http://krisabel.ctv.ca/blog/_archives/2008/11/11/3972261.html

Not having seen a Sony in real life - just posted photos or movies about it - I can say that the photos in the review show the 700 with a really washed out screen and poor contrast.

This can be from bad taken photos or poor ambience light, but, if it’s not and comparing it with my Cybook screen, no way!!!
It’s like an old saying in my country: “going from riding a horse to riding a donkey”.

Best,
Ps: (the saying was a bit adapted and It’s not intended to diminish donkeys, animals I think are quite nice and friendly)

Not having seen a Sony in real life - just posted photos or movies about it - I can say that the photos in the review show the 700 with a really washed out screen and poor contrast.

This can be from bad taken photos or poor ambience light, but, if it’s not and comparing it with my Cybook screen, no way!!!
It’s like an old saying in my country: “going from riding a horse to riding a donkey”.

Best,
Ps: (the saying was a bit adapted and It’s not intended to diminish donkeys, animals I think are quite nice and friendly)

Sadly, This is exactly what the 700's screen looks like. I'm hoping Sony realizes this and takes steps to fix the issue.

Sadly, This is exactly what the 700's screen looks like. I'm hoping Sony realizes this and takes steps to fix the issue.I'm looking forward to seeing one in person myself as I have a unit on order. I've current have a 505 with a lightwedge, have owned and used a 500, plus all the Gemstar, RCA and Rocket models.

I have to confess I find your obsession with the screen puzzling Johnnyr - you've just joined the community this month and out of some 56 posts, something like 45 - 50 are slagging the 700. Forgive me if I become a little wary re: your agenda. Do you work for Bezos? :D

Incidentally, this is what Kris Abel at CTV had to say about the Mobileread community:

As my own personal photos included with my review show (not supplied to me by Sony), the PRS-700 is not "unreadable". The Mobileread gang have romanticized their early eBook experiences, both the Palm devices they used and the experience of being the first to really get the eBook trend, that they have become overcritical of anything new.

In order to add touchscreen capability, Sony has had to add an additional layer to the E-ink screen. The result is, if you compare the screens of the two devices under tight scrutiny, that the 505's text appears to be the sharper of the two. You are viewing the text through less plastic.

Its still the same size screen (larger than most eBook readers) but with the ability to display text in larger font sizes. It's actually easier to read from this device than most of the others on the market for that reason.

To characterize it as unreadable or to use it as the basis to dramatically write off the PRS-700 as useless is irrational.

Its a behaviour that exists with hard core fans across all gadget types. Audiophiles can't understand how people can listen to iPods, PC gamers insist consoles are useless without a mouse and keyboard, Blackberry users can't understand how anyone can use a virtual keyboard, etc. With obsession there's a loss of objectivity.

The screen of the PRS-700 is absolutely fine.
I look forward to getting mine shortly. If I don't like, I'll say so, and I'm picky. I went to the 505 because I found the 500 just too gray so I leapt to the chance to move to the new screen. I do find the light wedge annoying when it's not on, so I may not like the 700, but I do wonder if people aren't overreacting a little bit on here. :rolleyes:

I look forward to getting mine shortly. If I don't like, I'll say so, and I'm picky. I went to the 505 because I found the 500 just too gray so I leapt to the chance to move to the new screen. I do find the light wedge annoying when it's not on, so I may not like the 700, but I do wonder if people aren't overreacting a little bit on here. :rolleyes:
And I look forward to your review.
Please do write about your experiences. I would be most interested in comparison with PRS-500, because this is what I have.

Another informative review that touches on the salient points of he 700 which are that it is extremely fast and easy to use and has the best pdf handling I've seen for non-tablet/laptop devices.

The comments to the post are also interesting

I would be most interested in comparison with PRS-500, because this is what I have.

I had 500 for long time, sold few days ago. 700 screen without light looks the same as in 500. With light on, 700 is better, not as sharp as 505, but close.

