I've ordered the Blue due to what I believed would be a more pronounced screen and reading experience, but now I'm having a bit of Buyers remorse and am thinking I should have gotten the silver. So I'd like to hear opinions on the two and on the reading experience based on color.

They're the same electronically. I think I would order a blue one over a silver one, since as you point out there is more contrast between the case and the screen, to help keep the eyes focused on the screen better. But when I held one of the silver ones at my local Borders store a week ago it was fine.

I know I like the dark case of the 500.

So I'd suggest not worrying about buyer's remorse on the case color -- if you hate the blue one, you can send it to me!;)

Intellectually, I know that they're both made of the same sort of plastic. However, on an emotional level, when I see the blue, I intuitively think "cheap plastic," but when I see the silver, I intuitively think "sturdy metal." As I said, it's an emotional reaction, not an intellectual one, but it's enough to give me an aesthetic preference for the silver one.

But I imagine I'm in the minority on that.

I chose the blue one because I like the color of the case better. No other reason then personal preference.

Intellectually, I know that they're both made of the same sort of plastic. However, on an emotional level, when I see the blue, I intuitively think "cheap plastic," but when I see the silver, I intuitively think "sturdy metal." As I said, it's an emotional reaction, not an intellectual one, but it's enough to give me an aesthetic preference for the silver one.

But I imagine I'm in the minority on that.
Are they plastic? I thought they were metal? One of the reasons I'm picking the 505 over the Cybook is that I've had a lot of Sony products and the build quality is always good. I'm not saying the Cybook isn't good quality but I'm going with the experience I've had with the other Sony products I've owned.

They're the same electronically. I think I would order a blue one over a silver one, since as you point out there is more contrast between the case and the screen, to help keep the eyes focused on the screen better. But when I held one of the silver ones at my local Borders store a week ago it was fine.

I know I like the dark case of the 500.

So I'd suggest not worrying about buyer's remorse on the case color -- if you hate the blue one, you can send it to me!;)

I'm sure it'll be fine, that's were seein gthem in a store really helps. Wish I could've

Intellectually, I know that they're both made of the same sort of plastic. However, on an emotional level, when I see the blue, I intuitively think "cheap plastic," but when I see the silver, I intuitively think "sturdy metal." As I said, it's an emotional reaction, not an intellectual one, but it's enough to give me an aesthetic preference for the silver one.

But I imagine I'm in the minority on that.

At the Sonystyle Store I purchased it from, I looked at both the Blue and the Silver, I purchased the Blue Reader. I can confirm that the Reader's body on both versions are made of metal. When you pick it up it is extremely thin, but you can see and feel the quality with the weight and look as you hold it and look at it. There is nothing cheap looking or feeling about it. Once you receive it, the buyers remorse will go away, you will be very satisfied with your purchase. Enjoy!

Are they plastic? I thought they were metal?

Silver and Blue, both are metal, and neither feels cheap in person. Build quality "feels" good. I am not saying that the e-ink screens are durable though.

I had a blue 500 and now have a silver 505. I see no difference in the focus factor and readability. I prefer the look of the silver.:chinscratch:

I've got a Blue & I'm happy with it, although I've not got a Silver to compare it to!

Purely psychological choice to me. I got blue because that silver is the "high tech toy" color, with lots of bad experience having that metallic color rub off, while the dark blue seems more respectible and durable.

I ordered the blue....my fav color

I have a silver one. I was lookin at Blue one when my wife surprised me with the Silver. I dont notice the color when reading though. The silver is a nice contrast to all the other dark (black) electronic gadgets I have around. It definitely is made of metal. The Case/cover that comes with it is slightly magnetized and feel it pull to the PRS to keep it the flaps closed.

I have a silver one and my sister bought a blue one. As pointed out above, the blue one has better contrast between the screen and the case. However, I noticed that fingerprints are more noticeable on the built-in cover of the blue one than on that of the silver one. I guess it is because the cover of the blue one has a darker color.

I have a silver one and my sister bought a blue one. As pointed out above, the blue one has better contrast between the screen and the case. However, I noticed that fingerprints are more noticeable on the built-in cover of the blue one than on that of the silver one. I guess it is because the cover of the blue one has a darker color.

There is more contrast between the screen and the case with the blue. Which is why I got the silver, I prefer the more subtle transition. Different strokes...

Also, the buttons on the 505 are sturdy as well.

I got the blue because it's my favorite color and I wish I had gotten the silver because the pictures of it look cooler. Oh well. If I had gotten the silver I probably would have wanted the blue.

paint it with nail polish


I got the blue because it's my favorite color and I wish I had gotten the silver because the pictures of it look cooler. Oh well. If I had gotten the silver I probably would have wanted the blue.

I got the blue; for a few days while I was waiting for it to be delivered, I thought I wanted the silver. I had a chance to go to the SonyStyle store to see the silver in person; I concluded that I made the right choice; the blue was the one for me!

