Amazon Kindle vs. Sony Reader SMACKDOWN
Okay, perhaps smackdown is a bit of a stretch when comparing what are perhaps the most milquetoast and genteel electronic devices ever made, but there is a battle of the heavyweights going on for control of the eBook buying public (all fifteen of them). The Sony Reader, weighting in at slightly less than an actual paperback, is the reigning champ, and the Amazon Kindle—bigger, heavier (at almost 11oz), and stronger—is the contender. It’s actually pretty easy to tell whose going to win, but the fight isn’t as one-sided as the recent press around the Kindle might make it seem.
Technology
Both devices are based on exactly the same display technology, and use very similar microprocessors. They both have enough internal storage and accept external storage in the form of SD flash cards, and the Reader supports an additional Memory Stick Duo. You can put more memory into the Reader because it can handle both cards at the same time—but ebooks are small, and even the modest amount of internal memory on both devices is probably enough for most users unless you’re going to store photos (pointless) or music (not so pointless) on the device. Both devices last a week on a charge for pure reading, or less if you use audio playing or wireless on the Kindle.
Ergonomics
The Sony Reader is smaller, thinner, and more elegant device in nearly every respect. The Kindle includes a rather unwieldy thumb keyboard, which is necessary for typing in URLs and searching for books, since it has limited web-browsing capabilities and access to the Kindle online store. The Sony neither has one nor needs one because it doesn’t connect to the net. The next page/previous page buttons on the Kindle stretch along both sides of the device, and are so large that it’s nearly impossible to pick the device up without accidentally clicking on one. In fact, because there are buttons everywhere on the surface of the device, handling it is more than a little awkward. The Sony Reader, on the other hand, puts page back and forth buttons exactly where most people hold a book when they read, and it works quite well. Amazon claims that the Kindle is “Lefty friendlyâ€, but I’m left handed and I definitely prefer the Sony’s controls. Clearly Sony did the better job with ergonomics.
Readability
Both the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader use the same eInk display. There is essentially no readability difference between the two devices other than the built-in fonts that they use. Both devices can zoom text to create large type editions of eBook content—the Sony with three zoom levels and the Kindle with six. Fonts look good and are quite readable on both devices, but the Sony seems to have a slight edge in smoothness and readability to my eye. Older readers will really appreciate being able to read first-run books with larger text.
Browsing books on both devices is easy enough, although Amazon’s scroller selector is better than Sony’s column of “soft†buttons for ease of use in my opinion. However, both provide for easy navigation of features and most people will figure out either device without cracking the manual. The Amazon has a number of features that the Sony lacks—not all useful mind you—that make for a more complicated user experience. The Sony is easier to navigate overall, with simpler and more obvious controls for most features. The Sony can also rotate the display to wide mode, making it useful for reading PDFs and other content that cannot be resized.
Content Availability for Reader
The Sony Reader is a peripheral to a computer, similar to an iPod in functionality, and you must have and use a PC to transfer content to it. It can natively display Sony BBeB eBook format, PDF, and Rich Text Format documents (which all word processors can export). The software can automatically convert Word documents to RTF. PDFs can be difficult to read because they can’t be scaled as easily as the eBooks or docs, but the “landscape†reading mode makes it work pretty well. Unfortunately, it’s next to impossible to convert content into Sony’s true eBook format for correct scalability, table-of-content support, link support, and image support. PDFs work, but they’re very small and hard to read in the portrait orientation, and converted RTF documents don’t support the full range of features available in the BBeB eBook format. This is an oversight that Sony needs to correct, either by supporting non-DRM’d Mobi format, for which a very good free content converter exists, or providing a content converter for BBeB.
The reader comes with a content manager that is somewhat “iTunes-Likeâ€, except that comparing Sony software to Apple software is like comparing a Schwinn to a Lexus. Oh, and their software doesn’t work in OS X or Linux, although you can put your own files on the device with any computer that can mount a USB flash reader.
