Hi All, :)

With Sony finally having/going to releas the PRS-505 in various parts of Europe, I was wondering how you feel about the new PRS-700? Especially if you have recently purchased the PRS-505.

I'm guessing there are new customers out there who will be surprised and disappointed to hear of the PRS-700 so soon after the launch of the PRS-505 (Europe).

I've had my new PRS-505 for 3 weeks now (very happy with it) and I'm excited by the news of the new model. Then again at the time of purchasing the 505 I knew that it had already been on the market in the US for quite some time.

What are your thoughts? :)

Not too impressed
I'd rather have a bigger screen

I bought the prs505 like you since 3 weeks.
It's a good product... If i find a rebuyer in France, i'll order the prs700 to test the different new options. Maybe with the virtual keyboard, it will be possible to use a dictionnary...

Same situation here. Actually bought to 505s a few weeks ago. One for my mom and one for myself to replace a broken unit. I am not terribly upset, though I know that at least for my mom, the 700 might have been more useful (due to its front-light and bigger font size support).

Seems like a good product but it misses 2 page turn buttons on the middle right.

I bought a 505 around 3 months ago.

Not disappointed, nothing new that I would use in the PRS-700 and all the important features I was looking for are still the same.

Assuming my 505 doesn't come to an unnatural end, then I'll wait a year or so and look at what's on the market.

Must admit, if I had the choice I'd probably have gone for the 700 for the light, but overall I'm perfectly happy with my weeks old 505

Well, I am not happy with the news of an updated model, just after the 'release' in the uk of the prs 505.
I am in the uk, and decided to buy what will be my first ereader, after all the good press the prs 505 received. I ordered my prs 505 this week, and am still waiting for it to arrive. To now read of this newer prs 700, makes me worry that I will be getting a model that sony will no longer support.
To be honest, I feel I have been conned, and have just written to sony about this matter.

My only thought since I also just purchased two 505's is you have to hand it to Sony Marketing. Most of us(or maybe just me) assumed that with the Firmware update, Red 505, and recent releases in Europe that we would be safe to buy a 505 without fear of a new Model so soon. I was betting after the first of the year at least. But no 32 days after I buy WHAM!! New Model so sorry outside of our Return Policy but we will gladly take another 400 bucks from you for the new one. But overall I think I am happy with my purchase. Nothing earth shattering about the 700 to warrant an upgrade.

JJ

I'd be annoyed if it had any extra features I was that bothered about. But as it does not I'm happy with my 505. In fact given the choice of the two, and taking the price into account I'd probably still go with the 505 if both were available.

I bought a 505 about 3 weeks ago, consciously knowing about 'some sort of announcement' on Oct 2nd. I have to say I have zero regrets about getting the 505, from what I've seen so far about the 700 - though the timing of the release in the UK should have been better coordinated... (I'll bet Waterstones are fuming).
The new features don't really add anything for me, and I do use the page turn buttons on the right an awful lot... Also I'd be worried about what having a touch-screen will do to the battery life.

I think now Sony really needs to focus on ensuring there's sufficient content for the device - which probably means 'sorting out' things with Amazon, who really should know better than to lock their e-books into their own device.. They're a bookseller (and other-stuff-seller), and should be remembering to focus on their core market...

To be honest, I feel I have been conned, and have just written to sony about this matter.

Honestly... you shouldn't feel conned. No one forced you to buy this. You made a decision based on what the device had at the time. Also, do you feel conned when Dell releases a faster PC or Nokia releases a new model of the phone you have or Nikon releases a new model of the camera you have? You knew it would happen.

This is just the reality of technology. Also, the reality of business is that you don't pre-announce new versions/models because you will loose sales.

Sounds like typical buyers remorse.

BOb

Honestly... you shouldn't feel conned. No one forced you to buy this. You made a decision based on what the device had at the time. Also, do you feel conned when Dell releases a faster PC or Nokia releases a new model of the phone you have or Nikon releases a new model of the camera you have? You knew it would happen.

This is just the reality of technology. Also, the reality of business is that you don't pre-announce new versions/models because you will loose sales.

