Trying to choose between the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader is no easy task! This is made even more difficult by the fact that there are fans on both sides of the argument. The best thing for you to do is to look at the facts for yourself to make your decision.
The price is the first aspect to consider when shopping for ebook readers. In this case the prices for both ebook readers aren't very different. The Kindle is priced at $359 right now. The PRS700 is Sony's Newest Model is priced at about $400, which is only about $40 more. With either model, you're going to pay, but the Kindle is the best buy in terms of price.
Another very important feature when comparing the Kindle vs. the Sony Reader 700 is the availability of content. In this category, the Kindle beats the Sony Reader hands down. At the time of this writing, there are over 190,000 books available at the Kindle Store as well as today's most popular magazines, newspapers, and blogs. The eBook Store from Sony only has 60,000 titles but that is expected to grow to 100,000 by early 2009. You cannot download newspapers, magazines, or blogs from Sony's store either.
Your next concern is probably which reader has more visual appeal, in both senses of how it is easy it is for reading from, as well as how nice it looks for showing off to friends. Both readers exploit E-ink technology which visually resembles 'normal' paper, so that eye strain while reading is reduced and it feels as if you are reading a "normal" book.
If you consider the looks of the devices, the Sony Reader definitely looks better. The biggest complaint against the Kindle is its ugly looks-it looks as if it was designed in the late 90s. In contrast, the Sony Reader 700 has a slick, iPod-like look that would be expected for device that debuted in 2008.
Speaking of design, the Sony Reader display is a touch screen while the Kindle is not. While this is a great step forward for ebook readers and would seem to give the Sony the advantage, it seems to have affected the overall quality of the Sony's display. Sony had to add the touch screen layer on top of their e-ink screen layer. This means that some of the contrast and "real book" feel that is noticeable on the Amazon Kindle are missing. That doesn't mean that books are unreadable, it just means that if you were to compare the displays on these two devices side-by-side, you'd probably be able to tell the Kindle has better contrast and is a bit sharper.
You can increase the font size in both of these readers. This is good for those occasions when you have difficulties reading small print. The Sony Reader 700 has a slight edge over the Kindle in that it comes with a LED back-light for reading in low light conditions. While this at first instance sounds great because there is no longer the need for a clip-on light, reviewers have complained that the back light performs poorly and even, at times, makes reading more difficult due to its adverse effects on text contrast and visibility.
Nobody wants to lug around a huge and massive device. The good news is that both units only weigh roughly 10 ounces each, about the weight of some paperback books, so that they can be easily carried about while traveling or reading. The Sony reader is slightly smaller than the Kindle, which could be a plus or minus point depending on how you perceive it. Nobody wants to lug around a huge and massive device. The good news is that both units only weigh roughly 10 ounces each, about the weight of an average-sized paperback book.
Where these two devices really separate is the ease with which you can download books and get them on your reader. With Sony you have to download them to your PC, hook up a USB cable, transfer the files to your reader, and then open them. With the Kindle you don't need a computer thanks to its free wireless capabilities. You simply connect to the Kindle Store, find the book you want, click a few buttons, and within a minute or so it's there for you. The Kindle is definitely easier in this regard.
You also need to consider the amount of storage space available. Both devices can store over 200 books, which is more than enough for the average reader. If you intend to buy many books or need to refer to many different ones, the Sony reader is perhaps more suitable as it can store more books than the Kindle and the external memory cards it supports have larger memory capacity than those for the Kindle.
Last but not least, the final factor which you need to consider is the ebook formats supported by each device. While both devices have their own propitiatory formats, only the Amazon reader supports the immensely popular MOBI format. If you own content in that format, then it is obvious which reader you should get.
