Sun 10 Aug 2008
What’s better than Amazon Kindle? Sony Digital Reader!
Posted by Bashar under Amazon, Technology
If there is one eBook reader that is promising to me right now, it’s this one
It looks fancier, overall bit smaller than Amazon Kindle, cheaper, comes with 100 FREE classic eBooks, and best of all… it’s open. It can be used to view images, unsecured audio, unsecured text books, and for DRM books, you can use eBooks purchased somewhere else than Sony on them, unlike the Amazon monopoly scheme.
I will be keeping an eye on it and see how it goes.
Popularity: 14% [?]
August 10th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
though I’m all for technology, still can’t seem to get over the classic old paper books! But I guess transition happens slowly.
regarding unsecure, you mean like the ones that come with some PDFs ?? too lazy to look into it ;)
I might get me one of those if they aren’t that expensive, instead of carrying some of my technical books around, that’s if they come with e-format
August 11th, 2008 at 12:52 am
I wouldn’t consider myself as an e-book reader, but I like where this is going. My concerns so far are weight and battery life, but I believe this is being improved upon.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:48 am
Open? As I understand it, only if you use the SONY supplied conversion software.
As for the “free” books, those are all one that you can already get for free on Projectgutenburg. That is like going to the beach and some guy saying “hey, rent this nice sandy area and I’ll throw in this fantastic bit of water!”
Sorry if I’m ragging on you, but most of what you are praising about the reader prs505 just isn’t better than the kindle.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:16 am
my friend -in the States- settled for it because of the price tag on it! Shes happy with it but also said it responds slowly between books but once you are in one pages turn really fast.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:38 am
maryam: I still don’t feel like it to be honest, but as you said, it’s something that progresses slowly.
I think unsecured means you can copy the text of the eBook and such. There will definitely be technical eBooks, though I wouldn’t like reading technical books there. Maybe articles, but not books. Technical books have been useful on my laptop. Instead of a book on my lap, I just flip pages on the laptop and follow the steps.
3baid: I am not fancy of it now either, but I don’t wanna be left behind technology, so I’m keeping an eye on it. I wanna hold one and try it before I think of buying it though.
D: Thanks for the comments. Seems you have tried the Kindle. What I really hated about it is, you have to buy books from Amazon and it will stay on the Kindle only. They have their own DRM format and do not follow a public DRM format. That’s what makes me hate it. Correct me if I am wrong here.
Ansam: She got the Sony one? I am OK with a bit slow switch between books, but within the same book… does it lag when I want to flip the page? If yes then pardon me, I don’t need it.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Not really into the e-reader just now.
I still prefer the smell of paper from those freshly printed books or the old books that have been sitting on the shelf for a while!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:28 am
I barely read books so this is not a piece I would want to have. However, I’m quite sure it will scratch the history of Kindle and would top it out in sales and reviews.
August 14th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Marzouq: I understand, but I gotta keep my eye on things before I become an old fashion and start arguing a typewriter is better than a computer :P. I doubt we will have anything soon that replaces the joy of small light flippable pages in a book.
MacaholiQ8: Top it in reviews maybe, but Kindle are playing tough game marketing their Kindle on #1 online store, and people who already bought it wouldn’t want it to die.
However I will have to disagree about not reading books. It’s not the reading that fascinates me, but what I get out of it. Give it a shot!