When I opened a thread just after buying my PRS 505, we discussed about the offered colors. Obviously it largely depends on one's taste and sometimes on its availability. Someone mentioned the contrast created by the color against the text background as well. However, I think there's another practical side. Let me explain!

Last week I was on holidays and I did a lot of reading on the beach and most of the time under the sun. And yesterday, when I was watching the Discovery Channel, they were experimenting with two different surfaces, one black and one white. They put them both under the sun with an initial temperature of 27C (80F) and pretty soon the difference was impressive with the black surface gone to 48C (118F). So, I think, the dark blue will get hotter under the sun... ;)

I apply a liberal amount of sunscreen to my blue 505 when spending a day in the sun

I apply a liberal amount of sunscreen to my blue 505 when spending a day in the sun

:rolleyes:

What works for me is a simple baseball cap. I just put the device (inside its Ziploc bag) into the hat and let the brim shade it. Works like a charm, and the print doesn't disappear in the sunshine either when it is shaded.

Where there's a will - and a beach - there is a way!

Last week I was on holidays and I did a lot of reading on the beach and most of the time under the sun. And yesterday, when I was watching the Discovery Channel, they were experimenting with two different surfaces, one black and one white. They put them both under the sun with an initial temperature of 27C (80F) and pretty soon the difference was impressive with the black surface gone to 48C (118F). So, I think, the dark blue will get hotter under the sun... ;)

It depends far more on the reflectivity of the surface than its colour - matt surfaces absorb (and radiate) heat much more efficiently than shiny ones. Very few of us bother to paint our central-heating radiators black, and even if you did, it really wouldn't make that much difference to their efficiency.

Given that the Reader has a somewhat shiny metallic surface, it shouldn't have too much of a problem in sunlight.

Very few of us bother to paint our central-heating radiators black, and even if you did, it really wouldn't make that much difference to their efficiency.

So you have central-heating radiators under the sunshine? :p

Given that the Reader has a somewhat shiny metallic surface, it shouldn't have too much of a problem in sunlight.

I have a black car and my wife used to have a silver one. I can tell you that there was a difference... ;)

That's because silver is reflective. It has little to do with the "colour" of it, as such. A car with matt white paintwork will get just as hot as one with matt black paintwork. The reflectivity of the surface is a far more important factor in how much heat it absorbs than the colour.

So you have central-heating radiators under the sunshine? :p

Matt surfaces are more efficient radiators and emitters of heat. A shiny silver radiator wouldn't work very well at all as a radiator of heat, and similarly a shiny silver surface is a very poor absorber of heat. This is elementary physics.

This is elementary physics.

Hum! I would have thought that being "shiny" is elementary "optics" as it's the ability to reflect the light and that conducting heat would be elementary "chemistry"... (such as water conducts heat 20 times better than air)... ;) Such or such paint may conduct the heat better but it doesn't make any sense to say "a color" is a better heat conductor...

Hum! I would have thought that being "shiny" is elementary "optics" as it's the ability to reflect the light...

Note that optics, or rather "optical physics" in this case, is a branch of physics, so in this respect "elementary physics" is a quite reasonable phrase.

Cheers,
Marc

That's the only reason why I preferred the silver one. In the end, I got the blue one anyway:D

But color sure makes a difference. Reflection can help, but only so much. The blue one will always get hotter. The silver one might increase sun glare in the same circumstances.

My original was blue. I recently exchanged it because the battery was weak, and all they had was silver in the store. I want the blue one back. The silver does trick my brain into seeing a much darker background on the display.

I bought a silver and my wife a blue. In the hot Florida sun after a few hours of poolside reading they both get _very_ toasty.

My original was blue. I recently exchanged it because the battery was weak, and all they had was silver in the store. I want the blue one back. The silver does trick my brain into seeing a much darker background on the display.

You are very artistic. Why don't you paint it?

Dark blue with a silver cover would be pretty. Or vice versa.
As a girl, I get to think like that, with no regard whatsoever to practical considerations.
I'd really like one with sparkly stars.
When I got my tamagotchi they only had pink ones left, so I painted the case purple and silver.
Not sure painting I'd paint a reader though. Don't think you'd get the right 'finish'.

I'm afraid that just might void the warranty. I like to think I'm artistic, in that I have learned to appreciate artistic things... but I'm not "crafty". My projects tend towards chaos, price overruns, trips to the emergency room, and heroic salvage. I think a reticulated Reader with blood splotches and paint enjambed buttons wouldn't be covered under warranty.

I'm afraid that just might void the warranty. I like to think I'm artistic, in that I have learned to appreciate artistic things... but I'm not "crafty". My projects tend towards chaos, price overruns, trips to the emergency room, and heroic salvage. I think a reticulated Reader with blood splotches and paint enjambed buttons wouldn't be covered under warranty.

Maybe you should just carefully follow Mindy's sticker advice.

:repressed urge to post off-color rejoinder playing on the word 'sticker':

How on earth could there be anything off color about stickers? Unless maybe they are ugly, like chatreuse or something?

That's because silver is reflective. It has little to do with the "colour" of it

Actually that has a lot to do with it. There are two things that make up how reflective an surface is. That is the color and the surface.
The reason dark colors get hotter is because they absorb more light, which translates to heat. Lighter colors absorb less light so they reflect more light.

White reflects 80% of the light (20% turns to heat)
Black reflects 40% of the light (60% turns to heat)

Reflective surface increase the reflection by about 10-19%

Actually that has a lot to do with it. There are two things that make up how reflective an surface is. That is the color and the surface.
The reason dark colors get hotter is because they absorb more light, which translates to heat. Lighter colors absorb less light so they reelect less light.

