The two hottest ebook readers on the market in 2009 are the Amazon Kindle 2 and the Sony EBook Reader PRS-700. Both models bring the customer a great reading experience, at a never before seen level. Anyone who is considering getting into the world of electronic literature and wonders which model gives the best bang for the buck should hopefully consider my comparisons and observations useful when deciding between the two.

Price: Of course, price is always a big factor for the consumer when picking any electronic device. The Amazon Kindle 2 has been newly repriced at $359, now making the $399 Sony EBook Reader the more expensive option on the market. If you were to judge on current price alone, the Amazon Kindle 2 is the clear winner.

Size and Weight: The weight and size of the two EReaders are very similar; one does not have a greatly noticeable advantage over the other. The Sony EBook Reader PRS-700 weighs in at just about 10 oz. with the Kindle 2 just slightly a little over that.  The Sony EBook Reader is a bit wider and thicker, while the Kindle is a couple inches longer. In any case, both are very convenient to carry around.

Display: The weight of both the Amazon Kindle 2 and the Sony Reader PRS-700 are very closely matched. The Sony Reader is exactly 10 oz and a little lighter than the Kindle 2. In terms of size, the Amazon Kindle 2 is slimmer than the Sony Reader. The PRS-700 is somewhat wider and thicker than the Kindle, but only by a very tiny margin. Neither takes up much room in a briefcase or handbag, and are both extremely easy to use on a daily basis.

Wireless Capabilities: This is where the Amazon Kindle 2 scores major points over the Sony Ebook Reader. The Sony EBook Reader has no real wireless capability at all at this time. The Amazon Kindle 2 utilizes Whispernet technology, which gives the user free wireless coverage in the USA by utilizing Sprints excellent 3G high speed network. This is a big deal. Anyone who is an Amazon Kindle 2 user can take their pick from over 240,000 magazines, blogs and of course EBooks available at the central Amazon Kindle Library. Because it lacks this on the go capability, Sony EBook readers are limited to a mere 100,000 eBooks and a somewhat limited amount of subject matter.

Supported Formats: Both the Amazon Kindle 2 and Sony E Book Reader Reader PRS-700 have the inbuilt capability to support most commonly used file formats. The Sony EBook Reader however does have a PDF capability that the Amazon Kindle 2 lacks, which can be a big inconvenience in everyday use. In order to view a PDF document on the Amazon Kindle 2 one has to email Amazon support and have them convert it into a readable file for you.

Storage Capacity: The Amazon Kindle 2 has a decent   2GB of built in internal memory, whereas the Sony EBook PRS-700 can hold just about 250mb. However, the Sony Reader E Book Reader scores here is that it allows the use of memory cards, both SD and Sony’s own Memory Stick Technology. This is convenient for those who like to carry their library around with them. The old first generation Kindle also had this memory card option, but unfortunately it has been removed on the Amazon Kindle 2.

Battery Life and Charge Time: Both the Amazon Kindle 2 and the Sony EBook Reader have very similar statistics when it comes to battery life, with both of them having the capability to work for 2 weeks on one single full charge. The main difference here is that if the Amazon Kindle 2 is being constantly used with its wireless capabilities turned on, the battery life is reduced to four days. Charge time for both devices is somewhere around the two hour mark. Both can be charged by either USB cord, or wall plug. Sony PSP users may also use the same charger they use for their gaming console.

The Bottom Line 2009 Comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Sony eBook Reader: Although not an easy thing to call, I believe though that overall the Amazon Kindle 2 is the better eBook reader of the two. The wireless option and the larger library of available titles just give the Amazon Kindle 2 that little extra edge. Don’t think that Sony is done though. As they have demonstrated with the evolution of the Playstation and PSP gaming consoles, improving is something they do very well.

One thing is quite noticeable when you first lay eyes on the Sony E Book Reader from its box - the Japanese electronics giant has certainly hit the right note when it comes to the visual design of the gadget   The Sony E Book Reader has the kind of sleek, minimal design that might not look out of place in one of those “in the very near future” sci-fi movies.  The Sony EBook Reader has a smooth finish in matte silver, while the other buttons and controls are a nice contrast in darker silver. At first look, it may seem that there are just too many buttons squeezed into the design, but as you begin to actually use the Sony EBook reader you’ll see that for the level of function, Sony got it just about right.

