Side by Side screen comparison: 505 & 700 - Page 8

astra · 11-11-2008, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MerLock

Not sure how much I trust the judgment of those sales people after one said the device has 5 hours of battery life under normal reading conditions.

If they are as knowledgeable as sales people in PC World shops in the UK, I would not waste my time even to ask a question...

As the saying goes

Quote:

pay peanuts, you get monkeys

Sonist · 11-11-2008, 01:02 PM

The "5 hours battery life" rumor should be put to bed: I read for another 3 or so hours last night, for a total of about 8 hours, and the battery indicator is still at "FULL." This is without using the built-in light.

Response is overall very peppy. Controls are very intuitive and gestures rock.

The screen is totally fine under strong light (like the Magic Light clipped to it,) and even though the contrast is not great, it does not seem to tire my eyes after extended reading.

I do have a problem with the screen when there is no strong, direct light. It is basically unreadable in such conditions.

I am really starting to think I need a larger screen though....

pilotbob · 11-11-2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonist

The screen is totally fine under strong light (like the Magic Light clipped to it,) and even though the contrast is not great, it does not seem to tire my eyes after extended reading.

What is this "Magic Light" you speak of. Is it a party light?

BOb

Sonist · 11-11-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

What is this "Magic Light" you speak of. Is it a party light?

BOb

Eh, I thought this is what the clip-on reading light I have was called, but guess not:-)

http://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Bright-...6427646&sr=8-4

zelda_pinwheel · 11-11-2008, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonist

The "5 hours battery life" rumor should be put to bed: I read for another 3 or so hours last night, for a total of about 8 hours, and the battery indicator is still at "FULL." This is without using the built-in light.

Response is overall very peppy. Controls are very intuitive and gestures rock.

The screen is totally fine under strong light (like the Magic Light clipped to it,) and even though the contrast is not great, it does not seem to tire my eyes after extended reading.

I do have a problem with the screen when there is no strong, direct light. It is basically unreadable in such conditions.

I am really starting to think I need a larger screen though....

thanks for the further review ! a couple of questions, if you don't mind.

1. just how "strong and direct" does the light have to be ? i generally read in bed with a small lamp. it's directly overhead, and i can read even a rather cheaply printed paper book by its light with no troubles (and a cybook e-ink screen also presents no problem), but it's not excessively bright, either. is ambient light from a lamp bright enough for you ?

2. when reading, is there a problem with glare on the screen ? enough to get in the way of reading ? enough to be noticeable ?

please do let us know when you eventually have to charge the battery, as well !

cheers.

Sonist · 11-11-2008, 02:35 PM

I have a 70-watt table light on my side of the bed, and I don't find it enough for comfortable reading on the PRS-700. For my taste, it would have to be either direct sunlight, or a clip on shining directly on the screen.

I have about 8 hours of reading with the clip on light attached to the cover, and I find the combination pretty good. I did read for about 30 minutes in bed this morning, and needed to turn on the clip on light to be comfortable (my bedroom has floor to ceiling windows, but also a ton of vegetation outside and no direct sun - so never really bright.)

Regarding the reflection, I haven't really read during the day (work gets in the way,) but it hasn't really bothered me. With a clip on, I can control the position of the light source, so it's easy to avoid the reflection.

I do think I want a larger screen though, and I do need to be able to read in less than optimum light conditions, so I will not keep the Sony. On the other hand, I am fairly picky - I'd never read a book on any PDA or LCD screen, even on my iPhone, which has the best screen of any PDA or phone I've ever seen (and it's way, way too small for me - I want the size of a full page:-)

zelda_pinwheel · 11-11-2008, 02:44 PM

thanks for the reply.

lisreed · 11-11-2008, 03:34 PM

I received my 700 today and have used it for a couple of hours. I have to say I really love it. The design is very nice. Looks even more bookish then the 505. Very clean design with little to detract from the written word. The case also is very nice. A bit nicer than the stock case for the 505. Textured style with Sony embossed on the front. Still very light and not bulky at all.

