I just would never ever buy something with as dumb a name as "Kindle." I can deal with some glare.. but a stupid name? Never!

SatyaLelex

@EVEs_Mako: How does Left4Dead figure into this?

The Lab

"oppressive domestic situations" loveit! :)

-KENT

kentsmithnz

@outie: Gotta love those self cracking screens. I run a service department, and see quite a few of them. Perhaps the manufacturers should launch an investigation into the cause behind these mysterious problems.

/sarcasm

Oirectine

"Though it must scare the crap out of the publishing biz, we will all one day carry ebook readers."

Isn't that statement assuming that we all carry books around right now?

closhedbb

I have a PRS-505 with a cracked screen. I never dropped it or anything and it just cracked by itself. With a touchscreen on this thing, I can only imagine it's more prone to screen cracks. Good luck.

outie

I wish I had enough money where I could actually say, oh darn this actually affects me.

damn you gadgets and your ever expensive price tags!

Ibelieveinsandwitches

as long as my dell mini 9 will read ebooks i guess ill never have an ebook reader. hell even my old ass verizon xv6600 that i got for free out of the trash is a better ebook reader.

JohnDeere

Massive "Left 4 Dead" F4!L.

EVEs_Mako

@basicvisual: As a full time student/employee, I would also put in there that all textbooks be available for all ebooks!

DownfieldComa

well I love my iphone with stanza, going to stick with that for a long while yet! especially love the free downloads that stanza has in-built so if you're stuck for a read you have plenty more right there!

malcs

This is really a shame. I was planning to get the new version of the Kindle or the Reader, whichever ended up being better. At the moment, neither is good enough. Amazon, ball's in your court.

bandit

@Oirectine: We had a guy bring in a tablet a while back. It was obvious that he tried to close the screen with the tablet pen sitting out on the keyboard. Guy was a complete jerk. Boss (moron) finally gave in and we replaced the screen.

Less than two weeks later, guess who we saw again, with a damaged screen.

DownfieldComa

I thought Dr. Dennis Leary's dead, on the outside, looking in.

GiltProto

I spend far too much money on the actual hard/softcover book in general and am still waiting for an e-reader that fits the bill of what I want.

Wants:
1. TFT style screen for glare elimination
2. Full color capability
3. WiFi access so I don't have to be hooked up to a computer or have to upload new titles via mem card.
4. Metal enclosure. Come on it would not cost more than $15 more to make a complete enclosure with aluminum. Seriously.
5. Software capable of highlighting parts of interest and even possible of posting notes to certain pages/paragraphs.

Until all of these aspects of an e-reader are successfully implemented then I will have to just contine going to the library/book store to find my next good rainy day distraction.

basicvisual

@Oirectine: I had one come in today that apparently spilled tomato sauce on itself. I hate when that happens.

broho

I remember there being talk of e-books before I started college. My sister and I talked about them and I thought they'd be so great for downloading all my textbooks for class. I guess I should have known better, since it's been 8 years or so and I still don't see that being a viable alternative...that and those bastard text book publishers would never let that happen without charging an arm and a leg.

GTgeek

This is proof that some days are just truly bad: Went out this morning and bought myself a new reader. Loved the display on the old one, but hated the controls, so I played around with the new one at the store for, oh about 30 seconds, and decided that the interface had improved vastly-- enough that I had them wrap it up... and out the door I went. Bought about 5 of sony's shit proprietary ebooks that will soon be pretty worthless to me (taking it back of course)-- while I waited for it to charge, then loaded them up, and finally prepared to settle into Wally Lamb's latest masterpiece in all the vivid glory of e ink. But something was wrong and I was not filled with anything approaching glory. And so insult to injury, I go online to do some googling but since my homepage is GIZ I had the internet's fastest ever answer - like suddenly the watershed moment had arrived, when questions will be served with the needed information as they are formed. But wait, it's nothing that cool at all. No, it turns out that was just stupid irony beating me down and calling me an idiot via the lead story. Not that I can argue.

Arthur Peterson

opened my kindle today - it was already charged and ready to go out of the box. skipped the instructions, turned on the whispernet and downloaded samples of about a dozen books in less than 5 min start to finish. the idea that the kindle is un-tethered to a computer is one of it's greatest features.

death to sony.

rawlus

@broho: Yeah when I punched my powerbook to death and performed a full autopsy at least I had the integrity to admit it, and not claim it was the computer's fault and demand a replacement.

