Am I the only person who had October 3 marked on their calendar? October 3 was the day Sony announced the latest version of their Reader device. I’ve been holding off on buying an eReader for a while now because I wanted certain features: fast page turns; ability to make notes; reads PDF, html, doc and txt, some sort of integrated light, does not tie me to a specific vendor or format. 

For a long time, the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader each delivered some of my requirements, but not all. However, both devices currently offer some version of my requirements. Sony opened to PDF a while ago, and Amazon has added PDF conversion service to their byzantine upload/doownload/pay-to-wirelessly upload-your-own-damn-files system of converting files for the Kindle.

Reviews have called Kindle the “iPod of eReaders” because of its wireless WhisperNet feature. *Yawn* For me, the wireless features pale in comparison to the way Kindle will have control of my library if I buy the device. And the way I’ll be tied to making purchases from Amazon. And the way I’d have to run every document I want to view on the Kindle through Amazon’s servers — I just don’t trust it. I don’t like the idea of being tied to a corporation that way*. 

 While I must admit the wireless features of the Kindle are appealing, they are not appealing enough to overshadow my concerns about privacy and monopoly (an example of a corporation whose feature set has overshadowed my worries about privacy and monopoly: Google). The Kindle still scares me. The DRM stuff. The corporate control. The ugly, ugly, ugly design.  

I do not like the fact that the SonyReader runs on and requires a Microsoft OS, but the choice between the Kindle and the Reader is rather like the upcoming election. One product is awkward, white and totally owned by corporate interests. The other product is good-looking, black, and while it’s not as innovative as you’d like it to be, it gives you real hope for your freedom, your finances, and your future.

The choice is clear: Obama, ‘08.

Wait a minute. I was supposed to be deciding between eReader devices. I’ll delay final judgement until there’s a test model available at the Sony store, but, for now: Advantage, Sony Reader.