Sounds like typical buyers remorse.

BOb

I get your point Bob, but in the Uk the PRS 505 has been marketed and launched on 4th September 08 as 'new'. Less than a month on Sony announce the PRS 700.
Being a new gadget fan, when I buy a phone/ 360/ps3/DS etc, I of course expect and desire them to be improved and newer models to be available. But not in less than a month after Sony uk and the British press have been telling us all here how wonderful the 'new' PRS 505 is. A year on maybe, and I would expect a new model. I know that in the USA, it has been a year, so for that customer base it will be good news.
Just makes me wonder if the 505 will continue to be marketed and supported, or are we in the uk being encouraged to buy 'old' stock.
All that said, I am sure I will really enjoy using the 505 when the postman finally delivers it to me.

honestly, i want a bigger screen or maybe significantly better contrast to feel a need to upgrade. I'd rather have an LE Red 505 than the 700 at this point.. the Red is so pretty!! I'm almost tempted to ebay/craigslist my silver for a red, but I'd probably have to take like a ~100$ loss.. still thinking.

I, like many of you, just bought a 505 a little over a month ago. Also like many of you, I was relatively confident in thinking that Sony wasn't going to release a new model since they have been promoting the heck out of the 505.

However, I'm not at all disappointed with my 505 purchase (quite the contrary), and after reading about the 700, I'm not going to be upgrading.

Here are my concerns about the 700 (and keep in mind, some of these things are difficult to speculate on, given that I haven't actually had the chance to see/try a 700 in person):

1. What is the integrated frontlight going to do to battery life? As it stands, I have the 505 with the integrated cover/lightwedge, I'm very happy with it's performance, and it doesn't effect the battery life of my reader. And I can't wait to hear someone's real world test of the light...one review already claims it's not bright enough for reading in total darkness, which I do a lot.

2. The missing page turn buttons on the right. The way I'm used to holding my reader has me turning the pages almost exclusively with the right side buttons. They're perfectly placed under my thumb, and it looks as though utilizing the 2nd and 3rd buttons from the left on the bottom of the 700 would be awkward for me. But it has a touchscreen, you say....see my next point.

3. The touchscreen. I don't really see the utility of this (speaking only for myself, you understand). Pressing a few buttons isn't the bane of my existence. And as I've mentioned in other threads, the performance of PlasticLogic's eInk touchscreen makes me nervous, and I hope Sony has improved upon it...it looked a little flaky (slow to respond, not very sensitive). Also, I know that my touchscreen would look like heck very soon after purchase...smudgy, dirty, scratched, etc.

4. The aesthetic. I'm an equal opportunity criticizer...some of you may remember my thoughts on the Kindle. Well, I don't think the 700 is as bad as the Kindle, but I don't love it..and I'm usually a big fan of Sony's designs. To me, it looks like a step backward...and what's with those crazy textured lines along the left hand side? Just odd looking, I think.

5. The added features. While some folks will get a lot of use out of things like search, annotating, and highlighting, I wouldn't really utilize those features...even if the 505 had them. So for me, they aren't a selling point.

6. The price. I do think that for a first time reader buyer, the 700 might be a wise choice at the price point Sony has chosen. However, as someone who would be upgrading, I simply can't justify the $100 increase for what amounts to (for me, anyway) just an integrated light.

So I'll continue to love all over my 505, at least until something substantively better comes along! :D

Same situation here. Actually bought to 505s a few weeks ago. One for my mom and one for myself to replace a broken unit. I am not terribly upset, though I know that at least for my mom, the 700 might have been more useful (due to its front-light and bigger font size support).
My wife's 500 does her well as far as font sizes go. Most of the books she has are ones I've purchased and converted so when I have the small font how I want it, medium then works for her. I might have to save up for a 700 and get her one someday. We'll see.

I, like many of you, just bought a 505 a little over a month ago. Also like many of you, I was relatively confident in thinking that Sony wasn't going to release a new model since they have been promoting the heck out of the 505.

However, I'm not at all disappointed with my 505 purchase (quite the contrary), and after reading about the 700, I'm not going to be upgrading.

