PRS-505 text zooming?

nwatts88 · 01-30-2009, 11:52 AM

Hi guys,
I'm currently shopping for an ereader. At the moment I'm looking around for the best price on a PRS-700 for its text zooming features that I've seen on various YouTube videos. My eyes aren't too good, and this feature is the most important of all. However I am worried that the glare of the 700 will be a problem, and living in Australia means I can't go in and try one out.

Can someone tell me if the text can be zoomed on the 505? I haven't read anywhere that says it can, but I thought it still might. If someone could take a picture of the reader at the largest zoom setting I would be very appreciative.

Thanks,
Nicholas.

HarryT · 01-30-2009, 11:56 AM

The PRS-505 has three text sizes, "small", "medium", and "large". "large" is double the size of "small".

If text zooming is important to you, you may wish to consider the CyBook; it has the most flexible text handling of any reader; you can load your own fonts onto the machine and view any book in any font at any of 12 different text sizes.

Ordinaryuser · 01-30-2009, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwatts88

Hi guys,
I'm currently shopping for an ereader. At the moment I'm looking around for the best price on a PRS-700 for its text zooming features that I've seen on various YouTube videos. My eyes aren't too good, and this feature is the most important of all. However I am worried that the glare of the 700 will be a problem, and living in Australia means I can't go in and try one out.

Can someone tell me if the text can be zoomed on the 505? I haven't read anywhere that says it can, but I thought it still might. If someone could take a picture of the reader at the largest zoom setting I would be very appreciative.

Thanks,
Nicholas.

My eyes are not very good either. I find that the 505 does a very good zooming to an adequate size for what I need. It also seem to do an good job for the PDF books I download from the library although after zooming, the page numbers do not change with the zoom. One often goes through 3 pages with the same number. Not that great a difficulty since I really like the clearness of the screen.

lilac_jive · 01-30-2009, 06:03 PM

You know, I never thought I'd use the zooming feature on my 505, but at night with my booklight, I find it very helpful.

hidari · 01-30-2009, 06:12 PM

Have to say Harry T. is Spot on here. I have both the 505 and the Cybook. IF you have eyesight problems go with the Cybook. Much more adaptable as Harry T. indicated

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The PRS-505 has three text sizes, "small", "medium", and "large". "large" is double the size of "small".

If text zooming is important to you, you may wish to consider the CyBook; it has the most flexible text handling of any reader; you can load your own fonts onto the machine and view any book in any font at any of 12 different text sizes.

DixieGal · 01-30-2009, 06:26 PM

I have very poor eyesight. The 505, zoomed to large, turned landscape, is perfect for me, what I might judge to be a font 22 or 24.

I hope this is helpful.

nwatts88 · 01-31-2009, 06:51 AM

Thanks for the responses. I wanted a Sony reader because it can take Adobe Digital Editions books. I liked the PRS-700 for its ability to add annotations but had read many negative things about its screen's quality so if the PRS-505 zooms fine it looks like a good option. Could I ask one of the kind people above to take a quick photo of the 505 on large text size? I would be very appreciative.

HarryT · 01-31-2009, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwatts88

Thanks for the responses. I wanted a Sony reader because it can take Adobe Digital Editions books. I liked the PRS-700 for its ability to add annotations but had read many negative things about its screen's quality so if the PRS-505 zooms fine it looks like a good option. Could I ask one of the kind people above to take a quick photo of the 505 on large text size? I would be very appreciative.

That's not going to tell you a lot, unfortunately.

Unlike MobiPocket devices, where the user selects the font size in an "absolute" way, on the Sony, the book creator selects the "default" font size, and all the "medium" and "large" buttons do is to "magnify" that. How large the text is therefore depends entirely on what the person who's created the book has selected - some people choose a large font, others a very small font.

Lilly · 01-31-2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwatts88

Hi guys,
I'm currently shopping for an ereader. At the moment I'm looking around for the best price on a PRS-700 for its text zooming features that I've seen on various YouTube videos. My eyes aren't too good, and this feature is the most important of all. However I am worried that the glare of the 700 will be a problem, and living in Australia means I can't go in and try one out.

Can someone tell me if the text can be zoomed on the 505? I haven't read anywhere that says it can, but I thought it still might. If someone could take a picture of the reader at the largest zoom setting I would be very appreciative.

Thanks,
Nicholas.

If you're in the USA or UK, there are stores that carry the PRS-505, so my advice is to go and see it in person before buying!

