Quote:
Originally Posted by akira28
Your signature indicates you own the 700. I was considering one as well. Any regrets?
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Yeah, I'd say so. The single biggest issue for me is the screen. For the price of the device, I expected
much better quality. I don't know of any e ink reader on the market with a screen worse than the 700's. And for $400, that's pretty sad. The conclusion I keep coming back to after using the 700 for almost two months is that while you
can read from the 700, it's just a flat out unpleasant experience. A long way from "paper-like."
What's worse is that Sony compromised the 700's screen for sake of adding a touch screen. It's a nice idea, but what little actual benefit it provides doesn't come close to making up for what it did to the display. I think hardware page turn buttons would be faster and easier, but I've found the 700's buttons awkwardly positioned for constant use. I wish that Sony didn't try to force you into using the page gestures and kept a couple of nice side buttons.
Some of the units seem to be suffering from dust being trapped behind the screen. It looks like some sort of manufacturing defect where the device isn't sealed up properly along the bezel surrounding the screen. Dust is able to get in and accumulates under the touch screen. It's pretty hard to see during the day, but if you turn the light on in a dim setting, the dust spots are brightly illuminated. I've had my 700 replaced once. The replacement has the exact same problem, and looks like it may actually end up worse than my first unit. I'll probably have to have this one replaced in about a month or so. Turn around was just over a week in the US, but is apparently slower in Canada.
I don't recommend the 700. Even if it cost the same as the 505, I couldn't recommend it. I'd advise any one looking for an eBook reader to hold off and see what hits the market this year. If you can't wait and are considering the 700, definitely be sure to get plenty of hands on time with it before buying. Some people still seem to like it, but for my money, the value is just not there.