From an Unlikely Source: A First Peek at the New Sony Reader Model?

[europas_ice]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Where did you find a calculator with reverse polish entry? I would love to have one, just to lend to people..

HP makes them. (Check the "entry system logic".)

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/pscmi...ors/index.html

I wouldn't trade my HP 48G for anything, though it looks like their models have changed since I got mine 10 years ago.

[radleyp]

HP makes them as separate instruments, but you can also put software versions on a Palm, a Treo or a WMSmartphone (I have an MxCalc12C on my Motorola Q).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I have that trouble too. It's nice to know it's not just me.

Where did you find a calculator with reverse polish entry? I would love to have one, just to lend to people..

Hewlett Packard used to make RPN calculators. Not sure if they still do. The one I have from HP is not RPN.

[radleyp]

Jon, what is the point of quoting Sony puffery? And you must be going on an awfully long trip, if you are carrying 160 books with you. Admittedly that would be quite a burden without the Sony reader. I think many of you here are suffering from what I would call the "Linus syndrome" and like that Peanuts character you need to take many (if not all) your belongings with you. I think highlighting this feature (80-160 books in one instrument) as Sony does in all its ads is silly: no reader to whom I have mentioned this thinks it even a smidgen of a reason to spend $300!

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The Reader Digital Book holds about 160 eBooks4 or hundreds more with optional removable memory cards. Its portable size makes it the perfect travel companion, allowing you to read a variety of books whenever and wherever you want. With thousands of eBook titles available from CONNECT™ eBooks Store, you can choose to download new releases, classics and popular book titles3 as well as view other document formats such as Adobe® PDF10, RTF, TXT, BBeB® and Microsoft® Word5. Its long battery life lasts up to 7,500 continuous page turns2, and the amazing paper-like screen technology is easy on the eyes.

Key Features:

* Compact and light weight-Approx 9 oz6 without soft cover
* 6” Diag. “E-Paper” display- easy on the eyes
* Display print quality of Approximately 170 Pixels Per Inch
* Up to 7,500 continuous page turns on full charge-usage will vary
* 16,000+ eBooks sold from integrated CONNECT™ eBooks Store3
* Internal Memory for storing multiple books
* MemoryStick Duo™ media & SD® Memory Slot-media optional

Features:

* Ultra Portable
The Reader Digital Book offers a unique, on-the-go reading experience and is the perfect travel companion. With a compact and lightweight design, you can take it almost anywhere and read your books whenever and wherever you want. More compact than many paperbacks, it weighs about 9 ounces6 (without cover), is ½” thin8, and holds up to 160 eBooks4. You can easily hold it in one hand, and with its rechargeable battery, you can turn up to 7,500 continuous pages on a single charge2.
* Impressive, Paper-Like Display
The Reader Digital Book provides a new way to experience reading. It boasts an impressive 6-inch display1, utilizing breakthrough E Ink® technology that’s almost paper-like, making it easy to read even in bright sunshine. In addition, the screen allows for high contrast and high resolution, with a near 180º viewing angle. The text can also be magnified for sight-impaired readers.
* Content Storage Capability
With a compact and lightweight design you can take the Reader Digital Book almost anywhere. And with plenty of internal memory, and a slot for optional removable memory cards, you can take hundreds of titles, user-selected web content, or other supported documents for reading on the go. It will hold approximately 160 averaged sized eBooks in internal memory4 and hundreds more with optional removable memory cards (sold separately).
* Multiple eBook Titles Available
The Reader Digital Book allows you to search, browse, discover, and buy thousands of new releases, classics and popular eBook titles from the CONNECT eBooks Store and other participating websites3. You can even go to other sites that have unsecured eBooks in file formats that the Reader supports5. This translates into an incredible amount of content suitable for the Reader.
* More than eBooks
The Reader Digital Book isn’t just about reading eBooks. Using the included eBook Library 2.0 PC Software, you can easily transfer Adobe® PDF documents10, Microsoft Word documents5, BbeB Book, and other text file formats to the Reader, allowing you the flexibility to access and view multiple files at any time.