It's faster than 500, touch screen works very well. Page buttons are comfortable (I'm lefty).

My only problem so far has been 700 crashing on feeds from Calibre. Few of my favorite feeds, in both ePub and lrf (directly transfered) formats, do not work well.

And I look forward to your review.
Please do write about your experiences. I would be most interested in comparison with PRS-500, because this is what I have.Sony just sent me an email - it shipped today! :)

another review with pictures to compare sony screens:
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/gadgets/Sony-Reader-PRS-700.htm
...
What's the catch? The touch screen layer reduces contrast. Digital readers like the Sony Reader and Amazon Kindle use e-ink technology, a very low power, paper-like display that's non-glare and high contrast (much like a book's pages). Touch isn't part of the e-ink technology, nor is backlighting, so we rarely see a reader offering these. Sony, cutting-edge company that they are, found a way to add these two desirable features. Sony added a touch layer on top of the e-ink display and embedded LED side-lights into the frame that surrounds the display. Clever. But this comes at the expense of contrast and glare, and the Sony Reader PRS-700 looks more like a grayscale notebook screen than an eBook reader. The glare isn't nearly as bad as the average PDA or gloss notebook display-- it's on par with matte finish notebook displays.

wow the 700 screen really looks crappy....I'm hoping those pictures are just poor

The pictures are close to accurate. I own the PRS 505 and 700. The touch screen appears to be about 4-5 mm above the actual screen and causes some haze. The haze is only noticeable if you have them side by side. In dim situations the light negates the haze effect. All taken together I believe it is a worth while upgrade considering all of the extra tricks you get with the 700.

What you really have to ask yourself is did you buy a reader for just pure reading, or does a couple of tricks make reduced visibility worth it?

P.S. I just took them both out side and noted that the 700 is harder to read as the screen is reflective.

I'm not sure where this Kris Abel fellow gets his information about us MobileRead folks, but I've seen maybe one or two people classify the 700 unreadable. His article is a blatent misrepresentation of our forum users. I myself purchased a 505 instead of the 700. Sure, the screen was one of the reasons I made the choice, but it wasn't because the 700 was not readable. It was because the 505 was just better (in MY opinion). I also like the layout and I don't really want a touchscreen - I know some folks love that feature, but not me. Anyhow, I'm wondering how a writer or reviewer can be so irresponsible when it comes to a community? There are many people here who love the 700!

This is hands-down the BEST community to get information about ebook devices. Most of the people here are very open-minded and excited about any technology involving ebooks.

One last thing - I was able to get a 2 year warranty with my 505 and still pay about as much as I was going to pay for a 700 without the warranty. Personally, I think $400 is a bit steep for the 700. The reviewer could at least mention the difference in prices between the two models and why some folks may not find the 700 worth it! :)

^^ do you mean the 505? There is no Sony 550...

While ColdSun may be right that there have been only one or two posts which actually claimed the 700 was unreadable, there have been many many posts which would leave the reader thinking it is unreadable without specifically saying so.

So many that while waiting for my 700 I was beginning to panic wondering if it would be as bad in person as everybody on this forum was making it out to be. There isn't a SonyStyle store nearby for me to go check it out, so I had to purchase it "blind."

Boy was I relieved when it showed up and is so much better than all the naysayers had indicated.

That's what I think Kris was talking about. And Ervserver's remark about how the screen "is really crappy." If that doesn't imply "unreadable" I don't know what it does imply. In any event it certainly would make people avoid the 700.

While ColdSun may be right that there have been only one or two posts which actually claimed the 700 was unreadable, there have been many many posts which would leave the reader thinking it is unreadable without specifically saying so.


I guess you won't enjoy this latest review much then =) :

http://gizmodo.com/5097999/sony-prs+700-reader-review-blinding-glare-kills-all-improvements

Well after his comment on people whose spouses/partners don't sleep well with the light on as being "more oppressive domestic situations" I realized that anything else he says is hyperbole. I don't view the fact that my wife sleeps better in a darkened room as being an oppressive domestic situation. And that doesn't even take into account that I enjoy best reading in an otherwise darkened room, having only my reading material illuminated.

