Kindle vs. Sony Reader: 2008 Comparison
Editor’s Note: The Amazon Kindle 2 was recently released so we did an Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Sony Reader 2009 comparison. Be sure to check it out!
It’s time to do an updated 2008 comparison of the Amazon Kindle vs. Sony Reader PRS-700. These are the two hottest ebook readers on the market right now. The Kindle has been around since late 2007 and Sony’s latest model, the PRS-700, has been around since November 2008. Browse the table below and then be sure to read the comparison summary afterwards to see which device is the real winner. I’ll give you a hint, it’s not what the table would have you believe it is!
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Amazon Kindle vs. Sony Reader PRS-700 |
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Price |
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$359 w/Free Shipping at Amazon.com |
$399 w/Free Shipping at Amazon.com |
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Size and Weight |
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| 10.3 oz; 5.3" x 7.5" x 0.7" | 10 oz; 5.1" x 6.8" x 0.5" | |
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Display |
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| 6" diagonal E-Ink® electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 4-level gray scale | 6" diagonal E-Ink® electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 170 ppi, 8-level gray scale | |
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Wireless Capabilities |
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| FREE wireless connectivity through the same high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones so you never have to locate a hotspot. | None | |
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eBook Selection |
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| 190,000 book titles and growing, access to over 1,000 blogs and today’s most popular newspapers and magazines | 60,000 titles and growing; expected to be over 100,000 by early 2009; some blogs and no newspapers or magazines | |
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Formats Supported |
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| Kindle (AZW), TXT, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion | BBeB, ePub, TXT, RTF, MP3 and AAC7, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP, Adobe® PDF10, Microsoft® Word (Conversion to the Reader requires Word installed on your PC) | |
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Storage Capacity |
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| Holds over 200 titles with internal 256mb memory (only 180mb is available for content); supports up to 4GB SD memory cards | Holds over 300 titles with internal 256mb memory; supports SD memory cards and up to 16GB Memory Stick Duo cards | |
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Battery Life and Charge Time |
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| Full charge lasts for a week or more if wireless is turned off; must recharge every other day if wireless is left on; 2 hour charge time | Full charge lasts up to two weeks worth of reading); 4 hour charge time with USB charging from computer or 2 hours using optional AC wall charger. | |
Where the Amazon Kindle Has the Advantage:
On paper it appears the Sony Reader has the advantage over the Amazon Kindle but not so fast. The Kindle actually has a clear advantage in the three most important categories: price, wireless capability, and breadth of content. And even though technically the Sony Reader has better resolution, many users have commented that it’s not as easy to read from as the Kindle or the previous Sony Reader 505 model.
Price/Wireless Capabilities/Content:
The Kindle is $40 cheaper than the Sony Reader PRS-700 and through its wireless capabilities allows you to download books, blogs, newspapers, and magazines anywhere there is cell phone signal. With the Kindle, you literally don’t need a computer to use it as everything can be done wirelessly (assuming of course you have a cell phone signal where you’re using it).
The other nice thing about the wireless capabilities of the Kindle is that you don’t have to sign up for any additional plans or services. You simply connect wirelessly to the Kindle Store, select your content, pay for it, download it within minutes, and enjoy. You can be sitting in the airport and connect to the store and buy a magazine. It’s the ultimate convenience.
Display:
On paper the Sony Reader 700 should have a slightly better display than the Kindle in terms of sharpness and clarity. However, after reading numerous reviews of both of these devices the Kindle is actually easier to read from and has a more crisp display. It seems the new touch screen technology introduced by Sony in the PRS-700 affected the contrast and overall quality of the display. Having said that, some have noted that the display on the Sony Reader 700 is still good and if you didn’t compare it side-by-side to the Kindle or the previous Sony Reader 505 you wouldn’t notice the difference.