Page turning is fast. The page turning with the screen takes some getting used to but very nice . I prefer it to pushing buttons. The stylus works great as well. I like that I can choose covers of the books when selecting from my library. If you do want to use the page turning buttons, I found them to be remarkably softer to push than the buttons on the 505. The backflash is less notable as well.

The screen--- well without any lights on it does reflect and unless you are in direct sunlight, I personally wouldn't want to use it without the light on. With the light on with the low setting it is as clear as the 505 was with a lighted case. I compared it to a paperback I was reading and its crisper and clearer with the light so no problem there. Also when the light is on most of the glare disappears. I should get 8 hours battery life if I use it with the light on low so thats what I plan to do. I will just charge it before I go to bed at nite. No big deal. For the extras I get with this reader, I am pleased. And the battery drainage when using the light isn't a concern for me. I had a lighted cover for the 505 and I think this is about the same in how the light works. Actually better because that had a frosted tint that annoyed me. Plus charging my reader daily is preferable to me than changing the batteries all the time. The lighted cover also added 5 ounces weight so than was a negative.

So I am pleased. I think they basically put the side lighting in to compensate for the loss of some screen clarity . Its not for everyone but I know I will like it.

DDHarriman · 11-11-2008, 03:53 PM

Sonist

The Cybook has 3 options that maybe you will like:

1 - you can put on it several fonts, and change between them at will;
2 - you have 12 sizes in the fonts to choose;
3 - and, this is the one, you can bold the font you are reading activating an option on the reader!

This last one is the option I use at night for reading or in low light ambience.
For bed reading I use this option activated too, with a normal light it’s just perfect!

Good reading,

Ler0y Jenkins · 11-11-2008, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisreed

I received my 700 today and have used it for a couple of hours. I have to say I really love it. The design is very nice. Looks even more bookish then the 505. Very clean design with little to detract from the written word. The case also is very nice. A bit nicer than the stock case for the 505. Textured style with Sony embossed on the front. Still very light and not bulky at all.

Page turning is fast. The page turning with the screen takes some getting used to but very nice . I prefer it to pushing buttons. The stylus works great as well. I like that I can choose covers of the books when selecting from my library. If you do want to use the page turning buttons, I found them to be remarkably softer to push than the buttons on the 505. The backflash is less notable as well.

The screen--- well without any lights on it does reflect and unless you are in direct sunlight, I personally wouldn't want to use it without the light on. With the light on with the low setting it is as clear as the 505 was with a lighted case. I compared it to a paperback I was reading and its crisper and clearer with the light so no problem there. Also when the light is on most of the glare disappears. I should get 8 hours battery life if I use it with the light on low so thats what I plan to do. I will just charge it before I go to bed at nite. No big deal. For the extras I get with this reader, I am pleased. And the battery drainage when using the light isn't a concern for me. I had a lighted cover for the 505 and I think this is about the same in how the light works. Actually better because that had a frosted tint that annoyed me. Plus charging my reader daily is preferable to me than changing the batteries all the time. The lighted cover also added 5 ounces weight so than was a negative.

So I am pleased. I think they basically put the side lighting in to compensate for the loss of some screen clarity . Its not for everyone but I know I will like it.

Makes me wonder if Sony went with an inferior screen figuring that the light would make up for it??

lisreed · 11-11-2008, 05:47 PM

well I don't think there is much choice. The touch screen I imagine had to be an extra layer. I assume anyway.

To me ergonomics are the most important thing so its good for me. I appreciate not having to push buttons to read and I like the side lights.

astra · 11-12-2008, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonist

I want the size of a full page:-)

I dream about Sony making a reader similar to 505 but 8-9" screen size.
It is the perfect reader for me.

astra · 11-12-2008, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ler0y Jenkins

Makes me wonder if Sony went with an inferior screen figuring that the light would make up for it??

