The two most well established brands in the ebook reader market are the Amazon Kindle 2 and the Sony Reader. The Sony Reader is coming out with a brand new digital ebook reader to compete directly with the Kindle 2. How will the two stack up against each other this holiday season?
Sony Reader's Different Models- The Sony Reader now boasts 3 different models of ebook reader- the Touch Edition, Daily Edition, and Pocket Edition. The "Daily Edition" is the newest model soon to be released and pre-orders are being taken at the time of writing this article.
Kindle 3G
Kindle 2 and Sony Reader Daily Edition Screens- Both the Kindle 2 and the Sony Reader utilize the E-Ink technology, which reflects away light to make the writing crystal clear on the screen. Text can be resized on both devices to any size you want.
Sony Reader Touch Screen- The 'Daily Edition' will have a touch-screen for use and navigation. Some are praising this as a one-up on the Kindle 2. The Kindle 2 has button navigation. One needs to really think about what is better here! When you are reading, you will maybe want to hold the reader in many different positions, yes? Will a touch screen interfere with this? Are buttons a more solid approach to navigation for an ebook reader? Customer reviews will tell in time.
Wireless Capabilities/ 3G- Both the Kindle 2 and the Reader Daily Edition boast wireless capabilities. So you'll be able to download books and other publications in any area with wireless access. It should be mentioned that other models of Sony Readers do NOT give this feature. You have to hook up to the computer and download via USB from the Sony website.
Both the NEW Sony Model and the Kindle 2 will have 3G cellular service for those times when you can't get access to wireless. Otherwise, they'll hook into the edge or gprs system to download when 3G isn't available.
Taking Notes- The Sony Daily Edition comes with a stylus and allows you to make notes in the book, just as if it was a real book.
International Capabilities- The Amazon Kindle 2 is available in over 100 countries, whereas the Sony Reader Daily Edition does not give international service. This could be a major leg up in the competition for the Kindle 2.
Pricing- Finally, we talk about pricing. The Daily Edition is currently priced at 9.99, whereas the Kindle 2 is priced at 9.00.