Considering a Mini Reader

[pendragginp]

Yes, Sony made beautiful readers. Too bad they were not reliable about other things.

I still have my 650 and it's gorgeous.

[hardcastle]

I appreciate everyone's input in this thread. I think I'm going to go with the Kobo Mini. It is getting hard to find, so I better get it soon! Perhaps even today.

A note to ponder: I checked the official Kobo Mini page and the text says the following:

The no-glare Pearl E Ink touchscreen

Which they state a few times. So I guess the Kobo Mini is Pearl after all? Could be a minor detail they missed when proofreading the website.

[teija]

Originally Posted by booklover6

Yeah, not sure why I didn't try that one. Maybe because of the color, I don't like the silver or the pink.

Ah! Then in that case, that is a good enough reason in my books (I am a sucker for colours/form factor... maybe why I love my white Mini so much)!

[teija]

Originally Posted by hardcastle

So I guess the Kobo Mini is Pearl after all? Could be a minor detail they missed when proofreading the website.

I seem to recall from early last year when I was looking into my first eReader (Kobo Mini) that they DO use basically an earlier (?) version of Pearl eInk, it's just called something different.

Having said that, I could be completely wrong on that and await correction from our dedicated group of Kobo fans...

[ApK]

Originally Posted by hardcastle

Which they state a few times. So I guess the Kobo Mini is Pearl after all? Could be a minor detail they missed when proofreading the website.

I asked about this when I noticed my PRS-350 listed the display as "Vizplex" in it's About info.

Apparently Pearl IS Vizplex. It's Vizplex 2 or something like that. I can't find the the thread at the moment, but I remember being satisfied that it WAS Pearl, and the "Vizplex" reference was also correct.

Perhaps who ever explained it to me then will chime in again now.

BTW, the PRS-350 is the reader my son uses. He likes it a lot.
I vastly prefer my K3 for a few reasons, but I do appreciate the compact, sturdy feel and the display quality on the 350. Maybe the have some on clearance somewhere. The battery on ours seems to be holding up OK.

[hardcastle]

I guess it makes sense from a hardware development standpoint. I know in software development, it's hard to separate one version from another and it can all be very fuzzy. It's usually the marketing that steps in to make a separation.

Thanks for the info, everyone.

[soulfuldog]

I remember reading about that too ApK, and think you are absolutely correct. The screens on the Mini and 350 aren't quite as good as (for example) the Sony T1 or Kindle Touch. I certainly felt my old Kindle Keyboard had a better looking screen than my 350, but it's pretty negligible. And they make up for that in their neat size, and at least in the case of the 350, it's solid but compact feel.

On looks alone my blue Sony 350 is my favourite:



However, looking at the 3 ereaders currently in my house, with the displays off on them all, you can see the improvements in the screen tech. The attached image shows the PW on the left with a far lighter looking screen.

[J_K]

Wikipedia says "Vizplex is sometimes used to refer to specifically the first-generation of the line, in order to distinguish it from further generations, though properly speaking, Pearl and Triton are also types of Vizplex displays, as indicated by the text "E Ink Vizplex" at the bottom of startup screens for those displays."

As they are being sold off (very) cheaply in the UK, I recently bought a Kobo Touch and then a Kobo Mini.

The Mini is fantastic for its size and weight. Truly pocket size so you can take it anywhere. In comparison to the Pearl screen on the Touch, though, the Vizplex screen on the Mini is not as good. A sort of greenish tint to the background, which I don't like as much as the more neutral grey on the Touch, and the text is noticeably not as dark and black on the Mini.

But the Mini is great if you want something you can carry around.

[teija]

Originally Posted by J_K

In comparison to the Pearl screen on the Touch, though, the Vizplex screen on the Mini is not as good. A sort of greenish tint to the background...

I use my Mini almost all of the time in bright-light situations (because it's so portable it is great to take on holidays: sitting outside in the sun, reading a book, by the pool in Las Vegas, etc)... in that instance, the light is so blinding and/or I have sunglasses on, so I never notice any colour tint, and the contrast is usually fine for me.

Ack! Now I am looking out the window at this dreary grey day and wishing I was on a beach!!

[TheMatrix]

Another vote for the Mini. Its so light and compact and great for travel. Reading on it is not a problem. I picked up a cheap clip light for nighttime reading.

[teija]

I got a good deal on one of these Verso lights and it seems to do the trick for me...so I have a "lighted" mini e-Reader for a grand total of about $50 CAD.

[jj2me]

Originally Posted by soulfuldog

I certainly felt my old Kindle Keyboard had a better looking screen than my 350, but it's pretty negligible. And they make up for that in their neat size, and at least in the case of the 350, it's solid but compact feel.

I have three PRS-350s and a Kindle Keyboard, and see it the same as you do.