Just got my PRS 700...

sarah7700 · 11-24-2008, 08:18 PM

I just got my PRS 700 today, thanks to my husband who gave me it as an early Christmas present after picking it up from Purolator today. And man, do I LOVE it!! It's everything that I had hoped for. On first view, the thing that came to my mind was "why do people think that the screen is unreadable?" I admittedly haven't owned another ebook reader, but it seems perfectly clear to me. It is obviously not as crisp and white as the 505, but is still perfectly fine. The pictures about the glare seemed to be misleading - I find that there is not much of a glare and there is a good range of viewing angles (however I haven't used it in direct sunlight yet). The light is awesome, the lowest setting would be fine for me in total blackness. I love the touch screen and the features. I am just so happy with it!! The moral of the story is don't completely trust what others are saying. Go see the PRS 700 for yourself before you evaluate whether it is a good reader!

LuluLemon · 11-24-2008, 09:48 PM

I glad you finally got your PRS-700 and LOVE IT! I'm going to pick up mine tomorrow at Sony store here in T.O...Happy reading Sarah...

dhbailey · 11-25-2008, 06:04 AM

Amen to your final comment, Sarah! I'm delighted you love your 700. I've had a terrific first week and a half with mine and find that in total darkness the lower light setting is perfectly fine. Also like you I easily find a reading angle which eliminates the glare. I have read it outside but not in bright sunlight, and it works just fine there as well.

I find the zoom feature to be excellent for viewing graphics and details in books.

Enjoy!

astra · 11-25-2008, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarah7700

(however I haven't used it in direct sunlight yet)

Sunlight is usually the strongest point of eInk vs LCD, so I guess you should not worry about it.

azkwb · 11-25-2008, 09:47 AM

I think the PRS-700 is great two but I am somewhat disappointed with the battery life. I don't know how other's can go a week or more on a charge, I find myself charging every 24hours. I know part of the problem is I use the biggest and/or second biggest font size and I use the light a lot but that is why I was attracted to the new sony e-reader in the first place. I like that I can read without my reading glasses by using the large font and I like reading at night, so I do turn more pages than most but no way am I turning thousands....
I am somewhere around page 800 out of 1600 in the L and this is after about a week of reading and charging each night because I go down to one line left. I seem to go down about 1/4 of the battery charge each hour or so of reading regardless of XL or L. It's not that it's a big problem to charge, I have the A/C adapter but I would like it if I got by without having to do it so often if possible.
Am I the only one experiancing this?

astra · 11-25-2008, 10:06 AM

I believe that bulit-in light is the culprit.
That's why so many of us were opposed to the idea, because we prefer external light, which doesn't affect the battery. Just for the sake of a test, try to use the reader without built-in light and measure time between full re-chargings.

azkwb · 11-25-2008, 11:10 AM

thanks for the suggestion, I've been wondering the same thing myself. I really like the built in light though so it will be hard to not use it. Will try some day time reading though to see if I can keep the bars up.

igorsk · 11-25-2008, 11:42 AM

The manual states 4 hours of battery life with the light set on max.

JayBoy · 11-25-2008, 01:23 PM

I had the same experience with the light on in the evenings (battery was lasting about 4 hours), but after fully charging the unit and not using the light at all I have read 4 hours night for the past 2 nights and the battery meter still has all its bars (full).

Server · 11-25-2008, 01:29 PM

"I have read 4 hours night..."

4 hours is a lot of night reading.

someone can't sleep...

azkwb · 11-25-2008, 02:38 PM

OMG you all are so helpfull. I read the manual but totally missed the above. Now I see it was mentioned in the specifications, 4 hours with light on max or 8hours with light on low. Well that explains it! Now I'm not so worried my battery is defective. Thanks for pointing that reference out to me.

sarah7700 · 11-25-2008, 03:41 PM

I read for over an hour last night in bed with the light on the lowest setting and the battery went down a little, but it worked great.

I used it in various settings today and it works really well. It was a rather gray day, so I still haven't used it in direct sunlight, but I'm sure it will work just fine. I find that there is more glare when you are in medium light settings, but then if you put the light on the it is fine.

I went into my local Sony store today to compare the 700 to the 505 myself (they didn't have a 700 model). I found the screen difference to be quite minimal between the two, and the 700 is so much easier to navigate.

It was funny, when I went into the sony store one of the guys working there was like "how did you get that?" since they don't even have a display model, lol

moz · 11-25-2008, 04:30 PM

There's also the silly little battery they use. Presumably so they can boast about the small, light device. Wah wah wah it's so small and light that the battery dies after 4 hours.

I lost my 505 (left it on a bus) so I'm looking for a replacement, and it looks as though it'll either be another 505 or I wait for the currently-rumoured next wave of devices with bigger screens.

archaic · 11-25-2008, 05:55 PM

This is my first post, although I've been reading threads here about the PRS-700 for a couple of weeks. I'm a tech junkie, so I've been through the ropes in comparing a diversity of opinions on products many, many times. I won't tell you how many devices I own, but my adapters alone will fill a suitcase. No joke.