The pictures are the pictures -- I could take unflattering pictures of anything if I wanted. And none of us who like the 700 have tried to say that the screen is sharper or clearer than the 505 or the Kindle -- but those last comments about wondering whether anybody bothered to read a book on the device before actually manufacturing them just makes me wonder whether he tried to read a book on it or simply saw that it was different from his favored devices and therefore garbage to begin with.

I wonder how he would have liked it if he had never seen a 505 or a Kindle.

In any event, those of us who enjoy reading on the 700 are going to continue to do so and those whose main reaction is "But it isn't a 505!" are going to continue not to like the 700.

I'm certainly not trying to change anybody whose mind is already made up, but merely to present an opposing point of view so that those who are trying to do research can realize that the device isn't an unreadable failure, but rather, in the opinion of a growing number of members of this forum an excellent (even if not perfect) device which we enjoy reading on.

There is no right answer, only opinion, and as stated several times - everyone needs to make their own. At the same time, you folks shouldn't get down on us folks that don't like the 700. We are just voicing our opinion. Is your opinion any more valid? The below statements are fact:

1. The 700's screen contrast, for whatever reason, is not as good as the 505
2. The 700 has some glare issues due to the extra layers above the screen
3. The 700 has an updated UI and many improvements to the usability over the 505
4. The 700 is touchscreen

Now, it is up to each person to decide if the contrast difference is a deal-breaker for them. Is it worth it to them to have the extra power and features of the 700 when the screen is not as good? My opinion was that I wanted the best screen an e-ink device had to offer since this was my first one. After research, I concluded that was the 505. In addition, and I'm in the minority on this, I didn't want a touchscreen because I don't want to wipe fingerprints and smudges off all the time (which in my experience is definately more noticable when you are using the device with the light in the dark).

So to sum it up, I don't think it is right to tell the folks on this board to ignore the negative posts and the device is just fine. The beauty of this forum is that there is a lot of information and people can come here and educate themselves and make the decision that is right for THEM.

I don't believe I've told anybody to ignore the negative posts -- just to take them for what they are, which is what you've said. They're opinions. But opinions expressed as hyperbole do nothing for anybody.

The opinions which have been expressed on this forum to the effect that the person has seen the 700 and doesn't like it for reasons X, Y, Z are excellent because they give concrete examples.

And it's important for the positive opinions to be voiced as well.

I'm not down on anybody expressing negative opinions, just on people who express them as hyperbole, just as I would get down on anybody who said something to the effect of "The 700 is the best reading device ever invented and I couldn't imagine anybody not liking it nor could I imagine anybody being able to improve it!" That wouldn't help anybody either.

And the bottom line, as many of us have said, is that each individual has to see it in person to make a decision, and for people who have to purchase it sight unseen, be sure to buy it from a place which will take returns, in case they don't like it.

1. The 700's screen contrast, for whatever reason, is not as good as the 505

When used with proper reading angle (ie. 30° - 40°) And proper lighting,
you shouldn't have a problem. If you are reading in low light, you should
select level 2 brightness with the built in LED light switch. As a former
Optician, everything else is visual acuity (or lack thereof) related.

2. The 700 has some glare issues due to the extra layers above the screen

Once again, proper reading angle is a must for the luxury of
a touch screen!

3. The 700 has an updated UI and many improvements to the usability over the 505
4. The 700 is touchscreen

This is an understatement. The UI is hands down, the best I've seen!
Touch screens are the future, and it would not surprise me the least to see
the rest of the eInk gang doing likewise.

Best Features thus far:
- (Re)-Searching capabilities / FrontPage Iconed eBooks / Zoom! / Notes!
/ Music / 2 levels of LED Brightness / Photos / v-Keyboard! / Stylus or
Finger gesturing / Magnetic Leather Cover / Landscape / Portrait reading
/ etc etc...