Specifications:

Display

* Technology: E-Ink® "Electronic Paper"
* Screen Size: Approx. 6" Measured Diagonally
* Resolution: Approx. 170 Pixels Per Inch
* Gray Scale: 4-Level Grey Scale
* Residual image may show on display. This is due to the display characteristics and not a malfunction.

Media Formats Supported

* Unsecured Text: BBeB Book, TXT, RTF, Adobe® PDF, Microsoft® Word (Conversion to the Reader-requires Word installed on your PC)
* DRM Text: BBeB Book (Marlin)
* Unsecured Audio: MP3 and AAC7
* Image: JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP

Power

* Battery Type: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion
* Battery Life (Approx.): Up to 7,500 page turns2
* Recharging Time: Approx. 4 Hours with USB charging from powered Computer or Approx. 2 Hours when using optional AC wall charger.
* AC Power: Optional AC Charger requires 120 Volts 60Hz

System Requirements

* Operating System: Genuine Windows® XP (Home Edition/Professional, Media Center Edition, Media Center Edition 2004, Media Center Edition 2005) & Windows Vista® (Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate).
* Processor: 800MHz Intel® Celeron® class processor or better
* RAM: 128MB Minimum
* Hard Drive: 20MB9 Minimum availible Hard Drive space
* Optical Drive: Optical Drive capable of reading CD-ROM
* USB Port: USB 1.1 or faster USB Port (Optimal with USB 2.0)
* Internet Connection: Broadband suggested3

What's Included:

* PRS-505 Portable Reader System
* PC Management Software
* Soft Case
* USB Cable
* AC Power Adapter
* Quick Start Guide

Approximate Dimensions:

* Height: 6.9" (175mm)
* Width: 4.8" (122mm)
* Depth: 0.3" (8mm)

Approximate Weight:

* Unit (Without Soft Cover): 9 oz
* Shipping: 1.22 lbs (554 grams)

Download Files (.pdf):

* Sony Reader Warranty

Warranty Information:

* Manufacturer Warranty (authorized online retailer):
90 days labor / 1 year parts

Footnotes:

1. Viewable area measured diagonally.
2. Up to 7,500 continuous page turns with a single full charge on internal rechargeable battery. Actual battery life will vary base on usage patterns, settings and battery conditions.
3. Requires Internet connection (broadband recommended). Internet service may require a fee.
4. Based on average un-illustrated eBook file size of 1.2MB. Actual file sizes vary by electronic book title.
5. Adobe® PDF, JPEG, BBeB Book and plain text formats natively supported. Microsoft Word requires conversion using included software.
6. Non-metric weights and measures are approximate and may vary.
7. Un-encrypted MP3 and AAC format audio files only. Not compatible with most digital copyright formatted audio file content. Headphones not included.
8. Measured at the narrowest point.
9. MB means one million bytes when referring to memory capacity. Accessible capacity may vary. A portion of memory space is reserved for operating system and other system functions.
10. Adobe® PDF files look better when optimized with the Reader’s screen size, and text may appear small if not optimized.

Features and specifications are subject to change without notice.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by radleyp

Jon, what is the point of quoting Sony puffery? And you must be going on an awfully long trip, if you are carrying 160 books with you. Admittedly that would be quite a burden without the Sony reader. I think many of you here are suffering from what I would call the "Linus syndrome" and like that Peanuts character you need to take many (if not all) your belongings with you. I think highlighting this feature (80-160 books in one instrument) as Sony does in all its ads is silly: no reader to whom I have mentioned this thinks it even a smidgen of a reason to spend $300!

The reason I posted all the specs of the new Sony Reader is that the adverts on ABT's websitee have been pulled and I still had it open to one of the readers. So I was able to cut/paste here for those that missed it before it was pulled. Granted the new Sony has more memory. But that also means more music, more photos, & more books. Some people do read converted PDF and they can be large as they are images and not plain text. So more memory means you can have more of them. The point is not that it carrys 80-160 books at a go, but that it carries more books in one go then you'd want to carry around. Try carrying around 2 hardcovers and 3 paperbacks. On the Reader it's no burden at all.

