PRS-505 Is the 505 still worth getting?

Azumanga · 05-20-2010, 02:49 AM

Sorry if this thread should be in "what should I buy", but seeing as it's a sony-only choice, I thought this would be a better place to ask

I'm current choosing between the PRS-300, 505 and 600. The 505 is still for sale in the UK. Even though it is older, I am leaning towards the 505, as I worry 300MB or so might fill up quickly with comics and the like (so no 300), and between the 505 and 600, I don't care about touchscreen and most people seem to think the 505 has a better screen.

Given most recent firmwares and the like, is there any disadvantages to the 505? Is it getting too long in the tooth, or is it still worth getting?

Mike_73 · 05-20-2010, 03:17 AM

The 505 cannot pan and zoom like the 600 where you can zoom and then drag around the page. So if you magnify comics, the page gets split into a matrix of 3x3. You can jump from one to another lying beside the first, but you cannot "fine tune" where the zoom window is located.
Other than that, I think the 505 is still a good choice. I upgraded to the 600 because of the zoom allthough I like the 505s screen better.

neilmarr · 05-20-2010, 04:52 AM

Good to have your company, Azumanga. If it's anything to go by, I've been studying impartial device reviews here at MR for eighteen months. About a year ago, I went for the 505 (bought in the UK), and everything I've read before or since suggests I made the right choice. Mind you, I read only straight text novels on my 505. It's all a matter of horses for courses -- choosing what best fits your needs. Good luck. Neil

jj2me · 05-20-2010, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike_73

The 505 cannot pan and zoom like the 600 where you can zoom and then drag around the page. So if you magnify comics, the page gets split into a matrix of 3x3. You can jump from one to another lying beside the first, but you cannot "fine tune" where the zoom window is located.
Other than that, I think the 505 is still a good choice. I upgraded to the 600 because of the zoom allthough I like the 505s screen better.

Just to add a little to your nice list,
- 600 is faster.
- 600 can do continuous page turns (swipe-and-hold), not just skip 10 pages like the 505. And when you release your hold, the 600 amazingly stops just at the page you wanted it to stop. I thought it might overrun to the next page, because the pages are turning fast enough that it doesn't seem possible that you can release your hold quickly enough when you see a particular page where you want it to stop. Maybe it's software help, where it backs up a little, like TiVo? You might like this feature if you want to skip over some uninteresting newspaper or magazine article.

Caveat, I've only tried the 600 in stores a couple of times, am not an owner. I didn't buy it because I like the whitest background possible--I even think the 505's background is too dark. Just a personal thing, never heard anyone else complain of this on the 505 or comparable screens.

Worldwalker · 05-20-2010, 12:44 PM

I was messing with a 600 a bit in a store a couple of days ago. Am I the only one who thinks the page-turning swipe is backwards? Great if you're reading manga, I suppose, but my natural motion for page-turning is right to left, because that's what you do with a physical book; I kept going backwards rather than forwards.

I've had my 505 for almost a year now, and I haven't regretted that choice for a moment. The 300 doesn't have an SD card slot. The 600 ... well, I don't get along with touch screens. Aside from the contrast/clarity issue (and looking at a 300 and 600 side by side, it was very noticeable) there's the problem that I tend to read while doing things that are bad for touch screens, like eating Cheetos.

We're now a two-505 household, since I wasn't about to turn loose of mine. Since the 505 isn't available regular retail in the US, we had to get the second one off eBay (which involved me coaching my better half in the fine art of bid sniping ... via cell phone from a parking lot in another city ... because I couldn't be home when the auction closed, and like an idiot, I'd left my netbook on my desk).

Out of the "big 3" ebook readers on the market (Sony, Kindle, Nook) I think the Sony is the best, and out of the 5"/6" Sony devices, I think the 505 is the best. Why Sony decided to discontinue it when people want it enough to pay, in some cases, more than MSRP on eBay to get one, boggles the imagination. Then again, this is Sony, whose marketing ranges from benignly neglectful to downright strange.