But hey, don't take my literal word for it, its just my objective
(hands-on) opinions...

When used with proper reading angle (ie. 30° - 40°) And proper lighting,
you shouldn't have a problem. If you are reading in low light, you should
select level 2 brightness with the built in LED light switch. As a former
Optician, everything else is visual acuity (or lack thereof) related.



Please explain how your reply changes the fact that the contrast on the 505 is better? Are you telling me just because I can read a 700, it should be OK for me? Sure! That's true. I can read the 505 better though. Due to the contrast. In the dark, I don't think there is much difference in the two.


Once again, proper reading angle is a must for the luxury of
a touch screen!


Thats great! Except I don't want a touchscreen to begin with. Also, I don't want to swap my better contrast for the touchscreen and "proper reading angle." :) It was hard enough to stop using my VGA PDA with backlight to go to e-ink to begin with. If I'm going to do that, I want the most paper-like display I can get. I'm sure the 700 is fine for you, but I choose the 505.



This is an understatement. The UI is hands down, the best I've seen!
Touch screens are the future, and it would not surprise me the least to see
the rest of the eInk gang doing likewise.


There are a lot of innovations in screen technology on the horizon. I'm sure touchscreens will improve with e-ink in the future. Honestly, I'm more interested in the built-in light though. I read just about every night in bed before I sleep. If they made 6" ebook reading devices using an LCD screen that had a backlight, I likely still wouldn't have an e-ink device. :thumbsup:



Best Features thus far:
- (Re)-Searching capabilities / FrontPage Iconed eBooks / Zoom! / Notes!
/ Music / 2 levels of LED Brightness / Photos / v-Keyboard! / Stylus or
Finger gesturing / Magnetic Leather Cover / Landscape / Portrait reading
/ etc etc...

But hey, don't take my literal word for it, its just my objective
(hands-on) opinions...

Sounds more like a Sony add. :) Hey, at least I bought a Sony! :2thumbsup

I got a kick out of this from the gizmodo if you buy this, you are dumb.

I guess you won't enjoy this latest review much then =) :

http://gizmodo.com/5097999/sony-prs+700-reader-review-blinding-glare-kills-all-improvements

That's the sort of non-objective comments which are actually simply hyperbole and make that sort of review worthless in my opinion.

Unfortunately, someone who is curious about the 700 will have such links turn up when they google the 700 and may figure that the device actually is worthless, when in fact it is a fine device, even if the screen is different in appearance from the 505.

I got a kick out of this from the gizmodo

Love that quote :( One more site on the avoid list- not that I used it before, but now I know to actively avoid it and strongly negatively mention it if needed.

That's the sort of non-objective comments which are actually simply hyperbole and make that sort of review worthless in my opinion.

/me points to dead horse. Go ahead and keep beating it...

(Just my opinion, of course. God forbid this is viewed as objective fact and gets yet another 'hyperbole' response.)

in response... (to COLDsun)

Yes, the luxury of a touch screen does have some impact on the contrast of
text. There I said it. No doubt enhancement can be made but from my
own summation, the reason why the S7 didn't cost $500 or $600 is because
they didn't go with a touch panal that would put off con$umer
marketability. As popularity continues, future models will have truer
text 'artform' with the crispi-ness you so desire.

Until then, and IN THE MEAN TIME, the rest of use 7s' will enjoys the
benefits ahead of the curve. Go ahead call us early adopters
(ie. "brave ones") ;)

As for Gizmodo, they would have been critical with anything, thats how they
make news - newsworthy... it sells to be negative. Thought you knew this.

COLDSUN: "Please explain how your reply changes the fact that the contrast on
the 505 is better? Are you telling me just because I can read a 700, it should
be OK for me? Sure! That's true...."

Please take a gander over HERE (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=296360&postcount=49)

Looks fine, except my 505 screen looks better. Nuff said.

Looks fine, except my 505 screen looks better. Nuff said.