So now you have a comparison of all the features of the top two ebook readers currently available. Each person must decide which reader suits him/her best, because each of us has different preferences. Consider all the information regarding the various features to determine which you prefer. But the majority of people go with the Amazon Kindle because of its unparalleled content availability and wireless capabilities. - 16928
The price is the first aspect to consider when shopping for ebook readers. In this case the prices for both ebook readers aren't very different. The Kindle is priced at $359 right now. The PRS700 is Sony's Newest Model is priced at about $400, which is only about $40 more. With either model, you're going to pay, but the Kindle is the best buy in terms of price.
Another very important feature when comparing the Kindle vs. the Sony Reader 700 is the availability of content. In this category, the Kindle beats the Sony Reader hands down. At the time of this writing, there are over 190,000 books available at the Kindle Store as well as today's most popular magazines, newspapers, and blogs. The eBook Store from Sony only has 60,000 titles but that is expected to grow to 100,000 by early 2009. You cannot download newspapers, magazines, or blogs from Sony's store either.
Your next concern is probably which reader has more visual appeal, in both senses of how it is easy it is for reading from, as well as how nice it looks for showing off to friends. Both readers exploit E-ink technology which visually resembles 'normal' paper, so that eye strain while reading is reduced and it feels as if you are reading a "normal" book.
If you consider the looks of the devices, the Sony Reader definitely looks better. The biggest complaint against the Kindle is its ugly looks-it looks as if it was designed in the late 90s. In contrast, the Sony Reader 700 has a slick, iPod-like look that would be expected for device that debuted in 2008.
Speaking of design, the Sony Reader display is a touch screen while the Kindle is not. While this is a great step forward for ebook readers and would seem to give the Sony the advantage, it seems to have affected the overall quality of the Sony's display. Sony had to add the touch screen layer on top of their e-ink screen layer. This means that some of the contrast and "real book" feel that is noticeable on the Amazon Kindle are missing. That doesn't mean that books are unreadable, it just means that if you were to compare the displays on these two devices side-by-side, you'd probably be able to tell the Kindle has better contrast and is a bit sharper.
You can increase the font size in both of these readers. This is good for those occasions when you have difficulties reading small print. The Sony Reader 700 has a slight edge over the Kindle in that it comes with a LED back-light for reading in low light conditions. While this at first instance sounds great because there is no longer the need for a clip-on light, reviewers have complained that the back light performs poorly and even, at times, makes reading more difficult due to its adverse effects on text contrast and visibility.
Nobody wants to lug around a huge and massive device. The good news is that both units only weigh roughly 10 ounces each, about the weight of some paperback books, so that they can be easily carried about while traveling or reading. The Sony reader is slightly smaller than the Kindle, which could be a plus or minus point depending on how you perceive it. Nobody wants to lug around a huge and massive device. The good news is that both units only weigh roughly 10 ounces each, about the weight of an average-sized paperback book.
Where these two devices really separate is the ease with which you can download books and get them on your reader. With Sony you have to download them to your PC, hook up a USB cable, transfer the files to your reader, and then open them. With the Kindle you don't need a computer thanks to its free wireless capabilities. You simply connect to the Kindle Store, find the book you want, click a few buttons, and within a minute or so it's there for you. The Kindle is definitely easier in this regard.
You also need to consider the amount of storage space available. Both devices can store over 200 books, which is more than enough for the average reader. If you intend to buy many books or need to refer to many different ones, the Sony reader is perhaps more suitable as it can store more books than the Kindle and the external memory cards it supports have larger memory capacity than those for the Kindle.
Last but not least, the final factor which you need to consider is the ebook formats supported by each device. While both devices have their own propitiatory formats, only the Amazon reader supports the immensely popular MOBI format. If you own content in that format, then it is obvious which reader you should get.
So now you have a comparison of all the features of the top two ebook readers currently available. Each person must decide which reader suits him/her best, because each of us has different preferences. Consider all the information regarding the various features to determine which you prefer. But the majority of people go with the Amazon Kindle because of its unparalleled content availability and wireless capabilities. - 16928
About the Author:
Still unsure which of these handheld ebook readers is right for you this year? Check out a side-by-side comparison of the Kindle vs. Sony eBook Reader to help you make a decision!
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