Bilbo1967 · 05-20-2010, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I was messing with a 600 a bit in a store a couple of days ago. Am I the only one who thinks the page-turning swipe is backwards? Great if you're reading manga, I suppose, but my natural motion for page-turning is right to left, because that's what you do with a physical book; I kept going backwards rather than forwards.

This came up in another thread recently and I'm pretty sure, without having any personal experience, that the page turn swipe can be configured to be either direction.

Mike_73 · 05-20-2010, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

Why Sony decided to discontinue it when people want it enough to pay, in some cases, more than MSRP on eBay to get one...

Well, I probably just keep my 505 for some more time and see if prices are going to soar

No joking, I think the 505s screen is really awesome (despite still a little grayish), but the functions, speed etc. of the 600 fit my needs better.

What I wanted to post initially was about the page swipe.
I thought the same with the left-right swipe and changed it once. But the forward and backward buttons seem then really out of tune as they operate just the other way round and I caught myself flipping back instead of forward in the book when using the buttons

So I changed the swipe back to default and just got used to it....

Teddman · 05-20-2010, 02:53 PM

505 is still a good choice, love the screen and the hardware design as well as the UI. It's very easy to navigate through your books and just read.

The only caveat is that it doesn't display ePubs fully justified, so you may find yourself wanting to use LRF format, which isn't currently sold at many e-book retailers. So there could be more maintenance required for book tweaking and conversions in Calibre. Otherwise, it's great.

kartu · 05-21-2010, 04:17 AM

505's screen is rivaled only by 300. 600 has noticeably lower contrast + more glare.
But 300 is smaller, has no expansion slot, less buttons, no music player/picture viewer (ok, nobody cares) and doesn't come with cover.

Teddman

Quote:

The only caveat is that it doesn't display ePubs fully justified, so you may find yourself wanting to use LRF format, which isn't currently sold at many e-book retailers. So there could be more maintenance required for book tweaking and conversions in Calibre. Otherwise, it's great.

Afaik at the moment only 900 supports justified ePubs.

Robert Minneman · 05-21-2010, 12:34 PM

I love my 505 and can't see myself parting from it, though I imagine that Sony has improved their eReaders.

Still the 505, with PRS+ and that other book application which I can't remember the name of, instead of Sony's software has definitely extended the life of the 505 for quite some time.

Worldwalker · 05-21-2010, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Minneman

I love my 505 and can't see myself parting from it, though I imagine that Sony has improved their eReaders.

Still the 505, with PRS+ and that other book application which I can't remember the name of, instead of Sony's software has definitely extended the life of the 505 for quite some time.

calibre?

alecE · 05-21-2010, 04:39 PM

I read straight text, no comics, and find my 505 excellent for my purposes. I looked that the newer models in Waterstones, and they didn't make me feel "Gotta get it" - nice but not essential. I find the 505 screen is superb, the speed of page turns is fine, and navigation is good for my needs. Plus the ability to stick a 4Gb card in there - I'm never going to run out of room! The only dislikes - the manky software which Sony supply (get Calibre!) and the insistence on sorting collections by load date.

Teddman · 05-21-2010, 05:28 PM

My only gripe with the 505 is that it can't fully justify ePubs. All the more frustrating because it seems easily fixable with a firmware update... Get on it, Sony!

Azumanga · 05-23-2010, 04:16 AM

Thanks all for your replies. I think I've decided I fancy a quality screen, 6" and an expansion port, it is the 505 for me!

05-20-2010, 02:49 AM	#1
Azumanga Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: DR505	Is the 505 still worth getting? Sorry if this thread should be in "what should I buy", but seeing as it's a sony-only choice, I thought this would be a better place to ask I'm current choosing between the PRS-300, 505 and 600. The 505 is still for sale in the UK. Even though it is older, I am leaning towards the 505, as I worry 300MB or so might fill up quickly with comics and the like (so no 300), and between the 505 and 600, I don't care about touchscreen and most people seem to think the 505 has a better screen. Given most recent firmwares and the like, is there any disadvantages to the 505? Is it getting too long in the tooth, or is it still worth getting?

