silverthunder | (no subject)

So, who all has a Kindle? Is it any good? Easy to use? Durable? How do you think it holds up against Sony's new PRS-600?

I really hate the touchscreen Sony loves so much (particularly since it makes the screen reflective and that would bug the crap out of me), but their non-touchscreen models apparently aren't as good (someone correct me if I'm wrong about this). However, Sony has the advantage of supporting the format used for library books (Kindle does not). I also don't care about wireless networks and downloading books immediately to the device, so that feature doesn't give Kindle any particular advantage in my opinion.

I don't know if I'd actually end up using up the space on the Kindle (3GB is a lot for books, and I can always keep a backup on my PC and swap books in/out if I somehow end up with that many of them), but the Sony has SD slots that allow you to expand the memory, which is another plus. Unfortunately, Sony starts out with only 512MB.

Another nice thing about the Kindle is the price. It's about $60 cheaper than the Sony. Even with the shipping cost added to that, it's still going to be less expensive.

Small instant-gratification issue: I could buy a Sony from Future Shop and have it immediately, but Kindle is temporarily sold out and won't be shipped before Sept 20th according to Amazon. I am not a patient person. It is tempting to go with Sony just so I can have it now.

One of my co-workers just got the new Kindle and loves it, and one of my friends has a Sony PRS-700 (very similar to the 600, I understand) and loves it. I'm kind of wavering between them - which would I like better? I don't know.

Any thoughts or insight?

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The Kindle is fine if you just plan on purchasing things from Amazon or what have you from what I've heard, since it's lame and only supports specific formats. That and I think that some publishers won't permit them to use their books on it because of that feature or something else that's silly. (These are things I heard from the 2nd in command @ work. She has a Sony, and kept telling us about the new Kindle, Sony, Kobo stuff.) But ya, if you don't mind those couple of downsides then maybe the Kindle is right for you! :D

I've only personally seen the Kobo up close and personal. It's purdy. But ya, lacking a few features, but for $150 what can ya do?

Oh, you can get any format on there. ;) It wasn't hard to find references to a very easy converter for any files that are unsupported (like ePub files, which are used by libraries and a few of the sites that sell ebooks). Also, Kindle advertises the fact that it's compatible with various sites that offer free ebooks, so you don't even have to convert anything coming from there.

My co-worker has the Kindle. He hasn't bought any books from Amazon. All he does is download books from elsewhere and put them on there. He says it's ridiculously easy - once you have them in the right format, you plug the Kindle in to your computer and add them just like you would to a USB drive. I got to check it out yesterday when he brought it in, and it the display is very nice.

I don't mind doing the file conversion if the device is well-priced, easy to use, nice to read, and has the functionality I want. The pricing and the touchscreen are pretty much killing the Sony for me. The Kindle is $140. Sony is $200. Even with shipping, the Kindle is significantly cheaper. And the screen doesn't have reflective glare.

I would really like to demo a Sony before making the decision. Maybe I'll ask Ashley if I can give hers a go, since she has the PRS-700.

I would love to get the Kobo because it's a Canadian product and has a nice simple design that I like (plus it's on sale for $128 right now). But the lack of bookmarks and skip-to-page ability nixed that for me, unfortunately. if it had those two things, I would probably get one.