Why I am keeping PRS 900 over others

robertpolson · 02-13-2010, 01:00 AM

I've had PRS 900 for over a week now and went though a dilemma if I should keep it or not. The main reason why I wanted to return PRS 900 is the screen glare under certain conditions.

I've been testing it out and reading what other people had to say for a week. Today I went to Barnes & Noble and played with Nook.

Yes, Nook has a sharper and a better screen with little glare. However, it felt slower than PRS 900 Extra Large font size on Nook was comparable to medium font size on Sony PRS 900.

However, I have asked myself one key question - why do I need an eReader? My answer is to read mostly non-fiction and to learn from it by taking notes. Thus highlighting and taking notes is one of the most important feature doe me. PRS 900 does this very well while Nook takes quiet a bit of time to highlight something. The joystick navigation is ok, but will take too much time for my need.

Next, I picked up Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Clip-On Light from Barnes & Noble for $16. Now I can read just fine in low light conditions like at night at home. Highly recommended.

During the day, there is enough sun light to read and enjoy paper like look on PRS 900. Also, the glare effect is actually a positive thing because it will make me be in the sun more and outdoor which is something that I forget to do nowadays (a lot of people do not get enough day light nowadays).

Overall, I'll stay with PRS 900 and enjoy my exploration of various literature.

P.S. One thing that I've noticed about many people is that those who have been exposed to iphone or an ipod and see an eReader for the first time, naturally try to perform a swipe gesture only to be surprised that it is not how eInk works.

jcatl · 02-13-2010, 07:06 PM

I went to B&N today specifically to get the XtraFlex2 since I knew they had them in stock. I took another look at the Nook as I was still considering returning the 900 due to the glare and contrast. The Nook definitely has a more viewable screen and the WiFi is nice since I'll usually have access to it.

I got home and tried the light and it does make a huge difference. I really love everything else about the 900 and think I'll learn to work with the screen. In my bedroom I have enough light that it's not an issue but my living room is mostly indirect, low lighting so the xtraflex2 will come in handy there.

SCION · 02-15-2010, 11:09 AM

Good to hear you're both staying with the 900! The key to full enjoyment is a portable light comparable to the Mighty Bright.

Kolenka · 02-15-2010, 11:40 AM

I'm in the same boat... I was looking at the nook for some more speed, a nicer screen over the 505, but still retaining that clarity over the 900.

The 900 and 505 still beats the nook hands down for me. Just too much futzing around in menus to get where you want. More than the 505 even (without hacks). And then it requires you to get the screen powered back up to do anything, which drains the battery (especially when reading periodicals), and doesn't always want to power on by tapping it.

That said, I'm not in a huge need for wireless on every reader I've got, so the UX is kinda key for me. And the more I played with the nook, the more I realized how long the interruptions to reading were to bookmark, highlight, switch back to the book I was reading after finishing a newspaper, how frustrating reading a newspaper was, and so on.

SCION · 02-15-2010, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolenka

...how frustrating reading a newspaper was, and so on.

You're right. Reading periodicals on the 900 is a pleasure.

Kolenka · 02-15-2010, 12:29 PM

Well, the full-touch capability is a big part of it. On the nook reading an article amounts to:

Tap to wake up the screen.
Tap again when you realize the screen wasn't woken up.
Tap the up/down arrows a few times, wait, tap some more, hit enter.
Read, hit back, repeat previous step.
Move onto next section.

Or just simply use the TOC, but then you lose the nice formatting of the article descriptions.