The Sony eBook store (called Sony CONNECT in all caps) has about 20,000 titles total on it, mostly current run best sellers. When I bought my Reader, Sony was offering 100 “free†Classics (i.e., out-of-copyright books that they got for free from the University of Pennsylvania e-text library and then would have charged you $2 for) with the device, which I took advantage of. I also bought “Freakonomics†to test the pricing model, which cost $6, the same price as in the Kindle eBook store. Buying and downloading was just as easy as using iTunes, and I doubt anybody would really have any problems with it. The Sony eBook store has enough books to keep a browser happy (about as many as a physical bookstore would have) but it’s unlikely to have any particular book you might be searching for—especially if you’re looking for something like a computer or other technical book on a specific subject.
Although you do have to use your computer to manage content on the Sony eBook reader, it’s likely that you’ll only have to do that once every few months are so—the reader holds so much more content than the average person could burn through that it’s not really “tethered†to a computer as much as you’d think. It’s similar to an iPod in that respect.
Content Availability for Kindle
The Kindle on the other hand doesn’t need a computer at all. The device includes an EVDO cellular 3G connection to the Internet over Sprint, but you don’t pay for it—Amazon does each time you buy a book. Essentially, Amazon pays Sprint for the bandwidth to deliver content to the Kindle by putting a surcharge on eBooks in the Kindle store (which are still cheaper than print copies). You browse the store and buy right on the device, as you would with an Apple iPhone or iPod touch. It’s extraordinarily convenient, and a really solid business model.
You also get to browse that part of the web that looks good without JavaScript for free—the primary utility of that is full and free access to Wikipedia, which frankly justifies the price of the Kindle alone if you’re an info junkie like me. There’s also an included dictionary.
Unfortunately, the Kindle is all about making money for Amazon. Want to get your own content on the Kindle? Only Amazon can do that for you. You can email it back and forth and put it on with your PC for free, but if you want to deliver it to your device via the ubiquitous wireless connection, it’ll cost you ten cents per document—probably all of that going to Sprint. The business model pervades all of the design decisions in the Kindle. Amazon could have made it easy to read PDF files and Word documents from Flash cards, but they didn’t. You must go through the conversion process that they control. Their DRM is also very restrictive—you can’t really “give†an eBook to a friend the way you can give a physical book to them. Perhaps the most egregious problem is that the most common eBook format, Mobi, is owned by Amazon and is actually the same format as the Kindle eBook format, with a few meaningless bits flipped to purposefully make it so that DRM’d content in Mobi format does not work correctly on the Kindle. That’s pretty damned shameful, and a good reason to boycott the device if you care about standards and digital content rights for consumers. The only reason not to support Mobi DRM on the Kindle is to lock out other booksellers and force consumers to repurchase eBooks they may already own in that format. The Kindle does support non-DRM’d Mobi format for creating your own eBooks.
The Kindle bookstore is where the Kindle really shines. It’s already got a hundred thousand books and they’ve made it both easy and profitable for content owners to put their books in the store. While it’s only five times as many as the Sony eBook store, it’s the difference between a particular book you’re looking for actually being available or not. When I checked it for the first time, my publisher already had my books in print in the store. I was able to re-publish an older title myself in the space of two hours, including all the necessary formatting and uploading, and the process worked really well. All the pieces are in place for the Kindle to, well, kindle a self-publishing future.
The bottom line
The Kindle and the Reader depart radically from one another in their methods for getting content onto the device, and that is the source of all of their differences.
If you have a lot of your own content in word or PDF form already, you’re a competent computer user, you own your own PC, ergonomics are really important to you, you’re not an impulse book buyer, and you don’t mind a little work to get a device setup, the Sony Reader is for you. It’s also for you if the difference between $299 and $399 is important.
Otherwise, get a Kindle. Other than the toy-like ergonomics, the draconian DRM restrictions, and lack of support for reading content directly from Flash cards without being converted to their format, they’ve done everything right. Kindle V2 should be the end-all, be-all of eBook readers. Hopefully Amazon will have Sony design it.