(true story)

Oirectine

Hey, thanks for using the book I designed as an example! Doesn't look bad in ebook form (on the kindle).

Rain-man

@DownfieldComa:

I'm sure it'll happen as soon just as soon as they manage to figure out how to charge $175 for a download.

Vexorg

Just like the new Macbook/Pros! Works for Apple!

ShadowBottle

I read all about the 700, and wisely (recently!) still went out and bought the 505. Why? Because it's been known from the first laying of hands on the 700 that they've ruined the legibility of the thing, which of course, is its raison d'être. They are not discontinuing the 505 either. They're selling the 505 along-side the 700. If I really wanted to read in the dark, which will likely never happen, there's the light panel accessory that Sony sells for the 505, which gives the same feature as the 700's, but without the downside. It flips out of the way when not needed. Remember: a paperback also can't be read in total darkness, nor can it be "backlit" practically. E-ink follows the same "rules" as paper.

Finally, I made a wise gadget decision, and eschewed the latest and greatest, because in this case, it isn't.

I don't mind connecting the 505 to my computer. I mean, how many books can I read at one time? It's not a big chore to periodically add a new title that I am interested in reading. At least I CAN add content of my choosing, and unlike the Kindle, I don't have to submit my docs to their server for conversion (and God knows what else?).

BTW, for the person above with the wish-list for e-ink readers, the 505 is FULLY encased in aluminum.

darex

BLINDING ME?!!!!!!!

Glare

It's ironic because the main reason to use an ebook is for situations when there is a lot of direct light. I have the Sony Reader 500 and, while it's not as good as the 505 or the Kindle for readability, it is very good and much, much better than an LCD most of the time. I stare at an LCD all day for work and the e-ink is much easier on the eyes. It's also better for when I want to go out to the park, read on the train (which is where I do most of my news reading) or read in bed (where I do most of my fiction reading).

weatherman

Almost forgot the Kindle existed. What the hell was that thing?

heroineworshipper

All I want to do is auto download the Red Eye/Tribune on the fly every morning. Can the Sony do that? I heard the Kindle can auto-download the latest newspapers. I think I'll wait the for the Next Gen kindle though. If if sucks, at least they'll drop the price of the original. E-ink should be cheap by now.

ishook

I pre-ordered one, but had to return it because:
- the fuzzy screen and the associated glare are far worse than the Kindle or the previous 500/505
- the screen flickering is terrible -- maybe OK if you're the type that can't tell that your CRT is at 60Hz, but if you're like me and can tell the difference between 85 and 120, you *will* see every last flicker.
- the page-change speed is still not nearly fast enough for my reading speeds; 25% of my reading time is spent waiting on the screen change
- the LED front-lighting is very uneven, and the middle of the screen becomes very difficult to read

Oh, if it could go faster and not have screen flash -- the form factor is excellent!!

I hate returning things, but at least now I know that until the e-ink flicker goes away, I will never buy one. For now, I'll just have to deal with a 12" tablet and its associated reduced power-on time, and significant weight.

sodakar

@darex: I've got 450 books on my ebook reader. I spent half an hour organizing my downloads and 5 minutes syncing it up. I've now spent hours and hours reading, only to plug it in occasionally to charge. I think I've connected it to a computer a total of 5 or 6 times in a year.

Rodime

@rawlus: lol sure, if you're american. and like ugly electronics.

Rodime

@basicvisual: Awww... do you need colour for your picture books? And seriously, metal+magnet=bad for electronics. Also, more expensive. You need to a) be a reader, and b) try an ebook reader before you can run your mouth off and be taken seriously.

Rodime

@closhedbb: we all carry gadgets, one day when eink takes over, we'll all carry book-capable devices.

... also, most intellegent people have some form of white paper on them, when they don't have access to a computer.

Rodime

@JohnDeere: you've never actually used one, then. The screen is amazing. And it is much more portable than your dell mini 9.