[radleyp]

Understood, but this has been possible for years with most PDA's, and I can tell you that, reading in broad daylight apart, I think eink is only marginally better than other ereading systems. To me (and my family and friends, all of us readers) the Sony ads are brainless: no one NEEDS to carry so many books around, so this is not a selling point, yet it keeps being repeated here as if it were. Sony is once more demonstrating the developer's habit of providing solutions to problems that don't exist.

[wallcraft]

The HP 35s Scientific Calculator is brand new, and is described as "HP's ultimate RPN scientific programmable calculator" (PDF datasheet). It isn't being sold directly by Amazon yet, but it gets good reviews there.

[Adam B.]

Originally Posted by radleyp

Understood, but this has been possible for years with most PDA's, and I can tell you that, reading in broad daylight apart, I think eink is only marginally better than other ereading systems. To me (and my family and friends, all of us readers) the Sony ads are brainless: no one NEEDS to carry so many books around, so this is not a selling point, yet it keeps being repeated here as if it were. Sony is once more demonstrating the developer's habit of providing solutions to problems that don't exist.

I, for one disagree on both your points.

For me, e-ink is significantly better than reading on an LCD. I've tried reading on laptops, tablet pc's, pda's and computers. None provide me with the experience I have on an e-ink screen. From battery life to eyestrain, it doesn't get any better than e-ink in my book.

Larger memory is a matter of convenience. You don't *need* to have 60 books on your reader, but do you *need* to have 150 CD's on your iPod? Why not connect it to your computer and swap what you want to listen to for the next few days? Some people (myself included), like to carry around their entire librariy so that can read whatever, whenever. To constantly copy books back and forth is a hassle. And one I'm glad I don't need to deal with.

[mdhuang]

Originally Posted by radleyp

Understood, but this has been possible for years with most PDA's, and I can tell you that, reading in broad daylight apart, I think eink is only marginally better than other ereading systems. To me (and my family and friends, all of us readers) the Sony ads are brainless: no one NEEDS to carry so many books around, so this is not a selling point, yet it keeps being repeated here as if it were. Sony is once more demonstrating the developer's habit of providing solutions to problems that don't exist.

I think that's a good selling point for ordinary people because they can visualize it: a high stack of books vs. a thin reader. Of course that's nothing new to techies or long time PDA users like myself. But we are the minority of the Reader's targeted consumers.

Additionally, e-ink is much better for reading. After using the Reader for a couple weeks, I don't want to go back to my old CLIE for any serious reading. It has bigger screen and is much easier to the eyes for long time reading.

[jbenny]

Originally Posted by radleyp

no one NEEDS to carry so many books around, so this is not a selling point, yet it keeps being repeated here as if it were. Sony is once more demonstrating the developer's habit of providing solutions to problems that don't exist.

Actually, some people do need to carry around a lot of books. I am thinking technical documentation, not fiction. This supposes that you can get your technical documentation in a form that is readable on the Sony or other ebook device.

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by radleyp

Understood, but this has been possible for years with most PDA's, and I can tell you that, reading in broad daylight apart, I think eink is only marginally better than other ereading systems. To me (and my family and friends, all of us readers) the Sony ads are brainless: no one NEEDS to carry so many books around, so this is not a selling point, yet it keeps being repeated here as if it were. Sony is once more demonstrating the developer's habit of providing solutions to problems that don't exist.

Fair enough, but there evidently are a lot of folks who do see enough of an advantage, or at least a desirability to it that they opt to go with the Reader. Nobody's talking about replacing any of the other options on anything other than a personal level (like I've stopped e-reading on my Palm). If you're happy with the PDA or whatever other option that you're using, more power to ya. I don't see any reason for anyone to change what they're already doing, unless they see a reason to do so.


Funny RPN calculators should come up. I have right here an HP 35 (no a, b, c, or bloody d) from the seventies, I'd guess (it says "Made in the U.S.A" and "Patent Pending" on the back). I've no idea if it works as I haven't got any way to power it up, but I do know it uses the old-fashioned, pre-LCD segmented displays. Wouldn't have any idea what to do with it if it did work, actually, never got very far with RPN.

