Sony Reader Owners: What Are Your Initial Impressions Of The PRS-T1?

[Analogus]

Originally Posted by CommonReader

I do not understand this point. The micro-USB port is the new standard for mobile phones. Therefore you will most likely be able to use your phone charger for the Sony as well.

Ok, let me explain what I mean:

Charging the PRS300 was never a problem. The reader has two connectors. The round one (non USB) is working with nearly every charger.
My PRS350 just has the USB-connector. Problem is:

1) Charging over the USB isn't always that simple. A lot of chargers, even with USB-connector aren't able to do the job. Whatever the reason is, the PRS350 (and 650 I guess) refuses very often beeing charged by various chargers.
And worse: even when the reader says "chagring", you cannot be shure that that is right.
So I wasnt't able to refill the battery with two different solar chargers and 2 different wall chargers in my hollidays. Loading the PRS 300 using the round (non USB) connector with the same chargers was no problem at all.
I got really angry when the 350 gave up after one week reading, having 4 different chargers and not able to continue reading.

2) There are rumors that battery degrades every charge done. So, when loading your ereader say every day with new content (for example newspaper) you degrade battery with every load cycle. Once a day.
But besides: With WiFi you don't have that problem for you can load content on the reader without starting a new load cycle.

A.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by CommonReader

Depending on how you hold the reader the ergonomics are perfect.

Page-turn buttons in the bottom left corner means an unsteady hold on the device for me; my hand's not big enough to support it comfortably if I have to give my thumb enough space to reach the "forward" button.

It's not awful, but it's not nearly as convenient as either the right-center buttons (which are what I preferred) or the not-quite-bottom left buttons on the 505.

I love that the PEZ has three different sets of forward-back buttons; I can switch hands easily.

WAIT: the specs I've seen don't say that it supports .rtf. The PCWorld review says it reads PDF, ePub and TXT.

If they've removed RTF support, that kills any potential interest I had in getting one. One of the features the 505 has over the PEZ is support for a filetype I can edit easily. (PEZ claims support for .doc. It opens them, but any software that auto-hyphenates the word "years" is not providing actual support.)

[Quexos]

Well you do have a point, if price was Sony's main concern then ok.
But then let us not see this as the latest novelty from Sony but rather as some low-end cheap alternative to other brands' readers, which begs a modified question: Where is the high-end new generation of readers from Sony this year ?

Originally Posted by CommonReader

And no reader had a non-glare touch screen. You can always find some pet gimmick to ask for. Is that color-reader really "out there" or is it just vaporware? Anyway, it would have been quite unrealistic to expect both a color display and a price in Kindle territory, as the price seems to have been one of the main gripes around here.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

WAIT: the specs I've seen don't say that it supports .rtf. The PCWorld review says it reads PDF, ePub and TXT.

If they've removed RTF support, that kills any potential interest I had in getting one. One of the features the 505 has over the PEZ is support for a filetype I can edit easily. (PEZ claims support for .doc. It opens them, but any software that auto-hyphenates the word "years" is not providing actual support.)

According to Sony UK...

Unsecured / free eBooks & text files: EPUB eBook, Adobe® PDF, Microsoft® Word, TXT, RTF, BBeB (*3)

DRM (Secure / purchased) eBooks and text files: EPUB eBooks (Adept), Adobe® PDF, BBeB eBooks (Marlin)

http://www.sony.co.uk/product/rd-reader-ebook/prs-t1

If Sony UK is correct, it has LRF and RTF.

[Tony1988]

Originally Posted by Quexos

Whether the specs are not the best is irrelevant, the point remains that there is a reader out there that perfectible as it may be, is nonetheless with a color screen and Sony is behind with a brand new model almost a full year after that other model and still without a color screen. For a high-tech Japanese company (which is supposed to be technologically ahead of its competitors or at least on par which it is NOT, it's behind) it's not a good thing, especially since last year they were already behind by not including Wi-fi when A LOT of other readers back then did have Wi-fi ...

Well than why dont you but that color ereader??

But Sony is NOT behind the basic ereader market. They are right there with Kindle,Nook,Kobo,Pocketbook etc. This color eink is still in its infancy and not affordable. Therefore Sony has nothing to worry about,

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by Quexos

As I've already mentioned elsewhere the lack of a color screen is a disappointment. On top of that it seems there is no pen to use on the screen suggesting that one must use fingers on it, which I will not do.

The T1 does include a stylus. The big issue about the stylus is that it doesn't have a place to rest in on the reader.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Quexos

Whether the specs are not the best is irrelevant, the point remains that there is a reader out there that perfectible as it may be, is nonetheless with a color screen and Sony is behind with a brand new model almost a full year after that other model and still without a color screen.

Please, show me a shop where I can buy a colour e-ink reader, please... It must also be in the low $200 price range. And not too large, I don't need anything over 7".