Rodime

@basicvisual: Uhh, dude, you just described a Tablet PC or a UMPC or an iPhone (from largest to smallest). The only way TFT screens DON'T have glare is if they are backlight like nuts which increases eye-strain and decreases battery life. A good e-ink display has high contrast and no glare. It also has days of battery life vs. hours.

Metal dents. Sure plastic can crack, but generally it can take more beating than can a metal case. It's also generally lighter. Plus, snuggling up with a book on a cold night would be difficult with a tongue-freezing metal e-reader.

Color, nice, but for 99% of your reading, a good greyscale screen will do just fine. One day color e-ink (or similar) displays will be a reality, but for now, I don't see how this is a major issue for an e-reader.

The rest are addressed by current gen devices. I'm keeping my eye on Plastic Logic's device. If it is as good as it looks in video, that'll be a real contender.

ptyork

@rawlus: Move outside the US and you will start praising Sony for being able to load stuff to your reader ... instead of the fugly paperweight the Kindle would make.

Tensor

@GiltProto: i think you mean Timoty Leary ... Dennis Leary, commedian/actor (Rescue Me) is very much alive

Tensor

@weatherman: to clarify; when I say download I mean on a PC which then syncs to the Reader in about 1 minute.

weatherman

@ishook: there's no "on the fly" download for the Sony Readers, but there's a program called Calibre that can download any number of newspapers and RSS feeds for free. I download the NY Times and the Washington Post just about every morning, and Time Magazine and the Economist on a weekly basis. It's not perfect, but it works well enough that I've actually saved the cost of newspapers over the last year and then some.

weatherman

Thanks! Good to know.

ishook

@GiltProto: Hell fly his astral plane, Takes you trips around the bay, Brings you back the same day...or NOT.

VNSROCK

TFT, color, metal enclosure All those things are available. It's called an iPhone. I've read books on it and it's good. My girl has a Sony 505 so I have compared and contrasted. The only problem is why you need an eReader in the first place. Reading books uses battery too quickly. A screen large enough to really read without eInk just isn't going to work any time soon. I laptop with a removable screen might work, but again battery problems. I've bought 2 readers so far; a kindle for Mom and a Sony 505 for my girl. The kindle is only for technophobes, like Mom. The lack of import ability is a Killer. The reviews of the 700 having glare problems and my being a Mac user is why I don't own one.

FedeleMcCabe

I have the 500, and I am still going to use that. Frankly, I find the 505 wasn't much of an improvement over the 500, especially as the screen shrunk. At least the 700 brought it back up to the 500's size. I will definitely try the 700 in the store before buying it, but I have to wonder why the "lowly lamp" in the article is so .. whitish/blue. Nice way to induce eye strain and the inability to focus regardless of the surface. As for how easily the 505's screen break, my wife claimed similiar, until I pointed out that her break was very much in the shape of the chapstick she kept in her purse along side it. Note to users of any screened device. Careful where you put your things if you ever are in danger of getting squished in a bus or an elevator.

WilliamErinyes

Books ftw. Until they start giving away an e-copy with the purchase of a real book, I don't see myself ever not buying a physical book.

Skorpius

"I noticed it first in the bathroom..."

awesome

poisonedragon

@Rodime: I will also add that I personally own over 300 Hardcover/Softcover books.

They have been purchased from Barns&Noble. I have never owned an illegal copy nor have I read anything online. This should show that I am an actual reader of books. If you for some reason wish me to show a picture of all my books then do so because I will show a picture. Do not question things that you do not know about yourself.

basicvisual

@Rodime: Aluminum is not magnetic.

basicvisual

@The Lab: shsh! Obviously he's special.

cgsofly

In other news, where's Kindle 2? Is it really going to be as ugly as the leaked shots? Christmastime is coming, Amazon!

Sidnicious

@Gilbert: By the way, here is a more comprehensive review that happens to not mention glare as even a slight factor: [krisabel.ctv.ca]

Gilbert

As a proud owner of a PRS-505 and someone thinking very seriously about an upgrade to the 700, this genuinely breaks my heart.

Glare on a device intended to accommodate the human eye for hours on end as it sweeps across the viewable field in an attempt to resolve tiny characters? Unreal.

Reminds me, to a large extent, of a certain non-matte-screen-able laptop...