If I had an opportunity to have a look at both, I would do it because I am very curious how silver looks like. However, I could not do it, so I choose a safer option - blue one, because I believe it should make a better contrast with a screen.

I feel that silver looks cheap and plastic-ky...it somehow reminds me of fake Chinese copies of toasters...don't know how that came to mind.

Anyways, I fully support your selection of blue; it provides better screen/case contrast anyways. The only downside I see is the scratches will be more clear on the blue version. :)

I feel that silver looks cheap and plastic-ky...it somehow reminds me of fake Chinese copies of toasters...don't know how that came to mind.

Anyways, I fully support your selection of blue; it provides better screen/case contrast anyways. The only downside I see is the scratches will be more clear on the blue version. :)


Well the concensus seems to be Blue, guess I'll know for sure Tuesday when I get it, of course we're due for a Snowstorm here monday, could hold it up...

Seems like you've gotten plenty of replies to this, but I'll put in my two cents worth. I debated on which colour to get for about a month, I finally chose blue without actually seeing it in person. I cannot compare the reading experience to the silver, as I've only looked at it "in store," however, I can say that the blue 505 completely disappears. I think the contrast of the white screen with a dark blue border aids in this. When I'm reading I get caught up in the story, which is why we read books anyway. Some people find that the dark blue looks purple in certain lighting situations, but I either haven't noticed it, or I'm just not as picky.

Anyway, I think you've made the right choice, and you'll know soon enough anyway. I hope you enjoy it, I certainly can't seem to put mine down!

The silver one looks pretty damn slick. Never seen a bluey, but I'd suggest that such meditations on the aesthetics of the of the device, when expanded beyond the differences in functionality and usability, run contrary to the spirit of unhindered intellectualism that should currently, by my watch, be filling the souls of all the happy children who got PRS-505s for Christmas.

The silver one looks pretty damn slick. Never seen a bluey, but I'd suggest that such meditations on the aesthetics of the of the device, when expanded beyond the differences in functionality and usability, run contrary to the spirit of unhindered intellectualism that should currently, by my watch, be filling the souls of all the happy children who got PRS-505s for Christmas.

Do you write for politicians for a living? Your replies are as clear as mud.
"Unhindered intellectualism?" What if people aren't reading particularly intellectually stimulating books, but rather are simply reading for entertainment?

In an event, there aren't any "differences in functionality and usability" between the two colors of the PRS-505, and I would also posit that "meditations on the aesthetics" is very much in keeping with a spirit of "unhindered intellectualism" (if indeed the Sony Reader engenders such a thing) and not contrary to it.

What spooky69 is trying to say is that he likes the silver, has not seen a blue, and feels this discussion is worthless as everyone should just be happy with the functionality of their 505 regardless of what color it is.

I'm starting to see a trend here. That trend being that spooky69 needs to keep taking his meds and stop skipping days here and there.

I'm starting to see a trend here. That trend being that spooky69 needs to keep taking his meds and stop skipping days here and there.

Yeah, I have noticed the trend as well. I have decided to ignore him completely :D

I purchased the Blue one based totally on aesthetics. It looks great with the pink leather cover - such a girly thing I know! I just got my 505 and am delighted with it. The color is really a non-issue as the reader disappears when you're engrossed in a great book!

Where did you buy a pink leather cover for 505?

I purchased my pink leather cover at Abt Electronics.

What spooky69 is trying to say is that he likes the silver, has not seen a blue, and feels this discussion is worthless as everyone should just be happy with the functionality of their 505 regardless of what color it is.
Well-put!
Edit: Although I certainly don't feel that this discussion is worthless! I was just sassily saying that it's not in the spirit of the more-or-less straightforward information intake that the Reader provides, and the presumed self-improvement that would accompany that, to be worrying about the color of the device! On the other hand, I know this just a sociable, light-hearted discussion topic and I was mostly hoping to offer a wacky and mildly-inappropriate aside. Were my efforts a success? That's up to God to decide, but one thing's for sure: I sure do like hearing myself type.

They're the same electronically. I think I would order a blue one over a silver one, since as you point out there is more contrast between the case and the screen, to help keep the eyes focused on the screen better.

Yes i believe contrast is most important when it comes to choose the color.
I purchased the blue one :thumbsup:

My 2 cents worth as well:

I travelled from New Zealand to LA on business and went to a Sony Store specifically to get the blue reader. I even called from NZ to ensure they had stock! I looked at both on the store and purchased the blue model.....

Being a tad thristy after the bus trip through south central (shock horror in LA ;)) I wandered out of the store to find a coffee (actually a green tea frappacino which was shockingly bad!), sat down to read the preloaded books and excerpts only to find that after about 20 minutes the case's purplish tinge was really disconcerting. It looked good and blue in the shop but under natural light looked very different.

A quick walk back to the shop and one pain-free exchange later I was back outside (proper coffee this time) and more than happy with the silver - and have been since.