Here are my concerns about the 700 (and keep in mind, some of these things are difficult to speculate on, given that I haven't actually had the chance to see/try a 700 in person):

1. What is the integrated frontlight going to do to battery life? As it stands, I have the 505 with the integrated cover/lightwedge, I'm very happy with it's performance, and it doesn't effect the battery life of my reader. And I can't wait to hear someone's real world test of the light...one review already claims it's not bright enough for reading in total darkness, which I do a lot.

2. The missing page turn buttons on the right. The way I'm used to holding my reader has me turning the pages almost exclusively with the right side buttons. They're perfectly placed under my thumb, and it looks as though utilizing the 2nd and 3rd buttons from the left on the bottom of the 700 would be awkward for me. But it has a touchscreen, you say....see my next point.

3. The touchscreen. I don't really see the utility of this (speaking only for myself, you understand). Pressing a few buttons isn't the bane of my existence. And as I've mentioned in other threads, the performance of PlasticLogic's eInk touchscreen makes me nervous, and I hope Sony has improved upon it...it looked a little flaky (slow to respond, not very sensitive). Also, I know that my touchscreen would look like heck very soon after purchase...smudgy, dirty, scratched, etc.

4. The aesthetic. I'm an equal opportunity criticizer...some of you may remember my thoughts on the Kindle. Well, I don't think the 700 is as bad as the Kindle, but I don't love it..and I'm usually a big fan of Sony's designs. To me, it looks like a step backward...and what's with those crazy textured lines along the left hand side? Just odd looking, I think.

5. The added features. While some folks will get a lot of use out of things like search, annotating, and highlighting, I wouldn't really utilize those features...even if the 505 had them. So for me, they aren't a selling point.

6. The price. I do think that for a first time reader buyer, the 700 might be a wise choice at the price point Sony has chosen. However, as someone who would be upgrading, I simply can't justify the $100 increase for what amounts to (for me, anyway) just an integrated light.

So I'll continue to love all over my 505, at least until something substantively better comes along! :D

:dito: I totally agree!

JJ

1. It's a little heavier.
2. I don't like to change pages by swiping my finger over the screen -- I always use the buttons on the right of the 505.
3. The built-in light sounds useful.
4. Dictionary support? That would make the 700 much more useful.

All in all, it has some advantages, some disadvantages to the 505. If you're happy with the 505, why upgrade?

I've been holding off on upgrading my nearly-two-year-old PRS500 until seeing what Sony would announce. And now I'm still waiting. :smack:

I don't care about the touch screen. The on-screen keyboard, search, light, etc. are nice, but not key for me. The three things I care about IN ORDER are:

Higher resolution. Much higher resolution.

Sony doesn't control the display hardware itself, so I knew not to expect this one. Although if asked to choose between color and 3x the dot-pitch with the current gray-scale, I'd take the higher dot-pitch in a heart-beat.


Physical ergonomics. No reader I've seen comes close to the design of the REB1100 (now 1150). I'm talking button layout, fit in the hand, and so on, not screen quality here.

On this front, the 700 appears to be a qualified disappointment. I'd hoped for a huge improvement--closing 1/2 the gap to the REB1100, maybe?--but I guess I can be grudgingly satisfied with it not being worse than the PRS-500.


Support for LOTS of books. I want folders. Or a deeper branching of the hierarchy they now provide on the 505. Or something. There's no reason I should have to use more than 3 button presses to select any one of 1000 books!

Nobody has commented on this issue yet. If, in fact, it's commandingly better (perhaps in "expert user mode" -- hint hint) that'd be reason to switch right there.


Faster processing. As a Mac user, I don't get the sole useful benefit of Sony's library software: pre-formatting of lrf files for the device. Instead, I have to wait while the slow processor on the PRS500 does the work. Since Sony appears unwilling to support the Mac directly, I care quite a bit about processor speed.

Early reviews say it's faster. I'd love to see timing of how long it takes to format a large, free ebook. That way I could compare with my 500 (and with a friend's 505).


A significant win on any of these fronts would be enough to get me to upgrade.

