This article dwells on Kindle vs. Sony Reader. Ebook readers are amazing gadgets that entered the technology market a few years ago. While gadget freaks have already lunged forward and bought them, most of us are still unaware of the different types available. This article dwells on Kindle vs. Sony Reader. Ebook readers are amazing gadgets that entered the technology market a few years ago. While gadget freaks have already lunged forward and bought them, most of us are still unaware of the different types available. TAGGED UNDER: Kindle Ebooks

We sure are serious about eliminating paper from our lives and protecting the natural resources around us. With the emergence of e-banking, e-shopping, etc., we now have the ebook reader, eliminating the necessity to purchase and carry bulky books, not to mention how many trees can be salvaged by this technology.

READ MORE :

• Which is Better – PS3 or Xbox 360?
• Sony Xperia Z1 Review – Battling the Elements
• The Best and State-of-the-artwork Universities in South America
• Samsung Galaxy S Vs. S II
• The Extraordinary Importance of Computers in Various Fields

An ebook reader is an electronic device that allows you to store and read hundreds of books it. The ultimate ebook reader would be the one that provides a good reading experience to the reader, with a good screen and battery life, and gets you books in the easiest manner possible. Among the best ebook reader brands are Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Nobles’ Nook, Kobo’s, and Sony’s ebook readers.

Amazon’s Kindle Vs. Sony ReaderSony came up with its first ebook reader in 2006, and only 14 months later, in 2007, Amazon introduced its Kindle. However, Sony was forced to take the back seat due to stiff competition from Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Nobles’ Nook. Since 2007, Amazon has constantly been launching different Kindle models and has captured a major portion of the ebook market.

However, Sony hasn’t given up on the race and since then has been striving to come up with new, improved versions of their ebook reader. They recently launched their sleek and stylish PRS-T2 in August 2012. Following suit, Amazon also successfully introduced their fifth-generation Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, in October 2012. However, does the PRS-T2 have a cutting edge over the Kindle Paperwhite? Let’s find out!FeaturesSony PRS-T2 Amazon Kindle PaperwhiteLaunch DateAugust 16, 2012, October 1, 2012Price at Launch$129 $129Operating SystemAndroid LinuxDisplayE Ink Pearl DisplayTouchscreen E Ink

DisplayTouchscreenDimensions6.9 x 4.4 x 0.4 inchesWeighs 0.37 pounds 6.7 x 4.6 x 0.36 inchesWeighs 0.47 poundsMemory2 GB, expandable via microSD to 32GB 2 GB, no external storageResolution800 x 600 pixel resolution 1,024 x 768 resolutionWi-Fi and 3GWi-Fi available. No 3G option Wi-Fi and 3G options availableColors Available inBlack, white and red BlackAdditional FeaturesStylus present6 built-in dictionariesFacebook and Evernote featuresFive Buttons for navigationSupports ePub, PDF, and TXT files Built-in lightParental controlText-to-speech featureTime-to-read featureOne physical button: Power button

Evernote and Facebook Integration

Sony’s PRS-T2 has a Facebook feature, which allows the reader to post a short passage from books he/she reads. However, beyond posting passage, one has to do it through the browser if one wants to browse Facebook. On the other hand, the Evernote feature is more interesting because once you have signed into the Evernote account, accessing your notebooks is possible. This helps the reader synchronize all the files read on the reader, and through the Evernote account, it can be read on other devices. The Evernote feature helps send notes and reading material wirelessly to other devices. Navigation Buttons and Page Turns

Sony’s PRS-T2 features 5 silver buttons below the screen. Their icons make them self-explanatory, also making navigation easier. Page turns are fast and become easier with buttons. While some find these buttons really helpful, others find them annoying and cheap. The power button is at the bottom, besides the USB port, which may be inconvenient for some; nevertheless, it prevents accidental turn-offs. The Kindle, on the other hand, lacks buttons, which makes the page-turning quite cumbersome with the touch feature. However, page turns on the Kindle are faster. Backlight

