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induna · 11-01-2012, 11:07 PM

My reasons for buying and using the PW have nothing at all to do with the light. I very rarely have a need to read in the dark, and prefer to use a reasonable amount of ambient light whenever possible. The built-in light does help when the ambient light is less than ideal since it brightens up the shadows and makes the darker parts of the screen easier to read, but it isn't really necessary. So, this is a brief review of the PW that pretty much ignores the light. I imagine that there are others like me who have PWs but for whom the light itself is not critical.

I have been using Sony readers exclusively since before there was a Kindle (since the PRS-500 was released), and have owned and used regularly a sample of every generation of Sony Reader since. I now read exclusively on an e-reader and do so daily.

I had never before been interested in Amazon's products. The Sonys were always pushing the technology more aggressively and have a more open format -- epub. However, my needs changed. I am now seriously working to achieve a high functional level in Spanish, and find translating dictionaries to be more distracting than beneficial. The Sony products only have translating dictionaries for languages other than English, and third-party dictionaries cannot be added. Once I discovered that the PW comes with a truly excellent Spanish dictionary (the two-volume, second edition of the Real Academia Diccionario de la Lengua Española), it became a no-brainer for me. The Kobos also come with a Spanish dictionary, but it is of lower quality. And, since Amazon has by far the best selection of Spanish language ebooks anyway, the PW really was the ideal choice for me.

In daily use I find the PW to be superior to the T1. Without the light, the PW screen has contrast at least equal to the T1, and the font rendering is superior. The capacitive touch screen is a decided improvement over the IR technology. It is more responsive, has fewer failed page turns, is faster, and has higher resolution (I find it much easier to accurately select a word with the PW than with the T1 when using small fonts.) The PW's UI is fine. I wish it were easier to turn the wireless on and off, but that's not a big deal. Since I don't carry lots of books on my reader (why would I need to?), collection management also isn't an issue. The Amazon case works really well. It looks like I will easily get two weeks out of a charge.

So, all-in-all, I'm quite happy with the PW. It does everything I need it to do efficiently and well. The light does help when reading in less than ideal conditions, and I can easily use it in the dark if I have to.

I would be interested to hear the opinions of others who use the PW and for whom the light is not centrally important.

11-01-2012, 11:07 PM	#1
induna Addict Posts: 230 Karma: 1500000 Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Vito de Coto Brus, Costa Rica Device: Sony PRS-500, 505, 600, 350, T1 Amazon Kindle PW1, PW2, Voyage	PW: Another Perspective My reasons for buying and using the PW have nothing at all to do with the light. I very rarely have a need to read in the dark, and prefer to use a reasonable amount of ambient light whenever possible. The built-in light does help when the ambient light is less than ideal since it brightens up the shadows and makes the darker parts of the screen easier to read, but it isn't really necessary. So, this is a brief review of the PW that pretty much ignores the light. I imagine that there are others like me who have PWs but for whom the light itself is not critical. I have been using Sony readers exclusively since before there was a Kindle (since the PRS-500 was released), and have owned and used regularly a sample of every generation of Sony Reader since. I now read exclusively on an e-reader and do so daily. I had never before been interested in Amazon's products. The Sonys were always pushing the technology more aggressively and have a more open format -- epub. However, my needs changed. I am now seriously working to achieve a high functional level in Spanish, and find translating dictionaries to be more distracting than beneficial. The Sony products only have translating dictionaries for languages other than English, and third-party dictionaries cannot be added. Once I discovered that the PW comes with a truly excellent Spanish dictionary (the two-volume, second edition of the Real Academia Diccionario de la Lengua Española), it became a no-brainer for me. The Kobos also come with a Spanish dictionary, but it is of lower quality. And, since Amazon has by far the best selection of Spanish language ebooks anyway, the PW really was the ideal choice for me. In daily use I find the PW to be superior to the T1. Without the light, the PW screen has contrast at least equal to the T1, and the font rendering is superior. The capacitive touch screen is a decided improvement over the IR technology. It is more responsive, has fewer failed page turns, is faster, and has higher resolution (I find it much easier to accurately select a word with the PW than with the T1 when using small fonts.) The PW's UI is fine. I wish it were easier to turn the wireless on and off, but that's not a big deal. Since I don't carry lots of books on my reader (why would I need to?), collection management also isn't an issue. The Amazon case works really well. It looks like I will easily get two weeks out of a charge. So, all-in-all, I'm quite happy with the PW. It does everything I need it to do efficiently and well. The light does help when reading in less than ideal conditions, and I can easily use it in the dark if I have to. I would be interested to hear the opinions of others who use the PW and for whom the light is not centrally important.