is pretty neat. I don't buy a lot of books, but it's handy to have that option -- I bought one when I was traveling and found out about a new book from one of my favorite authors and didn't want to wait until I got home to get it from the library.

[graycyn]

OK thanks everyone!

I just mostly want to use Calibre and buy books where I want. I sideload to my Nook a lot and will probably do the same with the Sony. I read a lot of series books and like them organized in order.

Does the Sony reader offer any kind of password protection for the shopping via 3G/WiFi? Nook does, but I don't recall seeing anything in the Sony manual about that. That's why I was a little leary of registering it with the Sony store, in case the device was ever stolen, but then again, Nook didn't have that feature when I first got it, so I suppose it is not a biggie.


The dropping thing does worry me, it hasn't happened to me yet with Nook, but there's always the first time. Which, as you say, can be the last as well!

I would probably be getting an Oberon K2 leather case for it, it seems protective for my Nook. The leather does extend a bit beyond the device edges. And I would be carrying it in my everyday bag which is padded. (It was designed for carrying iPads about.) So the main risk is just if I got clumsy with the reader when I'm using it. Which could happen. Especially with cats underfoot. Heck, one good pounce could probably do it.

@HarmonS, what brand leather case did you find for yours?

At any rate, news broke today about some kind of new e-reader announcement from BN on May 24. Whatever they introduce *probably* won't keep me from wanting the Sony 950, but with only a few weeks to go, I'm thinking maybe I should wait and see what BN is putting out there first. The e-ink Nook is about due for an upgrade.

[redbees]

graycyn,
Yes, you are required to enter a password when making a purchase from the Sony store using the 3G or wifi connection on the 950.

Regarding Square Trade warranties, for a new ereader (not refurb), you may buy the warranty up to 30 days after the purchase (of the reader) is completed. I chose their warranty because if you make a claim, you are paid money for your unusable device, rather than receiving a refurbished replacement, as is often the case with extended warranties issued through the manufacturer. I bought a 2 year warranty, reasoning that if the reader malfunctioned close to the 2 year mark, another generation might have appeared, and I'd possibly prefer to buy a next gen reader rather than getting a refurbished unit. Of course, this was before I became aware of just how difficult it can be to find a Sony reader. Also, I have since read good things about how rigorously refurbished electronics are tested, so perhaps my avoidance of refurbs was unwarranted.

[graycyn]

Originally Posted by redbees

graycyn,
Yes, you are required to enter a password when making a purchase from the Sony store using the 3G or wifi connection on the 950.

Excellent! That's great!

Regarding Square Trade warranties, for a new ereader (not refurb), you may buy the warranty up to 30 days after the purchase (of the reader) is completed. I chose their warranty because if you make a claim, you are paid money for your unusable device, rather than receiving a refurbished replacement, as is often the case with extended warranties issued through the manufacturer. I bought a 2 year warranty, reasoning that if the reader malfunctioned close to the 2 year mark, another generation might have appeared, and I'd possibly prefer to buy a next gen reader rather than getting a refurbished unit. Of course, this was before I became aware of just how difficult it can be to find a Sony reader. Also, I have since read good things about how rigorously refurbished electronics are tested, so perhaps my avoidance of refurbs was unwarranted.

Yes, I had rather liked the sound of the Square Trade warranty. I was hoping they could be purchased for the refurbs from Sony, so it was bad news that you have to buy a new, full price reader.

I guess I need to call Sony, see if their extended warranty/damage plans can be purchased for the refurb unit and how much their plans are in order to compare. I'm kind of leaning towards just getting a refurb one, and taking real good care of it. But then again, it's not just drops. Both hubby and I often have our Nooks at the table with us, while we sip tea or coffee etc... so there's always danger of a liquid spill, though it hasn't happened yet.

At any rate, all decisions deferred for the moment! Gotta see if BN brings anything interesting out on the 24th.

[redbees]

graycyn,
Please let us know if you manage to find anyone who offers extended warranties and or damage plans for refurbished ereaders.

"Both hubby and I often have our Nooks at the table with us, while we sip tea or coffee etc... so there's always danger of a liquid spill, though it hasn't happened yet."

I am surprised that I have yet to spill liquid on my reader! Danger seems to lurk everywhere.

[graycyn]

Will do. I'm guessing I won't find anything, unless Sony offers it.

It does make me wonder about refurbished though, as if they truly are as good as new product, why not sell extended warranties for them? The only reason I can see not to do it is if somehow the refurb units are statistically coming up as more likely to *need* repair/replacement.