Xenophon

P.S. That's three things, for large values of three. :o

I'm sticking with my 505 that I've had for five months. Not only do I like it better, but I bought a 3 year 'accident plan'. So far the 700 does not impress me, even with a frontlight. As noted by others, the touch screen and lack of page buttons on the right are personal turnoffs.

I bought my reader early this year and as of now am not looking to jump to the 700. I have to see it and play with it to consider further. As of now I am very happy with my 550 and don't really like the looks of the 700 and touchscreen sounds nice but is really not something I need in a reader.

I bought my 505 a week ago, and am still very happy with it - there's nothing on the 700 that makes me wish I'd waited til that was available in the UK.

I'm also not worried about it being now obsolete or becoming unsupported quickly.

I've had my 505 for about two and a half months - and adore it, and have hardly read a paper novel since then. The only negative thing I'm thinking about the 700 launch is that I really hope this doesn't mean the end of support for the 505s. I love calibre too, though, so I'm kinda happy to stick with my 505 as long as Kovid does!

A colleague of mine liked the 505 but specifically did not want to buy one because he wanted a built in light, and a search function. So he'll be happy to hear about this. For me, though, while I'm considering buying the wedge light and cover, searching isn't something I need (and if I really want to search for something, it doesn't bug me to do it on my laptop using other software.) The touch screen is an active drawback - I'm convinced (based on other gadgets) that they're less resilient, I do not like the prospect of smudges all over the pages of my virtual book, and typing annotations - again, not what I'm looking for.

I really want my eReader to be a substitute book or magazine: the thing that I hold and look at while reading. I never write in my books or magazines, and I can't electronically search for them, so I don't mind that I also can't do that with the 505. And if I want to do those things, I'd rather use my computer (or use the money for a much more elaborate reader for an EEE computer.)

What would make me upgrade? Possibly a larger, robust and affordable reader that could handle non-reflowable PDFs at close to real size. But even then, I love that the 505 fits in my purse, and if I had something to carry around that was about the size of a 8.5x11 paper, it starts to be not that much handier than either actual paper, or my laptop.

So yeah, I'm still quite delighted with my 505, to make a long story short. And just ordered a custom skin for it, which I learned about from MR!

Well, having bought my PRS-505 in march, I have used this unit for quite some time. Still, being a gadget fan, I am occasionally tempted to get an upgrade.

While the PRS-700 seems like a nice evolutionary upgrade, it doesn't seem earth-shattering either. The built-in LED light is convenient but I can do without it. The loss of the page turning buttons on the right is a drawback and I do like the PRS-505's design slightly better (just judging from pictures). The touchscreen has a certain potential but I am sceptical if Sony makes great use of it in its firmware. Dictionary and Notes support would be two thoughts... but now I also have them on my iPhone, so I am not really feeling missing out on anything. I am certainly going to keep my PRS-505 and wait for the next "revolutionary" great thing, and wouldn't regret having recently purchased a PRS-505.

Personally, I've been wanting a 505 for a while now, and unfortunately the 700 doesn't quite do it for me as an upgrade.

I've less than no interest in the potential for dictionary support (though I know others want it) and the light isn't that big a deal either. More memory and faster page turns are good, though.

I've been thinking a lot about page turns, because my biggest concern about the PRS-700 was the placement of the page-turn buttons, and I just had an epiphany. I'm an old-time e-Book reader and I'm used to buttons for page turns, but most people aren't. Using a right-to-left swipe for a page forward mimics p-Book behavior, and for many people that could be the deciding point. It's not for our ease-of-use, but for the ease-of-use of people who've never seen an e-Book reader before.

Just wanted to add my two cents to the page turning discussion and build on what Lemurion just said.

My last PC purchase was an asus eeepc 901 with a multitouch trackpad. This was the first time I'd ever experienced the concept of "multitouch" before and for the first day I wasn't all that fussed about the new functionality it brought to web browsing - eg two finger up and down scrolling, three finger back and forwards between pages.

After the first day, I simply could not go back and just don't enjoy browsing as much with a mouse (eg wheel scrolling) or pressing the back button. The multitouch just seems so natural I could never buy another laptop without it and that's saying something.