Anyway, I ordered (and placed a deposit) on the 700 a few days ago at the local Sony Store. It should arrive any day now, but as it is a Christmas present from wife and daughter (last year they bought me a GPS, trying to contain my addiction!) I won't be using it until Dec 24th after mass. So, my next post won't be for a month, once I've had a chance to get my hands dirty with the 700 (more on that in a minute).

I dropped into the Sony store today to get up close and personal with the 505. There are lots in stock (and no customers in the store, by the way -- recession anyone?). It's a nice product. I really liked the size and feel of the product. I'm talking esthetics here-- form, not content -- I'm sure I'll get the same vibe from the 700. I REALLY like the feel of the 505 in my hands. If I can't get the right vibe from the product, I can't use it. For example, although I devour paperbacks, I cannot read the new format paperbacks -- the tall and thin ones -- you know the ones I mean. I hate them. Refuse to buy them. Have actually written the company to tell them how much I hate this format (I normally never do that).

So -- my first impression -- the 505 is simply okay. I like the physical part. On the tech side, it's obviously early in development. Lot's of room for improvement -- the 700 seems to address some of these issues. In fact, the 700 screen would have to be awfully bad for me not to go with newer technology. For those that adore the 505, great. I have no criticisms, and value your opinion. Enjoy it. But for me, I expect to go with the next generation. I'll have no problem going to a PRS-7xx when the time comes, and will save my money in anticipation.

Sorry if this is a bit of a rambling post. But my motto is "The person with the most gadgets when they die, wins". And to have the most gadgets, you need to keep ahead of the tech curve!

Oh, on the "getting my hands dirty" subject. I have to laugh at the people concerned about fingerprints on the 700 touch screen. Fingerprints/smudges on products are a way of life -- unless you choose to wear white cotton gloves -- just check out the touch screen on the video display the next time you fly. Or take a close look at your cell phone or blackberry. I clean them every day, several times a day. That's life. Another funny thing -- when examining the 505 I kept touching the screen! No way I could live with buttons -- there are too many touch screens in my life to go back...just my opinion.

Cheers,

Archaic

LuluLemon · 11-26-2008, 04:04 PM

I got my Sony PRS 700 and I love it...What can I say...you really have to see it for yourself ....

11-24-2008, 08:18 PM	#1
sarah7700 Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 115 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: PRS700	Just got my PRS 700... I just got my PRS 700 today, thanks to my husband who gave me it as an early Christmas present after picking it up from Purolator today. And man, do I LOVE it!! It's everything that I had hoped for. On first view, the thing that came to my mind was "why do people think that the screen is unreadable?" I admittedly haven't owned another ebook reader, but it seems perfectly clear to me. It is obviously not as crisp and white as the 505, but is still perfectly fine. The pictures about the glare seemed to be misleading - I find that there is not much of a glare and there is a good range of viewing angles (however I haven't used it in direct sunlight yet). The light is awesome, the lowest setting would be fine for me in total blackness. I love the touch screen and the features. I am just so happy with it!! The moral of the story is don't completely trust what others are saying. Go see the PRS 700 for yourself before you evaluate whether it is a good reader!

11-25-2008, 09:47 AM	#5
azkwb Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 34 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: PRS-700 & PRS-300 Rose	what about the battery life? I think the PRS-700 is great two but I am somewhat disappointed with the battery life. I don't know how other's can go a week or more on a charge, I find myself charging every 24hours. I know part of the problem is I use the biggest and/or second biggest font size and I use the light a lot but that is why I was attracted to the new sony e-reader in the first place. I like that I can read without my reading glasses by using the large font and I like reading at night, so I do turn more pages than most but no way am I turning thousands.... I am somewhere around page 800 out of 1600 in the L and this is after about a week of reading and charging each night because I go down to one line left. I seem to go down about 1/4 of the battery charge each hour or so of reading regardless of XL or L. It's not that it's a big problem to charge, I have the A/C adapter but I would like it if I got by without having to do it so often if possible. Am I the only one experiancing this?

11-25-2008, 02:38 PM	#11
azkwb Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 34 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: PRS-700 & PRS-300 Rose	The manual states 4 hours of battery life with the light set on max. OMG you all are so helpfull. I read the manual but totally missed the above. Now I see it was mentioned in the specifications, 4 hours with light on max or 8hours with light on low. Well that explains it! Now I'm not so worried my battery is defective. Thanks for pointing that reference out to me.

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11-24-2008, 09:48 PM	#2
LuluLemon Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: CANADA Device: Sony PRS 700	I glad you finally got your PRS-700 and LOVE IT! I'm going to pick up mine tomorrow at Sony store here in T.O...Happy reading Sarah...

11-25-2008, 06:04 AM	#3
dhbailey Guru Posts: 604 Karma: 733 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: HP iPAQ211 / PRS 500, 700 and 505	Amen to your final comment, Sarah! I'm delighted you love your 700. I've had a terrific first week and a half with mine and find that in total darkness the lower light setting is perfectly fine. Also like you I easily find a reading angle which eliminates the glare. I have read it outside but not in bright sunlight, and it works just fine there as well. I find the zoom feature to be excellent for viewing graphics and details in books. Enjoy!

