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Lexicon · 08-12-2008, 12:27 PM

I'm pretty happy with my 505, especially since EPUB support was added. I got to thinking what Sony would need to add in a future model to get me upgrade.

Personally I'd require the new device to support pen/touchscreen input. The ability to scribble short notes or corrections while reading would be a great feature. A lot of the eBooks I read contain formatting errors and small mistakes which I spot while reading - I'd like to be able to circle a misspelled word or underline stuff that should be in italics so I can go back afterwards and correct the master copy on my PC.

I'd also require a bigger screen, 8-9" would be ideal as that approaches the size of the text area of a page the average hardback novel. I think it'd be more comfortable to read and would give more space for making notes. I think the screen could be increased to that size without seriously compromising the portability and reading ergonomics of the device.

If Sony create a model with a larger screen, pen input and price it at around the current $300 point then I'll upgrade. Anything short of that and I'll stick with my 505.

Most of the other possible enhancements are of little importance to me:

Colour screen: I mostly read novels so black and white works fine for me. It'd be nice to have but wouldn't justify an upgrade on it's own.

Wifi/3G/Bluetooth networking: I'm happy to use my computer to download, format and transfer content to the device. A wireless content delivery system would only become a "must upgrade" feature if the content industry really got on board and I could choose from a range of hundreds of magazines and newspapers to be downloaded to the device automatically on a set schedule.

Internet browsing: Not interested. At the moment I am just looking for an electronic reading device that can deliver a similar experience to reading a paper book or magazine.

Other OS support: I use Windows mostly, so adding official support for Macs or Linux wouldn't mean much to me.

Device software improvements: It'd be nice to have dictionary support and better handling of large libraries but I wouldn't upgrade to a new device just to get them.

Wider format support (on the device): I'm pretty confident that EPUB will quickly become the industry standard, so as long as EPUB is supported natively I'm happy. If I had owned a 500 then the EPUB support on the 505 would have prompted an upgrade from me - I consider it to be that important.

Keyboard: I find small keyboards more trouble than they are worth, and a decent size one would increase the size of the device unacceptably. Pen input would be better suited to the small amount of annotation I envisage myself doing.

So, what features would prompt you to upgrade? Note that I'm not asking what your ideal Reader would be - I'm sure we'd all like a cheap electronic reading device that can do absolutely everything - I'm asking what feature or couple of features could Sony add to the next model that would make it a "must have" for you?

08-12-2008, 12:27 PM	#1
Lexicon Enthusiast Posts: 44 Karma: 542 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Sony PRS-505	What would tempt you to upgrade? I'm pretty happy with my 505, especially since EPUB support was added. I got to thinking what Sony would need to add in a future model to get me upgrade. Personally I'd require the new device to support pen/touchscreen input. The ability to scribble short notes or corrections while reading would be a great feature. A lot of the eBooks I read contain formatting errors and small mistakes which I spot while reading - I'd like to be able to circle a misspelled word or underline stuff that should be in italics so I can go back afterwards and correct the master copy on my PC. I'd also require a bigger screen, 8-9" would be ideal as that approaches the size of the text area of a page the average hardback novel. I think it'd be more comfortable to read and would give more space for making notes. I think the screen could be increased to that size without seriously compromising the portability and reading ergonomics of the device. If Sony create a model with a larger screen, pen input and price it at around the current $300 point then I'll upgrade. Anything short of that and I'll stick with my 505. Most of the other possible enhancements are of little importance to me: Colour screen: I mostly read novels so black and white works fine for me. It'd be nice to have but wouldn't justify an upgrade on it's own. Wifi/3G/Bluetooth networking: I'm happy to use my computer to download, format and transfer content to the device. A wireless content delivery system would only become a "must upgrade" feature if the content industry really got on board and I could choose from a range of hundreds of magazines and newspapers to be downloaded to the device automatically on a set schedule. Internet browsing: Not interested. At the moment I am just looking for an electronic reading device that can deliver a similar experience to reading a paper book or magazine. Other OS support: I use Windows mostly, so adding official support for Macs or Linux wouldn't mean much to me. Device software improvements: It'd be nice to have dictionary support and better handling of large libraries but I wouldn't upgrade to a new device just to get them. Wider format support (on the device): I'm pretty confident that EPUB will quickly become the industry standard, so as long as EPUB is supported natively I'm happy. If I had owned a 500 then the EPUB support on the 505 would have prompted an upgrade from me - I consider it to be that important. Keyboard: I find small keyboards more trouble than they are worth, and a decent size one would increase the size of the device unacceptably. Pen input would be better suited to the small amount of annotation I envisage myself doing. So, what features would prompt you to upgrade? Note that I'm not asking what your ideal Reader would be - I'm sure we'd all like a cheap electronic reading device that can do absolutely everything - I'm asking what feature or couple of features could Sony add to the next model that would make it a "must have" for you?