Quote:
Originally Posted by sayhello
Unfortunately, the answer is really, REALLY bad. I really wanted to love the 700. I've been eagerly awaiting it's arrival for weeks now. I wanted to log in and tell people "don't listen to the others, it's wonderful". But I totally can't. The quality of the screen is just so sadly lacking that I totally CANNOT justify keeping it. My 505 is extremely crisp and clear, and readable in all but the lowest light situations. I thought the 700's light would be nice for dim restaurants, other really low-light situations, where you can't turn an external light on. But those situations are rare, and not how I usually use my eReader.
|
+1
I don't own either, but I was looking into getting a 700 so I went to the Sony Store to check it out. I had read reviews on this forum about people complaining but I really thought they were just begin e-book snobs. I had seen the 505 in Borders and was very impressed by the paper-like screen. The only think holding me back was the lack of a built-in light. So when I saw the 700, I figured it was the machine for me.
Once I got to the Sony Store however, I was severely disappointed. Some people have speculated that the drop in contrast and clarity is due to the plastic cover that houses the lights (and maybe the touch-sensors?), but to me it seemed like an entirely different screen. Like others have said, the 700's screen is reminiscent of old-school monochromatic pda screens that were almost impossible to see in low-light conditions.
I have no idea how Sony could have screwed up so badly but even my brother who has never even seen an e-reader before commented on how bad the screen of the 700 was compared to the 505. My guess is that an inferior screen was used with the belief that people would just use the built-in light, which does seem to help. The problem is, nobody wants to read with the light on all the time.
All in all, the 700 is great... Except the screen, which is awful. And to me, the screen is by far, the most important aspect of an e-reader. If you're not concerned about screen quality, then do yourself a favor and spend the $400 you would have spent on a 700 and buy a cheap laptop that will do a lot more than the 700.