A 2009 Comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 Vs Sony Reader PRS-700
Travis Van Slooten asked:
The Amazon Kindle 2 and the Sony Reader PRS-700 are two of the hottest ebook readers to hit the market in the past 12 months, bringing reading pleasure to an entirely new level. For those who are new to ebook reading devices and are interested in getting one, here’s a comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Sony Reader and how they match up against each other.
Price
The price of any gadget is a big factor for many individuals especially for first-time buyers. The Amazon Kindle 2 is currently priced at $359, while the Sony Reader is currently pegged at $399, making the Kindle 2 cheaper by $40.
ADVANTAGE: Amazon Kindle 2
Size and Weight
The size and weight of these gadgets don’t really give one distinct advantage over the other. The Sony Reader PRS-700 weighs around 10 oz., the Kindle 2 just slightly over that. The Sony Reader is a bit wider and thicker, while the Kindle is a couple inches longer. In any case, both are very convenient to carry around.
ADVANTAGE: Tie
Display
The two reading devices both use e-ink technology which creates a display that is very similar to text on paper, eliminating eye strain, and providing an easy read with crisp, clear text and images. The Amazon Kindle 2009 however, is now enhanced with 16 shades of gray, while the Sony Reader has an 8-level gray scale.
ADVANTAGE: Amazon Kindle 2
Wireless Capabilities
Here is a category where the Sony Reader is clearly bested by the Kindle. The Amazon Kindle 2nd generation makes use of the Whispernet technology, providing free wireless coverage in the US via Sprint’s 3G high-speed network. Kindle users can gain access to over 240,000 book titles, magazines, newspapers, and even blogs. By just choosing the reading content of choice and paying for it, the book or magazine will be downloaded to the Kindle anytime, anywhere within minutes! The Sony Reader PRS-700 on the other hand, still lacks this wireless capability, and with only less than 100,000 books to choose from, it does not even come close to the breadth of content that the Kindle offers.
ADVANTAGE: Amazon Kindle 2
Formats Supported
Both electronic book readers support most commonly used formats such as TXT, MP3, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP, plus some formats unique to each device. The Sony Reader however, supports PDF while the Kindle 2 does not – not directly, anyway. PDFs still need to be emailed to Kindle’s support desk to be converted for viewing on the Kindle and Amazon has gives an advance notice that “some complex PDF files may not format correctly” on the Kindle.
ADVANTAGE: Sony Reader 700
Storage Capacity
In this feature, the Sony Reader gains the clear upper hand. True, the Amazon Kindle 2 has 2G of internal memory of which 1.4g is available for content and can hold up to 1,500 books, but it no longer supports external memory cards. While the Sony Reader’s 256mb internal memory may seem like peanuts compared to the Kindle, the main advantage actually lies in the Sony’s ability to support up to 16G of external memory. Now that’s a great benefit not only when it comes to holding thousands of content should one need it, but also for managing files into different memory cards.
ADVANTAGE: Sony Reader PRS-700
Battery Life and Charge Time
The two ebook readers have the same capacity when it comes to battery life. On a fully charged Kindle 2 or Sony Reader, one can read straight for two weeks without needing a recharge. The only difference is that if the Kindle 2 is used with the wireless turned on, the battery capacity is reduced to just four days. Charging time for both readers is four hours via USB, or two hours using an AC wall charger.
ADVANTAGE: Tie
The Bottom Line 2009 Comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 vs Sony eBook Reader:
Although it’s not a total knock out for the Kindle over the Sony Reader, it’s close! The Amazon Kindle 2 remains the better ebook reader hands-down. The price, breadth of content, wireless capabilities, and overall design improvements of the Amazon Kindle 2nd generation makes it a clear winner over the Sony Reader 700.
The Amazon Kindle 2 and the Sony Reader PRS-700 are two of the hottest ebook readers to hit the market in the past 12 months, bringing reading pleasure to an entirely new level. For those who are new to ebook reading devices and are interested in getting one, here’s a comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Sony Reader and how they match up against each other.