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I don't like touchscreens. I see a page-turning set of buttons, in an annoying location. Point against Sony for removing good ergonomics.

As far as I checked, they used this same design on the 600, the 650 and now the T1. So, it's been "gone" for a good long time then. But yes, some paging buttons on the side could be nice But on which one? I don't like the paging buttons on the K3. I'm constantly turning the page without wanting to... So far, I have zero problems with the current placement of the buttons. Even on my BBMini, I use the paging buttons on the numeric pad... (and that one has also page turning on either side of the device)

Originally Posted by Analogus

1) Charging over the USB isn't always that simple. A lot of chargers, even with USB-connector aren't able to do the job. Whatever the reason is, the PRS350 (and 650 I guess) refuses very often beeing charged by various chargers.

Yes, that's one drawback. On the other hand, it does share that problem with other devices. I have a few USB chargers that work and others that don't. And it's not "expensive -> works, inexpensive -> doesn't work" either... But the Sony simply needs a bit more juice than the average charger gives. But, as I have one at home that works and I have one in the car that works, I don't care about it...

Originally Posted by Analogus

And worse: even when the reader says "chagring", you cannot be shure that that is right.

Whenever my reader shows the charging icon, it is charging...

Originally Posted by Analogus

2) There are rumors that battery degrades every charge done. So, when loading your ereader say every day with new content (for example newspaper) you degrade battery with every load cycle. Once a day.
But besides: With WiFi you don't have that problem for you can load content on the reader without starting a new load cycle.

But not everybody reads newspapers on their reader. I never do. But I think that people that don't need wifi will all agree that wifi is something that can be useful for others, simply not for them. I wouldn't ignore a reader simply because it has wifi, but neither would I ignore it if it hasn't...

[charleski]

Originally Posted by Quexos

Whether the specs are not the best is irrelevant, the point remains that there is a reader out there that perfectible as it may be, is nonetheless with a color screen and Sony is behind with a brand new model almost a full year after that other model and still without a color screen.

While that screen is very nice (as much for the 206dpi as for the colour), there is no way in hell that it's going to sell at $500. For that much money people are simply going to buy an iPad. If Sony went down that route they'd be guaranteeing their failure.

Sony were obliged to compete on price and produce an ereader that will target the current explosion in the size of the market as a whole if they wanted to stay in it. If this means that they offer little to those who already have last year's model, then so be it. At least this means they'll still be around to produce better ereaders in the years to come.

[Ashjuk]

Originally Posted by Analogus

...2) There are rumors that battery degrades every charge done. So, when loading your ereader say every day with new content (for example newspaper) you degrade battery with every load cycle. Once a day.
But besides: With WiFi you don't have that problem for you can load content on the reader without starting a new load cycle.
A.

Having looking into the question of battery life and charging regimes a while ago the general consensus of opinion is that the lithium polymer batteries that are used in these readers prefer to be charged little and often.

It would appear that the worst thing you can do is to keep running them flat. As they do not suffer the memory problems of older rechargeable batteries there is no reason not to keep them in a state of near full charge.

As for wall chargers I don't understand the problem. Why not buy a charger specific to your reader? I bought one for my 650 from Amazon for less than £5 and it works fine.

And I'm also puzzled about the 'loading new content degrading the battery'. Loading new content is the same to your battery as just turning it on to read. It's just a dumb battery it cannot tell if it is loading new content to the memory or just being asked to refresh the screen, either way it is just a drain on the battery of varying levels.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by Ashjuk

And I'm also puzzled about the 'loading new content degrading the battery'. Loading new content is the same to your battery as just turning it on to read. It's just a dumb battery it cannot tell if it is loading new content to the memory or just being asked to refresh the screen, either way it is just a drain on the battery of varying levels.

Loading new content can involve hooking it up to the computer, which starts charging the battery. If the connection is only for a couple of minutes--just long enough to get the new content on the device--for some kinds of batteries, that's a problem. Some batteries don't do well with multiple very short charges.

I've heard the ereader batteries are of a different type and this isn't a problem with them, but that may only be true for some of them.

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by Nanopr

competitive pricing were a must for Sony to survive in the US market.

WHY?

Sony was obviously selling as many x50 readers as it could make, based on the limited availability at time.

Since most think they are limited in the number of eInk screens they can get, WHY lower prices?

If I can make 100,000 readers and sell them for $250 each, why would I want to make a $150 reader that uses the same limited availability part?

Personally, I would have RAISED the prices to $300 for the 6" reader.