Two comments. First, for someone with repetitive stress disorder (in any form), the Sony ebook can be excruciating, as the buttons are tiny and require quite a concentrated application of force to push. The Kindle, by contrast, is a dream for any such person who laughs out loud when someone complains that buttons are “too easy” to push.
Second, a big advantage of the Sony ebook is that … you can get one before March or April!!! Seriously, the delays with the Kindle are already 6-8 weeks from order date, and in fact indeterminate because Amazon won’t speak clearly about what’s happening. But you can walk down the street to the Sony store and buy their ebook today.
Comment by cantkandle — January 1, 2008 @ 12:54 pm
If you read mostly classics, getting Gutenberg project eBooks onto the Sony Reader or Kindle is easy: Just go to http://www.manybooks.net and download them in the correct format for your device: Kindle or “Sony .LRF” for the Reader. Copy them to the device and you’re good to go.
Comment by Matthew Strebe — January 1, 2008 @ 1:35 pm
For novels and such these readers really are overkill, ‘not quite there yet’ v 1.0 overkill at that. Most middle of the road cell phones make great eReaders for prose.
Check out http://www.booksinmyphone.com to see what I mean. They give away public domain and creative commons books packaged up to be read on java capable phones. The small screen size is very functional and enables the ultra-portability / ubiquity of adding books to something you carry anyway.
Comment by avagee — January 1, 2008 @ 4:50 pm
Thanks, Matthew, that is a very clear, detailed, and in my experience with my Kindle, true analysis of its plusses and minuses. I have managed to load a ton of PDFs onto mine (via their email, for free if you don’t need them uploaded directly into the Kindle, but to your email account) (my pdfs are of scientific articles), and use Kindle’s search to find keywords or phrases. It takes about 10 sec to look through its index of every word in every document on a 1GB SD card, and make a nice TOC of all the hits, google-style. That is invaluable, e.g., at a conference where I may not be lugging my laptop across the poster session, but want to recall what I have read about this person’s work before I go speak with them.
Most PDFs are very readable with re-wrapping resizable text, and pretty good greyscale figures. BUT equations are usually completely destroyed by the conversion.
Comment by steve potter — June 14, 2008 @ 6:11 am
Please understand..I am not computer,, nor gadget savy. Self taught and with the help of good friends, have learned to enjoy a computer. After thoroughly reading the above information, many questions remain unanswered. Quite possibly as I did not recognize many references related to the language. To date the information I have received leads me to believe that the better device is Sony. It would be foolish for me to repeat those details. I do not own an I Pod or other such devices. I have an IMac, a Mac laptop(G4,I think, used & received from a trusted friend), Verizon LG cell phone,no wireless, Great Sony Bravia TV, Sony Blue Ray S350, and basic Tv. I like using dictionary, thesaurus, and professional reference books. Reference books allow me to scan the pages for related information that otherwise would not even occur to me if I were to seek correct spelling. THE QUESTION; WHERE IS THE COMPLETE INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR ONE AS I IN ORDER TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION? YOUR WILLINGNESS TO HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. YES WIKIPEDIA IS HELPFUL. THANK YOU . Dr. Patricia J.Gray
Comment by Patricia J. Gray, Ph.D. — April 19, 2009 @ 7:36 pm
Dr. Gray,
My informed decision is to WAIT. The ebook reader market is VERY young and whatever you buy now will probably be obsolete soon. I would wait about two to three years until there is a definite winner in the ebook market.
Just like with the Sony Beta VS. VHS and Blu-Ray VS. HDTV, the market is just too new to know which one will be the winner.
Unless you want a useless and obsolete device with books you can’t read (just like people with BetaMax tapes and HDTV discs), your safest bet is to wait until the dust clears.
