Quote:
Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel
oh, i love the ergonomics also !! it's unbeleivably well designed. especially since you can rotate the screen to hold it in either hand (which i do often, usually several times in the course of one reading session), and the buttons are re-assigned automatically. honestly, based on my experience with it, i don't think i could be as comfortable with the Sony / cybook design, although i admit i have never had the opportunity to try one so i don't know for sure.
i also am really hoping for an e-ink eb1150 soon, as the backlit screen also bothers me (although not enough for me to want to stop using it), and the idea of e-ink makes me absolutely wild... it would really be the best of all (current existing) worlds.
well, i guess we just cross our fingers and hope...
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Having had both an eb1150 and one of the Sony eInk readers (the 500, not the 505), I may be able to shed some light on the differences, but of course, your mileage may vary.
In particular, I have to agree about the ergonomics. A relative of mine gave me a Sony as a present, and within three months I was back to using the eb1150. Holding the eb1150 is much more comfortable, and I really missed being able to switch hands. The eInk is certainly nice, but was also one of my problems. I had expected that I would not be able to read in the dark with it, but even in situations that I could read a p-book, I often did not have enough light for the Sony (Note: this was the 500, not the 505). This makes me a bit wary of the ETI's new machine, as it is also eInk.
Surprisingly, I was also not satisfied with the battery life on the Sony. What I did not realize is that I charge my eb1150 after I use it, then leave it lying around for a few weeks at a time, come back when I have need and read for most of a weekend, or a plane ride -- it was ready to go. Since the Sony did not actually turn off, the two times I did this with the Sony, it was nearly dead when I picked it up, and I had to charge it before I could use it. I understand there is a hack to actually turn it off, but given my mixed feelings about it otherwise, I was not willing to mess with it. In fairness, I should say that when I used it with a fresh charge, the battery life was every bit as wonderful as everyone says. I don't know if the Cybook sleeps or turns off.
Looking at the thread Zelda mentions, I am encouraged about the way ETI is embracing open formats. Still, given the ongoing partnership with Fictionwise, and their recent acquisition of eReader, I cannot help but wonder if a successor to the eb1150 might also be able to read eReader files. eReader really needs to get on a dedicated device. Of the existing DRMs, theirs always seemed the least restrictive.
Jack