MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Poll: Sony Reader PRS-505 upgrade to Sony PRS-700

Shunt1 · 12-06-2008, 02:09 PM

My first week with my PRS-700:

I now own both the Kindle and the PRS-700.

I would by lying if I did not admit that the PRS-700 display rather sucks in comparison, but in all honesty, I think that has more to do with the backlight than with the touch-screen.

The Kindle WisperNet is nice, but something I almost never use. Even when when I purchase a book from Amazon last night, I just sat and wait for the book to be downloaded. After waiting almost 30 minutes for a book I had purchased, I gave up and downloaded it to my computer and transfered the file using the USB interface.

The touch-screen interface of the PRS-700 is FANTASTIC!

Future software enhancements should be easy, since they will not require new buttons or other hardware alterations.

Most of my scientific papers that I read are published in PDF format, and the PRS-700 has allowed me to read them. That was almost impossible to do with my Kindle. That alone, has made the PRS-700 worth it's weight in gold.

The Kindle has a dictionary search capability, and you can even purchase new dictionaries for this purpose. Since I am studying the nautical history during the Napolianoc war, the ability to understand words and terms from 200 years ago is very important to me.

Sony PRS-700, without this basic dictionary lookup capability, is a MAJOR FLAW.

Am I happy with my new PRS-700?

Yes, and I made a wise choice because of it's PDF format capability and I love the touch screen.

Is it is a better eReader device than the Kindle for simply reading books? Nope.

I have loved and become absolutly adicted to my Kindle. Since my wife and I spend an average of $30 each on books every week, the cost of the Kindle paid for itself in only a few months. Since we both love historical books, www.gutenberg.org will keep us busy with years to come with reading enjoyment. That alone, has convinced me that these new ebooks are well worth their initial costs.

MAJOR PROBLEM:

I was able to "hack" a 3000 page Kindle book and convert it to a Sony PRS-700 compatible format. Darn it, I paid for this book and demand that I be able to read it when I obtain new hardware!

Anyway, with the Kindle, when this book is selected, it is displayed almost immediatly.

With the Sony PRS-700, it can take up to 30 minutes before the book is actually displayed! I do not understand why it takes so long for initial display, but once displayed, bookmarks can return to the original page very rapidly.

I have tried the different compatible formats that the PRS-700 can use, and the fastest ended up being epub.

Do not get me wrong, I absoluty love my new PRS-700 and turned over my Kindle to my wife. If I did not like my new PRS-700, I would have kept my Kindle and she would have been stuck this new and flawed item from Sony.

She was given my Kindle, so that should tell you something about how much I love my new Sony PRS-700.

12-06-2008, 02:09 PM	#22
Shunt1 Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 112 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Kindle, PRS-700	My first week with my PRS-700: I now own both the Kindle and the PRS-700. I would by lying if I did not admit that the PRS-700 display rather sucks in comparison, but in all honesty, I think that has more to do with the backlight than with the touch-screen. The Kindle WisperNet is nice, but something I almost never use. Even when when I purchase a book from Amazon last night, I just sat and wait for the book to be downloaded. After waiting almost 30 minutes for a book I had purchased, I gave up and downloaded it to my computer and transfered the file using the USB interface. The touch-screen interface of the PRS-700 is FANTASTIC! Future software enhancements should be easy, since they will not require new buttons or other hardware alterations. Most of my scientific papers that I read are published in PDF format, and the PRS-700 has allowed me to read them. That was almost impossible to do with my Kindle. That alone, has made the PRS-700 worth it's weight in gold. The Kindle has a dictionary search capability, and you can even purchase new dictionaries for this purpose. Since I am studying the nautical history during the Napolianoc war, the ability to understand words and terms from 200 years ago is very important to me. Sony PRS-700, without this basic dictionary lookup capability, is a MAJOR FLAW. Am I happy with my new PRS-700? Yes, and I made a wise choice because of it's PDF format capability and I love the touch screen. Is it is a better eReader device than the Kindle for simply reading books? Nope. I have loved and become absolutly adicted to my Kindle. Since my wife and I spend an average of $30 each on books every week, the cost of the Kindle paid for itself in only a few months. Since we both love historical books, www.gutenberg.org will keep us busy with years to come with reading enjoyment. That alone, has convinced me that these new ebooks are well worth their initial costs. MAJOR PROBLEM: I was able to "hack" a 3000 page Kindle book and convert it to a Sony PRS-700 compatible format. Darn it, I paid for this book and demand that I be able to read it when I obtain new hardware! Anyway, with the Kindle, when this book is selected, it is displayed almost immediatly. With the Sony PRS-700, it can take up to 30 minutes before the book is actually displayed! I do not understand why it takes so long for initial display, but once displayed, bookmarks can return to the original page very rapidly. I have tried the different compatible formats that the PRS-700 can use, and the fastest ended up being epub. Do not get me wrong, I absoluty love my new PRS-700 and turned over my Kindle to my wife. If I did not like my new PRS-700, I would have kept my Kindle and she would have been stuck this new and flawed item from Sony. She was given my Kindle, so that should tell you something about how much I love my new Sony PRS-700.