Nobody denies that. I like the 505 screen, but to me it is almost the same as with a page display - I can read it but that's about it, I cannot read the whole book since the slow page turning and navigation takes away all pleasure.

So again if you are happy with the 505 nobody forces you to get a 700 and it seems that Sony - wisely - will support the 505 for a while the way Nokia and its independent developers for example still supported the 770 even when the 800 was introduced.

Hopefully a PRS 705 or 800 will improve the screen closer to the lofty 505 one...

I got a kick out of this from the gizmodo

Well I always suspected I was numb. Now I guess I know for sure. Just I go out and celebrate, or hang my head in shame?:thanks:

/me points to dead horse. Go ahead and keep beating it...

(Just my opinion, of course. God forbid this is viewed as objective fact and gets yet another 'hyperbole' response.)

Huh? I'm confused -- because I point out that certain statements aren't objective and are hyperbole I'm beating a dead horse? I don't get it, just as I don't get your final comment. There's nothing of hyperbole about the first statement, just as there's nothing of opinion about it either. You're just making a statement.

I also don't see how your message carries the conversation forward in any meaningful way.

CNET Review with video and pictures below:
http://reviews.cnet.com/e-book-readers/sony-reader-digital-book/4505-3508_7-33351229.html?tag=box

The good:
The PRS-700 is sleeker than the Kindle; faster processor speeds up the device; new touch-screen interface offers better ergonomics and is easier to use; with the addition of an optional memory card (SD or Memory Stick Pro), it's capable of storing thousands of electronic books; font size is adjustable; decent battery life; displays Word and PDF files (and zooms them), shows most image files, and plays MP3 and AAC audio; built-in LED lighting isn't great but allows you to read in the dark.

The bad:
New touch screen is more glare-prone and doesn't have as much contrast as Amazon's Kindle or Sony's PRS-505; built-in lighting is from the screen periphery is not true backlighting; eBook Library software isn't available for Mac owners; there's no support for Audible audio books; and no built-in wireless access.

The bottom line:
The PRS-700 takes one step forward for Sony digital readers--and a couple leaps back.

Looks fine, except my 505 screen looks better. Nuff said.

Agree. I just tested PRS-700 and I don't like the screen. It looks like the screen for 505 protected by ultra-thin plastic bag ...

I just made this picture to compare the Sony PRS-700 screen with Kindle and jetBook screens. If you don't have Sony reader you can see the quality:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/3077630421_a7d980557f_b.jpg

Thanks for the photos.

Unfortunately it does not accurately justify the real deal. The angle at which
the photo was taken does not take into consideration the 700 is the ONLY
one with a touch screen so naturally the viewing / reading pitch will be
different hence the glare / and clarity on certain angles.

The truest way to see, is seeing for yourself. Up close and IN person. Otherwise,
people will have to rely solely on someone else's objectivity.

Thanks for the photos.

Unfortunately it does not accurately justify the real deal. The angle at which
the photo was taken does not take into consideration the 700 is the ONLY
one with a touch screen so naturally the viewing / reading pitch will be
different hence the glare / and clarity on certain angles.

The truest way to see, is seeing for yourself. Up close and IN person. Otherwise,
people will have to rely solely on someone else's objectivity.

I put 3 units on the floor and kept camera above units without any angles.
The touch screen is a good feature but the quality of the screen MUST be perfect if you read books but it is far from perfect ...

Hi,

I have also seen the 700 in person and these photos accurately reflect my experience of it. I saw it next to the 505, which has the same screen as the Kindle pictured here. This is the way it looks. Thanks for the photos - good reference.

thanks for the Picture. that Jetbook does look pretty good and tiny, i would love to actually hold one for a few days.

i read 8000 pages on my PRS 500
i read 10000 pages on my Kindle when i had it
and aive Read 3000 Pages on my PRS 700 so far (print lenth pages, probably double-quadruple all thse for actual page turns on the device)

the Kindle was easier to read than the 500,

but for me, the 700 and the kindle are just as readable in the same lighting conditions. but as it gets darker, the 700 is a joy, i can keep the font small and just hit the light on.

