When should we start seeing 350/650 in stores

[igorsk]

Originally Posted by simplyparticular

Also, I love this green cover on a PRS-350 that I saw on a few YouTube videos from IFA, but it isn't on the US site. 350 only? Europe only?

Good catch! Haven't seen this one anywhere :/

[damiensmunki]

I just returned from checking out two Best Buys. One had nothing but the older models, but the second store I visited had four 350s. I wanted the 650, but I grabbed one of the 350s. If the screen size is an issue for me, I'll exchange it when the 650 is available. If anyone in the U.S. is looking, check out Best Buy. The store where I found mine was smaller, but in a more upscale shopping area than the store that didn't have the new models. Don't know if that affects anything.

[fyre182]

As an aside, anyone notice that all the SonyStyle stores are in upscale malls? That may be the reason for the premium

this is very very very true

[jaxx6166]

Originally Posted by damiensmunki

I just returned from checking out two Best Buys. One had nothing but the older models, but the second store I visited had four 350s. I wanted the 650, but I grabbed one of the 350s. If the screen size is an issue for me, I'll exchange it when the 650 is available. If anyone in the U.S. is looking, check out Best Buy. The store where I found mine was smaller, but in a more upscale shopping area than the store that didn't have the new models. Don't know if that affects anything.

Throw my hat into the "Me Too" pile. I want the 650, but I'll play with the 350 for a bit. Still kinda miffed that I can't get a cover anywhere. What's all this talk about a green cover!? I <3 green....was thinking about a K3 just to get their Steel Blue or Green cover. I had to get the Sony soft case they had, but as a plus - it looks like it'll fit everything but my nook. . soo...I just saw the IFA youtube video, if we're talking about the same one. Beige inside, lime green almost on the outside. You can barely tell what color it is except for like a half second when they tilt it up. Props to you for finding that one!

[advocate2]

I stopped by the Sony Style store in Vegas today. They had both the 350 and 650 on display. They did not have any 650's in stock for sale.

I brought my 600 with me to compare size and screen quality. The 650 is thinner, smaller and lighter. For guys, this will fit in the inside breast pocket of a sports jacket. Very cool indeed and a definite plus for one-handed reading.

The swipe is faster with a much lighter touch on the screen. The infrared works!

The blacks did not look blacker to me, but the screen overall is a lighter tone giving more contrast.

I'm not sure I would upgrade for any one of the modifications, but for all the changes, I will give the upgrade serious thought once they are available for sale.

[Provincial]

I visited my local Sony Store here at Square One mall in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada yesterday and they had received a shipment of the 350, and they say they are getting the 650 in the next week.

Good thing the 650 was delayed because today I was going through some flyers I had lying around and found a $25 off $200 Sony Store Coupon!!!

[AlbertaCowboy]

The Sony Styles in an unmentioned largest mall in North America in West Edmonton has the gorgeous Silver 650's in stock. (Down by one now!) Sony has redeemed itself in my opinion as my new 650 is sharper, faster and lighter than my 505. I might have to get a new custom leather cover, although I do like the two tone black and blue one I bought with the Reader. All in: well worth waiting for.

Originally Posted by deltop

My Waterstones order just arrived! Black PRS-650. It's soo light! At least compared to my 505.

Mine arrived on Friday, too, I love it! Yes, it is so much lighter than the 505 and I like the black finish. I have never seen the 600 so I do not know what the screen looked like but the 650's screen does not look that different from the 505's one, IMO - they are both crisp and the only difference I can see is that the ink on the 650 is darker and that makes it easier to read, and maybe it also makes it look a bit sharper.

The only thing I miss so far is the Menu button which also acts as a Back button on the 505; now I have to press at least two options to perform the same function. There is a back function on some screens but not all.

The things I like so far is the darker text, the landscape mode (especially since it means that I can change the pages with a button on the left side), the faster changing of the pages (you can really tell the difference here!), a better choice in font sizes (the Medium font is huge compared to the one on the 505) and the dictionary. I like the thumbnail view and the fact that I can create Collections easily on the reader itself.

