Amazon Kindle versus Sony PRS 505 ebook reader – which is right for you?

Well it’s happened at last! The Amazon Kindle is available here in the UK . Or rather the Amazon Kindle is now being shipped to the UK by Amazon is the USA to be precise. The press and TV are full of it, but is the Kindle the right ebook reader for you?

In fact Amazon in the UK are not selling the Kindle ebook reader. But Amazon in the USA will sell you a Kindle for $279  plus shipping and send it to you from the USA.

We thought it would be a good idea now to compare the Kindle with the UK’s best selling ebook reader, the Sony PRS 505 which is now available via our site for only £149 including delivery. Check out the comparison and let us know what you think.

1. Price – in today’s credit crunch Britain, price and value for money matter. And the Sony ebook reader is a lot cheaper than the Kindle at the current exchange rate, and the great price includes delivery. £149 all inc versus $279 plus shipping.

2. Availability – the Sonyebook reader  is shipped from one of the UK’s leading retailers. The Kindle is sent from America, so will take longer to get here. So if you want it fast, it’s the Sony ebook reader for you.

3. Looks -  we’re not alone in finding the Kindle unattractive. It’s cheap plasticky look and mass of buttons on the front were fine when the Kindle pioneered ebook readers and you expected it to look like an electronic gadget. But compare it with the Sony PRS 505 with its solid, rugged construction, smaller size and clean lines. And the Sony reader is available in a stylish red or sharp silver finish. This is down to personal taste. Which ebook reader would you rather own?

4. Wifi. If you want your ebooks delivered by wifi straight to your ebook reader, then there’s no contest. Only the Amazon can do it. But whether this matters depends on how you use the reader.

Most people download a few tens or hundreds of ebooks from the net on to their PC and then load them onto the reader via USB, or by SD card. Buying books on the spur of the moment when you’ve got your reader handy but not your computer doesn’t come into it. But if you do want that option, then you can buy ebooks direct from Amazon in the US  using the wifi connection on your Kindle. With the Sony ebook reader, you download them to your computer and then copy them across.

Note that with the Kindle you are limited to Amazon for buying your books wirelessly. With the Sony reader you can buy them from any merchant as you wish. We don’t think wifi matters, but you might do.

So there you have it, if you need wifi, and can afford it, then get the Kindle. If you don’t need wifi, then you’ll be better off with the Sony.

Check out thethe Amazon site yourself on the link below.

then have a look at the Sony reader. See what you think and let us know. But remember, demand for the Sony reader is high at this price.