11-25-2008, 10:06 AM	#6
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	I believe that bulit-in light is the culprit. That's why so many of us were opposed to the idea, because we prefer external light, which doesn't affect the battery. Just for the sake of a test, try to use the reader without built-in light and measure time between full re-chargings.

11-25-2008, 11:10 AM	#7
azkwb Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 34 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: PRS-700 & PRS-300 Rose	thanks for the suggestion, I've been wondering the same thing myself. I really like the built in light though so it will be hard to not use it. Will try some day time reading though to see if I can keep the bars up.

11-25-2008, 11:42 AM	#8
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	The manual states 4 hours of battery life with the light set on max.

11-25-2008, 01:23 PM	#9
JayBoy Member Posts: 11 Karma: 92 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto Device: Sony PRS-700	I had the same experience with the light on in the evenings (battery was lasting about 4 hours), but after fully charging the unit and not using the light at all I have read 4 hours night for the past 2 nights and the battery meter still has all its bars (full).

11-25-2008, 01:29 PM	#10
Server Anti-Narcissist Posts: 171 Karma: 307 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Somewhere Far, Nowhere Near... Device: SØNY6	"I have read 4 hours night..." 4 hours is a lot of night reading. someone can't sleep...

11-25-2008, 03:41 PM	#12
sarah7700 Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 115 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: PRS700	I read for over an hour last night in bed with the light on the lowest setting and the battery went down a little, but it worked great. I used it in various settings today and it works really well. It was a rather gray day, so I still haven't used it in direct sunlight, but I'm sure it will work just fine. I find that there is more glare when you are in medium light settings, but then if you put the light on the it is fine. I went into my local Sony store today to compare the 700 to the 505 myself (they didn't have a 700 model). I found the screen difference to be quite minimal between the two, and the 700 is so much easier to navigate. It was funny, when I went into the sony store one of the guys working there was like "how did you get that?" since they don't even have a display model, lol

11-25-2008, 04:30 PM	#13
moz Addict Posts: 370 Karma: 1553 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Melbun Device: Kobo H2O	There's also the silly little battery they use. Presumably so they can boast about the small, light device. Wah wah wah it's so small and light that the battery dies after 4 hours. I lost my 505 (left it on a bus) so I'm looking for a replacement, and it looks as though it'll either be another 505 or I wait for the currently-rumoured next wave of devices with bigger screens.

11-25-2008, 05:55 PM	#14
archaic Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-700	This is my first post, although I've been reading threads here about the PRS-700 for a couple of weeks. I'm a tech junkie, so I've been through the ropes in comparing a diversity of opinions on products many, many times. I won't tell you how many devices I own, but my adapters alone will fill a suitcase. No joke. Anyway, I ordered (and placed a deposit) on the 700 a few days ago at the local Sony Store. It should arrive any day now, but as it is a Christmas present from wife and daughter (last year they bought me a GPS, trying to contain my addiction!) I won't be using it until Dec 24th after mass. So, my next post won't be for a month, once I've had a chance to get my hands dirty with the 700 (more on that in a minute). I dropped into the Sony store today to get up close and personal with the 505. There are lots in stock (and no customers in the store, by the way -- recession anyone?). It's a nice product. I really liked the size and feel of the product. I'm talking esthetics here-- form, not content -- I'm sure I'll get the same vibe from the 700. I REALLY like the feel of the 505 in my hands. If I can't get the right vibe from the product, I can't use it. For example, although I devour paperbacks, I cannot read the new format paperbacks -- the tall and thin ones -- you know the ones I mean. I hate them. Refuse to buy them. Have actually written the company to tell them how much I hate this format (I normally never do that). So -- my first impression -- the 505 is simply okay. I like the physical part. On the tech side, it's obviously early in development. Lot's of room for improvement -- the 700 seems to address some of these issues. In fact, the 700 screen would have to be awfully bad for me not to go with newer technology. For those that adore the 505, great. I have no criticisms, and value your opinion. Enjoy it. But for me, I expect to go with the next generation. I'll have no problem going to a PRS-7xx when the time comes, and will save my money in anticipation. Sorry if this is a bit of a rambling post. But my motto is "The person with the most gadgets when they die, wins". And to have the most gadgets, you need to keep ahead of the tech curve! Oh, on the "getting my hands dirty" subject. I have to laugh at the people concerned about fingerprints on the 700 touch screen. Fingerprints/smudges on products are a way of life -- unless you choose to wear white cotton gloves -- just check out the touch screen on the video display the next time you fly. Or take a close look at your cell phone or blackberry. I clean them every day, several times a day. That's life. Another funny thing -- when examining the 505 I kept touching the screen! No way I could live with buttons -- there are too many touch screens in my life to go back...just my opinion. Cheers, Archaic

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11-26-2008, 04:04 PM	#15
LuluLemon Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: CANADA Device: Sony PRS 700	I got my Sony PRS 700 and I love it...What can I say...you really have to see it for yourself ....