So, update on the Sony ereader: Not impressed.
Besides no backlight (my all-time favorite feature), the text was grainy (grainier than my eBookWise’s dot-matrix-on-best-setting text).
That is all.
Er…no, it’s not. I still want Sony to kick Kindle’s ass. I think Amazon has an end-game in mind that’s going to come back to bite consumers in the tokhes.
Interesting that you didn’t like the text clarity. I was quite impressed by it! This is why I encourage people to try out e-readers in person. I think our visual preferences are highly individualistic, and I *know* that what’s crisp to me can be illegible to my parents.
I prefer non-back-lit reading, but I’m disappointed by the steep price jump for the front-lit Sony. For that price I want wireless.
Like you, I’m not a fan of Amazon’s business model. What I want is a way to *open up* connections between my online and offline readings and writings, not lock it all down! So I too would love to see another model “win”, but I don’t expect it. Amazon is huge, and it’s an iPod/iTunes-like closed system with similar ease of use.
RfP, I’ll admit I was severely disappointed because I wanted to LOVE it. I’m not about to get an iPhone because I don’t need the wireless (although if Sony really wants to get in the game, they need to get wireless capability).
But this elimination of the Sony as an option only makes my want for a Blackberry that much more acute. I’d put up with a small screen to have so much functionality in one device.