Looking for a 6" + PDF reader with Reflow

[Fif23]

Hi ! I am looking for a 6" + reader with E-INK, these are my requirements:

1. Great solid build quality - no cheap plastic parts squeaking
2. PDF reading with REFLOW and good zooming options, my stuff is all professional materials (text) in PDF format, all OCR'ed.
3. Up to 300$
4. I am going to use Caliber and convert non professional materials (novels etc) to EPUB or whatever it can read best, so it needs to do that good as well !


That's it !

Optional, recommended - RSS Feed reader with Wifi/3G.

Many thanks !

[Redfox]

I just got my Sony PRS-600, and I have to say I'm very happy with its PDF handling. It does text reflow and zoom, and you can also switch to landscape mode, which works well with larger PDFs. And the build quality is exceptional - a really solid metal casing with just a few simple buttons. Yes, the screen is a bit glossy, but I'm so used to the high-gloss look of a Mac laptop screen, the Sony ereader seems quite matt in comparison.

Admittedly the pre-formatted US letter sized PDFs I have are mainly text (course materials on fiction writing), but even with my dreadful eyesight, I find them quite readable as-is in landscape mode. I guess with large or detailed images you might struggle with a 6" device, but the choice of bigger screens is pretty limited. If you're in the States or don't mind buying from overseas, you might want to look at the PRS-900 (it's not available here, so I didn't consider it).

The PRS-600 also plays nicely with Calibre - better than the Sony software, at least on a Mac. Epub conversion "just works"

Downside is no WiFi or 3G, but I can live with that. They just suck power, anyway...

[Fif23]

Thanks ! I just looked it up.. It looks good, and I can afford it !
How it the build quality ? Does it feel solid and robust ? I hate cheap plastic with passion..

I could get the PRS-900 on ebay too, but does it have Reflow and all the prs600 features ?

Basically I want it mainly as a book replacement.. If there are a lot of images, I just use my PC.. But it's all mostly text, and even if there are images, i'm after the text so reflow is good enough.

Thanks !
Top choice for now is the PRS600.
Any other suggestions ?

[Redfox]

Originally Posted by Silencer23

Thanks ! I just looked it up.. It looks good, and I can afford it !
How it the build quality ? Does it feel solid and robust ? I hate cheap plastic with passion..

Really, it's very solid. Have you ever handled an iPhone or an iPod? That's the best comparison I can come up with. The shell is solid metal, apart from the screen, of course!

Perhaps someone else can comment on the PRS-900, since I've never seen one?

[Fif23]

How does it compare with the PRS-505 in terms of contrast, PDF capabilities and speed ?
Is the PRS-700 any good ?

Thanks !

[Redfox]

AFAIK, the PRS-700 is discontinued - it had a very shiny screen because Sony added sidelighting for night reading, and is seriously not recommended. The PRS-505 I think has better contrast (and a less glossy screen) than the 600 because it lacks the touchscreen layer.

I don't know about the other features - there are folks here who own both, so maybe they can comment.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Redfox

AFAIK, the PRS-700 is discontinued - it had a very shiny screen because Sony added sidelighting for night reading, and is seriously not recommended.

The screen on the PRS-700 was not so much "shiny" as "blurry", because of the air-gap between the outer and inner screens, introduced by the lighting elements.