ESTABLISHED KINDLE 2 SONY EBOOK READER WEBSITE BUSINESS US $49.99 --> Ends In 7h 52m <--

SONY Portable eBook Digital Reader PRS 505 Silver New US $212.51 --> Ends In 11h 33m <--

Sony E Book Reader Model PRS 500 US $132.50 --> Ends In 13h 56m <--

Sony PRS 500 Portable Digital eBook Reader US $127.50 --> Ends In 14h 15m <--

Sony PRS 505 PRS505 eBook reader digital USB US $191.00 --> Ends In 1h 47m <--

Sony E Reader e book PRS 500 portable reader US $142.50 --> Ends In 6h 12m <--

Sony Reader PRS 500 ebook library exc condition US $162.50 --> Ends In 8h 19m <--

NEW Sony Portable Digital Ebook Reader PRS 505 Silver US $249.99 --> Ends In 20d 5h 46m <--

SONY Portable eBook Digital Reader PRS 505 SILVER US $203.50 --> Ends In 1d 14h 1m <--

SONY READER PRS 505 EBOOK DARK BLUE WITH CASE US $200.00 --> Ends In 1d 3h 8m <--

SONY PRS 505 E BOOK READER ACCESSORIES NEW UNUSED US $245.52 --> Ends In 1d 3h 25m <--

Sony PRS 700 Ebook Reader Used for 1 Hour US $281.02 --> Ends In 1d 7h 5m <--

The Sony EBook Reader measures 175 x 122 x 7.6mm (HxWxD), making it very slim indeed. Even in its protective cover it is still only the size of a slim notepad. The protective case seems durable enough, although it is made of plastic not leather.  Sony actually thought about the usability of the EBook reader while still in its sleeve, as it can be easily read without the need to remove the protective sheath.

One great highlight of the Sony Ebook Reader is the 6 inch screen, which of course you will be spending a lot of time looking at. The screen is not the LCD standard monitor you might be expecting, it actually looks like digital ink on digital paper, and the clarity is an unexpected bonus.

Unlike a standard LCD screen, the Sony EBook Reader is specifically designed to only show a static image, just like a standard piece of paper. This means the screen is not continually drawing power to keep an image displayed like an LCD screen would usually have to do. The screen itself is perfectly readable in at any angle and in any light. In fact, it is far easier to read in bright ambient light, so if you enjoy reading outside on a sunny day, the Sony EBook is a great choice of reading companion.

Running along the right hand side of the viewing screen you will find ten numbered buttons, 0-9. These are used for selecting options in the Reader Menus as well as a tool to navigate to specific page numbers in an ebook. To the right of all these buttons you will find the two most important controls, those that turn the individual pages back and forth.

There are also even more controls below the screen. To the left you have another set of page turning buttons, this time mounted on circular rocker. There is also a neat little Bookmark button, which will actually turn down the corner of any given page. The Zoom button of course enlarges and decreases the size of the text depending on viewer preference. The full menu button is located in the right corner, and finally there is a four way rocker that can be utilized instead of the 0-9 number buttons.

The top of the Sony EBook Reader is the location of a sliding power switch and Both SD Card and MemoryStick Slots. It is a nice feature that Sony has accepted that not all consumers use their MemoryStick technology, and offers the option to use other often less expensive formats as SD. You do not of course need either to actually use the Sony EBook reader, as it does have 192MB of memory inbuilt. That may not sound like a lot, but it converts to approximately 160 average size books. If you need to carry more than that around with you, pop in an SD card, and carry everything around with you all the time.

On the downside, actually loading books onto the Sony EBook Reader is not as simple as the promotional materials might lead you to believe. Sony claims that books can simply be dragged and dropped into the EBook Library application, but that is not actually the case. You actually have to drag them to the Library tab or directly onto the separate reader tab. This isn’t too bad once you get the hang of it, but it would have been nice if the items could have been dragged directly to the main window.

The eBook revolution is not of interest to everyone, but if you have been thinking about giving this whole eBook idea a shot, the Sony EBook Reader is not a bad investment at all. It runs far cheaper than the Amazon Kindle 2, has a beautiful look to it, and is easy to use and handle. It may not gain the popularity of the PSP, but it is certainly a contender in the growing e reader market.