PRS-600 Any news on next-gen readers from Sony?

Sony and other reader manufacturers definitely need to listen to the complaints from their customers. For me I want more user control over the format of books. I want to be able to easily change fonts, margins, font weights, etc. These are things they could improve through firmware enhancements.

As far as screens, until a better and affordable technology arrives, they need to find alternative ways for screen interaction. None of the Sony touch screens are very good. They are all blurry and too reflective. The Kindles are too difficult and slow to use for notes and markup with their little mouselike button and useless keyboard. The Nook tried to improve on the Kindle concept by using a touchpad like technology ala a seperate LCD, but it too is not very good. I want the clarity of the 505 and 300 screens with a different but very usable markup technology. Overlaying the e-Ink screen with a touch layer is never going to work. I think the old tried and proven touchpad technology on my Netbook would be better than anything I've seen on any of the e-Ink readers.

And no, I don't want a reader with a LCD screen like the iPad. The LCDs are hard on your eyes due to the space around each pixel. An example from my computer LCD is shown in the image. I enlarged the image 15x, snapped from this forum page, it shows what your eyes can see and why over extended periods of reading you can have problems. the greater the space between the pixels the harder it is on your eyes.

...

[dorino]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I don't want a touch screen. I can't be the only one who reads while eating Cheetos or doing other things that are very, very bad for touch screens.

You're not. However, I navigate to my book before I begin dirtying my fingers, and then I use the page turn BUTTONS on the PRS-600.


jswinden: My touch screen isn't blurry at all. It's just as sharp as the PRS-300, but it does have worse contrast (darker background)

Touchpads have no reason not to work on e-reader devices. It needs to be improved, but it can work and is a great way of screen interaction.
of course, having buttons + touch screen is even better. That's why I like tablet PCs with keyboards.

Originally Posted by dorino

...My touch screen isn't blurry at all. It's just as sharp as the PRS-300...

I own a 300 and a 900, and previously owned a 505 and a 600. I seriously doubt that your 600 screen is as crisp and readable as the 300. There is no way that you can place a piece of translucent plastic in front of the e-Ink screen and not degrade the view considerably.

[cme]

Just wanted to share my experiences with the 300, 505 and 600.

Yesterday I damaged my 505. I still am able to turn the screen on and flip pages, but some buttons don't work. Though being annoyed, I thought it was a good chance of getting a new reader

So after watching some videos on youtube and browsing mobileread forums for pics and reviews on the sony devices, I went to a bookstore today, which sells the sony readers, to see the differences for myself.

The 300 is very small - too small for my taste. Yes its light and easy to handle and maybe even pocketable with the right pants ..., but only having a 5 inch display is not really satisfying. Especially with an 4.3 inch display on my mobile phone ... But on the other hand contrast was fantastic and everything was perfectly sharp. And yes, it was definitely sharper than the 600 and the 505 (I took with me). But that was pretty clear to me, before handling the device. The screen resolution is the same on all of these devices and the smaller screen does the rest ...

After finishing my research yesterday, I was pretty sure, the prs 600 was the right device to follow my damaged 505. The glare seemed manageable (from what I have read and seen) and the slightly worse contrast acceptable. After having the device in hand, I think otherwise. The touch input works very well and the device is much faster than the 505 and the 300, and the build quality and style was convincing as well, BUT the lower contrast was just not acceptable. I really didn't think its that big, but unfortunatly it was. Even in the brightly illuminated store it was too hard on my eyes. The glare alone would have been okay, but the lower contrast is not - at least not for me. I see no point in having an upgrade on a reader, with worse readability. Makes no sense.

So in the end I got a new 505 ... again. Still the best device for reading only. Of course, the 600 has a dictionary, possibility to write notes and so on, but in the end, I personally really want to have a good reading device, not a gadget with reading capability. Sony really should check out those wacom touch panels ...

[kartu]

To me PRS-600 is actually a DOWNGRADE to 505, lower contrast, MORE REFLECTIONS, shorter battery life.
300 has brilliant screen, even better than my 505s, but it's way to small.

[AlbertaCowboy]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I don't want a touch screen.!

A big resounding "Me Neither!"
I start getting antsy if an eyelash or dog hair finds itself on my screen. I shudder to think about layers and layers and layers of fingerprints!

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Add me to the list of touchscreen haters. Part of the problem is they don't like me, either!

[rahulm]

Originally Posted by AlbertaCowboy

A big resounding "Me Neither!"
I start getting antsy if an eyelash or dog hair finds itself on my screen. I shudder to think about layers and layers and layers of fingerprints!

The thing is that the button controls are just find on touchscreen readers. But having a touchscreen makes some tasks much much simpler (selecting specific words for dictionary, annotating and highlighting, etc.)

So the way I would use would be buttons for general functions and stylus for the things described above.

[dorino]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I own a 300 and a 900, and previously owned a 505 and a 600. I seriously doubt that your 600 screen is as crisp and readable as the 300. There is no way that you can place a piece of translucent plastic in front of the e-Ink screen and not degrade the view considerably.

It is crisp, and readable. The only thing I've observed is that the background is darker. I've had absolutely no problems reading it, so if it is degraded it's very, very, very minimal.

[mikij]

I have it since maybe two weeks and I have no problem because of the background or "glare". Under the direct sun light, it is even easier to read than from paper. Touch is great and I use it for all functions (except to go to a Home page or Options, which are available only by using the buttons.

[eLiNK]

back to the topic

It is just a speculation but I would expect to see new models from Sony with the next generation e-ink in September.

My speculation is based on the following tidbits of public / semi public information:
1) according to Bloomberg, engadget, there is a rumor of Amazon coming out with the new Kindle this August, which would have the display from the new e-ink generation.
2) according to a small ebook reader producer, only Amazon and Sony get access to displays with the new e-ink generation for 3-6 months after its availability.
3) September is the time when Sony releases new devices.

[afa]

Originally Posted by rebarnmom

Well said! What's the term? Built-in obsolescence?

I believe it's 'planned obsolescence'.

[Gerbil]

Big sale on e-readers at the Sony Store right now so I suspect Sony is clearing inventory for the new stuff come fall. Too bad I won't be in the market for an e-reader then!

[rebarnmom]

Originally Posted by afa

I believe it's 'planned obsolescence'.

Thank you! I knew it didn't sound quite right!

[RSaunders]

Originally Posted by kartu

To me PRS-600 is actually a DOWNGRADE to 505, lower contrast, MORE REFLECTIONS, shorter battery life.
300 has brilliant screen, even better than my 505s, but it's way to small.

Agreed, the 300 screen technology in the 505 (or 500) form factor with mechanical buttons would be my ideal reader.