Price
The price of any gadget is a big factor for many individuals especially for first-time buyers. The Amazon Kindle 2 is currently priced at $359, while the Sony Reader is currently pegged at $399, making the Kindle 2 cheaper by $40.
ADVANTAGE: Amazon Kindle 2
Size and Weight
The size and weight of these gadgets don’t really give one distinct advantage over the other. The Sony Reader PRS-700 weighs around 10 oz., the Kindle 2 just slightly over that. The Sony Reader is a bit wider and thicker, while the Kindle is a couple inches longer. In any case, both are very convenient to carry around.
ADVANTAGE: Tie
Display
The two reading devices both use e-ink technology which creates a display that is very similar to text on paper, eliminating eye strain, and providing an easy read with crisp, clear text and images. The Amazon Kindle 2009 however, is now enhanced with 16 shades of gray, while the Sony Reader has an 8-level gray scale.
ADVANTAGE: Amazon Kindle 2
Wireless Capabilities
Here is a category where the Sony Reader is clearly bested by the Kindle. The Amazon Kindle 2nd generation makes use of the Whispernet technology, providing free wireless coverage in the US via Sprint’s 3G high-speed network. Kindle users can gain access to over 240,000 book titles, magazines, newspapers, and even blogs. By just choosing the reading content of choice and paying for it, the book or magazine will be downloaded to the Kindle anytime, anywhere within minutes! The Sony Reader PRS-700 on the other hand, still lacks this wireless capability, and with only less than 100,000 books to choose from, it does not even come close to the breadth of content that the Kindle offers.
ADVANTAGE: Amazon Kindle 2
Formats Supported
Both electronic book readers support most commonly used formats such as TXT, MP3, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP, plus some formats unique to each device. The Sony Reader however, supports PDF while the Kindle 2 does not – not directly, anyway. PDFs still need to be emailed to Kindle’s support desk to be converted for viewing on the Kindle and Amazon has gives an advance notice that “some complex PDF files may not format correctly” on the Kindle.
ADVANTAGE: Sony Reader 700
Storage Capacity
In this feature, the Sony Reader gains the clear upper hand. True, the Amazon Kindle 2 has 2G of internal memory of which 1.4g is available for content and can hold up to 1,500 books, but it no longer supports external memory cards. While the Sony Reader’s 256mb internal memory may seem like peanuts compared to the Kindle, the main advantage actually lies in the Sony’s ability to support up to 16G of external memory. Now that’s a great benefit not only when it comes to holding thousands of content should one need it, but also for managing files into different memory cards.
ADVANTAGE: Sony Reader PRS-700
Battery Life and Charge Time
The two ebook readers have the same capacity when it comes to battery life. On a fully charged Kindle 2 or Sony Reader, one can read straight for two weeks without needing a recharge. The only difference is that if the Kindle 2 is used with the wireless turned on, the battery capacity is reduced to just four days. Charging time for both readers is four hours via USB, or two hours using an AC wall charger.
ADVANTAGE: Tie
The Bottom Line 2009 Comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 vs Sony eBook Reader:
Although it’s not a total knock out for the Kindle over the Sony Reader, it’s close! The Amazon Kindle 2 remains the better ebook reader hands-down. The price, breadth of content, wireless capabilities, and overall design improvements of the Amazon Kindle 2nd generation makes it a clear winner over the Sony Reader 700.
E Reader Review Terms
What is the Apple iPad and How Much Does it Cost?
TC Thorn asked:
Everything Apple does causes a storm in the tech world, but if you’re just an Average Joe (or Jane), you may be wondering what all the hubbub is about. What’s the Apple Ipad (and do you want one)? Let’s take a quick look.
What is the iPad?
