MobileRead Forums - View Single Post

JEMelby · 08-06-2009, 03:17 AM

Ultimatly, this is just another "New Sony" thread. All the other threads have become a bit convoluted, and my issues are getting lost in the clutter - so here goes...

I grabbed a 500 early on, and loved it untill the day I smashed it getting out of a helicopter. I didn't hesitate to replace it with a 505 (after considering the Kindle-one that was available by then). I guess you could mark me as a Sony Fan because it is what I know, and I have had excellent results with most Sony products.

The only thing I longed for in an eReader that the past Sonys did not provide was a smaller form factor. I have been seriously considering offerings like the EZReader Pocket Pro and the Opus based on the size. Now, lo-and-behold, Sony offers a solution! Let me give my two cents:

No Card Slot: I have never needed to expand the memory on my 505, so no issue. I can still get 6 months worth of reading on it, and I suspect the 300 will be no different. Less nooks and crannies for dust and sand to infiltrate without the slots.
No wireless: I only hook it up to the computer every couple of months as it is. Wireless would be a wasted bell for me. The only caveat to this is that it might be nice to get periodicals downloaded while I sleep.
No case (maybe a sleeve?): After smashing my 500, I made a hinged, magnetically closed hard case out of maple for my new 505. it adds 3/8ths of an inch all around to the overall carry size. Anything less would not protect the device in my environment, anyway. I suspect I will construct a similar case for the 300. Maybe I'll use Kydex® this time. I'd love to see Pelican® do a custom case for the 300 - similar in concept to the i1080 that they made for the iPod.
Poor Button Placement: Ya... I'd have liked to seen two simple sets of page turning buttons, one on either side of the device. Scratch the number pad. The only time it's useful is when you are navigating the menues. Honestly, once I start a book, I generally read it from the first page to the last page. I'm pretty sure most other folks read the same way. For all the use that the number buttons DON'T get, I'd have thought Sony and others would have abandoned them by now. I suppose they are looking to touch screens as the future, and their next gen will likely do away with buttons all together (like the PRS 600) so why bother with a re-design today.

NOTE: Humor me for a moment and consider which buttons on your current reader get pressed the most. I would propose that the 'page advance' button gets 500+ presses for every one push of the 'page back' or 'menu' or 'number' buttons.

Engine? I have no trouble waiting a few milli-seconds for a page to update. The Epson® controller is getting plenty of raves, and would be a welcome feature on the 300, but it's not a deal breaker.
Color? Ya... would have been nice to get a 'slate blue' device, but the Sony-blue is plenty good.

The only spec that I have not been able to verify, and which might be a deal breaker is wether the device's shell is metal. All the other sony readers are metal, and the specified weight of the device certainly indicates that it is metal, but this is not VERIFIED.

Ultimatly, I am very glad that Sony is offering a device with these limited specs. It's good to have choices. The alternative is that EVERYONE offers the same "most popular" cookie-cutter bells and whistles, and you'd end up getting battery draining crap that you don't want or need. I need/want a device that is basic - only slightly smarter than a paper book

08-06-2009, 03:17 AM	#1
JEMelby Save the Stone Tablet Posts: 31 Karma: 23 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Planet Earth (Mostly) Device: Coleco ADAM (With high-speed digital tape drive!)	Sony PRS 300 Musings Ultimatly, this is just another "New Sony" thread. All the other threads have become a bit convoluted, and my issues are getting lost in the clutter - so here goes... I grabbed a 500 early on, and loved it untill the day I smashed it getting out of a helicopter. I didn't hesitate to replace it with a 505 (after considering the Kindle-one that was available by then). I guess you could mark me as a Sony Fan because it is what I know, and I have had excellent results with most Sony products. The only thing I longed for in an eReader that the past Sonys did not provide was a smaller form factor. I have been seriously considering offerings like the EZReader Pocket Pro and the Opus based on the size. Now, lo-and-behold, Sony offers a solution! Let me give my two cents: No Card Slot: I have never needed to expand the memory on my 505, so no issue. I can still get 6 months worth of reading on it, and I suspect the 300 will be no different. Less nooks and crannies for dust and sand to infiltrate without the slots. No wireless: I only hook it up to the computer every couple of months as it is. Wireless would be a wasted bell for me. The only caveat to this is that it might be nice to get periodicals downloaded while I sleep. No case (maybe a sleeve?): After smashing my 500, I made a hinged, magnetically closed hard case out of maple for my new 505. it adds 3/8ths of an inch all around to the overall carry size. Anything less would not protect the device in my environment, anyway. I suspect I will construct a similar case for the 300. Maybe I'll use Kydex® this time. I'd love to see Pelican® do a custom case for the 300 - similar in concept to the i1080 that they made for the iPod. Poor Button Placement: Ya... I'd have liked to seen two simple sets of page turning buttons, one on either side of the device. Scratch the number pad. The only time it's useful is when you are navigating the menues. Honestly, once I start a book, I generally read it from the first page to the last page. I'm pretty sure most other folks read the same way. For all the use that the number buttons DON'T get, I'd have thought Sony and others would have abandoned them by now. I suppose they are looking to touch screens as the future, and their next gen will likely do away with buttons all together (like the PRS 600) so why bother with a re-design today. NOTE: Humor me for a moment and consider which buttons on your current reader get pressed the most. I would propose that the 'page advance' button gets 500+ presses for every one push of the 'page back' or 'menu' or 'number' buttons. Engine? I have no trouble waiting a few milli-seconds for a page to update. The Epson® controller is getting plenty of raves, and would be a welcome feature on the 300, but it's not a deal breaker. Color? Ya... would have been nice to get a 'slate blue' device, but the Sony-blue is plenty good. The only spec that I have not been able to verify, and which might be a deal breaker is wether the device's shell is metal. All the other sony readers are metal, and the specified weight of the device certainly indicates that it is metal, but this is not VERIFIED. Ultimatly, I am very glad that Sony is offering a device with these limited specs. It's good to have choices. The alternative is that EVERYONE offers the same "most popular" cookie-cutter bells and whistles, and you'd end up getting battery draining crap that you don't want or need. I need/want a device that is basic - only slightly smarter than a paper book Last edited by JEMelby; 08-06-2009 at 03:22 AM.