MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - PRS-T2 Sony PRS-T2 vs Kobo Glo

ShellShock · 12-25-2012, 05:49 AM

I went from the Sony PRS 650 to a Kobo Glo, and I would not be without the light now - I have not used the 650 since getting the Glo. But if Sony came out with their own front-lit reader I would probably get it. There are just too many niggling problems with the Glo's firmware; the hardware is fine, and I really like the overall design of the Glo. But Sony really dropped the ball with the T2, and I don't think they have sold many. I would not be surprised if they pulled out of the ereader market altogether, which would be a great shame. A front-lit T2 would be great (as long as it did not have those silly shaped buttons).

Some of the things I do not like about the Glo's firmware, most of which you can workaround:

Dictionaries are poor compared to Sony. But you can load on your own custom dictionaries (not officially supported by Kobo).

Fonts are too thin, especially when the light is on. You can adjust the weight on the device of the built-in fonts; for side-loaded fonts you have to use third party software to adjust the weight.

Too much screen space is wasted on top and bottom menu bars when reading. For side-loaded epubs you do not get the top menu, but there is no way to get rid of the bottom menu. For Kobo epubs you are stuck with both.

The line height adjustment does not go low enough, i.e., to 1em. To override this in the epub, you have to set it at the paragraph level (p), i.e., on each paragraph, via a class or inline style.

No permanently displayed clock when reading. You have to touch the screen to display the clock, and it only displays for a second or two - blink and you miss it!

Firmware upgrades introduce more bugs, add features I am not interested in, and do not include features I would like (see above).

12-25-2012, 05:49 AM	#7
ShellShock Wizard Posts: 1,176 Karma: 2431850 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: IPad Mini 2 Retina	I went from the Sony PRS 650 to a Kobo Glo, and I would not be without the light now - I have not used the 650 since getting the Glo. But if Sony came out with their own front-lit reader I would probably get it. There are just too many niggling problems with the Glo's firmware; the hardware is fine, and I really like the overall design of the Glo. But Sony really dropped the ball with the T2, and I don't think they have sold many. I would not be surprised if they pulled out of the ereader market altogether, which would be a great shame. A front-lit T2 would be great (as long as it did not have those silly shaped buttons). Some of the things I do not like about the Glo's firmware, most of which you can workaround: Dictionaries are poor compared to Sony. But you can load on your own custom dictionaries (not officially supported by Kobo). Fonts are too thin, especially when the light is on. You can adjust the weight on the device of the built-in fonts; for side-loaded fonts you have to use third party software to adjust the weight. Too much screen space is wasted on top and bottom menu bars when reading. For side-loaded epubs you do not get the top menu, but there is no way to get rid of the bottom menu. For Kobo epubs you are stuck with both. The line height adjustment does not go low enough, i.e., to 1em. To override this in the epub, you have to set it at the paragraph level (p), i.e., on each paragraph, via a class or inline style. No permanently displayed clock when reading. You have to touch the screen to display the clock, and it only displays for a second or two - blink and you miss it! Firmware upgrades introduce more bugs, add features I am not interested in, and do not include features I would like (see above). Last edited by ShellShock; 12-25-2012 at 05:51 AM.