Anyone own a 505 and a 600?

[mmmkay]

I played around with both units at a local Sony style retail store a couple weeks ago. The bright overhead halogen lamps they have in the store really made the PRS-600 look weak compared to the 505 and 300. There was so much glare.

I ended up getting a PRS-600 a few days ago since it was much MUCH quicker for rendering PDF. The touch screen and additional feature set make it a better choice for me also.

[babyd]

I have both the 505 and 600. At first it bugged me about the 505 screen being clearer, but I have to say I only read from the 600 now. I much prefer the interface, the speed, the extra memory capacity, the dictionary and the layout of the hardware to the 505. I don't even notice the clarity issue now, unless I put it next to my 505, and when will you actually do this in actual use? I have never regretted getting my 600 and use it exclusively now, and I do have a 505 to compare to. If this is your sole reader I doubt you will have issues.....I promise, once you start reading you just enjoy it and don't worry anymore.

[RobP]

The Red PRS600 finally arrived!

I eagerly unpacked it and plugged it into the usb port and read the manual whilst it was charging.

Once the logo appeared followed by the USB charging message, I started to think that maybe I made a mistake. The text looked really washed out and the screen appeared to be more LCD than e-Ink.

At that point I was thinking I should have got the 505...

However, after charging I ran the setup routine and straight away the screen looked a whole lot better. The text became very dark and pixel like nature of the screen (even in the blank areas) was completely gone!

Pulled up one of the demo eBooks and was astounded at the clarity of the display - I can't get over how clear it is - must make a point to see a real 300 or 505 - surely these cannot be much better?

There is glare and reflections, but no where near the amount I was expecting. In fact I get more glare and reflections off my Mac 24" LED monitor than I do of the PRS-600.

I can see that I'm going to be very happy with this purchase - glad I stuck with the PRS 600!

RobP

[amjbrown]

Congratulations! Glad you are pleased with the end result.

Enjoy.

amjb

[sigma8]

Hi Rob, sounds like you are happy with your new purchase. I just wanted to add a postscript that hopefully only adds to your satisfaction level..

If my 505 broke today, I wouldn't bother trying to replace it with another 505. Assuming I stuck with Sony, I'd get either a 600 or a DE (my assumption is the DE's screen will be similar to the 600...just bigger). The screen quality gap still exists, but it's not as bad as it was with the 700, and longer big enough to miss out on all the extra features, imo.

Even if I have no immediate plans for the annotation or some of the other features, I consider these devices multi-year investments. I may find myself relying on an unrequested features as my habits change.

If you really are only going to be reading light fiction that's designed for ebook displays, you could always grab a 300. They're cheap, more pocketable, and have great screens...virtues that are perhaps different enough that you could own two readers without feeling too indulgent.

[mmmkay]

Annotation is nice, but I found it very slow - as in responsiveness of the UI.

I know you can draw slower so that the screen updates in real-time, but that's kind of a hassle. I usually just highlight things and if I can't (like pictures) I'll circle them and refer back to it later.

[sirmaru]

I own a 505 and am very happy with it. However, I just ordered a 900 and the Sony Style site says its scheduled for shipping on Dec 10.

Each Reader has its pros and cons. I'll keep the latest and give the old one to my grandkids.