PRS-300 Saw my first 300 in Walmart today...

GraceKrispy · 04-02-2010, 04:16 AM

it was sitting there, looking all cute and touchable, and I wanted to check it out. I had no idea they had sony readers at walmart (well, they only had that one) so I was pretty psyched to see it.

Well, I get closer, and see that itʻs "locked" and waiting for the code to be entered so you can go in. I approach a salesperson to ask if she knows the code so I can play with the reader a little. She says no, actually, a customer entered a random code and left it, so no one can get into it, and itʻs basically useless.

So why would they continue to display this model? How will this help people decide they want this reader if all they can see is that it is like Fort Knox. I didnʻt ask how long itʻd been locked, but from her tone, Iʻd guess itʻs been a little while.

Does that seem bizarre to anyone else?? Wouldnʻt they have some sort of factory default to go to, or send it back and get it unlocked or just something? I hate to think of all the people who might like to play around with it and just figure itʻs a junk piece of machinery because they only get to see the lock code screen.

Seabound · 04-02-2010, 04:18 AM

Well it's Walmart.

Mike_73 · 04-02-2010, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seabound

Well it's Walmart.

Come over to Germany and try to get a PC or Laptop or camera or, or.....
Electronics that can be locked by a login, it will be locked. Well, if there is a battery or power supply connected. Usually pick up a camera and it just doesn't work (well maybe at least the model I want to try).
I tried to get a comparison of the Nintendo DSi vs. XL. The DSi was displayed without battery, the XL was not even unboxed. What a comparison of gadgets

The time I spent in the US, I had Walmart available just around the corner. And compared to Germany, customer service and displayed stuff was just awesome compared to here. I agree that there were places which were better than walmart, but compared to here, walmart would be heaven...

colleenFL · 04-02-2010, 08:27 AM

I bought my PRS-300 at Walmart last December. They were advertised in the weekly sale paper. When I got to the store there were none on display. When I asked for one to look at they let me open a box but they knew nothing about the readers at all. Fortunately I had already done my research and didn't have any questions for them. I just wanted to check out the type sizes and page turn speed, glare, etc. I would feel sorry for anyone that had gone in there wanting to find out more out the reader after only having seen their sale paper.

jswinden · 04-02-2010, 11:23 AM

Best Buy is just as bad. And BB will leave items in the back storage room and argue that they are not in stock even when their computer system shows it is. When I bought my PRS300 from BB soon after they were released I argued for a long time that they had some in the back but they wouldn't even go check. Angry I went to leave the store and happened across a very nice salesperson from the camera area from whom I had bought a couple of SLR digital cameras a few weeks earlier. She recognized me and could see I was upset. So she checked and found the units in the storage and sold one to me. It was at least two weeks later before the store pulled the units out of storage and set them up in an unattended display. To this day I doubt you could find any BB sales staff that know much about them.

ziegl027 · 04-02-2010, 11:27 AM

I saw one at Toys R Us over the Christmas shopping season. Their "display" was just a cardboard mock-up.

Mike_73 · 04-02-2010, 03:07 PM

Well, well, that all sounds like y'all had very questionable experiences at different stores. I did have a couple of those too, but to defend the stores, most of my experiences in trying out stuff, exchanging stuff if I didn't like it or id it was broken were really good.

I wish service here was half as good as it was in the US.

SneakySnake · 04-02-2010, 10:33 PM

All very well for people that can actually see ANY reader before purchase. I have only seen a Kindle from a distance at a coffee shop. I have NEVER touched any reader. I will when my PRS-900 arrives. Here's hoping all the information posted in these wonderful threads is good

Mike_73 · 04-03-2010, 07:23 AM

I agree, without this forum, I wouldn't even have checked out the 600.
They had it at a local store, but except for seeing wether I can live with glare and sharpness due to the touch screen, there was nothing else to check like the pan and zoom. And I doubt that any sales person would have had knowledge about the device. The readers were quite hidden between laptops, one unit was out of power...

Bltprf502 · 04-03-2010, 09:45 AM

When I bought my 300 at Target I got a sales guy that knew it all as he owned a 505. I bought it on the spot. I love Target!

Mike_73 · 04-03-2010, 03:17 PM

Yeah, Target was awesome. Loved the stores, too.

GraceKrispy · 04-03-2010, 11:57 PM

Ok, went to Target today, and saw both a 300 and a sony touch 600 (I think..?), and played around with both. Luckily, both were working! I had my 505 in my purse, so I took it out to compare and play around. I liked the swiping on the touch, that was pretty cool, but I definitely did notice a difference in screen clarity between the pocket and the touch. The pocket was adorable- and I just felt like I was looking at my 505ʻs little brother or sister. The screen set up was identical and the clarity seemed extremely comparable. I think if my 505 bites the dust (God forbid

), the 300 looks like the most likely replacement at this time. It looks, though, like you can only turn the pages using those buttons on the bottom? I would miss the side option....

It was sort of interesting though... the 300 at Walmart was $199. At Target, the price on the (locked) shelf was $229 and the price on the actual display was $234. Whatʻs up with that??

