PRS-700 First Hands-On!!! - Page 2

HarryT · 10-03-2008, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

It's funny actually. I said quite a while ago on this forum when people were talking about wanting "back lite" eInk... and Harry and others said it could be done. I suggested that a device with a lighted screen could be done by using lights mounted along the side in front of the screen similar to how some car dash boards or airplane dashboards are done. But, everyone told me that wasn't practical.

No, I said that backlighting couldn't be done (for the simple reason that the screen is opaque). The proliferation of "lightwedge"-style covers clearly shows that sidelighting is very practical.

Indigo Ink · 10-03-2008, 04:50 AM

A hands on report from cnet

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10057331-1.html

pilotbob · 10-03-2008, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, I said that backlighting couldn't be done (for the simple reason that the screen is opaque). The proliferation of "lightwedge"-style covers clearly shows that sidelighting is very practical.

Right... sorry... an example of my mind being faster than my fingers. I edited my original post to fix this.

BOb

redbaron101 · 10-03-2008, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, I said that backlighting couldn't be done (for the simple reason that the screen is opaque). The proliferation of "lightwedge"-style covers clearly shows that sidelighting is very practical.

yeah, backlighting has been around for ages - even my old palm t3 had tiny led lights just on the inside edge of the screen (if you looked carefully enough)

grimo1re · 10-03-2008, 09:21 AM

Yep, I want it even more now. Oh man!

Amalthia · 10-03-2008, 02:06 PM

I know this is probably a dumb question, but where's the bookmark button?

pilotbob · 10-03-2008, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amalthia

I know this is probably a dumb question, but where's the bookmark button?

My guess is the you touch the top right corner of the screen to bookmark. The little fake dog ear icon is still in that location.

BOb

RickyMaveety · 10-03-2008, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redbaron101

yeah, backlighting has been around for ages - even my old palm t3 had tiny led lights just on the inside edge of the screen (if you looked carefully enough)

That's not backlighting.

bazzz · 10-03-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, I said that backlighting couldn't be done (for the simple reason that the screen is opaque). The proliferation of "lightwedge"-style covers clearly shows that sidelighting is very practical.

Heard that argument a thousand times... Pages in regular books are opaque too. Put some lightsource behind that page and the light will shine through.

Why should that be impossible with eInk?

ny10522 · 10-03-2008, 05:05 PM

Why no mention of dictionary support?

NatCh · 10-03-2008, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bazzz

Heard that argument a thousand times... Pages in regular books are opaque too. Put some lightsource behind that page and the light will shine through.

Why should that be impossible with eInk?

Paper is not completely opaque, it's slightly translucent. Backlighting e-ink is closer to trying to backlight cardboard.

E-ink works by moving particles (black and white) up and down in little bubbles. Regardless of whether a given bubble is black or white, both sets of particles are still inside it, and will block the light equally. Even if the substrate weren't also completely opaque (which it probably is), the fact that all the particles are there regardless of state, would give you a pretty close to uniform blockage of light.

Actually, your example of putting a light behind a page is a good one: when you do that, you see the text on this side of the page, and strong shadows of the text on the other side as well, making it rather difficult to read. Same deal with e-ink, except there's no spaces between and around the letters, effectively the whole page is covered, one "side" or the other, with ink, making it impossible to read.

pilotbob · 10-03-2008, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bazzz

Pages in regular books are opaque too. Put some lightsource behind that page and the light will shine through.

Considering the definition of opaque is "impenetrable to light"... your second sentence proves that the first is incorrect.

BOb

DrMoze · 10-03-2008, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

I must have missed that discussion, because I'd've chimed in that while backlighting e-ink is impossible due to its opacity, some sort of frontlighting is an interesting idea. I've actually been talking about it since some time in '06, I think.

The frontlight cover that Sony recently put out is an obvious evidence that the concept works.

The lightwedge-based frontlight has been used fort a long tine now. They were using them as aftermarket mods on the original unlit Gameboy Advance. (The old Afterburner kits, circa 2001-2002.) The Sony frontlight is just a slight resizing of old, proven technology.

Be Szpilman · 10-06-2008, 11:09 PM

I hope that keyboard can be displayed landscape mode as to be big enough to touch type. Picking letters from a tiny keyboard is not my thing. Besides, having an actual usable keyboard means I can stop lugging both the Reader and my Alphasmart around, the 700 doing it for both.

KDawg · 10-11-2008, 10:16 AM

Does the PRS-700 have a metal case like previous Sony Readers? Just my own personal gadget fetish.

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10-03-2008, 04:50 AM	#17
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10-03-2008, 05:05 PM	#25
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10-06-2008, 11:09 PM	#29
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10-11-2008, 10:16 AM	#30
KDawg Junior Senior Posts: 94 Karma: 81 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: nookColor, nook, PRS-900, PRS-505, PRS-500, Kindle PW, Kindle Oasis	Does the PRS-700 have a metal case like previous Sony Readers? Just my own personal gadget fetish.