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I loved my MiniDisk player, but the arbitrary roadblocks that Sony put up for how you were allowed to use the device and the poor quality of the management soft

I loved my MiniDisk player, but the arbitrary roadblocks that Sony put up for how you were allowed to use the device and the poor quality of the management software were so infuriating that I vowed not to give Sony another cent for ten years. (I stuck to that promise too, even avoiding the temptation of the beautiful PRS-505 e-book reader. That turned out to be a good decision when the first Kindle came out shortly after.)

mikepurvis 5y ago
Not that the Kindle has especially been a model of embracing open standards and user flexibility. But at least it’s popular.
- Tostino 5y ago
  Sometimes it's just about not being stuck with a paperweight.
  - salamandersauce 5y ago
    The PRS-505 supports ePub. Can't remember if that was after a firmware update or from the factory though. And even after the Sony ebook store closed down they let you transfer everything to Kobo. And you can still sideload ePubs on with Adobe Digital Editions. Early Kindles are going to lose a lot of functionality soon as 3G networks get shut down and they have no WiFi to fall back on.
  - mikepurvis 5y ago
    Oh yeah definitely, but the GP was specifically talking about the manufacturer throwing up arbitrary roadblocks.
    - Tostino 5y ago
      Those arbitrary roadblocks can often be the reason a device becomes unusable after it isn't "supported" any more. But yeah point taken.
- dotancohen 5y ago
  You might like the Nook. I've been rooting e-ink Nooks for about nine years, and the latest model can install Android apps without root! I mostly use it for studying with Ankidroid.
nextos 5y ago
Sony sadly has a long history of limiting devices in crazy ways. Their beautiful ebook reader was a disaster from a software perspective. Paradoxically, since they are a conglomerate some divisions have sane policies. Their mobile phone one is among the few manufacturers that release kernels and make it easy to self-compile your own AOSP.
- irontoby 5y ago
  Really wishing I would have realized that before buying my Sony Bravia TV a few years ago. It's basically just an output device for my Roku, I don't want/need any of the built-in smart TV junk but a recent update now causes it to reboot just about every time I turn it on. The reboot process takes almost a full minute, but at least the SONY logo emblazoned on the screen during that time has hopefully given me a Pavlovian aversion to their brand so that I won't make the same mistake again.
  - dustymcp 5y ago
    I remember buying mine, then them saying they would'nt support apps on it anymore, then a month later the netflix app stopped working, was great timing i ended up getting a pirate box instead. Never again sony, never again.
jbay808 5y ago
Hmm, my PRS e-reader is still going strong and I remember choosing it over a kindle, specifically because it had fewer restrictions on how I use it. It could read PDFs and ePubs, DRM-free, which I believe kindle couldn't at the time. Not sure how the landscape has changed.

mikepurvis 5y ago

Not that the Kindle has especially been a model of embracing open standards and user flexibility. But at least it’s popular.

Tostino 5y ago
Sometimes it's just about not being stuck with a paperweight.
- salamandersauce 5y ago
  The PRS-505 supports ePub. Can't remember if that was after a firmware update or from the factory though. And even after the Sony ebook store closed down they let you transfer everything to Kobo. And you can still sideload ePubs on with Adobe Digital Editions. Early Kindles are going to lose a lot of functionality soon as 3G networks get shut down and they have no WiFi to fall back on.
- mikepurvis 5y ago
  Oh yeah definitely, but the GP was specifically talking about the manufacturer throwing up arbitrary roadblocks.
  - Tostino 5y ago
    Those arbitrary roadblocks can often be the reason a device becomes unusable after it isn't "supported" any more. But yeah point taken.
dotancohen 5y ago
You might like the Nook. I've been rooting e-ink Nooks for about nine years, and the latest model can install Android apps without root! I mostly use it for studying with Ankidroid.

nextos 5y ago

Sony sadly has a long history of limiting devices in crazy ways. Their beautiful ebook reader was a disaster from a software perspective. Paradoxically, since they are a conglomerate some divisions have sane policies. Their mobile phone one is among the few manufacturers that release kernels and make it easy to self-compile your own AOSP.

irontoby 5y ago
Really wishing I would have realized that before buying my Sony Bravia TV a few years ago. It's basically just an output device for my Roku, I don't want/need any of the built-in smart TV junk but a recent update now causes it to reboot just about every time I turn it on. The reboot process takes almost a full minute, but at least the SONY logo emblazoned on the screen during that time has hopefully given me a Pavlovian aversion to their brand so that I won't make the same mistake again.
- dustymcp 5y ago
  I remember buying mine, then them saying they would'nt support apps on it anymore, then a month later the netflix app stopped working, was great timing i ended up getting a pirate box instead. Never again sony, never again.

jbay808 5y ago

Hmm, my PRS e-reader is still going strong and I remember choosing it over a kindle, specifically because it had fewer restrictions on how I use it. It could read PDFs and ePubs, DRM-free, which I believe kindle couldn't at the time. Not sure how the landscape has changed.