Gilbert

i wonder why sony leaves the mac users out in the cold?

too many minuses for sony ereader for my tastes. sony isn't a bookseller - which explains why their selection pales against amazon's. at the end of the day, the kindle is the clear winner. wireless whispernet is more prevalent and available than wi-fi even.

in the beginning i was hung up on the formats thing. once you d/l a book directly to the kindle, while on the move, far away from a computer, you realize the format issue is really a non-issue.

rawlus

@The Lab: Because this product's flaw is so critical, I compare it to being surrounded by zombies, knocked to the ground, having the "Hunter" ripping your chest out - just before the "Tank" finds you in the narrow alley.

EVEs_Mako

@closhedbb: got my PRS 505 with me right now. Where's yours?

Churrito

A lot of reviews I read involving the Kindle fail to mention one very important advantage it has over the Sony: an experimental HTML web browser. Couple that with unlimited access to Sprint's network and you get a clear view of the most innovative device in its class.

RikudouSennin

@Rodime: you have a point but they have the same price and my mini will never run out of new things for me to do, while this will always just read books.

JohnDeere

@Arthur Peterson: Go back and exchange it for the PRS-505. Try it out for a bit. You'll get used to the controls, and the display is apparently a lot better.

FredicvsMaximvs

@Churrito: Me too! Right here in my messenger bag.
It will actually fit into the back pocket of my jeans, though that thought terrifies me. (Hearing the "crack" in my head as we speak. Jibblies!)

FredicvsMaximvs

@EVEs_Mako: Enjoying the game aren't we?

ripfire

@EVEs_Mako: You've been using that for days waiting for someone to ask you to explain it haven't you?

ice_cold_irony

@Glare: ...with science!

FredicvsMaximvs

@Skorpius: I couldn't agree more and have noted a similar idea to an author friend of mine on many occasions. Amazon, however, is in a better position than Sony to offer such a thing with their wireless connectivity. Allow a reader to purchase a book through Amazon.com from their Kindle, and give them the immediate gratification of the ebook version within minutes while the physical copy comes in the mail. They could even go one step further and include an audiobook version also (Audible.com) that could stay synchronized with the ebook copy, so if you want to read, you read it like a book, but if you want to listen to the book while driving or something, it will pickup where you last stopped reading (it does have a headphone jack). Sadly this idea brings the piracy argument into play, giving away an ebook version with the physical copy does not mean they'll always stay with the same owner, instead people may buy the book, give it away (or resell it) and keep the ebook copy for free or extremely cheap - its a double edged sword, it allows for honest people to keep a physical bookshelf/library or to loan books to friends that currently cannot be done via DRM'ed ebooks, but could hurt author's pocketbooks if it ever became as prolifiant as the piracy of music. (Then again, considering the average American reader only reads something like <1 book per year compared to how much music they listen to, I dont think it will ever become as big of a to do.) Combining ebooks and physical books into one purchase would be great (assuming the combo is slightly cheaper than buying both individually) - it has already begun in the music and movies industries where purchasing a CD will give you access to "exclusive" downloadable content, or purchasing a DVD will give you a code to download an electronic copy of the movie - Sony (if they include wifi or a cellular connection in future products) and Amazon already have the downloadable content, they can just do things in reverse, sell the electronic copy first and have the physical copy delivered.

DariaMarigny

the glare is really a non-issue. just hold it in the right angle instead of reflecting the light to your eyes. i read things fine under a direct halogen lamp on my desk.

700 is really an improvement over 505. the ui, touch screen, notes, search through keyboard, side lights, much better PDF support is more than worth it for paying 100 more and minding the angle a bit.

chikarin

I'm all for touchscreens, but the major problem with touchscreen for reading is fingerprint and scratch magnets. That's why, after going through four or five different readers I settled on the PRS-505 for almost all e-reading, no touchscreen, no problem. But the glare on the 505 is still an issue for picky people who are easily bothered by the slightest glare. It's because the screen is too smooth.

CasperNiger

@WilliamErinyes: The 500, 505, and 700 all have the same screen size, which is 6 inches (15.5cm) diagonal...

japroach

"Though it must scare the crap out of the publishing biz, we will all one day carry ebook readers."

No we won't.

justhesh