Sony PRS-T3 leaks in various Internet stores / coming on Sep 19?

[Lyn2012]

Originally Posted by Lbooker

Interesting comment ! If many people feel that way, then it justifies Sony's strategy regarding light.

Not necessarily. I estimate I read 10% of the time in sunlight where no lighting is needed, <1% of the time in complete darkness when an external source would be preferable. However nearly 90% of my time reading is on cloudy dull days when the front light makes reading a great deal more pleasurable as the contrast available on nonlit e-ink screens (all that I have seen/used which include Sony, Kobo and Kindle of various models) in those conditions is, IMO, inadequate and leads to eye strain.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by Lyn2012

Not necessarily. I estimate I read 10% of the time in sunlight where no lighting is needed, <1% of the time in complete darkness when an external source would be preferable. However nearly 90% of my time reading is on cloudy dull days when the front light makes reading a great deal more pleasurable as the contrast available on nonlit e-ink screens (all that I have seen/used which include Sony, Kobo and Kindle of various models) in those conditions is, IMO, inadequate and leads to eye strain.

This.

[samy2]

90 % of the time im reading i have no need of an "frontlight"
This

[samy2]

Originally Posted by alvina

I really don't understand why people still talk about this useless light when there's a question that's much more important:

Will Sony make the red and white Reader glossy again?

Why does this bother you? Just buy the black one...

[Rizla]

It seems that a front-light is useful in dim lighting and not darkness. As such, I can see Sony's angle. But it's still possibly business-suicide. I guess a front-light is not a replacement for a light. I have a clip on light. I'd like to have a front-light for when it is a bit dim, and leave the clip-on light for when its dark. I have never used a front-light in a dark room so it's hard for me to judge.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by alvina

I really don't understand why people still talk about this useless light when there's a question that's much more important:

Will Sony make the red and white Reader glossy again?

What I really don't understand is why people talk about the color of their ebooks. Just get a bucket of red paint and a paint brush, and give that sucker a wash.




Don

[Tony1988]

I can understand Sonys apprehension for not including a light. Look at what happened with the NST, it has and still has major issues with light holes, the kobo and kindle have also had issues with it. Far as I am concerned until the technology is as least 90% stable and there are way fewer complaints about light tears, Sony made the right decision. I am also one of those readers who rarely if ever have a situation were light is not available. I kind of like to read by a lamp at night on a cushy chair or couch. Don't like to read in bed with my girlfriend sleeping next to me or even when I am by myself. So I am good without a light for now. Though I can see some people who may need it if they like the ease of not having to set up an external light source when they are camping etc. or like to read when their significant other is right next to them.

Anyhoo, I just hope that Sony has something different to offer in the software. The aesthetic of the unit has changed a bit. They got rid of the ridiculous curved bottom.(that right there alone makes it more appealing to me.) And the bezel thickness looks a little more uniform. About the only thing I think they got wrong aesthically speaking are the buttoms again. I like the ones from the T1 and x50 series much better.

Also the light cover they have chosen...(I am not 100% sure about this)...but it looks similar to a light cover that is available for the kobo mini, Roka and one that Gecko made for the T1. You can see them on youtube heres the gecko.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WMl7js3Kos and Seems to evenly light the face of the reader. So for those rare situations someone may need light I think it will work in a pinch. Plus I kind of like the soft glow of a a good cover lamp as opposed to a blusish glow or whitish reader with a built in light. So its totally a personal preference with the reader of course.

So again I think its mostly going to come down to the software changes for many (especially Sony fans) Maybe more font choices for the font obsessed, more options for spacing, margins, letter size etc. etc. We shall soon find out.

[Ripplinger]

I'm perfectly fine with a resolution of 1024x768 on a 6" screen. I can see the need for higher if you're viewing color photos, but I really see no need for anything higher just to read text.

Originally Posted by Lady Blue

You're being facetious, right?

I'd say that's definitely not a facetious question. There's no way in the world I'd ever buy a reader with a shiny bezel. When I considered a Nook awhile back that had the shiny white bezel, just reading it in the store I found I was unconsciously always trying to tilt the reader to avoid the glare even though it wasn't on the text. It's very annoying to people with sensitive eyes.

[Lady Blue]

Originally Posted by alvina

I really don't understand why people still talk about this useless light when there's a question that's much more important:

Will Sony make the red and white Reader glossy again?

I'd say that's definitely not a facetious question. There's no way in the world I'd ever buy a reader with a shiny bezel. When I considered a Nook awhile back that had the shiny white bezel, just reading it in the store I found I was unconsciously always trying to tilt the reader to avoid the glare even though it wasn't on the text. It's very annoying to people with sensitive eyes.

I apologize. I read (understood) the statement and question by alvina differently.

I took it to mean that the discussion as to whether there would, or should be, a (useless) light was undue rhetoric, while the color of the Reader was the important issue.

