Sony's new 13.3" digital paper DPTRP1 released

[terekkincaid]

Originally Posted by wmcl

That's awesome - thanks for sharing, Larry. Has anyone tested to see if the device allows for nested subfolders?

Yes, it does, and it can sync them as well; if you set a folder as a sync folder, it will sync all of the subfolders as well.

[wmcl]

Originally Posted by terekkincaid

Yes, it does, and it can sync them as well; if you set a folder as a sync folder, it will sync all of the subfolders as well.

That's awesome - thank you so much! :-)

[xoanohn]

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

My unit has a slight bit of waviness on the bezel area next to the home button and above the power button and reset port that can be seen at an angle and felt when running a dumb over it. Does anyone else notice this too or is it just this particular unit?

Thanks

Can you take a pic?

[LarryNYC]

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

My unit has a slight bit of waviness on the bezel area next to the home button and above the power button and reset port that can be seen at an angle and felt when running a dumb over it. Does anyone else notice this too or is it just this particular unit?

Thanks

I think I see what you mean. I think it's unavoidable as that's the part of the bezel that you're pressing when you activate the home button, and I think pressing the button causes the waviness. There is a button underneath the bezel, isn't there?

[fgdas]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't disagree, but this is a device targetted specifically at business users; it's never been claimed to be aimed at a wider audience.

Your claims are wonderful but wrong. For your information:
http://www.sony.jp/digital-paper/scene/

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by fgdas

Your claims are wonderful but wrong. For your information:
http://www.sony.jp/digital-paper/scene/

Thanks - I'm pleased you enjoy them .

It strikes me the all the illustrations and screen-shots in Sony's advertising material are aimed very firmly at the business and academic communities:

https://www.sony.com/electronics/dig...tepads/dpt-rp1

Everyone's in either a business suit or an academic environment, and all the screen shots are of business-type documents. Do you disagree?

[The-eBook-Reader]

Originally Posted by xoanohn

Can you take a pic?

Sure. Like Larry said it's probably unavoidable because the device is so thin and they have to fit the buttons and ports there, but I just wanted to make sure since I'm going to have to resell it in a couple months after I'm done reviewing it.

[olav-norway]

First english video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBWzL5_uarw

[terekkincaid]

Originally Posted by olav-norway

First english video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBWzL5_uarw

Haha, holy crap, I just came to post the link to my own video. That's what I get for taking lunch while it uploads :P

Sorry for the crappy framing, there's a couple of times I poke at stuff slightly off screen - my camera cut it off it seems. But hopefully you all get the gist of it.

[terekkincaid]

Originally Posted by The-eBook-Reader

My unit has a slight bit of waviness on the bezel area next to the home button and above the power button and reset port that can be seen at an angle and felt when running a dumb over it. Does anyone else notice this too or is it just this particular unit?

Thanks

Yep, I noticed that, too. I didn't realize it until I got my unit, but the home button is not capacitive, it's a physical clicky button. It's slightly raised above the rest of the screen and that's what seems to give it that wave.

[LarryNYC]

Originally Posted by olav-norway

First english video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBWzL5_uarw

First of all, great job on the video!

I think there will always be tension between writing freeform notes and typing up text on a device like this one. I don't think people will be happy with a keyboard interface and typing up a lot of text, it will be a slow and clunky process and will invite complaints.

What if Sony gave us a mode where they allowed you to pair a handwritten note page with each page in a PDF that you're reviewing? That way, you could write some things on the PDF document, and refer to a longer description on the attached handwritten note page.

Two page spread mode is perfect for this application. I think it would be cool to be able to transform a PDF in this way and it doesn't seem that hard to me, from a programming point of view.

Later on, you could export the whole PDF document, and type up your handwritten notes.

I just realized is that you didn't show handwriting in your video review, and that, to me, is the most important feature of the device.

[terekkincaid]

Originally Posted by LarryNYC

I think there will always be tension between writing freeform notes and typing up text on a device like this one. I don't think people will be happy with a keyboard interface and typing up a lot of text, it will be a slow and clunky process and will invite complaints.

What if Sony gave us a mode where they allowed you to pair a handwritten note page with each page in a PDF that you're reviewing? That way, you could write some things on the PDF document, and refer to a longer description on the attached handwritten note page.

Two page spread mode is perfect for this application. I think it would be cool to be able to transform a PDF in this way and it doesn't seem that hard to me, from a programming point of view.

Later on, you could export the whole PDF document, and type up your handwritten notes.

That is a possible work around, but it defeats the main purpose of getting a reader with a 13" screen: if I have to use half of the screen to take notes the way I want to, then I only get half of the screen for reading the paper. I'm back to zooming and scrolling or squinting. I don't even need to have text entry, I'd just like a pop-up place to write that isn't on the text proper - if I have a lot of notes, it looks messy.

Again, it's just disappointing since the DPT-S1 already does it and it seems to do it well. They got rid of a feature for what looks like no good reason.

[juegos]

Originally Posted by olav-norway

First english video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBWzL5_uarw

Thanks for the review.

It's terrible indeed that they removed not only the browser / direct cloud download option (in fact, no access to internet at all on the device) but also the keyboard function.

So say you want to go to page 223 of a huge pdf file, you have to use the little scroll bar that is very inaccurate - and be lucky - you can't just type 223 since there is no keyboard option. And remember that this is eInk technology so you cant just scroll quickly through pages as on a conventional tablet.

Also as you mention, no longer a fillable forms option as in the S1 as only writing is possible.

The hardware improvements of the DPT RP1 are great but they've taken an astonishing step back software-wise by removing many useful features from the DPT S1.

[LarryNYC]

Originally Posted by terekkincaid

That is a possible work around, but it defeats the main purpose of getting a reader with a 13" screen: if I have to use half of the screen to take notes the way I want to, then I only get half of the screen for reading the paper. I'm back to zooming and scrolling or squinting. I don't even need to have text entry, I'd just like a pop-up place to write that isn't on the text proper - if I have a lot of notes, it looks messy.

Again, it's just disappointing since the DPT-S1 already does it and it seems to do it well. They got rid of a feature for what looks like no good reason.

You wouldn't have to use two page spread mode, that was just a suggestion. Paging is so quick that I don't think it would be that onerous to page ahead to take some notes, and page back to keep reading.

I'll be honest, I never used the annotation feature on the S1. So, I just tried it, and I would not have tolerated the speed of typing on the keyboard. Writing up a Sticky Note is ok, maybe they'll give us that in the future. My suggestion is a relatively simple way to provide that feature.

[LarryNYC]

I remember back when we thought the S1 was the end of the line and I was stockpiling S1 supplies to keep mine going as long as possible. ;-)

Now, we have the luxury of complaining about the second generation of the device.

I just want to say thanks to Sony for staying in the game and putting out the RP1. Software can be improved, features can always be added. They've done a great job of getting the device to market.

I love mine and I won't be returning it, no way. There is no other device that comes close to its capabilities in terms of taking handwritten notes and displaying a full-sized page of text. I don't know why people keep saying it is not an eReader because I can easily convert EPUB documents to read on it. Ok, I can't buy Kindle books, I'll live, I also own a Kindle.