In the same way I am happy to forego the page turning buttons on the 505 in favour of swipe actions on the 700. It sounds natural and similar to multitouch browsing. Also, having owned touch screen devices before (an old tablet pc and windows mobile) I don't mind touching them and cleaning them.

Each to their own but since this is my first ereader purchase I am looking forward to the 700

I've been a long time lurker (since December of last year) trying to decide on when to take the plunge with a Reader. I was waiting to hear about the 'new' announcement 10/2; however, after reading about it and seeing the pictures of the new unit, I wasn't convinced to put down the extra money on the 700 versus the 505.

I do feel for people in the UK and Europe regarding the launch of the 'new' 505 versus the new 700 model...that's pretty bad PR on Sony's behalf.

But for me, the 505 seemed like the unit I wanted and purchased one late last night. I like the hardware buttons versus the touchscreen and thought the price (after $150 back on the Sony card and discounted accessories with a service plan) was just right. I walked out the door (virtually that is...) with a Dark Blue 505, Sony flex light, and a 2 year accidental replacement plan for $347...deduct the $150 from the price and it's a bit under $200.

I can't wait to hear about people's reactions once they get the 700 but I am still excited about my 505 purchase. Can't wait to get it next week. :)

I, like many of you, just bought a 505 a little over a month ago. Also like many of you, I was relatively confident in thinking that Sony wasn't going to release a new model since they have been promoting the heck out of the 505.

However, I'm not at all disappointed with my 505 purchase (quite the contrary), and after reading about the 700, I'm not going to be upgrading.

Here are my concerns about the 700 (and keep in mind, some of these things are difficult to speculate on, given that I haven't actually had the chance to see/try a 700 in person):

1. What is the integrated frontlight going to do to battery life? As it stands, I have the 505 with the integrated cover/lightwedge, I'm very happy with it's performance, and it doesn't effect the battery life of my reader. And I can't wait to hear someone's real world test of the light...one review already claims it's not bright enough for reading in total darkness, which I do a lot.

2. The missing page turn buttons on the right. The way I'm used to holding my reader has me turning the pages almost exclusively with the right side buttons. They're perfectly placed under my thumb, and it looks as though utilizing the 2nd and 3rd buttons from the left on the bottom of the 700 would be awkward for me. But it has a touchscreen, you say....see my next point.

3. The touchscreen. I don't really see the utility of this (speaking only for myself, you understand). Pressing a few buttons isn't the bane of my existence. And as I've mentioned in other threads, the performance of PlasticLogic's eInk touchscreen makes me nervous, and I hope Sony has improved upon it...it looked a little flaky (slow to respond, not very sensitive). Also, I know that my touchscreen would look like heck very soon after purchase...smudgy, dirty, scratched, etc.

4. The aesthetic. I'm an equal opportunity criticizer...some of you may remember my thoughts on the Kindle. Well, I don't think the 700 is as bad as the Kindle, but I don't love it..and I'm usually a big fan of Sony's designs. To me, it looks like a step backward...and what's with those crazy textured lines along the left hand side? Just odd looking, I think.

5. The added features. While some folks will get a lot of use out of things like search, annotating, and highlighting, I wouldn't really utilize those features...even if the 505 had them. So for me, they aren't a selling point.

6. The price. I do think that for a first time reader buyer, the 700 might be a wise choice at the price point Sony has chosen. However, as someone who would be upgrading, I simply can't justify the $100 increase for what amounts to (for me, anyway) just an integrated light.

So I'll continue to love all over my 505, at least until something substantively better comes along! :D

1. The frontlight is fine, since you only use it if you want, and I suppose it does not add much weight nor battery drain just for being there. It could be the reason the reader is a tad thicker, though.

2 & 4. Wholeheartedly agree! Boo for new designs!

As for the rest, I think it might come in handy, and the price, well, it's worth it, if it's got a robust multi dictionary support.

As for the rest, I think it might come in handy, and the price, well, it's worth it, if it's got a robust multi dictionary support.