Impossible.
If you have light on all the time, then how long will the battery hold? 5h? 10h? 12hh? at most? Such a fall from 2 weeks of holding the charge, would be a disaster.

Sonist · 11-12-2008, 12:32 PM

Regarding the battery life of the 700, this morning I had the battery indicator drop one bar.

So, based on my experience so far, my guesstimate would be that the battery life is close to 2 weeks with normal use. This is with virtually 100% touch page flipping and very rare usage of the internal light.

sayhello · 11-12-2008, 10:48 PM

I just got my 700 this evening. I really wanted to believe the screen difference was just an over-reaction, but I have to admit, the screen on the 700 can't hold a candle to my 505.

The difference is night and day. I went & laid in bed, where I use my eReader a lot, with my bedside lamp, and I could barely read the 700. And I could see myself reflected in the screen clearly. It was really distracting. I never noticed such a thing with the 505.

I'm really disappointed. I *love* the features. The search function was something I *really* wanted (it was the one thing on the Kindle I coveted), but I don't think I'm willing to give up the clarity & readability for that. *Having* to use the built-in light all the time just isn't a good option.

I'm waiting for my 700 to finish charging right now, so that I can load some of my Word documents on it (that's what I read the most) so I can do an apples-to-apples compare. But I'm not holding out much hope.

I was *so* looking forward to the 700. I'm pretty sure it's getting returned, and I'll just wait for the 705... Hopefully, they'll figure out how to make the screen as sharp as the 505. I'm just not willing to give that up. I might if the 505 bites the dust, but at this point, with a functioning 505, the 700 is not enough of an upgrade to be worth it.

Anybody know what the return process is if you bought it direct from Sony?

Sayhello

11-11-2008, 05:47 PM	#116
lisreed Addict Posts: 281 Karma: 1301 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Upstate NY Device: Nook GlowLight 3	well I don't think there is much choice. The touch screen I imagine had to be an extra layer. I assume anyway. To me ergonomics are the most important thing so its good for me. I appreciate not having to push buttons to read and I like the side lights. Last edited by lisreed; 11-11-2008 at 05:52 PM.

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11-11-2008, 01:02 PM	#107
Sonist Apeist Posts: 2,126 Karma: 381090 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The sunny part of California Device: Generic virtual reality story-experiential device	The "5 hours battery life" rumor should be put to bed: I read for another 3 or so hours last night, for a total of about 8 hours, and the battery indicator is still at "FULL." This is without using the built-in light. Response is overall very peppy. Controls are very intuitive and gestures rock. The screen is totally fine under strong light (like the Magic Light clipped to it,) and even though the contrast is not great, it does not seem to tire my eyes after extended reading. I do have a problem with the screen when there is no strong, direct light. It is basically unreadable in such conditions. I am really starting to think I need a larger screen though....

11-11-2008, 02:35 PM	#111
Sonist Apeist Posts: 2,126 Karma: 381090 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The sunny part of California Device: Generic virtual reality story-experiential device	I have a 70-watt table light on my side of the bed, and I don't find it enough for comfortable reading on the PRS-700. For my taste, it would have to be either direct sunlight, or a clip on shining directly on the screen. I have about 8 hours of reading with the clip on light attached to the cover, and I find the combination pretty good. I did read for about 30 minutes in bed this morning, and needed to turn on the clip on light to be comfortable (my bedroom has floor to ceiling windows, but also a ton of vegetation outside and no direct sun - so never really bright.) Regarding the reflection, I haven't really read during the day (work gets in the way,) but it hasn't really bothered me. With a clip on, I can control the position of the light source, so it's easy to avoid the reflection. I do think I want a larger screen though, and I do need to be able to read in less than optimum light conditions, so I will not keep the Sony. On the other hand, I am fairly picky - I'd never read a book on any PDA or LCD screen, even on my iPhone, which has the best screen of any PDA or phone I've ever seen (and it's way, way too small for me - I want the size of a full page:-)

11-11-2008, 02:44 PM	#112
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	thanks for the reply.

