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 are serious about eliminating paper 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 this technology can salvage.

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An ebook reader is an electronic device that stores and reads hundreds of books. 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. The best ebook reader brands are Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s 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 & Noble’s Nook. Since 2007, Amazon has constantly launched different Kindle models, capturing a major portion of the ebook market.

However, since then, Sony hasn’t given up on the race and has been striving to develop 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 its 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 are available. No 3G option Wi-Fi and 3G options available colors Available in black, white, and red BlackAdditional FeaturesStylus present6 built-in dictionariesFacebook and Evernote features five Buttons for navigationSupports ePub, PDF, and TXT files Built-in light parental control text-to-speech feature time-to-read featureOne physical button: Power button.

Evernote and Facebook Integration

Sony’s PRS-T2 has a Facebook feature that allows readers to post a short passage from their books. However, beyond posting a passage, one must do it through the browser 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 five 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 helpful, others find them annoying and cheap. Besides the USB port, the power button is at the bottom, which may be inconvenient for some; nevertheless, it prevents accidental turn-offs. The Kindle, however, lacks buttons, which makes the page-turning quite cumbersome with the touch feature. However, Kindle users turn on their pages 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 annoy 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 an external storage feature. Files Supported
The PRS-T2 supports ePub, PDF, and TXT files. Various zooming options improve the reading experience. Moreover, another unique feature of Sony’s ebook reader is the ‘reflow facility,’ which enables PDF text to reflow without having to scroll to read the text. This feature is absent on the Kindle. Moreover, Kindle also fails to support the ePub format used most online. Design

Sony PRS-T2’s plastic body is sleek, stylish, and light. It’s better looking than the metal finish. Sony’s ebook reader is elegant and chic, with the Sony Xperia glossy-finish look available in pinkish-red, black, and white. Its case design is smooth, with metal accents enhancing the look. It combines the necessity of ebooks with fashion accessories. It also features a stylus to make notes, write in margins, and underline and mark pages; however, it has no storage facility. 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 contrast. However, it’s available only in black, which is 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 convenience and the availability of ebooks matter 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 buy ebook books from other stores except Amazon and other closed-system stores.

On the other hand, the Kindle 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 about two weeks. Amazon may not allow downloading of books from local libraries. However, Amazon houses the biggest book selection online, so readers don’t have to look elsewhere. Amazon is the more robust ebook store. The books bought from Amazon are stored in one’s library and available by clicking the “cloud” option of the library. Downloading books is easy on the Kindle, and purchased books are sent to the Kindle in seconds.