04-02-2010, 04:16 AM	#1
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	Saw my first 300 in Walmart today... it was sitting there, looking all cute and touchable, and I wanted to check it out. I had no idea they had sony readers at walmart (well, they only had that one) so I was pretty psyched to see it. Well, I get closer, and see that itʻs "locked" and waiting for the code to be entered so you can go in. I approach a salesperson to ask if she knows the code so I can play with the reader a little. She says no, actually, a customer entered a random code and left it, so no one can get into it, and itʻs basically useless. So why would they continue to display this model? How will this help people decide they want this reader if all they can see is that it is like Fort Knox. I didnʻt ask how long itʻd been locked, but from her tone, Iʻd guess itʻs been a little while. Does that seem bizarre to anyone else?? Wouldnʻt they have some sort of factory default to go to, or send it back and get it unlocked or just something? I hate to think of all the people who might like to play around with it and just figure itʻs a junk piece of machinery because they only get to see the lock code screen.

04-02-2010, 11:23 AM	#5
jswinden Nameless Being	Best Buy is just as bad. And BB will leave items in the back storage room and argue that they are not in stock even when their computer system shows it is. When I bought my PRS300 from BB soon after they were released I argued for a long time that they had some in the back but they wouldn't even go check. Angry I went to leave the store and happened across a very nice salesperson from the camera area from whom I had bought a couple of SLR digital cameras a few weeks earlier. She recognized me and could see I was upset. So she checked and found the units in the storage and sold one to me. It was at least two weeks later before the store pulled the units out of storage and set them up in an unattended display. To this day I doubt you could find any BB sales staff that know much about them. Last edited by jswinden; 04-02-2010 at 11:26 AM.

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04-02-2010, 04:18 AM	#2
Seabound Steerage Class Posts: 711 Karma: 505995 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest, USA Device: Won't fit here anymore, see sig for a list of liseuses.	Well it's Walmart.

04-02-2010, 08:27 AM	#4
colleenFL Groupie Posts: 169 Karma: 44716 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Florida, USA Device: PW3, PW1, Kobo N647, Sony PRS-600, Sony PRS-300, various tablets	I bought my PRS-300 at Walmart last December. They were advertised in the weekly sale paper. When I got to the store there were none on display. When I asked for one to look at they let me open a box but they knew nothing about the readers at all. Fortunately I had already done my research and didn't have any questions for them. I just wanted to check out the type sizes and page turn speed, glare, etc. I would feel sorry for anyone that had gone in there wanting to find out more out the reader after only having seen their sale paper.

04-02-2010, 11:27 AM	#6
ziegl027 Addict Posts: 264 Karma: 764 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Minnesota Device: Sony Touch, Kindle DXG	I saw one at Toys R Us over the Christmas shopping season. Their "display" was just a cardboard mock-up.

04-02-2010, 03:07 PM	#7
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	Well, well, that all sounds like y'all had very questionable experiences at different stores. I did have a couple of those too, but to defend the stores, most of my experiences in trying out stuff, exchanging stuff if I didn't like it or id it was broken were really good. I wish service here was half as good as it was in the US.

04-02-2010, 10:33 PM	#8
SneakySnake I'm watching you! Posts: 6,113 Karma: 22344652 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Sunny Coast Qld, OZ Device: Sony PRS-900(unused lately) iPadAir2, want me Kindle Oasis	All very well for people that can actually see ANY reader before purchase. I have only seen a Kindle from a distance at a coffee shop. I have NEVER touched any reader. I will when my PRS-900 arrives. Here's hoping all the information posted in these wonderful threads is good

04-03-2010, 07:23 AM	#9
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	I agree, without this forum, I wouldn't even have checked out the 600. They had it at a local store, but except for seeing wether I can live with glare and sharpness due to the touch screen, there was nothing else to check like the pan and zoom. And I doubt that any sales person would have had knowledge about the device. The readers were quite hidden between laptops, one unit was out of power...

04-03-2010, 09:45 AM	#10
Bltprf502 Enthusiast Posts: 40 Karma: 110 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Sony PRS-300S (GONE), Samsung Galaxy Tab, Kindle 3	When I bought my 300 at Target I got a sales guy that knew it all as he owned a 505. I bought it on the spot. I love Target!

04-03-2010, 03:17 PM	#11
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	Yeah, Target was awesome. Loved the stores, too.

04-03-2010, 11:57 PM	#12
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	Ok, went to Target today, and saw both a 300 and a sony touch 600 (I think..?), and played around with both. Luckily, both were working! I had my 505 in my purse, so I took it out to compare and play around. I liked the swiping on the touch, that was pretty cool, but I definitely did notice a difference in screen clarity between the pocket and the touch. The pocket was adorable- and I just felt like I was looking at my 505ʻs little brother or sister. The screen set up was identical and the clarity seemed extremely comparable. I think if my 505 bites the dust (God forbid ), the 300 looks like the most likely replacement at this time. It looks, though, like you can only turn the pages using those buttons on the bottom? I would miss the side option.... It was sort of interesting though... the 300 at Walmart was $199. At Target, the price on the (locked) shelf was $229 and the price on the actual display was $234. Whatʻs up with that??

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