The question

Will Sony make the red and white Reader glossy again?

sounded in my head, like alvina was hoping for the resurgence of these color (or finish) choices, while the issue of the light was insignificant.

My apologies to all for misunderstanding.

[Ripplinger]

No apologies necessary at all. Maybe alvina was being facetious in that instance ... now that you put it that way, maybe I read more into their question.

[jersysman]

Sony is definitely misreading the consumer here reference the light. I see the vast majority of the new owners of this reader will be previous Sony owners. They will not get many of the shoppers buying the first reader. They will not get many converts from other brands. Maybe they do not believe it, but for the vast majority, once shoppers have experienced a frontlit reader they will not be going to a non-lit screen again. Sure, there will be some who will, but not enough to make a dent in what would be needed to make inroads on Amazon and Kobo.

[Tony1988]

Originally Posted by jersysman

Sony is definitely misreading the consumer here reference the light. I see the vast majority of the new owners of this reader will be previous Sony owners. They will not get many of the shoppers buying the first reader. They will not get many converts from other brands. Maybe they do not believe it, but for the vast majority, once shoppers have experienced a frontlit reader they will not be going to a non-lit screen again. Sure, there will be some who will, but not enough to make a dent in what would be needed to make inroads on Amazon and Kobo.

Who knows, maybe they will also get people who were frustrated with uneven lit readers, light leaks, tears etc. Maybe there stable software will bring in some new users. Fact is it probably doesnt matter, ereaders wont make or break sony.

[robko]

Originally Posted by Tony1988

Who knows, maybe they will also get people who were frustrated with uneven lit readers, light leaks, tears etc. Maybe there stable software will bring in some new users. Fact is it probably doesnt matter, ereaders wont make or break sony.

No doubt they will, but I think that portion of the market is very much a niche that's not going to justify the development/production of the device. While Mobileread is obviously a small subset of ereader population, there was I thought a poll on light vs no on here (can't find it right now) and overwhelming majority want a light. People that don't have a reader yet will likely look at one with a light vs one without that costs more and grab the lighted one. As someone earlier in this thread says bringing out a device without a light would be business suicide.
Reality is that after the initial Nook offering (which definitely had some issues), and the Kindles initial multi-colour effect (which seems to have been solved mostly on newer ones or at least a lot less people complaining), there doesn't seem to be more than isolated problems with the lighting on readers today. A poorly done light would be equally suicidal for Sony as no light.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by jersysman

Sony is definitely misreading the consumer here reference the light. I see the vast majority of the new owners of this reader will be previous Sony owners. They will not get many of the shoppers buying the first reader. They will not get many converts from other brands. Maybe they do not believe it, but for the vast majority, once shoppers have experienced a frontlit reader they will not be going to a non-lit screen again. Sure, there will be some who will, but not enough to make a dent in what would be needed to make inroads on Amazon and Kobo.

Not quite sure who you mean by previous Sony owners. Do you mean people who have only owned Sony or those who have owned a Sony or a kindle as well?

I am a previous owner of Kindle and now own Kobo and Sony readers.

The kindles and Kobos have nicer screens, but fall far behind software wise IMO. Sony doesn't have as many bells and whistles, but the few they have work for the most part.

Kindles are reliable and fairly consistent, but the one I had the collections kept changing order.

Kobos have nice features, some of which almost seem to work, but so many errors in basic programming such as sorting and page turning, that I can't list 1/2 of them without dredging my memory.

Sony 350 and 650 were 100% rock solid performance wise. The T1 has the occasional software error, and fairly frequent page turning errors and battery discharge problems, which manifest every month or so, but overall works just as it should. The sorts sort, The books open at the last page read and the collection management is fast easy to get to, reads pretty well every epub correctly even if the underlying CSS is not perfection.

I don't care for the lighted cover, but I used it a lot for reading on the balcony at night. The Kobo Aura light seems to cause me eyestrain, but is far more convenient. Neither is that great so probably not a deciding factor for me.

When the Sony comes out I will probably buy it if the screen is much better when compared side but side to the T1 or T2 or their are significant software improvements.

I would buy a kindle for the same reasons and if if the collection management were better as well.

Nothing could convince me to buy even a free book from Kobo at this point in time. They just seem to be a one step forward and two steps back kind of operation.

Helen

[Ripplinger]

My Sony 350s are still my favorite ereader, but when I'm out, it's usually the Kobo Glo I take because I need the light. Just riding public transportation, you're in and out of tunnels where you'd have to pop the light on and off constantly with a clip on light or lighted cover. With the front light, you don't have to do a thing, there's zero interruption to your reading as you go into dark and bright areas.

Not to mention how really geeky the lighted covers with arms extending over the text look .

So even for me, while I really want the Sony stability and software, I really want a front-lit screen as well.