02-13-2010, 01:00 AM	#1
robertpolson Connoisseur Posts: 84 Karma: 28496 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: none	Why I am keeping PRS 900 over others I've had PRS 900 for over a week now and went though a dilemma if I should keep it or not. The main reason why I wanted to return PRS 900 is the screen glare under certain conditions. I've been testing it out and reading what other people had to say for a week. Today I went to Barnes & Noble and played with Nook. Yes, Nook has a sharper and a better screen with little glare. However, it felt slower than PRS 900 Extra Large font size on Nook was comparable to medium font size on Sony PRS 900. However, I have asked myself one key question - why do I need an eReader? My answer is to read mostly non-fiction and to learn from it by taking notes. Thus highlighting and taking notes is one of the most important feature doe me. PRS 900 does this very well while Nook takes quiet a bit of time to highlight something. The joystick navigation is ok, but will take too much time for my need. Next, I picked up Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Clip-On Light from Barnes & Noble for $16. Now I can read just fine in low light conditions like at night at home. Highly recommended. During the day, there is enough sun light to read and enjoy paper like look on PRS 900. Also, the glare effect is actually a positive thing because it will make me be in the sun more and outdoor which is something that I forget to do nowadays (a lot of people do not get enough day light nowadays). Overall, I'll stay with PRS 900 and enjoy my exploration of various literature. P.S. One thing that I've noticed about many people is that those who have been exposed to iphone or an ipod and see an eReader for the first time, naturally try to perform a swipe gesture only to be surprised that it is not how eInk works.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
PRS-300 $150, PRS-600 $170 + $25 Gift Card; PRS-900 $250 + extra Battery @SonyUSA	Lilly	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	1	07-25-2010 02:14 PM
Ended Sony Daily Edition eBook Reader PRS-900BC 3G PRS-900	wy6688	Flea Market	2	06-02-2010 11:15 PM
Why I am keeping PRS 900 over others	robertpolson	Sony Reader	11	02-17-2010 05:54 PM
just bought a prs-600: keeping it, but could be better	ebooker	Sony Reader	20	11-15-2009 10:08 AM

02-13-2010, 07:06 PM	#2
jcatl Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Sony PRS-900	I went to B&N today specifically to get the XtraFlex2 since I knew they had them in stock. I took another look at the Nook as I was still considering returning the 900 due to the glare and contrast. The Nook definitely has a more viewable screen and the WiFi is nice since I'll usually have access to it. I got home and tried the light and it does make a huge difference. I really love everything else about the 900 and think I'll learn to work with the screen. In my bedroom I have enough light that it's not an issue but my living room is mostly indirect, low lighting so the xtraflex2 will come in handy there.

02-15-2010, 11:09 AM	#3
SCION Séduisant Posts: 4,706 Karma: 2107018 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas, USA Device: Boox Note Air2+; Kobo Libra2; Kindle Scribe, Oasis3; iPad Mini6	Good to hear you're both staying with the 900! The key to full enjoyment is a portable light comparable to the Mighty Bright.

02-15-2010, 11:40 AM	#4
Kolenka <Insert Wit Here> Posts: 1,017 Karma: 1275899 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Puget Sound Device: Kindle Oasis, Kobo Forma	I'm in the same boat... I was looking at the nook for some more speed, a nicer screen over the 505, but still retaining that clarity over the 900. The 900 and 505 still beats the nook hands down for me. Just too much futzing around in menus to get where you want. More than the 505 even (without hacks). And then it requires you to get the screen powered back up to do anything, which drains the battery (especially when reading periodicals), and doesn't always want to power on by tapping it. That said, I'm not in a huge need for wireless on every reader I've got, so the UX is kinda key for me. And the more I played with the nook, the more I realized how long the interruptions to reading were to bookmark, highlight, switch back to the book I was reading after finishing a newspaper, how frustrating reading a newspaper was, and so on.

02-15-2010, 12:29 PM	#6
Kolenka <Insert Wit Here> Posts: 1,017 Karma: 1275899 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Puget Sound Device: Kindle Oasis, Kobo Forma	Well, the full-touch capability is a big part of it. On the nook reading an article amounts to: Tap to wake up the screen. Tap again when you realize the screen wasn't woken up. Tap the up/down arrows a few times, wait, tap some more, hit enter. Read, hit back, repeat previous step. Move onto next section. Or just simply use the TOC, but then you lose the nice formatting of the article descriptions.

Advert

Advert