[radleyp]

My point is that this ad campaign does not resonate with readers I know, that's all. The amount of books carryable is not, in my opinion, much of a selling point. But let's just disagree on that one.

Much to my disappointment, what I don't see is that the Sony reader has created a lot of enthusiasm for ebooks among those who have not read them before: I have read ebooks for years, but my wife and daughter, both voracious readers (they read more than I do), have no use for them. My wife hates reading on a PDA and was not impressed by the Sony. I have not experienced eye strain reading on a PDA (and I suspect I am much older than all of you), in fact I found it more difficult on a few occasions to read on a (borrowed) Sony since I couldn't get the light to shine right (often the case, of course, with an ordinary book).

Some researchers do indeed need several technical books open at a time (as I do sometimes in my law practice) but in such cases the Sony reader is of little use, since more than one book must be open at the same time (flipping back and forth is not productive). This site is a promotion for ebooks, so what you all write is no surprise, but the claims made for the Sony too often strike me as pieces in a campaign rather than reality.

[ricdiogo]

Originally Posted by radleyp

Some researchers do indeed need several technical books open at a time (as I do sometimes in my law practice) but in such cases the Sony reader is of little use, since more than one book must be open at the same time (flipping back and forth is not productive).

I know what you mean. I was planning to take my future device to court. I guess I'd have to make a huge effort in adding anchors and links between articles in my codes of law. But if it works, I guess it'd be better than carrying around five or six 1.000-paged legislation books.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by radleyp

My point is that this ad campaign does not resonate with readers I know, that's all. The amount of books carryable is not, in my opinion, much of a selling point. But let's just disagree on that one.

I disagree wih you on that issue. Let's say you go on vacation for two weeks. D you want to take a stack of books with you or one nice slim reader + the charger? It's a lot more convenient to take the reader then the books. We went to Florida not long ago and I took my reader and no paper books. I was able to carry around my reader and when I finsihed a book, I was able to pick another and go right on reading. If I was carring a paper book around that was close to finishing, I'd either have to have another with me or just finish what I had and have nothing to read.

Much to my disappointment, what I don't see is that the Sony reader has created a lot of enthusiasm for ebooks among those who have not read them before: I have read ebooks for years, but my wife and daughter, both voracious readers (they read more than I do), have no use for them. My wife hates reading on a PDA and was not impressed by the Sony. I have not experienced eye strain reading on a PDA (and I suspect I am much older than all of you), in fact I found it more difficult on a few occasions to read on a (borrowed) Sony since I couldn't get the light to shine right (often the case, of course, with an ordinary book).

I'm 43 (44 later this month) and I find the Sony quite easy on my eyes. While I might not have an issue with a PDA screen, I prefer the eink screen. A lot of people who dislike reading on a PDA say eink is easy to read with. It's almost like comparing apples & oranges when comparing a PDA screen with an eink screen. What was it about the SOny that your wife wasn't impressed with? Yes I know you can get glare on the Sony screen, but that's not really much of an issue to me.

Some researchers do indeed need several technical books open at a time (as I do sometimes in my law practice) but in such cases the Sony reader is of little use, since more than one book must be open at the same time (flipping back and forth is not productive). This site is a promotion for ebooks, so what you all write is no surprise, but the claims made for the Sony too often strike me as pieces in a campaign rather than reality.

No portable reading device is going to be able to replace several open text books at the same time. It's just not feasible. And you won't be able to have then side-by-side even if you could. That's not what the Sony and other reading devices are made for. Even the iLiad which might be able to be programmed to have multiple documents open at the same time would not do. You'd have to flip screens and no way to have them shown at the same time and still be readable enough. So the thing is, don't try to make these readers do things they were never designed to do and are unable to do. Now you could do what you do with text books and have several readers side-by-side. But you cannot do that with just one reader.

[Vienna01]

I tried their link it works fine
With shipping Just -$280 is a INTERESTING price