But it hasn't. You know it hasn't, so what's the point in saying that? If you want a device which does have dictionary lookup, there are a number of such devices available, but the Sony isn't among them.

But it hasn't. You know it hasn't, so what's the point in saying that? If you want a device which does have dictionary lookup, there are a number of such devices available, but the Sony isn't among them.

*sight* Harry, you're a heartbreaker. I'm trying to be faithful, but you just make it too hard.

My other options for a dictionary would be a Franklin Merriam Collegiate eletronic one, or using my smartpen with a quarter of a paper sheet binded to the back cover of the 505, but livescribe has let me down just as much as Sony and I'm still expecting a dictionary from them, the one that was promised in all the marketing crap.

Clearly, I'm running out of them. Therefore, Sony risks losing a reader by the end of the year.

I would need a simple text editing feature in the PRS700 (to correct the OCR typos etc.). It seems that the new model still lacks of any editing capabilities. :(

I would need a simple text editing feature in the PRS700 (to correct the OCR typos etc.). It seems that the new model still lacks of any editing capabilities. :(

You can certainly mark the spots and then fix them on a PC later. The eBook reading formats do not lend themselves to editing directly for the most part. And the authors don't generally like giving you the ability to change what they wrote.

Dale

Well, still awaiting delivery to an APO address of a 505s from ship date of 10 Sep 08 from un-named major US bookseller. When shipped, the 700 didn't exist. I plan on returning the 505s and then making my decision. Jeez!

Like a lot of you I have only recently got my 505. It was difficult to source from Australia and I had no idea about the new 700 coming out...

As a first time eReader buyer I think I would have still gone with the 505. It is significntly cheaper and the extra functions weren't high on my list. A dictionary would be almost worth it though. Also I use the RHS middle page turning buttons a LOT.

Now that I know I am completely comfortable with an ereader device and actually prefer it to paper books now the next one I buy will be have more features and cost more.

My only concern is that Sony will stop developing for the 505 now :(

My only concern is that Sony will stop developing for the 505 now :(
Think I saw somewhere that Sony stated the 700 is not a direct replacement for the 505. I think they will still continue to produce and sell the 505 for those that neither want nor need the touch screen.

Think I saw somewhere that Sony stated the 700 is not a direct replacement for the 505. I think they will still continue to produce and sell the 505 for those that neither want nor need the touch screen.

the concern was not about either producing or selling the 505. Developing is a different thing. Will they continue to upgrade the 505? that is the question.

Dale

You can certainly mark the spots and then fix them on a PC later.

That's exactly what I do with the books I create - when I subsequently read them I just "bookmark" the pages with errors then, after I've finished the book, I go through the bookmarks, correct the errors, and produce a new version of the book.

After a hands-on with the 700 at the SonyStyle store in Phoenix, I traded in my 500 on the spot for a 505. :)

I'm really mostly excited that I can now check out books from the library and put them on my Reader, something the 500 couldn't do. After playing with the 700, I decided the somewhat flaky touchscreen and uneven frontlighting wasn't for me.

I was also super amused that the Reader Revolution guy tossed his 505 like a frisbee against a wall and then proceeded to drop it waist high onto the ground and picked it up like nothing happened. Not a nick, scratch, or dent on it and it worked perfect as always. Not for the faint of heart (or me), but a pretty impressive demo of its durability to be sure.

I was also super amused that the Reader Revolution guy tossed his 505 like a frisbee against a wall and then proceeded to drop it waist high onto the ground and picked it up like nothing happened. Not a nick, scratch, or dent on it and it worked perfect as always. Not for the faint of heart (or me), but a pretty impressive demo of its durability to be sure.

It wasn't him that paid for it... :)

I, like many of you, just bought a 505 a little over a month ago. Also like many of you, I was relatively confident in thinking that Sony wasn't going to release a new model since they have been promoting the heck out of the 505.

However, I'm not at all disappointed with my 505 purchase (quite the contrary), and after reading about the 700, I'm not going to be upgrading.
< SNIP >


I just wanted to say that I agree with each and every point you made. Just display all my books, the PRS-505 is fine for my needs.

