As promised in this thread (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=209723&postcount=51), i've grabbed a coworkers PRS-505 today and did a comparison with my old, but freshly serviced iLiad (w/ a new screen).

Is it Vizplex or not? Is it faster or slower? Is it brighter or not?
You be the judge...

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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3260/2645883367_d172ff8108.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3260/2645883367_f752f858c9_o.jpg)
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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2646712838_32dc45c0e7.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2646712838_b0a8be81a6_o.jpg)
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Nice one-handed maneuvering! Looks like refresh rate is about the same on both models.

Dreamer

Nice one-handed maneuvering!

LOL :D
Thanks!

Too bad i didn't manage to get them quite in sync. Did my best, but the page load times are too unpredictable.

I am glad that I didn't buy Sony.

You can't really compare the Sony and the iLiad - they are aimed at completely different markets. Each is "good" in its own area and has shortcomings in others.

But what you can see, is, that the iLiad has a better contrast than the Sony. Even though, they dont use Vizplex, the controller does a very fine job. But it is nothing anyone would notice, unless the devices are side by side.

Thanks for the little comparison though :)

In the second photo it looks like the text on the iLiad is bold vs the 505 at normal. Can that photo be redone without bold text on the iLiad?

It seems to me that Iliad has a better contrast, but is slower.

Honestly haveing had both for a while now. I can barely see any difference in contrast.

I have both of these as well and sometimes the Sony looks brighter and sometimes the iLiad seems brighter. I just wish I could get the iLiad screen with the Sony thinness and operating system, especially since it now supports epub!

All the new iLiads since the Ebbok Edition came out, seem to use Vizplex e-ink. It has not been advertised by iRex though, since its not faster since the controller has not changed, and i personally cannot see much of a contrast change.

Yeah, I'm not sure exactly what improvement it would make. Based on the specs (assuming they're accurate), the original iLiad screen has better contrast than vizplex. The only advantage to vizplex that I could see was the slightly better speed. As you mention, with the same controller though, I don't know if the speed will be any different.

Karel said on their forum that he'd try to find some time soon to write up more information about it. Hopefully he'll answer some more of our questions when he does that.

Based on what I red on iRex forum (I don't remember where exactly) the iLiads newer than may 2008 use vizplex, but they think of it as a minor update, so they did not consider announcing it.

E-ink did not yet published 16 gray scale vizplex. I am not sure if other companies

made it. Um. I do not even know which supplies iliad. :) 16 gray scale contrast

will show its value on picture and pdf.

iLiad make their own displays, they only buy the components (e-ink etc.), that is why they have 16 grayscale and 8,1" displays.

The problem with the iLiad is the highly reflective surface (more than sony prs 505, and enough to get you distracted), so, if you want to have a good contrast you need bright light, but if you have bright light you'll have this light reflected on the display.