Amazon Kindle 2 versus Sony Reader (Pocket and Touch Edition)
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
|
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
|
Both Amazon Kindle 2 and Sony Reader (Pocket or Touch Edition) are great gadgets! You just need to determine which one fits your need and budget.
Related Topic:
Nook eBook Reader from Barnes and Noble
Amazon Kindle 2 versus Barnes & Noble's Nook
Source: amazon.com and sony.com
