Comments on: Two weeks with a Sony PRS-700: Preconceptions

By: Chris Meadows

Chris Meadows — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:45:51 +0000

@Mark: A valid point, but on the other hand if I had waited for Peanut Press to drop DRM, I’d still be waiting—and would not have had the enjoyment from all the books I’ve bought from them up to this point. That’s called “letting the perfect be the enemy of the good” or perhaps “cutting off your nose to spite your face.”

Whatever e-reader I end up getting, there will probably be DRM woes involved sooner or later. I’ll just figure out how to deal with them if and when that time comes.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:22:16 +0000

I just wanted to point out something about your dislike of the “formats” available. You complain about not being able to load previously purchased DRM ebooks onto the Sony because it doesn’t support that format. I don’t think that’s Sony’s fault, but instead your own stupidity in previously purchasing said DRM formatted books. That’s the problem with blindly accepting DRM’d formats and if you had thought long and hard about the future of those purchased ebooks when you paid for them, you would have come to the conclusion that purchasing DRM’d formatted ebooks is risky and thus you have to take responsibility for your own actions. Perhaps if you vocally protested and didn’t support said formats, we could all get DRMless ebooks or even a DRM “standard” that will be available on all future devices.

By: Brad Vertrees

Brad Vertrees — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:56:20 +0000

I have a Sony PRS 500 and love it. The issue of no wireless or cellular connectivity is not a big deal for me. If I’m traveling I always have my computer with me and if there’s a book I really want, I’ll download to computer then transfer to device. For me, it’s not a big deal.

As far as battery life goes, I’m a little disappointed on this front. My battery doesn’t seem to last nearly as long as Sony advertises, and the battery does go dead if I don’t use the device for several weeks.

I’m seriously considering upgrading to the PRS 505 for the ePub capability.

By: TheRealBillC

TheRealBillC — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:32:34 +0000

Both my wife and a friend have Kindle 2’s while I have a Sony 700. They both like the ability to download books without a computer, but they have “light” envy. The built in light is much more important to actually reading then the need to pre-plan and load your reader with a few books, so you always have something to read. I can read with no other light on in the room, while they need a lamp on. This is the biggest negative of the Kindle (other than format choices), while the 9.99 book pricing is a big plus, if you read best sellers.

By: Alan Wallcraft

Alan Wallcraft — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:02:08 +0000

The Sony store only sells LRX ebooks. As McLabb says, try WHSmith or BoB for ePubs.

Many places sell Adobe PDF, and US lending libraries (if they stock ebooks at all) tend to have many Adobe PDFs. A few lending libraries now have ePubs as well.

By: McLabb

McLabb — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:39:10 +0000

I have a similar “problem” on my Sony 505: the battery does run down, even not using the device, if I let it on “standby” for about three weeks – but I don’t think this is a real problem, it only was bad the first time as it come as a surprise and I was in a train for two hours without any other reading device (and no book o magazine or newspaper); now I also own an IPod Touch which is my backup reading device!

As to DRMed ePub:

You said that “And I don’t know of anyone (apart from Sony’s own store) who sells e-books in DRM’d ePub yet.”

Well, I know about at least three bookstores who sell them (and I’ve bought from one or two and transfered the books to my Sony without any problem): Waterstones and VHSmith – which are the Sony bookstore substitutes on Europe – and BooksonBoard.

By: Dana Hartsock

Dana Hartsock — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:00:35 +0000

Li-ion batteries self-discharge, it’s a fact of life. No mystery there. For reading I prefer the Sony over the Kindle. The connectivity thing is the great innovation of the Kindle, and no one else has a book store that can really compete. That said, I personally can live without the connectivity. I’ve been downloading over the computer for 11 years with my Rocket eBook. Would it be nice to have… yes. My eBookwise reader can get books off a phone connection.

Kindle needs a touch screen, lighting, and ePub support. Not buying until then. Sony has the best design at the moment. Let’s see if they had wireless in the next iteration.

By: Paul Biba

Paul Biba — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:10:42 +0000

Regarding battery life, I’ve had a Sony 500, 505, Kindle 1 and 2 and the battery does not run down if the units are unused, or at least not noticeably so when left for a couple of weeks. It’s either a 700 quirk or your friend’s 700 is defective. I suggest he call Sony support and see what they say.

Looking forward to your typically astute observations. Despite the Kindle’s problems with formats, I find that the connectivity is persuasive. As a matter of fact I find that I’m using the Kindle software on my iPhone almost more than the Kindle itself.