11-11-2008, 03:34 PM	#113
lisreed Addict Posts: 281 Karma: 1301 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Upstate NY Device: Nook GlowLight 3	I received my 700 today and have used it for a couple of hours. I have to say I really love it. The design is very nice. Looks even more bookish then the 505. Very clean design with little to detract from the written word. The case also is very nice. A bit nicer than the stock case for the 505. Textured style with Sony embossed on the front. Still very light and not bulky at all. Page turning is fast. The page turning with the screen takes some getting used to but very nice . I prefer it to pushing buttons. The stylus works great as well. I like that I can choose covers of the books when selecting from my library. If you do want to use the page turning buttons, I found them to be remarkably softer to push than the buttons on the 505. The backflash is less notable as well. The screen--- well without any lights on it does reflect and unless you are in direct sunlight, I personally wouldn't want to use it without the light on. With the light on with the low setting it is as clear as the 505 was with a lighted case. I compared it to a paperback I was reading and its crisper and clearer with the light so no problem there. Also when the light is on most of the glare disappears. I should get 8 hours battery life if I use it with the light on low so thats what I plan to do. I will just charge it before I go to bed at nite. No big deal. For the extras I get with this reader, I am pleased. And the battery drainage when using the light isn't a concern for me. I had a lighted cover for the 505 and I think this is about the same in how the light works. Actually better because that had a frosted tint that annoyed me. Plus charging my reader daily is preferable to me than changing the batteries all the time. The lighted cover also added 5 ounces weight so than was a negative. So I am pleased. I think they basically put the side lighting in to compensate for the loss of some screen clarity . Its not for everyone but I know I will like it.

11-11-2008, 03:53 PM	#114
DDHarriman Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 4380 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Almada, Portugal Device: Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS 505, Kindle DXG and Samsung Galaxy Note	Sonist The Cybook has 3 options that maybe you will like: 1 - you can put on it several fonts, and change between them at will; 2 - you have 12 sizes in the fonts to choose; 3 - and, this is the one, you can bold the font you are reading activating an option on the reader! This last one is the option I use at night for reading or in low light ambience. For bed reading I use this option activated too, with a normal light it’s just perfect! Good reading,

11-12-2008, 12:32 PM	#119
Sonist Apeist Posts: 2,126 Karma: 381090 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The sunny part of California Device: Generic virtual reality story-experiential device	Regarding the battery life of the 700, this morning I had the battery indicator drop one bar. So, based on my experience so far, my guesstimate would be that the battery life is close to 2 weeks with normal use. This is with virtually 100% touch page flipping and very rare usage of the internal light.

11-12-2008, 10:48 PM	#120
sayhello Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 373 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505 (Blue!), PRS-650 (Black), iPad, iPod Touch	I just got my 700 this evening. I really wanted to believe the screen difference was just an over-reaction, but I have to admit, the screen on the 700 can't hold a candle to my 505. The difference is night and day. I went & laid in bed, where I use my eReader a lot, with my bedside lamp, and I could barely read the 700. And I could see myself reflected in the screen clearly. It was really distracting. I never noticed such a thing with the 505. I'm really disappointed. I love the features. The search function was something I really wanted (it was the one thing on the Kindle I coveted), but I don't think I'm willing to give up the clarity & readability for that. Having to use the built-in light all the time just isn't a good option. I'm waiting for my 700 to finish charging right now, so that I can load some of my Word documents on it (that's what I read the most) so I can do an apples-to-apples compare. But I'm not holding out much hope. I was so looking forward to the 700. I'm pretty sure it's getting returned, and I'll just wait for the 705... Hopefully, they'll figure out how to make the screen as sharp as the 505. I'm just not willing to give that up. I might if the 505 bites the dust, but at this point, with a functioning 505, the 700 is not enough of an upgrade to be worth it. Anybody know what the return process is if you bought it direct from Sony? Sayhello