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05-20-2010, 03:17 AM	#2
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	The 505 cannot pan and zoom like the 600 where you can zoom and then drag around the page. So if you magnify comics, the page gets split into a matrix of 3x3. You can jump from one to another lying beside the first, but you cannot "fine tune" where the zoom window is located. Other than that, I think the 505 is still a good choice. I upgraded to the 600 because of the zoom allthough I like the 505s screen better.

05-20-2010, 04:52 AM	#3
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,216 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	Good to have your company, Azumanga. If it's anything to go by, I've been studying impartial device reviews here at MR for eighteen months. About a year ago, I went for the 505 (bought in the UK), and everything I've read before or since suggests I made the right choice. Mind you, I read only straight text novels on my 505. It's all a matter of horses for courses -- choosing what best fits your needs. Good luck. Neil

05-20-2010, 12:44 PM	#5
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	I was messing with a 600 a bit in a store a couple of days ago. Am I the only one who thinks the page-turning swipe is backwards? Great if you're reading manga, I suppose, but my natural motion for page-turning is right to left, because that's what you do with a physical book; I kept going backwards rather than forwards. I've had my 505 for almost a year now, and I haven't regretted that choice for a moment. The 300 doesn't have an SD card slot. The 600 ... well, I don't get along with touch screens. Aside from the contrast/clarity issue (and looking at a 300 and 600 side by side, it was very noticeable) there's the problem that I tend to read while doing things that are bad for touch screens, like eating Cheetos. We're now a two-505 household, since I wasn't about to turn loose of mine. Since the 505 isn't available regular retail in the US, we had to get the second one off eBay (which involved me coaching my better half in the fine art of bid sniping ... via cell phone from a parking lot in another city ... because I couldn't be home when the auction closed, and like an idiot, I'd left my netbook on my desk). Out of the "big 3" ebook readers on the market (Sony, Kindle, Nook) I think the Sony is the best, and out of the 5"/6" Sony devices, I think the 505 is the best. Why Sony decided to discontinue it when people want it enough to pay, in some cases, more than MSRP on eBay to get one, boggles the imagination. Then again, this is Sony, whose marketing ranges from benignly neglectful to downright strange.

05-20-2010, 02:53 PM	#8
Teddman Addict Posts: 242 Karma: 695 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	505 is still a good choice, love the screen and the hardware design as well as the UI. It's very easy to navigate through your books and just read. The only caveat is that it doesn't display ePubs fully justified, so you may find yourself wanting to use LRF format, which isn't currently sold at many e-book retailers. So there could be more maintenance required for book tweaking and conversions in Calibre. Otherwise, it's great.

05-21-2010, 12:34 PM	#10
Robert Minneman Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 18010 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	I love my 505 and can't see myself parting from it, though I imagine that Sony has improved their eReaders. Still the 505, with PRS+ and that other book application which I can't remember the name of, instead of Sony's software has definitely extended the life of the 505 for quite some time.

05-21-2010, 04:39 PM	#12
alecE Evangelist Posts: 412 Karma: 546196 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: UK canal boat Device: sony prs505, prs650, kobo Glo HD liseuses	I read straight text, no comics, and find my 505 excellent for my purposes. I looked that the newer models in Waterstones, and they didn't make me feel "Gotta get it" - nice but not essential. I find the 505 screen is superb, the speed of page turns is fine, and navigation is good for my needs. Plus the ability to stick a 4Gb card in there - I'm never going to run out of room! The only dislikes - the manky software which Sony supply (get Calibre!) and the insistence on sorting collections by load date.

05-21-2010, 05:28 PM	#13
Teddman Addict Posts: 242 Karma: 695 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	My only gripe with the 505 is that it can't fully justify ePubs. All the more frustrating because it seems easily fixable with a firmware update... Get on it, Sony!

05-23-2010, 04:16 AM	#14
Azumanga Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: DR505	Thanks all for your replies. I think I've decided I fancy a quality screen, 6" and an expansion port, it is the 505 for me!

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