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by Analogus

Ok, let me explain what I mean:

Charging the PRS300 was never a problem. The reader has two connectors. The round one (non USB) is working with nearly every charger.
My PRS350 just has the USB-connector. Problem is:

1) Charging over the USB isn't always that simple. A lot of chargers, even with USB-connector aren't able to do the job. Whatever the reason is, the PRS350 (and 650 I guess) refuses very often beeing charged by various chargers.
And worse: even when the reader says "chagring", you cannot be shure that that is right.
So I wasnt't able to refill the battery with two different solar chargers and 2 different wall chargers in my hollidays. Loading the PRS 300 using the round (non USB) connector with the same chargers was no problem at all.
I got really angry when the 350 gave up after one week reading, having 4 different chargers and not able to continue reading.

2) There are rumors that battery degrades every charge done. So, when loading your ereader say every day with new content (for example newspaper) you degrade battery with every load cycle. Once a day.
But besides: With WiFi you don't have that problem for you can load content on the reader without starting a new load cycle.

A.

ALL rechargeable batteries degrade each charge/discharge cycle. These eraders use the same technology battery as your cell phone. And they way they work if you charge only 25%, that is 25% of one cycle, so 4 of those equals one full discharge/charge. So hooking up for a short period to trasnfer boosk does NO harm.

All you need to charge from a USB connector is to put 5 volts and at least 0.5 amps onto the connector. From solar, that requires a 2.5 watt panel in full sun. Not full sun and you may not have enough to actually charge. Better would be to use the solar to charge a small 6 - 12 volt battery and use that to power a USB charger.

And why did you not test your wall chargers with your reader before you left home (and the same with the solar)?????

I use an iGo Charge Anywhere. It is both a mains charger and a battery backed up charger. Charge from mains, and it will give me about 2 full charges on my ereader. WOth with my 600, 650 and 350. With different tips it also charges my phone, my Palm, my wife's MS3 player, my BT headset, etc. Works off of 100 - 240 volts, so ti works anywhere in the world with a simple 2 prong adapter.

They also make a holder that uses 2 x AA batteries and will recharge any device that would charge off USB or similar voltage.

[astra]

Plastic case.
No support for LRF (unless the UK website knows more about it than others).
I am not sure how dictionary works. When I double tap on 650 I get word's definition. On T1 I see many options, such as google, wiki, etc., but where is the dictionary?
No holder for stylus

[Analogus]

Off topic:

Solar charger:

I tried the solar charger at home. The reader showed "charging", red light on. Ok, working...
But in reality the reader was NOT charging, even when it looks like. That was the problem. To stay on the save side, I even carried 2 solar chargers. Non of them worked at all, even in brightest sunlight with the "loading" sign on the screen and red light on.

I even did the thing with first loading a couple of external batteries an with them charging the reader. Even that we have had twice (2 AA and 2-10 AA with different controllers). Didn't work.

So: you have to be very, very sure everything is up and running at least when you want to use solar power and USB-connector.

Wall charger: I used a functional one on holliday. But as mentioned, for 10 days we have had no electricity.

On topic:

I think Sony did well with the new reader. Lots of people complained the not existing WiFI - so there it is.
Lots of people complained about the price - its reduced dramatically.
Lots of people criticized not to be able to change fonts - they are changeable now.
And it's an MP3-player additionally.

I only cannot understand they choose a glossy surface for the frame. Plastic similiar used for the Kindle would be ok.

A.

[Quexos]

Wasn't there a time when a company like Sony would release a low, middle and high-end model of any given new product ? Now it's all about low-end models, the cheaper the better. I see the same trend with computers, 10 years ago when I marched into a computer store, there were both low and high-end models. One could choose a cheap computer if one was a casual user or an expensive high-end model if one was a hard-core user but not anymore. Nowadays in big stores you find ONLY low-end computers, the cheapest ones out there and not even a single fully equipped model. Now to find a high-end computer you must either get on the net or go to some small very specialized store where you'll have it customized (which I don't trust. what stops them from not adding the components I'll be paying for ? or adding second hand ones and so on ...) but the way things are evolving, in a few years even that won't be possible cause I guess the computer brands want to "stay competitive".

Which market is next to this trend, cars ? Imagine you love cars and save money for years to get a nice BMW X6 only to find that it does not exist anymore, that only some cheap small model with a weak engine is available cause "If BMW wants to stay competitive in the market, they can't sell fancy cars" anymore ...

I'm not wealthy but I can still afford to buy a high-end reader with the latest technology if it was only out there. I don't have to buy one every 6 months, which is why when I decide to buy one, I'd love a high-end high-tech model. but I guess there is no such thing anymore

Originally Posted by charleski

While that screen is very nice (as much for the 206dpi as for the colour), there is no way in hell that it's going to sell at $500. For that much money people are simply going to buy an iPad. If Sony went down that route they'd be guaranteeing their failure.

Sony were obliged to compete on price and produce an ereader that will target the current explosion in the size of the market as a whole if they wanted to stay in it. If this means that they offer little to those who already have last year's model, then so be it. At least this means they'll still be around to produce better ereaders in the years to come.