A reader brought to my attention a few days ago that the Hanlin-V3 ereader and the BeBook ereader are one in the same?

Let’s see…

What do you think? Are they the same?

Let’s take it a step further…

Well, what do you know? Pretty close, eh?

Except for a few format, internal memory,  accessories, and language difference, they are just about the same.  I wonder who copied whom.  Or are the two companies related?

I guess we will have to dig deeper to find out.

Anyway, the good thing is that you don’t have to go all the way to China to get the Hanlin V3 when you can get the BeBook write here…that to me is safer.

…plus there are a lot of unknowns about the Hanlin V3 that I did not include, such as…is there a content source associated with the company or do I have to hunt down my own content? That to me is a hassle.

Therein lies the reason why the Amazon Kindle is a step above the rest…the convenience of having your content at your fingertips, but that’s another story.

That’s not to say the the Hanlin V3 is not good. That’s not what I am saying.

If you ask me,  all ereaders are good in their own way. You just have to know what you are looking for and what you are willing to pay.

This blog is to help you make the most informed decision within the least margin of error.

My next move will be to compare both these devices with the “new” Kindle 2, so stay tuned.

Don’t forget that your comments are always welcome as we are always looking for way to make this blog better!

…also, pay it forward for those coming behind you…

talk to you soon.

This is a correspondence, I had with a Kindle 2 owner who lives outside to US.

He expressed that he could not download books to his Kindle 2 from his Amazon account.

So, I did some research and send him the information below:

I am happy to say that it worked for him and he is  really happy.

I am sharing it here so that if you have the same problem you will know what to do…and don’t forget to “pay it forward.”

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If you’re outside the Whispernet service area (either within the United States or when traveling internationally), you can still buy content from the Kindle Store and access your Kindle items Archived on Amazon.com through your computer and transfer them via USB to your Kindle.

Please note that, Whispernet (Wireless connectivity) service is currently available only in United States.

So, I request you to purchase the Kindle content from your computer and download it to your Kindle with the help of the following steps:

To connect Kindle to your computer, plug the larger end of the USB cable into an available USB port or a powered USB hub connected to your computer.

Then connect the other end of the USB cable to the micro-USB port on your Kindle.

To download items from Amazon.com:

1. visit the Manage Your Kindle page at http://amazon.com/manageyourkindle

2. locate your content in the “Your orders and individual charges” section.

3. Then click on the “Download/Send to . . .” pull-down menu

4. select “Computer.”

After you’ve selected a Kindle book and downloaded the file to your computer, connect your Kindle to your computer using the USB cable and drag the file to the “documents” folder on your Kindle using your computer’s file browser.

For more information, please consult the User’s Guide for your Kindle.

You can download a copy and find additional instructions on the Amazon.com Help pages here:     kindle support

If you need further assistance, please contact customer support at 1-866-321-8851.

Here’s a comparison between Kindle 2 and PRS-505…

Summary

Screen: 8 level gray scale as opposed to Kindle’s 16.

Size: Sony is smaller in every dimension.

Computer Requirement: Required at all times for sony content download. Need sometimes for Kindle (only in non-wireless coverage areas).

Format:
Sony – AA, PRC, MOBI, AZW, HTML not covered
Kindle – BBeB, AAC  not covered
everything else equal

Expansion:Sony holds 160 books in memory and offers  capacity to expand and hold additional content – up to 10 GB.

Kindle holds 1500 books in memory offers no expansion capacity, but offers content removal from memory for back-up at Amazon.com

Connectivity: Both utilizes computer as a connectivity source. Kindle bypasses this requirement when in a wireless coverage area.

Content: Much more content availability with Kindle.

Weight: Sony reader a little lighter.

Capacity: Kindle holds more titles in internal memory.

Battery Power: Both devices give good content mileage.

Fees: Neither device charges a fee for download.

Accessories: Just about the same (Sony includes connection software).

Update I
Can you Rotate the screen?
YES for the PRS-505, NO for the kindle . To rotate the Screen on your PRS-505, simple hold down the “Size” button for about 5 seconds and the screen will rotates from portrait to landscape and back.

Can you jump forward more than one page at a time in either device?
YES for both devices.
For the PRS-505, hold the “Page Forward” or “Back” button for five seconds and the page will jump 10 pages in the direction of the button. For the Kindle, hold down the “Alt + Prev Page” or “Alt + Next Page” buttons and the page will jump in the direction of the button by quite a few pages. I am not sure how much, but it seems to be a little more than the PRS-505

* For the PRS-500:”1? brings you to the start of the book. “2? brings you to 20% of the book. “3? to 30% and so on. So if you want to open to about half way in the book simply hit “5?.

How Can I Make PDF Look Better on the Device?
For the Kindle , you cannot do much right now – PDF display is still in the experimental phase. As for the PRS-505, its just a simple matter of reformatting your PDF document to fit the device. Most PDF documents are formatted to fit an 8 ½” x 11? piece of paper and not a screen the size of the Reader. In this case the Reader will have to resize your files to display on its screen. Your files may look better if you reformat them with the Reader’s screen size in mind. You can go here to download directions on how to optimize PDFs for the Reader.

Why does the page sometimes change when I place the device in my bag?
You can control this for both Kindle and the PRS-505:
For the Kindle, simple press “Alt+A” to put the device to sleep before you put it away.
For the PRS-505, you will need to turn the device off using the power switch on the left hand side of the reader which will in-turn lock the buttons. When you are ready to read again, just turn the unit on and you will pick up right where left off.

Can You Lock the Device?
For the PRS -505, you can lock the device by putting on a four digit password that will need to be entered anytime the Reader is turned on. If you use this feature you will have to remember your password or call 1-866-962-7669.
No such password access for Kindle.

Update II – Listening to Audio files

Kindle
You can download (via USB cable) and listen to MP3 files only as background music. This means that you cannot create a play list or organize the files the way you would on a MP3 player. Once the music starts it will play until you stop it or switch to audio books. You can adjust the volume using the built-in volume control at the bottom of the device.

PRS-505
You can download and listen to MP3 files on the Sony reader as you would on the player itself or as background music while reading. Tracks are listed in alphabetical order. You simply need to select the music of choice, press “ENT,” and you are on your way. In the play mode, you can see “everything:” track name, artist name, album name, elapsed time, track number, total number of track, etc. You can fast forward, rewind, stop, play, adjust volume the normal way with the built-in volume control on the device.

Speakers
You have the option of listening to audio file on kindle via the external built-in speakers or privately using a headphone. PRS-505 gives you no choice but to listen with a headphone as It is not equipped with external speakers.

Both devices use up a significant amount of battery power when audio is played…so use conservatively.

Audiobooks
If you prefer to listen to your books as opposed to reading them, Kindle gives you the option of downloading and listening to audio books from Audible.com. PRS-505 does not offer you this option. For more information on how to access audio books for the Kindle go here.

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