I’d almost decided on the Sony 505 but now I’m finding out about all these other devices. The BeBook looks interesting… very versatile. Some days I’m sure I’m getting a device, other days I’m sure I can do without. I’m on the verge of pulling hair -my own- with all these choices and decisions to make about what I want and how much I would be willing to invest. Gah!

WOW!

I have to admit, I think part of the reason Sony and Amazon have everyone by the cahoonies is… well… err, nobody has tried saying “please release my cahoonies so that I might partake of other things.”

*shrug*

I am going to get the Sony 505 when I am in the States next month for the RT convention. I was thinking about getting the 700, but now I know that the 505 is perfect for me. Especially now that my pda died.

Although the sony reader is now coming to Germany it is more expensive than in the States and they won’t offer the red one.

I live in a third world country and the dead trees english books are quite hard to get. Romance? Forget about it. Ordering doesn’t work either because I will get it 2-3 months after I do.

Imagine my shock when I registered on BoB and ready to flash my credit card to buy some new books released last December, and found out that I couldn’t buy it until weeks later!

If this is to somehow cripple piracy, it’s really not the answer. I found the pirated version a few days later – and read that. I’m sorry but I’m not a good enough person to wait – or buy the book after I read it. Maybe I should have, but I didn’t. Yes, I feel guilty, but not guilty enough to make me buy the book still.

Maybe I will get a lashing here for not being a better person and just wait – or buy the book afterwards. So be it. I want to provide a view point of people who just have no way to get ahold of physical books, and so ebooks are the answer, but oh wait not really because we can’t buy and read it the same day other people privileged enough to live in countries where the physical books are available the day it is released.

To be honest? You dangle the new Nora/J.D Robbs, Kresley Cole, Balogh, the new Nalini in front of me, and I don’t care if I pay for it or not, I *will* read it. And I am not the only one doing it.

Piracy will always be around – and right now, whoever decided on this delayed release thing is making it easy for people like me to support the illegal industry.

But of course, this comment will be dissected and stomped and spat upon and disregarded by the “big” voices around – here, SBs, Karen, etc etc. And you will say I didn’t mean to pay anyways, and I just wrote this to justify myself. Yeah yeah. I wonder how many people will wait. Or buy after they read.

I am not trying to justify myself. I know it is wrong. No matter what the publishers are doing, it is wrong to read/watch/listen whatever you didn’t pay for, I know that. I feel that. I just really, really want this to be solved. I’ve been reading ebooks for 4 years. How much longer do we have to wait? Will someone just listen?

If you think that people who meant to buy will buy it even after they read, and ppl like me will never buy anyways – think again.

But of course. Since I read pirated books anyways, you’ll just say I’m a scum and my opinion does not reflect the big picture. If you prefer to be blind, no skin off my nose.

And yes, I’m small enough to be an anon.

I really do find that bizarre because ebooks are supposed to be “countryless”, but I suspect they want to test on the domestic market first to iron out all potential teething problems before they would go international.

I think the biggest problem is the foreign rights. Availing the machines internationally could bring on a set of problems relating to foreign rights. This is one aspect that hasn’t been sorted out.

The grey market exists via online bookshops including Amazon where international readers can buy (physical) books that aren’t otherwise available in their countries, but at least in a way, it’s still controlled. This is not the case with ebook versions because in theory, ebook versions should be available only to where it can be sold. But how do you ensure that?

One way is to have a country-specific credit card and/or address, but to ensure this further is not availing the devices to those outside the country. Otherwise foreign publishers may object as it could affect their own book sales (physical and ebook versions).

I think that’s why they are restricting the Kindle and the like to its own country until this particular issue is sorted out. This is my speculation, though. At best it’s an educated guess.

I bought one of those before the Sony 505…wish I’d sent it back. It’s currently being lent out to a co-worker.

I thought the page-turn was too much work – the button doesn’t always register that you’ve pushed it. From comments over at mobileread.com, I understand this is not consistent – some Cybook owners notice it, some don’t. I got one of the “lemons”.

I think one of the things that will make ebook readers more popular is the ability to see it in action at the store. I’d have never bought the Cybook if I’d had the chance to test it out first…

I have a hot pink cover for my Sony…does that count?

I wont ever buy a Kindle because I don’t want to support Amazon in any form, but I do lust over the Sony just a little bit.
I wonder if I can find on in pink?

Perhaps I need to go to the Sony store and play around with one for a bit.

I do love my ebookwise a lot, though.

I can buy one of those mini-laptops for the same price and slap Calibre on it and see all my ebooks in color!

great review!!!

I compared the 505 and 700 models and decided to get the 505 one because of its crispness and clarity. Indeed the 700 has the interactive touch screen and annotation aspects, but in my gadget-filled world the 700 will never be a iPhone, nor do I need to make notes on the books I download to read. In fact I could have done without the music and picture functions of the 505, instead, would have appreciated the ability to have a light attached for night reading and the ability to flip through a book faster (btw, press the side arrows down firmly to go 10 pages forward or backwards at a time, or just type in a page number and press ‘menu’ is possible now). In addition, the 505 was sure sexier and slimmer looking than its new bulky cousin!

The sorest point for me is Amazon’s lack of insight or thought towards its international market. It has been 2 years since Kindle came to the market, and the company has not once provided any communication to its international clients about Kindle – like why its not available ooutside of USA, what is being done, etc. Their silence has made it loud and clear they don’t put too much worth to markets outside of USA in the ebook market arena, therfore I have made a decision not to purchase from this company anymore.

I purchased my red Sony 505 two weeks ago and currently have 56 books downloaded. Most of the books from Sony ebook website – there will be more from them as part of the purchase deal for the machine was 100 Classics ebooks free download – I believe the deal finishes at the end of March. As well, for you Canadians Chapters is also stepping up to the ebook bandwagon, and other websites like ebooks.com, samhain, and other smaller independent publishing companies.

READ ON!!

Now, if I could find a few hundred dollars laying somewhere… :wink:

I am jealous. I wish I had that much time to read. Seriously.