The iPad is essentially a portable entertainment system. It allows you to watch movies, read ebooks and news stories, play games, listen to music, and send email (wireless connection required). It’s sort of a souped up version of the iPod Touch, except with a significantly larger display. With it’s full-color 9.7-inch screen, it matches the size of the Amazon Kindle DX (one of the largest-screened ebook readers currently on the market). The iPad weighs 1.5 pounds and, according to Apple, has 10 hours of battery life (computer manufacturers tend to overrate these things, but surely you’ll have enough to get through a couple movies before needing to recharge).
The iPad can run most App Store apps, and its interface is similar to that of the iPhone, so it’ll be an easy tool to use if you already have some familiarity with Apple’s recent products (and even if you don’t, the touch-based interface is quite intuitive).
While the iPad isn’t supposed to be a replacement for your laptop, it does have an iWork application suite app (which includes Keynote for presentations, Numbers for spreadsheets, and Pages for word processing) that you can download. This will allow you to do some basic computer work on it. As with the iPhone, an on-screen keyboard appears if you need to type in text. With the bigger screen size, the “keys” should be a little easier to use than on the iPhone. The iWork app costs $10 and will be available in the iTunes App Store.
What can’t the iPad do?
The one thing the iPad isn’t is a cell phone. You can’t make calls on it, and you need to have a local wifi signal in order to access the Apple store (to download more ebooks, movies, music, games, etc.).
How much does the iPad cost?
The original iPad costs $499. According to Apple there will be an upgraded 3G-enabled iPad (meaning you’ll be able to access the internet the same way a cell phone with a web browser does) in a few months. That version will reputedly cost $629 and run $29.99 a month for 3G access (unlike with the iPhone, there won’t be a monthly service contract that you have to sign).
Now that you know what the iPad is, you’ll have to decide if it’s the right all-in-one entertainment gadget for you!
Caffeinated Content – Members-Only Content for WordPress
Everything Apple does causes a storm in the tech world, but if you’re just an Average Joe (or Jane), you may be wondering what all the hubbub is about. What’s the Apple Ipad (and do you want one)? Let’s take a quick look.
What is the iPad?
The iPad is essentially a portable entertainment system. It allows you to watch movies, read ebooks and news stories, play games, listen to music, and send email (wireless connection required). It’s sort of a souped up version of the iPod Touch, except with a significantly larger display. With it’s full-color 9.7-inch screen, it matches the size of the Amazon Kindle DX (one of the largest-screened ebook readers currently on the market). The iPad weighs 1.5 pounds and, according to Apple, has 10 hours of battery life (computer manufacturers tend to overrate these things, but surely you’ll have enough to get through a couple movies before needing to recharge).
The iPad can run most App Store apps, and its interface is similar to that of the iPhone, so it’ll be an easy tool to use if you already have some familiarity with Apple’s recent products (and even if you don’t, the touch-based interface is quite intuitive).
While the iPad isn’t supposed to be a replacement for your laptop, it does have an iWork application suite app (which includes Keynote for presentations, Numbers for spreadsheets, and Pages for word processing) that you can download. This will allow you to do some basic computer work on it. As with the iPhone, an on-screen keyboard appears if you need to type in text. With the bigger screen size, the “keys” should be a little easier to use than on the iPhone. The iWork app costs $10 and will be available in the iTunes App Store.
What can’t the iPad do?
The one thing the iPad isn’t is a cell phone. You can’t make calls on it, and you need to have a local wifi signal in order to access the Apple store (to download more ebooks, movies, music, games, etc.).
How much does the iPad cost?
The original iPad costs $499. According to Apple there will be an upgraded 3G-enabled iPad (meaning you’ll be able to access the internet the same way a cell phone with a web browser does) in a few months. That version will reputedly cost $629 and run $29.99 a month for 3G access (unlike with the iPhone, there won’t be a monthly service contract that you have to sign).
Now that you know what the iPad is, you’ll have to decide if it’s the right all-in-one entertainment gadget for you!
Caffeinated Content – Members-Only Content for WordPress



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