Best,
Laura Moncur
The Gadgets Page
Comment by Laura Moncur — April 20, 2009 @ 10:44 am
I am not computer literate, and I do not have files that I want to upload. I have a terminal disease that requires me to travel alot for treatments, and spend alot of time in hospitals. I just want to be able to have something light, easy to use, easy to read. I just want to get books and read them. Which device would be best for me. Price doesn’t play a role. Thank you.
Comment by Deb — April 25, 2009 @ 1:10 pm
Deb, the article is very celar about this. The Sony is for computer users, and the kindle is for non-computer users like you.
Comment by matthew — April 25, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
Do you have anything you can add to your conclusions now that the Kindel DX is out?
Comment by Douglas Benach — June 7, 2009 @ 4:39 am
Well, I live in India and have been doing my own research on both these devices. After carefully reading reviews of users, I am wanting to go with the sony reader. I cannot buy books through wireless anyway.
I have one question, Can i buy e-books from amazon independently of not having a kindle?
Comment by Hari — June 10, 2009 @ 8:24 pm
I would personally like to get some sort of ebook reader mainly for the convenience. But the books still cost the same as their paperback and hardcover counterparts. Digitizing books should drive the cost way down. There is no reason why any ebook should cost more than $2. It costs a publisher more in materials to produce 1 million hardcovers than it costs to produce half a million. But there is no difference in the cost of producing 1 or 1 million copies of the same ebook. I have seen ebooks for over $20.. even if I only pay $6 (the price of a paperback, then I am going to buy the book and not the e-book AND the device to read it.
Comment by Keith Zuerlein — June 11, 2009 @ 5:18 am
I have been looking in to the new Sony Reader 700 and the Kindle 2. I want to be able to use one of these devices for casual reading and for educational reading so the Kindle sounds pretty good since it has the dictionaty. I think Kindle and Sony both need to improve some things, but I just discovered ebooks and I don’t want to wait until both manufacturer’s make the perfect model. One of the main things is the memory. I don’t need to store a whole lot. My question is: Can I store these ebooks on my computer when I don’t need them in the device and load them on when I want them? I don’t want to pay $300+ for something and have to buy a new onen when I have bought as many books as it holds.
Thanks!
Comment by Emily — July 10, 2009 @ 6:31 pm
Hi Emily–With the Sony, you can store content on the computer just like an iPod–it works in a similar manner. That’s harder with the Kindle, which was designed to work without a computer.
Comment by Matthew — July 10, 2009 @ 7:00 pm
It’s not hard at all to store files on the computer from the kindle. It comes with a cord to attach to a usb port on the computer, and then one can just copy and drag the files from the kindle (which your computer will recognize as a porable data storage device) to wherever you want them on the computer. Also, in the case of the kindle, any books you bought on amazon are retained in their memory; you can delete and redownload at no additional cost as many times as you like any book that you bought from them.
(On a side note, #11: I agree with you that ebooks are currently priced too high– but the physical production costs are the least of the costs in the making of a book. Most of that money goes to author, editor, copyeditor, typesetter, cover design, production layout staff, etc, and none of those charges are really optional. Those costs won’t vary from paper to electrons.)
Comment by sumeria — August 14, 2009 @ 10:51 am
Please… DO either of them light up ? Is it me ? Doesn’t anyone try to read in bed without waking the other person up ?
Comment by Lisa — September 11, 2009 @ 4:48 pm
Lisa–neither have a built-in light. Both have accessory reading lights (like a book light) that can attach to their carrying cases, for an additional $20. I think they would both be dramatically improved with the addition of LED back or front lighting, but nobody offers an ebook with built-in lighting.
You might consider getting the iPod Touch or iPhone with the Kindle App (a free download from the iTunes app store) if reading in bed is your primary purpose. These devices have excellent backlights but a smaller computer style screen. The iPod Touch is an iPhone without the phone, and the Kindle App allows you to purchase books through amazon and read them directly on it.
