The Kindle 2 vs. Sony Reader 700C: A video comparison

Curious to see how Amazon’s Kindle 2 e-book reader stacks up against Sony’s competing, top-of-the-line 700C Reader—especially given the recent price cut to the Kindle, which now costs $299? A new Consumer Reports video (see right) looks at some of the ways the devices compare.

Though too brief to be comprehensive, the video provides a useful snapshot of the devices’ comparative ease of use, contrasting the Kindle’s wireless downloading with the computer-based downloads of the $350 Sony.

A recent side-by-side report on the two devices highlights further differences between the two. It includes such pluses to the Sony as its decent touchscreen and night-light—the latter being a feature lacking on either the Kindle 2 or big-screen Kindle DX.

However, those past reports predate last week’s price drop for the Kindle 2, which puts it into the same price range as the older Sony Reader 505, which lists at $299. —Paul Reynolds