The 2008 Comparison of the Kindle vs. Sony Reader
Posted: Monday, December 22, 2008
by Travis Van Slooten
It isn't easy to decide between the Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle! Both devices have their own ardent fan bases, and the best you can do is to evaluate the facts on both devices before you decide.
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.
The next issue that may be of concern is the visual aspects of each. Which one provides a better visual experience when reading or when displaying information to others? Because both readers make use of the e-ink technology, the experience is similar to that of reading from regular paper. You feel like you are reading from the pages of a traditional book and you are less likely to suffer from eyestrain.
As far as looks, the Sony Reader is far superior to the Kindle. The thing that most people hate about the Kindle is its dated look. It looks like a product of the '90's, not 2008! In comparison, the Sony Reader 700 has a far more appealing look, similar to that of an iPod. This is more in line with a device marketed 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 enlarge the font size of the print in both of these products which is a godsend if you find it challenging to read small print. The Sony Reader 700 has an LED backlight which, in theory, is quite helpful when you are trying to read in an environment with little ambient lighting. The reality of the situation is, though, that many Sony Reader users feel that the backlight does not adequately light the screen; sometimes it even makes it more difficult to read due to poor contrast and visibility of the text. So although the Amazon Kindle does not have a backlight feature, it may not be at much of a disadvantage.
Since no one wants to carry around a big, bulky device, you'll also be pleased to know that both units only weigh in at about 10 ounces. That is about the weight of some paperbacks! This makes them easy to travel with and easy to carry while reading. Still, the Sony reader is a little bit smaller than the Kindle, which can be good and bad depending on how you look at it.
What clearly distinguishes these two devices is the ease with which you can download contents and input them into the reader. While for the Sony device you need to first download the content into your PC and then download them into the reader via a USB cable, a PC is not necessary for the Kindle because of its own built-in wireless capabilities. You can just connect to the Kindle store and download content directly into the Kindle with the click of of a few buttons, making the Kindle far easier to use in this aspect.
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.
And finally and most importantly, it is within your great interest to take responsibility for managing the eBook formats you choose to utilize on each device. Although both tools have been designed to work with their own proprietary formats, only the Amazon reader also interfaces with the highly preferred MOBI file format. So if you have MOBI files, your choice of readers is a no-brainer.
Now, the two best ebook readers on the market have been compared. Everybody has different tastes and needs, so when you shop around, be sure to consider all the features. The Amazon Kindle has the capability to become wireless, and is one of the best readers due to the wide variety of content available for it.
Still unsure which of these handheld ebook readers is right for you this year? Check out a side-by-side comparison of the Amazon Kindle vs. Sony eBook Reader and it will make your shopping decision much easier!
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