I just got mine last week (from Best Buy) and so far, I like it better than I expected.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovejedd
Just picked up my PRS-350, some first impressions: - Smaller than I expected. I guess the one I played with previously was an older version (perhaps the PRS-505?). I remember it not having a touch screen. Still, the screen on the PRS-350 is around the same size as a bunko and just a little smaller than mass market paperbacks so I find it quite acceptable. Being pocketable is a big plus.
- Solid construction. Despite its lightweight, the PRS-350 feels very well made. I'm also really liking the somewhat rubbery grip on the back.
- Font sizes. Big jump from S to XS with no size in between. I find the S too big, but the XS is just a little bit too small for my eyes. Between the two, though, I prefer XS. Text is very clear even at XS. No noticeable pixels.
- The flashing/transition screen seems a lot shorter than on the older versions. I found this somewhat distracting so I'm glad it's not as noticeable on the PRS-350.
- Readable in bright sunlight. On the iPhone, I usually have to turn up brightness pretty high so I can read in bright sunlight which inevitably gives me headaches. There's also the issue with glare and reflections. I was trying out the PRS-350 this afternoon while in the car (parking lot) waiting for my mom and it's been really comfortable to use.
Overall, I'm really liking my first foray into e-ink readers. At $120, the PRS-350 was a good purchase. |
Of course, I did come from using an iPhone so the small screen size is no bother. Text isn't quite as sharp as the iPhone 4 comparing them side by side but it's close enough. I had an original iPhone 16GB that I was using as back-up reader but after using the iPhone 4, I just couldn't go back to reading on the iPhone's pixelated display so I bought the PRS-350 for use as a back-up reader for when I'm charging my phone, etc. Liked it so much the iPhone has now been delegated to back-up reader duties. Now, I only use the iPhone for "on-demand" content (basically impulse ebook purchases while away from the PC and newly updated fanfics) and night-time/low-light reading.
I just installed PRS+ on my PRS-350 and so far, it's made the user experience much better. It's very convenient being able to browse books by folder. I still need to figure out how to change the font scaling but so far so good.