One major drawback with the Sony PRS-T2 is the absence of a backlight. Sony does offer a cover for the ebook reader, with integrated light at $50. However, the text is evident in direct sunlight. Amazon’s Kindle provides a backlight that illuminates the screen and doesn’t blast into one’s eyes. The light can be dimmed using onscreen controls. Lighting is more or less evenly distributed, with a small shadow on the screen, which can be annoying to some. However, the backlight is better than no backlight. Wi-Fi and 3G Options

Although Sony offers Wi-Fi, the 3G option is absent. The Kindle Paperwhite, on the other hand, comes in both W-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G versions. However, the cost goes up for the 3G version ($179 ad-supported, $199 no ads), while the one with only Wi-Fi costs $119 ad-supported, $139 no ads. Storage Capacity

While both PRS-T2 and Kindle have internal storage of 2GB, the memory storage in the PRS-T2 is expandable via microSD and can be expanded to 32GB. Kindle lacks the external storage feature. Files Supported
The PRS-T2 supports ePub, PDF, and TXT files. There also exist various zooming options, which improve the reading experience. Moreover, another unique feature about Sony’s ebook reader is the ‘reflow facility,’ which enables PDF text to re-flow without having to scroll to read the text. This feature is absent on the Kindle. Moreover, the Kindle also fails to support the ePub format, which is used by most online. Design

Sony PRS-T2’s plastic body is sleek, stylish, and light. It’s definitely better looking than the metal finish. Sony’s ebook reader is sleek and stylish, with the Sony Xperia glossy-finish look available in pinkish-red, black, and white. Its case design is smooth, with metal accents that enhance the entire look. It combines the ebook necessity with a fashion accessory. It also features a stylus to make notes, write in margins, underline and mark pages; however, there is no storage facility for the stylus. As far as customization options are concerned, it’s not great. The touchscreen is too sensitive and not as user-friendly as in the Kindle. The Kindle Paperwhite’s display is great, with higher resolution and higher contrast. However, it’s available only in black, which is definitely better than the earlier gray. Weight

Being ultra-light, Sony’s PRS-T2 weighs only 0.37 pounds, making it the lightest ebook reader available. This helps one to hold it while reading books effortlessly. Moreover, it can be easily stored in the jacket pocket. On the other hand, Kindle Paperwhite weighs 0.47 pounds, which is quite a weight difference. Time-to-read Feature
The Kindle comes with a time-to-read feature, which assesses the time left to finish a chapter or the book based on one’s reading speed. This is a good motivator and will help you take the extra mile to read a little more every day! The X-ray feature also allows the reader to see all the passages in a book, wherein fictional characters, historical figures, relevant ideas, and even places of interest are mentioned. All this with a single touch on the screen. These features are not present in the Sony PRS-T2.Ebooks

Why does a person purchase an ebook reader? It’s definitely to read, and the availability of ebooks and convenience is what matters the most. Sony readers have a public library option in the menu, which allows the readers to look for books to borrow from a collection of over 15,000 in the local library. The built-in Wi-Fi feature enables the reader to connect to the Sony store. Besides the Sony store, readers can also buy ebook books from other ebook stores, except Amazon and other closed system stores.

The Kindle, on the other hand, has a collection of over ‘180,000 Kindle exclusive titles, which are not available anywhere else. Moreover, scores of classics are available for free. Kindle also has an ebook lending feature, which allows readers to lend books to friends on the same platform for a period of about 2 weeks. Amazon may not allow downloading of books from local libraries. However, Amazon houses the biggest selection of books online, which is why readers don’t have to look elsewhere. Amazon definitely is the more robust ebook store. The books bought from Amazon are stored in one’s library, available on clicking the “cloud” option of the library. Downloading of books is easy on the Kindle, and purchased books are sent across to the Kindle in a matter of seconds.