Comment by Matthew — September 13, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
AS A NON-COMP/GADGET PERSON YOUR REVIEW WAS VERY HELPFUL. HOWEVER,I WILL DISAGREE WITH YOUR PRICING COMMENT. PUBLISHERS SELL BOOKS TO RESELLERS AT 42% OFF THE COVER PRICE, SOMETIMES MORE. SO IF EBOOKS ARE NOT PRINTED-BOUND-BOXED-SHIPPED-RECEIVED-SHELVED ETC… WHY DO THEY COST SO MUCH? AFTER ALL THE PRODUCTION COSTS, MOST OF THE RESELLING OF EBOOKS IS AUTOMATIC AND DONE BY A COMPUTER. SO WHY IS THERE NO CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN PRICE? I CAN WALK INTO ANY MAJOR STORE AND BUY THEM FOR 25% 0FF. YOU WOULD THINK THAT EBOOK PUBLISHERS WOULD WANT TO ENCOURAGE SALES. NOT DISCOURAGE THEM WITH THE HIGH COST OF EBOOKS, AND EREADERS. (IS THERE AN INCOME TAX INCENTIVE SOME WHERE IN THERE?) I’M NOT SAYING GIVE THEM AWAY FOR FREE. BUT WHOSE POCKET IS THAT EXTRA 42% GOING INTO? (SORRY, STANDING ON SOAPBOX.) L3 P.S. DYSLEXIC NOT YELLING
Comment by LOIS L2 — September 17, 2009 @ 3:20 am
Hi Lois,
A typical eBook costs about $6, which is about 25% of what the book would cost printed, bound, distributed, and marked up. The author typically makes 12% of the cover price, and the publisher’s margin is about the same. Add it up, and you can see that the price of an eBook is really just the author’s margin, the publisher’s margin, and a modicum or the ebook retailer. Granted, they do gouge best sellers, but supply and demand is what it is.
Matthew
Comment by Matthew — September 17, 2009 @ 9:20 am
Would either of these devices be appropriate for an older person who like to read but has failing eyesight and requires larger print?
Comment by Donald — November 10, 2009 @ 7:38 pm
Hi Donald–Yes and no, depending on what your vision problem is. On the plus side, you can make the fonts quite large. Unfortunately, contrast between the page background and type color is also reduced: The page is about a 25% gray, and the type is about a 75% gray, vice the black on white of print. I suggest looking at an in-store demo to decide.
Comment by Matthew — November 10, 2009 @ 7:47 pm
Thanks, Matthew. We’ll also check out the B&N NOOK when it arrives in the local stores the end of the month.
Comment by Donald — November 13, 2009 @ 11:24 am
I’m interested in buying a Kindle or Sony Reader for my daughter currently living in a remote village in Japan. She has requested a Kindle for Christmas. I like the larger Kindle library but I’m concerned with her ability to access and purchase books. Which of these products do you recommend in this cicumstance?
Comment by Sam Wells — November 22, 2009 @ 10:25 am
Sam–The only bet is the Sony Reader. If you don’t have wireless access, a Kindle is useless.
Comment by Matthew — November 22, 2009 @ 1:22 pm
Are newspapers and magazines available to users of the Kindle or the Sony Reader? If so, in your opinion, is one devise better than the other for this purpose?
Comment by Jean — November 27, 2009 @ 6:48 am
I absolutely love my Kindle. I don’t watch TV…I read. I get newspapers on my Kindle and they are there for me when I wake up. I have downloaded cookbooks, textbooks, blogs, and magazines. I bookmark things, search publications, add notes, and save clippings. The dictionary feature is great. Just toggle to the word and get definitions instantly, even with the wireless off. It’s great for traveling, too. I take one Kindle and not 6 paperbacks. Not having books stored here and there is awesome. If I need a book after I’ve read it and deleted it, Amazon sends it right back to me for free. From this active reader to other active readers, buy a Kindle…you’ll love it.
Comment by Kim — December 2, 2009 @ 5:32 pm
I know the Sony allows you to download books from your public library. Does Kindle do the same? Also, does Sony have the feature for the NY Times to be downloaded like Kindle? These are two features I will use for sure and this will help in my decision for which to purchase.