Of course asthetics are completely personal so my point should be moot - I think you'll love it anyway :)

How true. I got the blue because it did seem to make the words stand out a bit better but not a great deal. Very happy with it.

ditto, the blue does make the screen _appear_ to have more contrast, which is why when I first saw the kindle with its white case, the initial reaction was the sony screen looks better. then noticing the similar quality when compared sidebyside.

The black 505 (who are they kidding, it isn't blue!) is a finger print trap.

I also figure that the colour must be some kind of paint and will start to flake off.

I would recommend the silver to anyone who asks me.

I got the silver one...it's what borders had.

All I have to add here :)

I have black mask and I'm happy with it. Even that SONY logo above which is silver sometime bothers me because it reflects sun in my eyes so I can't even imagine how this silver mask readers shine.

I have the blue one. I also bought the black leather case. I don't think they match very well. So from a purely cosmetic point of view, I'd rather have the silver Reader now.

My 505 Has arrivedand I have to say I'm very happy with the Blue, it's charging but I can tell it'll be fine to read. The Setup was a breeze since I already had the Library software installed. The weight seems just about right. Can't wait until its charged to see the screen.

The black 505 (who are they kidding, it isn't blue!) is a finger print trap.

I also figure that the colour must be some kind of paint and will start to flake off.

I would recommend the silver to anyone who asks me.

It is definately blue when you see it in the flesh so to speak. It does catch finger prints, but I think it is much better than the silver personally.

Also: it's not paint, the case is aluminium and the colouring is anodised, which means the colour permeates the top 4 1/1000's of an inch of the metal. A deep scratch can damage the colour but it won't rub off anytime soon.

Hi just to add to this discussion.

I live in the Uk and friends very kindly said they would pick an e reader up for me when they were on holiday in the US. I asked for a blue sony e reader, gave them the address of the nearest Borders store gave them the code for the blue variety. I like previous people like the contrast between the screen and the darker border. Imagine my horror when i opened the box and found a silver one. But all is well. I have had my silver reader for 1 month now, and im over the moon with it. The colour doesn't bother me. Im also so grateful to Leaping Gnome for acquiring vouchers for me to fully enjoy the experience.

I have black mask and I'm happy with it. Even that SONY logo above which is silver sometime bothers me because it reflects sun in my eyes so I can't even imagine how this silver mask readers shine.
The screen itself is actually much more reflective than the metal. It's more of a smoky color...I can't think of the word you'd use to describe the type of finish it has (I'd really appreciate it if someone could step in with this one since it's bugging me!), but it's not chrome-like or anything and disperses light very effectively.

I think the word spooky69 may be searching for is "matte" as opposed to "bright" or "shiny."

Hello there everybody,

I found this forum yesterday (got the 505 the day before) and been reading for awhile getting some feedback about light (decidd for the bug), cases (thinking about sth diy), bookchairs (definitly diy) and chargers (psp), when I have seen this funny post and decided to open up.

I have the blue one. I wanted the silver, but considered color secondary when bidding on ebay. Blues happen to be cheaper. ANd from Spain, ther is no bettr way to buy the reader.

I liked the blue one better, but there are reasons to pick one of another for other than aesthetics.

Main reason is heating. If you pretend to read in the sun, you want to get the silver one, as it will reflect the light (for being light, not for being silver) and wont absorb heat. The blue one will absorb light (for being dark) and get hot in the sunlight. If forgotten or used in the sun for a long period of time, the risk of overheating is much higher in the dark one.

The reason (small one at that) to prefer the gray one might be that it reflects less light and therefor is less bothersome if your bed partner is sensitive to light when he/she is sleeping and you reading. Not my problem ;)

Another funny issue is the color of furniture. Mine is pretty dark, and when you place the closed 505 on the table, it sort of vanishes. I retrieved it half a second short of my wife putting a salad bowl on top of it.

Thanks a lot for all the info gathered here. I'll probably be around.

ANd from Spain, ther is no bettr way to buy the reader.

Do you mean that ebay is cheaper than B&H?

I think the word spooky69 may be searching for is "matte" as opposed to "bright" or "shiny."
Thanks, this is correct!

This should have been a Poll. I bought the blue one.....for the increased contrast reasoning.....I like it but at the end of the day I don't think I would really care one way or the other.....once I'm into the story everything else disappears.....including my wife and kids calling me :D

Silver. I thought it was breath-takingly sexy. :D

Do you mean that ebay is cheaper than B&H?

Actually not for me. I didn't know the eshop till yesterday. I paid $9 more for the 505 and $5 less for shipping. That's $4 more. No bidding. There are 505s sold for around $270, but the ones I checked didn't ship to Europe (?).

Silver. I thought it was breath-takingly sexy. :D

I wouldnt go THAT far..:evilgrin: But it is a different look that the Dark electronic boxes that seem to be the standard now.