Posted October 12, 2009 to Digital, Media Appearances
I’m quoted in the Wired.com GeekDad Blog today talking about Sony Readers, and why I broke up with Kindle in favor of the Sony – price and borrowing from the library were the key reasons. Don’t get between me and my ability to bargain shop (and crack DRM from purchased materials so it’s mine mine minnnnne):
It’s a really nice device. The test drivers enjoyed having many books at their fingertips, being able to get the books they wanted nearly instantly and they liked being able to download from multiple sites. Unlike its competitor, Amazon’s Kindle, the eReader doesn’t restrict you to Sony’s own library.
Sarah Wendell, the website owner who ran the test, even said that she choose her Sony over the Kindle.
“The main reasons I switched from Kindle to Sony were cost and bargain shopping. Much of what I read is review copies, and emailing documents to the Kindle costs money now – used to be free. But more importantly, I wanted the option to shop at other bookstores that may have better prices. Amazon offers the $9.99 hardback – but most of genre fiction, particularly romance, is paperback, and I frequently found books I wanted cheaper elsewhere. I miss the wireless ease and the shopping ease of the Kindle, but I like having the option to shop and use more than one format.
But by far the best element to the Sony: borrowing ebooks from the library. I have an NYPL [New York Public Library] membership, and I can borrow ebooks for three weeks, and there’s nothing better than that. Can’t do that with the Kindle.”
The Smart Bitches Test Drive, if you’re not familiar, was a digital reader test drive program I ran in conjunction with Sony USA and Harlequin LTD. Sony donated 30 refurbished Readers and Harlequin donated $25.00 gift certificates for my pool of 30 Test Drivers: readers who were curious about the digital reading experience but didn’t want to fork over the $300+ retail to try ebooks. So far, the program has been an amazing learning experience, and I’d say a success: most of the Test Drivers elected to keep their readers.