TwiSteDCBloSsoM · 01-31-2009, 04:45 PM

I had to comment on this since without my Glasses I am Legally Blind.. and I'm only 19. I bought the Sony Reader 505 just before I had my last surgery on my ear drum. I wanted the reader because I couldn't wear my glasses for a week after that because of the stitches behind my ear. Needless to say even on the medium setting I was able to read on the screen. Put it on large and it was perfectly readable to me.

I guess it would depend on your vision though. I can only really see clearly about a foot away from me and I hold the reader in my lap. So without my glasses the small text was completely not readable.. I found that the font got big enough for me to read though so I hope it would work for you.

Fledchen · 02-01-2009, 04:43 PM

I'm legally blind and have been happily been using my PRS-505 for a little over a month. The term "legally blind" only applies to a certain level of visual impairment *after* the best correction. In the U.S., it's defined at 20/200 or worse vision in the better eye (if there's a difference between the two) or as a visual field narrower than 20 degrees (normal vision is 180 degrees).

I'm in the process of writing a guide to using the PRS-505 for people with low vision (legally blind but still with some useful functional vision, like me). I've found the small screen useful because I have problems with tracking and it's much harder to get lost on a page when the page is smaller than that of a mass market paperback. I can read on the 505 for far longer than I can read a regular print book with a magnifier, or even a large print book.

I've had the best luck with making my own book files rather than using books prepared by others. Unfortunately, access to most of the files I've used is restricted to U.S. citizens with documented visual or physical disabilities, because of copyright. I don't know of any services in Australia that are similar to the ones I use.

nwatts88 · 02-02-2009, 01:14 AM

Hmm... some good information here. With regards to my eye sight issues- it's not regular short/long-sightedness fixed by glasses, it's a neurological problem with my optic nerve that generally makes everything very blurry/grainy. I can't read regular or large print books, so all my reading is done on the computer screen, which I'm really sick of. And as Fledchen you mentioned above, I get lost in text really easily too. Even though it is frustrating because the device is so small, reading on my iPhone has been quite nice, because only a handful of words fit on each page, so I never get lost. But it's frustrating because I feel like I'm reading War and Peace because of how many pages regular sized books need to be on the small screen.

I did some reading on the Cybook, looks very customisable. The Mobipocket book store has a good range too. Looks like a pretty good option.

hidari · 02-02-2009, 05:38 AM

Cybook is your answer. I love the 505 as well. But would recommend the cybook considering the condition of your eyes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwatts88

Hmm... some good information here. With regards to my eye sight issues- it's not regular short/long-sightedness fixed by glasses, it's a neurological problem with my optic nerve that generally makes everything very blurry/grainy. I can't read regular or large print books, so all my reading is done on the computer screen, which I'm really sick of. And as Fledchen you mentioned above, I get lost in text really easily too. Even though it is frustrating because the device is so small, reading on my iPhone has been quite nice, because only a handful of words fit on each page, so I never get lost. But it's frustrating because I feel like I'm reading War and Peace because of how many pages regular sized books need to be on the small screen.

I did some reading on the Cybook, looks very customisable. The Mobipocket book store has a good range too. Looks like a pretty good option.

Ncm · 02-02-2009, 08:12 AM

If you still want to consider the PR700, it has 5 zoom sizes - S, M, L, XL and XXL. For a normal general fiction book such as Vince Flynn's Act of Treason, at S it would have about 10-11 words per row. At M it would have about 7-8 whilst at L it would have 5-6 words per row. Using XL it would have about 4-5 words and at XXL, it would have about 3-4 words per row. Hope this helps.

TwiSteDCBloSsoM · 02-06-2009, 09:17 AM

The bad thing with the 700 for people with bad vision is the fact that the screen of the 700 because of the plastic it's made out of for the backlight makes the text a tiny bit more blurry which in the case of bad vision is terrible.

I guess I could clarify my description of me being legally blind. When I take my glasses off everything is blurred.. and in some cases becomes doubled. To see anything remotely clear I have to have it within 5 inches of my face.

So the 505 is still perfect for me.. also perfect because it has an area for a wrist strap... good for when you have Tourette's

01-30-2009, 11:52 AM	#1
nwatts88 Member Posts: 10 Karma: 158 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: iPhone	PRS-505 text zooming? Hi guys, I'm currently shopping for an ereader. At the moment I'm looking around for the best price on a PRS-700 for its text zooming features that I've seen on various YouTube videos. My eyes aren't too good, and this feature is the most important of all. However I am worried that the glare of the 700 will be a problem, and living in Australia means I can't go in and try one out. Can someone tell me if the text can be zoomed on the 505? I haven't read anywhere that says it can, but I thought it still might. If someone could take a picture of the reader at the largest zoom setting I would be very appreciative. Thanks, Nicholas.