White reflects 80% of the light (20% turns to heat)
Black reflects 40% of the light (60% turns to heat)

Reflective surface increase the reflection by about 10-19%

Didn't you mean to say that lighter colors absorb less light so they reflect MORE light?

Whatever the physics, the silver case on the reader makes the screen itself seem darker than the screen on the blue reader, even though the actual gray level of the screen is no doubt exactly the same.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Grey_square_optical_illusion.PNG/772px-Grey_square_optical_illusion.PNG

Square "A" is the exact same color as square "B". That's the effect I've noticed. I prefer the blue reader due to the optical illusion of it making the screen seem "whiter" and thus easier to read.

Whatever the physics, the silver case on the reader makes the screen itself seem darker than the screen on the blue reader, even though the actual gray level of the screen is no doubt exactly the same.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Grey_square_optical_illusion.PNG/772px-Grey_square_optical_illusion.PNG

Square "A" is the exact same color as square "B". That's the effect I've noticed. I prefer the blue reader due to the optical illusion of it making the screen seem "whiter" and thus easier to read.

That illusion always amazes me. But it works. Also the reason why I got the dark blue Reader--it makes the screen look whiter, even if it doesn't affect the actual screen contrast.

Me too. I'm hoping I'll get used to the silver Reader, but I've contemplated the merits of black electricians' tape.

Didn't you mean to say that lighter colors absorb less light so they reflect MORE light?
Yes that is what I meant. Nice catch it took me 3 read overs before I caught my error.

Whatever the physics, <... snip ...>

Square "A" is the exact same color as square "B". That's the effect I've noticed. I prefer the blue reader due to the optical illusion of it making the screen seem "whiter" and thus easier to read.

Yes it's the human brain that throws everything off. That is why it's still called color theory.
=X=

Yes it's the human brain that throws everything off. That is why it's still called color theory.
=X=

You might like one of my favorite books, "Bright Earth: Art and the Invention of Color (http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Earth-Art-Invention-Color/dp/0226036286/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213134988&sr=8-1)". Not available as an e-book, nor would you want it to be until we have color e-ink screens.

How could one not love a book with the following key phrases: copper resinate, blue verditer, artificial ultramarine, blue frit, carmine lake (more)

I got into the printing business because of a fascination with color theory.

When I opened a thread just after buying my PRS 505, we discussed about the offered colors. Obviously it largely depends on one's taste and sometimes on its availability. Someone mentioned the contrast created by the color against the text background as well. However, I think there's another practical side. Let me explain!

Last week I was on holidays and I did a lot of reading on the beach and most of the time under the sun. And yesterday, when I was watching the Discovery Channel, they were experimenting with two different surfaces, one black and one white. They put them both under the sun with an initial temperature of 27C (80F) and pretty soon the difference was impressive with the black surface gone to 48C (118F). So, I think, the dark blue will get hotter under the sun... ;)

Dark colors do get hotter under the sun. Try wearing dark colored clothes during the summer.:)

...Or driving in a car with a dark interrior.:)


Don

You might like one of my favorite books, "Bright Earth: Art and the Invention of Color (http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Earth-Art-Invention-Color/dp/0226036286/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213134988&sr=8-1)". Not available as an e-book, nor would you want it to be until we have color e-ink screens.

How could one not love a book with the following key phrases: copper resinate, blue verditer, artificial ultramarine, blue frit, carmine lake (more)

I got into the printing business because of a fascination with color theory.

Nice I'll add to my must read list. I've also had a fascination with colors, when I fell into the printer business at HP I thought it was destiny.

I bought a silver and my wife a blue. In the hot Florida sun after a few hours of poolside reading they both get _very_ toasty.
I've had my 505 in Florida and I've not noticed it getting toasty. Also, we are in the summer weather here in MA and still not toasty.

I've had my 505 in Florida and I've not noticed it getting toasty. Also, we are in the summer weather here in MA and still not toasty.

Try reading for three or four hours by the pool, in bright sunlight.

Whatever the physics, the silver case on the reader makes the screen itself seem darker than the screen on the blue reader, even though the actual gray level of the screen is no doubt exactly the same.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Grey_square_optical_illusion.PNG/772px-Grey_square_optical_illusion.PNG

Square "A" is the exact same color as square "B". That's the effect I've noticed. I prefer the blue reader due to the optical illusion of it making the screen seem "whiter" and thus easier to read.

Wow, color me amazed! (sic)
I actually had to copy the image into a paint program to check this, I was convinced you had to have made a mistake. If you copy a small portion of square B and move it around, you can actually 'see' it get darker as you move it towards square A.

Wow, color me amazed! (sic)
I actually had to copy the image into a paint program to check this, I was convinced you had to have made a mistake. If you copy a small portion of square B and move it around, you can actually 'see' it get darker as you move it towards square A.

i know, it kind of melts your brain a little doesn't it ? :smiley:

Whatever the physics, the silver case on the reader makes the screen itself seem darker than the screen on the blue reader, even though the actual gray level of the screen is no doubt exactly the same.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Grey_square_optical_illusion.PNG/772px-Grey_square_optical_illusion.PNG

Square "A" is the exact same color as square "B". That's the effect I've noticed. I prefer the blue reader due to the optical illusion of it making the screen seem "whiter" and thus easier to read.


I used the same theory, but not to make the screen whiter. Instead, I bought the silver one, because it makes the letters seem darker.
And actually, from your OI-pic, the A seems better readable for me than the B

Yup--I had to open the drawing in photoshop and prove it to myself and my hubby. Neither of us believed it.

Interesting observation athlonkmf...I have a silver 505--was kind of wishing I had the blue for better contrast, but I agree with your point--the letter on the A square does seem darker.

dordale :)