Amazon Kindle 2 versus Sony Reader (Pocket and Touch Edition)

Updated on May 13, 2014

Amazon Kindle 2

Are you looking for an electronic book reader (ebook) and does not have any idea which one is the better gadget? Find out the features in a tabular comparison below between Amazon Kindle 2 and Sony Reader (Pocket and Touch Edition) to help you make an informed decision.

An electronic book reader, e-book reader, or simply e-reader is a revolutionary device that let's you read books without the actual book. It can be considered a greener way to read books because you save on papers. The main advantages of having these devices around is portability and readability under any condition. An electronic ink display provides the same no-strain to the eyes and no glare under sunlight which is really like reading paper books.

Amazon introduced the Kindle in 2007 which became one of their best selling electronics at amazon.com. The latest model, Amazon Kindle 2, was released February 2009 and is now also the # 1 selling electronics at amazon.com. It has a sleeker, slimmer, and better profile than its predecessor.

Sony, on the other hand, introduced its e-reader in 2006. They released several models in the past three years but they are now down to selling two models, the touchscreen and non-touchscreen.

Although there are other makers of ebook reader, these two takes the bigger slice of the pie in the ebook market. Find out the similarities and differences to help you decide which one is the right e-reader for you.

Feature	Amazon Kindle 2	SONY Reader (Pocket Edition)	SONY Reader (Touch Edition)
Display	6 inch E-Ink Electronic paper (no eye strain, no glare); 600x800 pixel at 167ppi; 16-levels gray scale	5 inch E-Ink Electronic paper Vizplex (no eye strain, no glare); 600x800 pixel at 170dpi; 8-levels gray scale	6 inch Touch Screen E-Ink Electronic paper Vizplex (no eye strain, no glare); 600x800 pixel at 170dpi; 8-levels gray scale
Dimension (Approx.)	8.0 x 5.3 x 0.36 inches	6.25 x 4.25 x 0.406 inches	6.9 x 4.8 x 0.406 inches
Weight	10.2 oz	7.76 oz	10.1 oz
Built-in Dictionary	Yes (Oxford American Dictionary)	No	Yes
Memory	2GB Flash (1500 ebooks)	512MB (Non-Expandable)	512MB (Dual Memory Card Expansion Slots for Memory Stick Pro Duo and SD card up to 16GB)
Battery Life	4 days (wireless ON); 2 weeks (wireless OFF)	2 weeks (7500 page turns)	2 weeks (7500 page turns)
Font Sizes	6 sizes	3 levels (S, M, L)	5 levels (S, M, L, XL, XXL)
Internet	Yes (QWERTY keyboard)	No	No
Color	White	Silver, Navy Blue, Rose	Silver, Black, Red
Compatibility with other eBook stores	No - Purchase from Amazon only	Yes	Yes

Sony DPT-RP1/B Digital Paper

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Kindle 2 Cover

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Continuation of table of comparison...

Feature (cont'd)	Amazon Kindle 2	SONY Reader (Pocket Edition)	SONY Reader (Touch Edition)
Connectivity	Wireless via Sprint 3G Hi-Speed Data Network; Headphone Jack; USB 2.0 port for charging and connecting to PC or MAC	Headphone Jack; USB 2.0 port for charging and connecting to PC or MAC	Headphone Jack; USB 2.0 port for charging and connecting to PC or MAC
Picture Viewer	Yes	No	Yes
Text to Speech conversion	Yes (converts text to audio)	No	No
Built-in Speaker	Yes	No	Yes
File Compatibility	Kindle (AZW), TXT, AAX, MP3, PDF, Unprotected MOBI, PRC, HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP thru conversion	ePub, PDF, BBeB, TXT, RTF, MS Word thru conversion	ePub, PDF, BBeB, TXT, RTF, MS Word thru conversion, MP3, AAC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP
Note taking function	Bookmark (Whispersync technology allows user to switch back & forth between several kindle devices and continue reading right where user left off), Highlight, Keyboard entry text	Bookmark	Bookmark, Highlight, Zoom, Touch Screen keyboard text entry, Freehand notes with stylus
Ability to borrow eBooks from Libraries	No	Yes	Yes
Access to 1 million free public domain titles from Google Books	No	Yes	Yes
Price	$299	$199.99	$299.99