Kindle 2 Versus Sony Reader, Which is the Better E-Reader

In a previous article written about the Barnes and Nobles Nook versus the Amazon Kindle, we found that both e-book readers had different features that would appeal to diverse users. We decided that it was important to update our readers on two newer e-readers recently on the market. The Sony Reader and Amazon's updated Kindle 2.

In the short time that e-readers have been in existence these two, the Sony Reader and the Kindle 2 have dominated the e-reader market. Currently, you will find the Sony Reader to retail price at about $349. The Amazon Kindle 2 will retail price at about $359.

As a consumer, you will find some convenience differences in both e-readers. The Sony Reader will require the user to install the Sony software on to their PC and connect to it using a USB cord to allow you to download eBook content. As of this writing, Sony has not made their e-reader Mac compatible. Amazon's Kindle 2 is a wireless e-reader and will automatically connect to your Amazon.com account free. It does this by using the Sprint 3G network to connect to the Internet. Many users found that the setup and configuration on the Sony Reader took about an hour before they could begin to use it. The Kindle 2 setup took only a few minutes to setup and start reading eBooks.

Both the Sony Reader and the Kindle 2 have decided to be economical with their power and therefore both have 6-inch black and white screens. This type of technology allows both e-readers to run for days on a single charge. Both the Kindle 2 and the Sony Reader were easy to read and navigate in most light settings. However, most users found that the Kindle 2 had the easier type to read and the pages appeared more quickly than the Sony Reader when turned.

One of the most important aspects of an e-reader is the navigation or moving from one screen to another. The Sony Reader is a touch screen system and therefore navigation is a bit easier than the Kindle 2, which utilizes a five-way joystick. To operate The Sony Reader touch screen the user needs to press down firmly on the screen and swipe their finger across it to proceed to the next page. To turn pages on the Kindle 2 you would click the navigation strips on either side of the screen.

Finding eBook titles to read are a bit different for these two e-reader models. The Kindle 2 currently has over 270,000 titles available on Amazon's Kindle Store online. Best sellers for the Kindle 2 run about $9.99 a title and offer a free first chapter or introduction for every title it sells. The Sony Reader through the Sony E Book store does not offer as many titles as the Kindle 2. However, the Sony Reader software will allow access to over 500,000 titles that are coming available through the Google Book project.

To conclude, the Sony Reader is an e-reader exclusively for the purpose of reading eBooks. The Amazon Kindle 2 with its wireless coverage allows it to do so much more. The Kindle 2 can read its eBooks with a mechanical voice, male or female. The Kindle 2 can also get feeds from several blogs, newspapers, and magazines with their subscription service. There is even a basic web browser in the Kindle 2 for surfing the Web.