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01-30-2009, 11:56 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The PRS-505 has three text sizes, "small", "medium", and "large". "large" is double the size of "small". If text zooming is important to you, you may wish to consider the CyBook; it has the most flexible text handling of any reader; you can load your own fonts onto the machine and view any book in any font at any of 12 different text sizes.

01-30-2009, 06:03 PM	#4
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	You know, I never thought I'd use the zooming feature on my 505, but at night with my booklight, I find it very helpful.

01-30-2009, 06:26 PM	#6
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	I have very poor eyesight. The 505, zoomed to large, turned landscape, is perfect for me, what I might judge to be a font 22 or 24. I hope this is helpful.

01-31-2009, 06:51 AM	#7
nwatts88 Member Posts: 10 Karma: 158 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: iPhone	Thanks for the responses. I wanted a Sony reader because it can take Adobe Digital Editions books. I liked the PRS-700 for its ability to add annotations but had read many negative things about its screen's quality so if the PRS-505 zooms fine it looks like a good option. Could I ask one of the kind people above to take a quick photo of the 505 on large text size? I would be very appreciative.

01-31-2009, 04:45 PM	#10
TwiSteDCBloSsoM Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 142 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-505	I had to comment on this since without my Glasses I am Legally Blind.. and I'm only 19. I bought the Sony Reader 505 just before I had my last surgery on my ear drum. I wanted the reader because I couldn't wear my glasses for a week after that because of the stitches behind my ear. Needless to say even on the medium setting I was able to read on the screen. Put it on large and it was perfectly readable to me. I guess it would depend on your vision though. I can only really see clearly about a foot away from me and I hold the reader in my lap. So without my glasses the small text was completely not readable.. I found that the font got big enough for me to read though so I hope it would work for you.

02-01-2009, 04:43 PM	#11
Fledchen Guru Posts: 663 Karma: 84658 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Minnesota, USA Device: PB360+, Sony950, VR Stream, iPod Touch, iPad	I'm legally blind and have been happily been using my PRS-505 for a little over a month. The term "legally blind" only applies to a certain level of visual impairment after the best correction. In the U.S., it's defined at 20/200 or worse vision in the better eye (if there's a difference between the two) or as a visual field narrower than 20 degrees (normal vision is 180 degrees). I'm in the process of writing a guide to using the PRS-505 for people with low vision (legally blind but still with some useful functional vision, like me). I've found the small screen useful because I have problems with tracking and it's much harder to get lost on a page when the page is smaller than that of a mass market paperback. I can read on the 505 for far longer than I can read a regular print book with a magnifier, or even a large print book. I've had the best luck with making my own book files rather than using books prepared by others. Unfortunately, access to most of the files I've used is restricted to U.S. citizens with documented visual or physical disabilities, because of copyright. I don't know of any services in Australia that are similar to the ones I use.

02-02-2009, 01:14 AM	#12
nwatts88 Member Posts: 10 Karma: 158 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: iPhone	Hmm... some good information here. With regards to my eye sight issues- it's not regular short/long-sightedness fixed by glasses, it's a neurological problem with my optic nerve that generally makes everything very blurry/grainy. I can't read regular or large print books, so all my reading is done on the computer screen, which I'm really sick of. And as Fledchen you mentioned above, I get lost in text really easily too. Even though it is frustrating because the device is so small, reading on my iPhone has been quite nice, because only a handful of words fit on each page, so I never get lost. But it's frustrating because I feel like I'm reading War and Peace because of how many pages regular sized books need to be on the small screen. I did some reading on the Cybook, looks very customisable. The Mobipocket book store has a good range too. Looks like a pretty good option.

02-02-2009, 08:12 AM	#14
Ncm Member Posts: 10 Karma: 12 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: Sony PRS500	If you still want to consider the PR700, it has 5 zoom sizes - S, M, L, XL and XXL. For a normal general fiction book such as Vince Flynn's Act of Treason, at S it would have about 10-11 words per row. At M it would have about 7-8 whilst at L it would have 5-6 words per row. Using XL it would have about 4-5 words and at XXL, it would have about 3-4 words per row. Hope this helps.

02-06-2009, 09:17 AM	#15
TwiSteDCBloSsoM Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 142 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-505	The bad thing with the 700 for people with bad vision is the fact that the screen of the 700 because of the plastic it's made out of for the backlight makes the text a tiny bit more blurry which in the case of bad vision is terrible. I guess I could clarify my description of me being legally blind. When I take my glasses off everything is blurred.. and in some cases becomes doubled. To see anything remotely clear I have to have it within 5 inches of my face. So the 505 is still perfect for me.. also perfect because it has an area for a wrist strap... good for when you have Tourette's