PRS-600 Couple of questions about the Touch Edition

[Szajd]

Hi,

I'm planning to buy the PRS-600 soon. However, I'd like to ask a few questions about how some of its features work.

PDF reflow. I heard that the device supports PDF reflow, but only if there are no images. Is this true? Does this mean that if there's only one image in the whole PDF file, I can only read it with normal zoom view? And can you switch between reflow mode and non-reflow mode on the device?

Audio controls during reading. Are the audio playback controls visible on the screen while reading a book? What I have in mind is listening to audio books while reading the same book -- but I would want to have the ability to easily pause the playback, or even rewind a few seconds. Would I be able to do this on the book screen? Or would I need to switch over to the audio screen?

Thank you for answering. I do have one more question, but it's a trickier one: does anybody know what the most cost-effective solution is to order this Reader and have it shipped to Hungary? The factors being the price of the device itself, plus delivery, handling, customs, whatever.

Please answer, even if you can't answer all the questions.

Cheers,

--Szajd

[tovare]

Originally Posted by Szajd

...
PDF reflow. I heard that the device supports PDF reflow, but only if there are no images. Is this true? Does this mean that if there's only one image in the whole PDF file, I can only read it with normal zoom view? And can you switch between reflow mode and non-reflow mode on the device?

Audio controls during reading. Are the audio playback controls visible on the screen while reading a book? What I have in mind is listening to audio books while reading the same book -- but I would want to have the ability to easily pause the playback, or even rewind a few seconds. Would I be able to do this on the book screen? Or would I need to switch over to the audio screen?

I don't have many pdf's in use but:

On one book I get the pdf-page original, then followed by 4 pages of reflowed text (without graphics, but the content of tables reflowed). Reading my watch manual (Casio), I get no reflow and the only effect I get by reflow is that a couple of images are misplaced on the screen.On my pocket calculator manual I get reflow on some pages, but since lots of pages depend on layout to make sense, reflow doesn't really work for the kind of pdf-files I use. (Zoom, search, orientation etc works nicely)

The only audio control you have while reading are the volume buttons. The features you want requires navigation to the audio file you are playing (I haven't seen any 'currently playing' indicator). The player is extremly basic, but I appreciated the audio quality (I haven't heard any line-noise yet) although it seems to accentuate the bass a bit, which is usually a good thing with portable audio due to the headphones you'd normally use (I found the bass unnaturally strong with my KOSS Porta-Pro, but it's not annoying) ... Sennheiser PX200 might be a slightly better match than PortaPro for the PRS-600 ... unless you love the bass.


Regards,

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Szajd

PDF reflow. I heard that the device supports PDF reflow, but only if there are no images. Is this true? Does this mean that if there's only one image in the whole PDF file, I can only read it with normal zoom view? And can you switch between reflow mode and non-reflow mode on the device?

The reflow is always for the current page, so a page without images will likely reflow but a page with images might or might not reflow. If you want to see how reflow will likely work, try viewing your PDFs in the Windows or Mac Sony eBook Library and select any size above S (which is a full page view). This is very similar to what will happen with reflow in portrait mode on most mobile Adobe Digital Editions devices. The Touch Edition also includes a landscape mode and a zoom mode, although the latter is again "per page" (i.e. it does not remember its settings from page to page).

[Szajd]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the tips and information. This is a really nice and friendly community here.

As an added question, I couldn't find what sample books come with the Reader. Can anybody share the list of titles? Are they whole books or only excerpts? Not that I would base my purchasing decision on it, I'm just curious.

Cheers,

--Szajd

[dordale]

I believe Sony changes the titles periodically based on what is currently popular.

dordale