This link has been very helpful. Thanks.
Comment by Rosemarie — December 8, 2009 @ 8:31 am
Hello, I go to the used book store and purchase old used books, (paperbacks) mostly. I very seldom buy a new release. I have a computer and Ipod, but struggle with both every time I down load music. (I am not real computer savy but know enough to be dangerous) If I purchase a Sony or Kindle, I would want to go to a website and search for older books mostly. For example on my last trip to the used book store, I bought a couple of older Star Trek books from the 70’s. Which of the two devices above would be best for me?
Comment by mick — December 8, 2009 @ 9:50 am
@Rosemarie–You can email your own content to Amazon and they will package it for your Kindle to download for ten cents per each. It’s not free like it is on the Sony. The Sony, however, cannot download anything as it’s not connected to the Internet. They do have a new Internet connected model that we have not yet reviewed and for that reason I can’t comment on it.
Comment by Matthew — December 8, 2009 @ 12:10 pm
@Mick–There is not a lot of old content available in digitized form for either platform. That said, you can rather simply download free out-of-print and open-source books from Project Gutenberg and read it on the Sony. Click the link in my signature to go to project Gutenberg. For your use, I would choose the Sony.
Comment by Matthew — December 8, 2009 @ 12:12 pm
No one has mentioned the difference in powering the two devices. I think , not sure, that Sony charges extra for the wall charger. On the other hand, I understand that the Kindle needs to be resent to Amazon for battery change every two years. How are the batteries on the Sony?
Comment by James — December 9, 2009 @ 2:39 pm
@James–The sony comes with it’s charger, as does the Kindle, and also has a built-in battery as does the Kindle. My Sony 505 is two years old and still going just fine. Lithium Ion batteries have a typical lifetime of 300 cycles, and because you need only charge the ebooks once per week with constant use, you should expect them to run for at least five years on a single battery, longer if you use them less frequently.
Comment by Matthew — December 9, 2009 @ 5:20 pm
great feedback. I just received a Kindle as a gift and went to buy a new release book. Diana Gabaldon has written 7 books in a series and not one was listed for sale. Amazon sells the book but not through Kindle. I can download it for 10 bucks from eReader but then Amazon would charge me 10 cents a page to have it for my Kindle if I understand you? YIKES! Is there a format that we can write Amazon/Kindle to get them to offer books that they sell for the Kindle? because now I will have to go buy the book….grrrr
Comment by Pam — December 23, 2009 @ 8:25 am
Can you highlight important text on a pdf or book with a Kindle2. I want to use it for educational purposes. Highlighting the main points in a book or PDF will alloww me to use it in the lecture room.
Comment by michael — December 25, 2009 @ 7:44 am
I just received a Sony Reader for Christmas. While I love the device itself, I am amazed at the difference in costs between the Sony Reader and the Kindle. Seems most books on Amazon Kindle are 9.99 while the Sony Reader are all the higher prices – even $60 for a Biggest Loser book. Am I reading this right? Why are Sony’s so much more expensive? Does anyone have ideas on how to get more books for less via the Sony Reader. I am considering returning the Sony Reader and getting a Kindle. I read both for pleasure and for work, and travel.
Comment by Lisa — December 30, 2009 @ 8:20 am
Dear Lisa,
RETURN YOUR SONY READER NOW!!
Apple is coming out with a new tablet that will eat both the Sony and the Kindle for breakfast. You’ll need to wait three months, but it will be worth it.
Laura
Comment by Laura Moncur — December 30, 2009 @ 9:05 am
@Laura,
The highly anticipated ‘iSlate’ which Apple will announced at the end of the month is predicted to cost around $1000 US. Not worth it if all you need is an eReader. It’s predicted to be a hybrid of an eReader and iPhone.
Hailey
Comment by Hailey — January 18, 2010 @ 6:21 am
Hailey,
There are a lot of rumors flying around, it’s true. All I’m saying is that it’s a good idea to delay any purchases until we know the whole story.
