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 first factor that comes to your mind would likely be the price. Both devices are similarly priced, although the newest Sony model, the PRS700, at slightly less than $400 costs about $40 more than the $359 Kindle. While both models are not cheap, the Kindle has the advantage in 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.
The next thing you're probably concerned about is which one is better visually both to read from and to look at and show off to your friends. The good news here is that both readers use the e-ink technology that makes it look just like regular paper. This reduces the possibility of strain on your eyes and makes you feel more like you're reading a "regular" book.
In terms of what these devices look like, the Sony Reader easily trumps the Kindle. The biggest gripe about the Kindle is that the device is plain ugly! It looks like a device designed in the late 90's. The Sony Reader 700, on the other hand, has a slick black "iPodish" look to it. It is what you would expect for a design of a device in 2008.
While we are on the topic of design, the Sony Reader features a touch screen display which the Kindle lacks. Unfortunately, the touch screen feature seems to detract from the quality of the Sony Reader's display. Because the touch screen layer was superimposed on top of the e-ink screen layer, the contrast and "real book" feel are lacking on the Sony as opposed to the Kindle. In a side-by-side comparison of the two, you would probably notice better contrast and sharpness on the Kindle.
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.
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.
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.
A very important feature to consider is available storage space. For the average user, both products have more than enough storage space, allowing you to store more than 200 books. But the Sony Reader can store more books than the Kindle; in addition, larger external memory cards can be used with it resulting in significantly more storage capacity than that available in the Kindle. So if you buy many books or need to refer to many, the Sony Reader may offer an advantage in this area.
Last but not least, you need to concern yourself with the ebook formats you can use on each device. While they have both come out with their own format, only Amazon's reader accepts the very popular MOBI file format. If you have files in that format, your choice is probably very clear.
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. - 16039
The first factor that comes to your mind would likely be the price. Both devices are similarly priced, although the newest Sony model, the PRS700, at slightly less than $400 costs about $40 more than the $359 Kindle. While both models are not cheap, the Kindle has the advantage in 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.
The next thing you're probably concerned about is which one is better visually both to read from and to look at and show off to your friends. The good news here is that both readers use the e-ink technology that makes it look just like regular paper. This reduces the possibility of strain on your eyes and makes you feel more like you're reading a "regular" book.
In terms of what these devices look like, the Sony Reader easily trumps the Kindle. The biggest gripe about the Kindle is that the device is plain ugly! It looks like a device designed in the late 90's. The Sony Reader 700, on the other hand, has a slick black "iPodish" look to it. It is what you would expect for a design of a device in 2008.
While we are on the topic of design, the Sony Reader features a touch screen display which the Kindle lacks. Unfortunately, the touch screen feature seems to detract from the quality of the Sony Reader's display. Because the touch screen layer was superimposed on top of the e-ink screen layer, the contrast and "real book" feel are lacking on the Sony as opposed to the Kindle. In a side-by-side comparison of the two, you would probably notice better contrast and sharpness on the Kindle.
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.
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.
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.
A very important feature to consider is available storage space. For the average user, both products have more than enough storage space, allowing you to store more than 200 books. But the Sony Reader can store more books than the Kindle; in addition, larger external memory cards can be used with it resulting in significantly more storage capacity than that available in the Kindle. So if you buy many books or need to refer to many, the Sony Reader may offer an advantage in this area.
Last but not least, you need to concern yourself with the ebook formats you can use on each device. While they have both come out with their own format, only Amazon's reader accepts the very popular MOBI file format. If you have files in that format, your choice is probably very clear.
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. - 16039
About the Author:
Still not sure which of these handheld ebook readers is best for you this year? See the side-by-side comparison of the Amazon Kindle vs. Sony Reader and it will make your buying decision much easier!
