Archive for reallyusefulgroup(tm)
Sony Reader at Waterstones happy ending
Posted by: | CommentsAbout 2 weeks ago I wrote about the Euro pricing of the new Sony Reader models going on sale in Waterstones.
The touch model retails at £249.99 in the UK and was set to go on sale for €359.99 in Ireland. The Sony Pocket model (retail £179.99) was due to hit the shelves here for €249.99.
I forwarded my blog post and questions about pricing to Waterstones and I’m happy to report that as a result of these enquiries Waterstones have rectified the pricing issue. The new Sony Readers will go on sale in Irish stores with these prices:
Sony Pocket : €225 (€249.99 before)
Sony Touch : €315 (€359.99 before)
Thanks to Neil at Waterstones for getting to the bottom of the issue.
So next time you see a price that looks wrong to you, it pays to make enquiries with the retailer. Light a candle rather than curse the dark.
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Ten Rules For Being Human
Posted by: | CommentsStumbled on this. Thought it was very good.
Ten Rules For Being Human
- You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.
- You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, “life.
- “There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately “work.”
- Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.
- Learning lessons does not end. There’s no part of life that doesn’t contain its lessons. If you’re alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.
- “There” is no better a place than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will again look better than “here.”
- Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
- What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
- Your answers lie within you. The answers to life’s questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
- You will forget all this.
Any articles/blog posts/photos/stuff of interest I could blog about here ? Send the link direct to my iPhone now

After getting in touch with Waterstones, their pricing has been reviewed.
Selling price for the Sony Reader Touch will be €315. The Pocket model will be €225. Full details here
Sue has also left a comment below that the Sony Store on St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin has the Touch model for less than €300
*****
The new Sony Reader Touch models were announced earlier this week by Sony and will be available through Waterstones stores in Ireland. They have great new features (touchscreen, built in dictionary, ability to write notes etc.) compared with the previous model. There is a question mark about glare and readability though. As an owner of the previous model, I will have to see the unit before making a decision on upgrading.
When I reviewed the Sony Reader last year I said that Waterstones were to be commended for their pricing. The unit launched with a UK price of £199, with Irish stores charging €249, which was very fair when taking into account VAT and currency difference. This time round, the situation is not so good.
The Sony Touch models retail at £249.99 in the UK. The Irish store price? A whopping €359.99.
The Sony Pocket models retail at £179.99 in the UK. The Irish store price? A puzzling €249.99.
There simply is no rational explanation for this. I asked Waterstones to confirm the prices weren’t a mistake. They replied via Twitter that, no, there wasn’t a mistake. These are the prices.
The exchange rate between Euro and Sterling is actually the same as this time last year – so there’s no excuse there. Our VAT rate has changed, but that doesn’t make up the difference.
If I’m going to buy one, I would like to buy locally. With these crazy prices being charge by Waterstones though, it’s very unlikely I will.
I will forward this blog post on to Waterstones for comment and see if they can give a rational explanation for these prices. I’ll update as and when.
Any articles/blog posts/photos/stuff of interest I could blog about here ? Send the link direct to my iPhone now
Now that’s what I call a bookshop
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When I grow up I want to build a bookshop just like this one.
It’s the Livraria Lello in Portugal.
Opened in 1906, Livraria Lello is one of the most beautiful bookstores in Porto and the world. It is the flagship store for one of the most important Portuguese publishing houses. Co-owner Antero Braga is usually around, knows the Portuguese book market in and out, and will be glad to help you find exactly what you want even when you don’t have a clue about what that may be.
It’s like something from a Harry Potter book – magical. I could imagine getting lost in there forever.
More photographs of other wonderful bookshops here. While you’re there take a look at the stunning architecture of some amazing libraries.
Image owned by stuckinha [cc license]
Any articles/blog posts/photos/stuff of interest I could blog about here ? Send the link direct to my iPhone now