Heck, I even put off a laptop purchase just in case this new Apple device is that expensive.
Laura
Comment by Laura Moncur — January 18, 2010 @ 10:37 pm
Silly question(s) I think… I am really interested in both these products, and am not good at reading between the lines. My sole reason for wanting one of these devises is to cut down on the amount of books I have around my house, as it is not uncommon for me to read 2 books a week, and well that’s a lot of paper around the house. If I get the Reader can I download e books from Chapters? I understand the Kindle is just for Amazon… and that Sony does have its own store… but if I get the Sony can I download from chapters as well. Also… any idea if Sony is going to come out with a larger screen like the Kindle did? I am attempting my own research before I present to my husband for his opinion and advice.
Comment by Sandra_P — January 19, 2010 @ 4:24 pm
Hi Sandra,
Sony has already released a large-format reader called the Sony Daily Edition. I’m not sure what “Chapters” refers to–do you have a website URL you can post?
Comment by Matthew — January 19, 2010 @ 4:52 pm
Is the Sony daily edition available in Canada? Its not on the web site. Or I am missing something. Chapters is a book store with e-books… http://www.chapters.ca and offers e-books through http://www.kobobooks.com thanks for helping
Comment by Sandra_P — January 19, 2010 @ 5:09 pm
Hi Sandra–Your best bet will be to contact Chapters and ask what e-book readers they support. I don’t know how to tell what Sony sells in Canada, but you can google “Sony Daily Edition” for retailers.
Comment by Matthew — January 19, 2010 @ 5:52 pm
Thanks for your help… I called Sony Canada and they believe it will be available in February.
Comment by Sandra_P — January 19, 2010 @ 6:56 pm
I tried and returned a Kindle2–didn’t enjoy reading grey on grey. I have the Kindle app on my iPhone but don’t like to burn precious battery juice ‘just reading.’ I have the Kindle reader on my PC so I can continue reading the two books I bought on my laptop. I also have the Sony reader on my Mac. Big feature of Amazon is giving you a very large sample to read to help you decide if you want to buy the book or not. Sony doesn’t offer this. I think Laura is right about Apple’s ‘iSlate’ or more likely name ‘iPad’. If it uses a similar OS to the iPhone and retains the Kindle app, then it will rule the e-reader universe for sure, even at triple or quadruple the cost of the other readers, because it will also be in color, have a browser, email, Skype, drawing apps, play HD movies rented from iTunes, etc. etc.
Comment by Dave — January 22, 2010 @ 10:53 am
I wish to know if self-published educational material can be easily loaded onto the SONY Reader, the Kindle2 and if there is a cost to either.
This is important to me.
Thank you.
Philip G. Schoewe President Real Estate Eduacators Assocation
Comment by Philip Schoewe — February 17, 2010 @ 11:36 pm
I have been reading e-books for about a year now in PDF format from all different websites that sell them. Just recently brought my netbook outside to enjoy the weather and could not read the screen due to glare. Which device works better outside and with glare. I read 3 or 4 books a week and so far find it easy to download to my computer and then transfer to the netbook. Any time I have down time, waiting at the doctor office, etc. I pull out a book. So I’m looking to choose a portable device I can use a lot.
Comment by Tammy Gleason — March 21, 2010 @ 4:03 pm
Hi Tammy, As mentioned in the article, both ebook readers use the same display. They are both excellent for readability in direct sun, as are all e-ink book readers. Readers like smartphones and the iPad will be far worse outdoors in direct sun.
Comment by Matthew — March 21, 2010 @ 4:19 pm
CORRECTION to the Kindle: Just connect to the usb port of your computer and copy pdf’s for free to your kindle. Fairly easy to read, too. With long battery life I love the Kindle and enjoy reading an every growing list of books. Why, it’s replaced my watching itunes on my iphone. (watch out, Apple!)
Comment by Peter — March 31, 2010 @ 2:18 pm