Ive read the 700 in the Sun (finally had a warm last two days.. was in the 30s the last 2 weeks since ive had it) suprisingly the glare is gone in the sun totally (except for the glare from the actual sun if you hit just the right angle.. which makes it un readable. but the same held true for the kindle too)

I love my 700.

as for the light affecing battery life. If i have to use the light that day, i will charge it that night. no light, no charge. many days i dont need the light. some i do. I bring it everywhere with me... this was the main problem with the kindle.. it was so darned big i couldnt fit it in my pocket, the 500 and the 700 fit in perfectly..

I'm not an expert in photography but given my equipment, this
is the best I could come up with in 2 minutes of shooting.
I used an old Sony camera with fixed lens stop and no flash.
Lighting was incandescent, and taken at normal reading distance.
ie. eye to focal point ie. 12-16inches

Seeing is Believing
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/3079271022_3443f68bea.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/3079300594_ec0cfef620_o.jpg
Notice the difference when viewing angle and lighting is unbiased
- the fuzzy image looks like it was taken with a phone camera


This shot was taken close up steep angle.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3159/3079275226_e6d5a09576.jpg
This image was taken at steep angle to show that it was still
readable under the right lighting conditions and pitch or angle.
Touch screens will always demand a different reading angle than
those without one. With lights turned on, readability increases
20 fold.

Thanks guys for these pictures.

The touch screen is a real plus for me and I'm still asking myself if the glare and the contrast is a real deal.
These photos tend to make think it's not that bad.
I asked a friend (who never had an electronic reader) in Canada to check the PRS-700 and to tell me what he thinks.

Touch screens will always demand a different reading angle than
those without one.
Yes, that is true. I tried to read 20 pages and each time I have to catch the right angle to make screen readable. There is no problems like that when I read with Kindle or jetBook. You can change the angle and read the text without any problems on these units.
Sony 700 can be a good choice for people in case if touch screen is more important for them than quality screen ...but not for me. I think I will play with this unit 1-2 days and send it back to Sony.

i've still to decide which to buy for christmas.. but as the 505 is available locally (ireland) and id have to source the 700 from the states i'm more and more tempted by the 505... if people were saying the screen on the 700 was equal to the 505 then i'd be all over it :(

Touch screens will always demand a different reading angle than
those without one.
Yes, that is true. I tried to read 20 pages and each time I have to catch the right angle to make screen readable.
This sounds like you're walking while your reading.

i've still to decide which to buy for christmas.. but as the 505 is available locally (ireland) and id have to source the 700 from the states i'm more and more tempted by the 505... if people were saying the screen on the 700 was equal to the 505 then i'd be all over it :(
I have both the 505 and the 700. I haven't picked up the 505 since I got my 700. The image is just fine for my eyes and, yes, you do have adjust the angle to find that sweet spot, but only once.
The lighting, touch screen, speed, ergonomics and just plain uncluttered look of the 700 won me over. Someone else in the family is equally enjoying the 500. It's a matter of personal choice, and the choice was easy for me.:)

I'm not an expert in photography but given my equipment, this is the best I could come up with in 2 minutes of shooting.
I used an old Sony camera with fixed lens stop and no flash.
Lighting was incandescent, and taken at normal reading distance.
ie. eye to focal point ie. 12-16inches
Thanks for the pics too. I also tried to take photos of my new PRS700, but I'm useless with a camera, the flash just bounced back from the screen and I was afraid to post a non-flash yellow looking pic with perfectly readable text in case everyone would think that the screen was yellow. I believe you have captured a good likeness.:thanks:

[QUOTE=Wetdogeared;300112]This sounds like you're walking while your reading.
QUOTE]

No, I was reading in my bed but when I changed the angle of reading I was forced to move Sony reader in order to make screen readable all the time.
It is not necessary to do when I read books on Kindle or jetBook units.