Why I Decided Agains an Ereader

Today I'm looking at comparing Sony EReaders against the impressive competition which is Amazon Kindle's. The sample Sony device product I'm comparing against is that Sony Prs – T3 which was Sony's

Kindle Paperwhite

last line in EReader production before they decided to focus on other ventures. This post is useful for those who already have a Sony EReader and might be looking around for their next purchase or those people who'd like to get their hands on an EReader which is a little off the beaten track. So let's begin!

Weight

The Sony readers weigh about the same as the Kindle Paperwhite so not much difference there. If you're looking for a device that's super lightweight, you might consider taking a look at the Kindle Oasis which only weighs 130 grams! However, it does have a pricetag to match the fact that it's the lightest device on the market.

Size

The Sony Readers come in at 6 inches so not much difference here compared to the rest of the marketplace.

UI

Sony Readers UI is a little clunky compared to other EReaders out there but it's still functional. It's a tricky balance when you're trying to cram a lot of features in there, whilst still aiming to keep it user friendly. It also does reflect that it was created a few years ago, so can look a little dated. With that said it's still fast at loading all of your common needs.

Display

Sony EReaders do fall down here a little compared to Kindle's. With a PPI of 200, they're not match for the

Sony reader PRS-T3

Kindle range which all have 300 PPI. For those of you not in the know, PPI stands for Pixels Per Inch. Basically, the more you have, the better as it produces a crisper reading experience. With that said, Sony Readers still can provide a good reading experience for standard EBooks, but would struggle at something a little more complex, such as a graphic novel.

Things that are similar

Both sets of devices support Wifi which is the main method a user can download new EBooks to their device. No real difference here in the level of connectivity here between either device as the size of EBooks are pretty small.

Both Amazon Kindle's and Sony Readers are fully touchscreen interactive. No need for additional buttons or a keyboard here. Even the page turning gestures are the same for both.

You can also borrow EBooks from your local library using both EReader devices, although only some of Amazon's devices support this. Worth checking on their website to see the latest info on this.

Finally, On the whole, both devices support pretty much the same formats for opening content. The only exception being here is that Ebooks for Kindles have to come from the Amazon Kindle store and EBooks from the Sony Readers have to come from the Sony store.

Things that are different

Sony has basically taken the approach of putting a lot more features onto their device than just making it for reading which is what the Amazon Kindle's have focused on. Let's take a look at some of these.

So not only can you read on the Sony Readers, but you can draw too! There is a handwriting app which allows you to capture your notes for later. This can be handy as it's actually quicker than typing on the online keyboard, once you've gotten used to it. As well as the handwriting tool, Sony Readers come with a drawing app that enables you to doodle if need to take a break from reading.

Also the level of customization of the Sony readers is superior to that of Kindle's. With the Sony Readers, you can change the standby screen and replace the content with your own pictures. This can be useful those people who want to relive their holiday snaps. Also Sony Readers allow the back panel cover to come off and be replaced with different colours which is something Kindle's don't support. The alternative Amazon have gone for is to provide cases that fit over the existing EReader.

I touched on earlier about Sony Readers allowing you to change the standby screen with your own pictures. They also have a dedicated app to view your holiday snaps as a slideshow. The only downside is that they're all going to be in grayscale so that hot white sandy beach and cool glistening sea aren't going to look their best.

Kindle devices have been designed to be child friendly so include a number of reading achievements that can be set to encourage your children to read. It's a good market to get into and I commend Amazon for doing this. Sadly this isn't the case for the Sony Reader range.

Kindle's, if you chose to pay a little extra, also support 3G functionality which means that you can download EBooks whilst on holiday in case you run out. Be sure to check which countries support this service as it's not all of them.

The final thing I want to touch on here is the difference between the web browsers that each of them support. Amazon have chosen their browser to be called experimental, because it is. Sony have actually put the time and effort into creating a decent web browser which supports downloading of files and images, capturing screenshots and browsing complex web pages which look the same as if it was on your phone.

Price

The all important price question. So Sony stopped manufacturing their EReaders a couple of years back so they have become a little more of a rarity to get hold of. That said, we live in the age of the internet so it is possible to buy anything online. You can find the Sony Readers on Ebay, some are used and some are new. Check out the link about for the latest prices off Ebay. You can also check out the Kindle Paperwhite for the latest prices as on Kindle's as they change frequently.

Conclusion

A tricky decision here. For those of you who own Sony Readers, it might be worth holding onto them if you're happy with the reading experience or choose to sell them for a pretty penny. For those Sony Owners who are looking for a more child friendly, crisper display, I definitely recommend giving the Kindle's a look.

Until next time

Cheers

James

james

My name is James and I'm the founder on BestEReadersOnTheMarket.com. I wanted to create a site that makes it easy for people to choose what's the right EReader for them out of the hundreds of choices though writing in-depth reviews and guides.

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Source: https://bestereadersonthemarket.com/sony-ereader-vs-amazon-kindle

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