Where the Sony Reader PRS-700 Has the Advantage:
When comparing the Amazon Kindle vs. Sony Reader in terms of style and technical capabilities, the PRS-700 has the advantage as shown in the table above. The Sony Digital Reader is slightly slimmer than the Kindle and is a slick black color. It has the look and feel of what today’s electronic device should look like. The Kindle on the other hand in plain English is ugly. It looks like a Fisher Price toy that my kids would play with!
The Sony Reader also has the advantage over the Kindle in a few technical areas with its touch screen display, its fast and powerful processor, and its LED light for low-light reading.
In an ideal world there would be an ebook with the Kindle’s price, wireless capabilities, and breadth of content along with the stylish look and feel of the Sony Reader and its touch screen capabilities. Until such a device is made, if I had to choose between the Kindle and the Sony Reader 700, I would easily choose the Amazon Kindle despite how ugly it is.
It’s cheaper than the Sony Reader and having the ability to download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers anywhere I can get a cell phone signal is a convenience that is worth the sacrifice in looks and style. The 2nd generation Kindle is expected sometime in 2009 and if Amazon made even a half attempt at improving its look and style, there will be no other ebook reader to compare it to because it will be the clear winner.
Like this review, like you said the global wireless connection is definetly a pros for the Kindle. On the other hand the touchescreen is a nice feature. But when it comes to style, the kindle is the winner in my eyes. I bought one earlier this year and am really satified about the look and feel.
The price is also better than the prs-700
By the way I have also found a nice review on the kindle vs sony reader
I thought it was worth sharing
Book pages are white. Maybe that’s why they did it white. Simple.
I don’t think I would want a touch screen myself so the Kindle appeals to me more.
Aside from its modern and stylish look, the Sony PRS-700 isn’t really all that superior to the Kindle 1. True, the touch screen may be a unique novelty but who really wants to read from a screen all smudgy with fingerprints when your hand doesn’t happen to be immaculately clean? Plus the contrast really sucks. I often need to find a glare-free spot — an issue that I assume isn’t there with the Kindle 1.
JJ:
I don’t believe an official release date has been announced but I would expect them to be available soon as Sony will want to get in on the holiday action. You might want to hold off on either of the new Sony devices, however. I just saw an interesting post about them that wasn’t too positive. I’ll be writing about it soon so keep an eye on that post. Apparently, the new Sony PRS 600 and the PRS 300 have the same screen issues as the Sony 700 had because of the touch screen technology.
TravisVS
Site Admin
Travis: Any specifics on when the new Sony Readers will be coming out? I’m raring to get an ebook reader but afraid I might regret if I don’t hold out long enough to wait for what Sony has over the Kindles.
Sean:
I hear you. I’m surprised Amazon took the memory card option away from the Kindle 2. That one perplexed me. I assume they figured since the Kindle 2 can hold 1,000+ titles with its internal memory, a memory card wasn’t necessary.
Sony will be releasing two new ebook readers soon – the Sony PRS-300 and the Sony PRS-600. These devices will have memory card slots. In fact, what I’ve heard so far about these devices is that they’ll give Kindle a good run for their money. You may want to hold out and wait for them to come out.
TravisVS
Site Admin
Thanks for this info. It’s quite hard to find stuff on the Kindle 1 these days as it’s mostly all about the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX. Now these models may be far sleeker but I’m really big on organizing things and I’d prefer the convenience of being able to do this with memory cards for the K1. Or I could always wait for the latest Sony Reader and see what it has to offer.
Mike:
I agree with you 100%. The Sony definitely has a more stylish look to it. I don’t care for the white color of the Kindle either. In time, it will get dirty looking with fingerprints and the like. I’m really surprised too that Amazon didn’t at least change the color. I thought a flat carbon color would have been cool. For now, it seems Amazon is hell bent on sticking with the Commodore 64 look;)
TravisVS
Site Admin
For the most part I agree with your comparison. I really like the style of the Sony Reader though. I thought for sure Amazon would make the Kindle 2 sleeker but they didn’t. I hate the white color!