EDIT: New eReaders arrived! We recommend the Kindle Fire HD, and here you can find a great Kindle Fire review. If you want it only for reading purpose, then get either the best price all-new Kindle (the simplest & most handy e-reader), or the Kindle Paperwhite (with built-in light for reading in the dark, and for more convenient touch screen control).
First, before talking about the Sony Reader PRS-700BC, there are significant differences between the Amazon Kindle 1 when compared with the Kindle 2. Among other things, the Kindle 2 is much thinner and boasts an increase of battery life by about 25% over that of the Kindle 1.0. The Kindle 2 also features a better keyboard which means easier to flip pages.
The Kindle 2′s chief competitor is the Sony Reader PRS-700BC, though you will see clearly that Kindle 2 beats the Sony Reader hands down. This is primarily because of the available features as we list below. The Sony Reader debuted in 2006 and uses the same technology as the Kindle and the chief difference between the two is availability of a wireless network, or lack thereof.
While the Kindle 2 does not have WI-FI, it does make use of Sprint’s EVDO Wireless data network to search for, and download books. The Kindle 2′s wireless connectivity and basic web-browsing features make it the more powerful of the two.
Another key factor is the available titles. There are a number of users in the Kindle review section who is owner of the Sony Reader originally, but in the end favors the Kindle 2 because it has much more available content than the Sony Reader. Not to mention that Amazon also provides millions of free Kindle books as well as over 50,000 Kindle books each at the price of less than $1. Below is a comparison table of Amazon Kindle 2 versus Sony Reader PRS-700:
| Amazon Kindle 2 | Sony Reader PRS-700BC | |
|---|---|---|
| Outlook |  |  |
| Release Date | 24 Feb, 2009 | 22 Oct, 2008 |
| Size | 8″ x 5.3″ x 0.36″ | 5.1″ x 6.7″ x 0.40″ |
| Thickness | 0.36″ | 0.40″ |
| Weight | 10.2 oz | 10.0 oz (without soft cover) |
| Display | 6″ screen (no touch screen) 600 x 800 resolution 167 pixels/inch 16 level gray scale | 6″ touch screen 600 x 800 resolution 170 pixels/inch 8 level gray scale |
| Input | Actual keyboard | On-screen touch keyboard |
| Connectivity | Free 3G wireless in over 100 countries No WI-FI | None. Connect via USB to internet enabled PC only |
| Storage | 2GB (about 1500 books) | 512MB expandable with SD card or Sony Memory Stick Duo – the standard setup supports about 350 books |
| Format | Kindle, Text, PDF, HTML, DOC, Audio (Audible, MP3), Images | DRM Text, MP3, DOC, Audio (AAC, PDF), Images (JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP) |
| Colors | White | Silver, Black, Red |
| Audio | Text to speech that allows the book to be read out loud. Turn it on and let it read to you or the kids! | None |
| Official Site / Purchase | Buy Amazon Kindle 2 | Buy Sony Reader 700BC |
| Actual User Feedback | Feedback on Kindle 2 | Feedback on Sony 700BC |
Below is a video comparing Amazon Kindle 2, Sony Reader 505, Sony Reader PRS-700 from mobiletechreview.
Nice review. One of the reason why the kindle is still the leader is because it’s net connection works internationally. Also the new battery life is a huge improvement.
I thought it was worth sharing