Btw, don't you fear the screen may be strongly scratched after a few
months using the touchscreen feature ?

Don't really see how the screen would get scratched--unless there's dirt on it (or your hands). I've had an iPod Touch for quite awhile now, and haven't had any problems with scratching the screen.

dordale :)

I'm really mostly excited that I can now check out books from the library and put them on my Reader, something the 500 couldn't do.

Can you please explain this, and what you mean? What format do the library's use for ebooks, and why did this not work on the 500? I'm also in Phoenix.

Thanks!

John

Our Phoenix Public Library supports the Adobe Digital Edition (Adobe DRM) ebook checkout. It's PDF format, and you need to get the Adobe Digital Edition software loaded on the machine that you're going to drag it over to the Reader with.

The PRS-500 didn't support the Adobe DRM content, which I *think* is the reason why Sony offered the trade-up plan from the 500 to the 505's which do support the Adobe content.

All I do is check out the ebook from the library and it shows up in my Adobe Digital Edition app. That application also "sees" my PRS-505, and all I have to do is drag the book over to the PRS-505 from within the Adobe Digital Edition software and it transfers it.

The only book I've checked out so far though, is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I just wanted a "can I do it?" test when I got my new PRS-505 last Saturday. I think I upped the size to Medium and it looks great to me.

YMMV (Your mileage may vary) on the other PDF's though -- I'd guess that PDF's with a lot of graphics and/or diagrams may not play as nicely. But so far the "novel" pdf's should work pretty well I think.

Hope this helps! :)

That's exactly what I do with the books I create - when I subsequently read them I just "bookmark" the pages with errors then, after I've finished the book, I go through the bookmarks, correct the errors, and produce a new version of the book.

I've been doing this as I go along - I read a few chapters (in bed), bookmarking pages with errors, then later in the day I open the source document in Word on my laptop to fix the bookmarked errors before transferring the updated book back to the reader. The advantage of this is that a lot of the errors are common throughout the text, so I try to do a global search and replace. This saves me extra work later. I sometimes wonder when I'll ever read the corrected book again - may be in 20 years time (at least I'll have a good proof).

Reply to PsyDocJoanne

The front light doesn't affect battery life too much. I read for a 6 hour stretch in a completely dark room (young twin had a high fever and would only sleep in my arms in a particular position). The light was on the whole time and the battery still showed 2 bars (it wasn't fully charged to begin with). The light does take some getting used to though, it doesn't evenly illuminate the page and it is extremely white/bright (oddly, the page it illuminates still looks grey even in that light).

The touch screen is neet-o, but doesn't add a lot of functionality, as you said. I tend to read in bed and find that I use the buttons with my left hand mostly. They're positioned well for holding the "spine" open, supporting the book and turning pages. I tend to use the screen when I'm sitting and the book is supported by something like a table.

The price is hefty. It may not be worth the extra cost if you're not sold on the features. I got a chance to see a 505 a few weeks ago and it actually made me a little envious. The screen seemed brighter and had better contrast and the page turning speed seemed comparable. And for more than $100 off! At that price I could have afforded some good reading material in addition to the device. If only the demo readers had been working when I purchased my reader I may have made a wiser choice.

The contrast on sony formatted content is horrible. The default fonts are weak and delicate and do not offer enough boldness to be pleasantly readable. I will not purchase anymore content from sony's ebookstore because of font issues and the fact that their formatting is inefficient. I feel like I spend more time turning pages/waiting for them to load than reading. Why? Because of their one inch margins. Completely unnecessary and inefficient. I purchase content from other sites and change the fonts to something really bold like Arial Black. Then it looks nice on the screen and I'm not frustrated.

Am I eyeing the K2? Of course! Although I'm opposed to such strictly DRM'd content, the device and system has a lot of appeal. Do I wish I had my $400 back? Yes. Do I wish ALL ebook readers were less primitive? Yes. Am I trying to make the best of my reader and embrace its shortcomings? Yes. Would I recommend the PRS-700 to others....I'm not sure. I'm still trying to find a system that makes it truly workable for me. Check back in a month or two.