I saw a commercial for the new Sony Reader which said it started at $199. As a Kindle user my curiosity was peaked due to the low price. Amazon recently lowered the Kindle 2's price to $249 and this was even cheaper. So I set off to find out why it was so 'cheap.'
The 'starting at' was the first major clue. That usually means there are several different models. A quick trip over to Sony Style confirmed that this was for their Reader Pocket Edition. So how does this compare to the Kindle?
Wireless. The Reader Pocket edition does not come with wireless capabilities while the Kindle does.
Formats. The Pocket Reader supports ePub, Word, PDF's and others. The Kindle supports Amazons proprietary format and PDFs.
Books. The Pocket reader can use Sony's eBook Store and Google Books. The Kindle uses Amazons store.
Display. Both devices use an eInk display. The Kindle has a 6in screen while the Reader has a 5in screen.
Those are the major differences between the two devices. The lack of wireless is a big drawback for me but may not be for others. I really like that I can check my mail and RSS feeds with the Kindle from anywhere for free.
Rest assured, Sony will be putting out a wireless capable Reader in a few months. The price has not been announced, but I expect it to be at least $300.
Kindle
| Sony Digital Reader