If you are reading a book, the shutdown can be performed in 4 steps, still a bit labourious but I have to admit that I don't bother, anyway, and leave the reader on a standby. I haven't had time to play with the reader as much I want to so I haven't tested the extra functions like handwriting or adding memos. The look-up dictionary within the text works well enough although in one of the .pdfs it was impossible to highlight only one word so the dictionary had a bit of a problem with a string of words! Must have been the file as other .pdfs I had tried were fine.

The few.pdfs I have tried seem to work as well as expected on a 6" screen, I guess a wider selection of font sizes will help but really only a bigger screen will show them as they are supposed to look, in a font size which can actually be read easily! I haven't tested the reader with a 60 Mb file which froze my 505 yet.

I haven't tried the stylus; to be honest, I don't see myself using it very often. The same goes for the MP3 player.

I am very, very happy with the 650 and very glad that I didn't get the Kindle. And I really, really need a cover for it, the reader seems so vulnerable without it!

Originally Posted by savethebutterfly

The only thing I miss so far is the Menu button which also acts as a Back button on the 505; now I have to press at least two options to perform the same function. There is a back function on some screens but not all.

If you press and hold 'OPTIONS' button for 2 seconds, it works as a BACK button. This little feature is new to PRS-350/650 and probably PRS-950 as well. (page 35 of PRS-650 user guide)

Originally Posted by savethebutterfly

If you are reading a book, the shutdown can be performed in 4 steps, still a bit labourious but I have to admit that I don't bother, anyway, and leave the reader on a standby.

You can slide and hold the power switch for 3 seconds to bring up the shutdown command. (page 98 of PRS-650 user guide)

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by Provincial

I visited my local Sony Store here at Square One mall in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada yesterday and they had received a shipment of the 350, and they say they are getting the 650 in the next week.

Good thing the 650 was delayed because today I was going through some flyers I had lying around and found a $25 off $200 Sony Store Coupon!!!

OOOHHHHH what flyer was it, was it a recent one? My mom lives near Square One, I might ask her to pick one up for me. Perhaps she received the same flyer in the mail (she saves the flyers for a while).

[simplyparticular]

UPdate: Best Buy wouldn't take the coupon. Even though the readers weren't excluded, because the 350 is in the sales flyer this week, it is a a "sale item" which is excluded. Pretty stupid, since the "sale" is for the MSRP.

+++++
For people who plan to buy from Best Buy (when they all get them in stock - I went to one yesterday and still the 300/600) - if you go the any USPS, and grab one of the "Change of Address" packets, there is a 10% off Best Buy coupon in there. It does not appear to exclude the Sony Readers - although it excludes a few other Sony products. Just double-check the expiration date - if your post office is small, they may have older packets.

[Squirsier]

I was browsing this week's Future Shop flyer (in french, since I reside in Quebec), and I noticed this typo :

"5 inch COLOR eInk screen"

Maybe a taste of things to come next year around the same time?

[Provincial]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

OOOHHHHH what flyer was it, was it a recent one? My mom lives near Square One, I might ask her to pick one up for me. Perhaps she received the same flyer in the mail (she saves the flyers for a while).

It was some flyer I got in the mail back in August or something. It expires Sept 30. I honestly don't remember. It was a "Sony Style & Rogers" flyer advertising mostly Sony phones on the Rogers mobile network but they had some other TVs, VAIOs and Cameras in it and stuff and that $25 coupon.

[Squirsier]

I just got back from my local Sony Store - they had a few PRS-350 left (no 650) and I bought the cover for the PRS-350.

It is very nicely made, and this time around, compared to the one for the PRS-300, it was built so the front cover easily bends back without making the back cover slip to the right, which eventually almost cut the side of my right index finger (okay, slightly exaggerating, but it wasn't comfortable). The cover always stays almost flush with the reader!

I think Sony does still listen to their customers

[Avwriter]

Is this the cover with the light, or without? Did you compare them?