What do you love/hate about your PRS - 505?

[astra]

I love absolutely everything (almost) aboutmy Sony Reader PRS-505.

Metal case

Cover

Buttons - the feel, location, size.

S/W, well...I used to like it until they added PDF re-flow which sucks and not very good epub support. So, I keep on using LRF which is another things I like -

LRF I like it (as long as I am the one who creates the ebook in BD, when I buy ebook if I have a choice of LRF and LIT, I choose LIT and create my own LRF, because their LRF, created by Calibre is always awful).

What I hate? PDF support

What I miss? Dictionary support...and 8" screen

[radamo]

Originally Posted by radius

Hi Harry, if you use PRSCustomizer you can have a clock in the status bar. I've gotten so used to mine that I forgot it isn't stock

Too funny, I feel the same way. I only have mine about a month and a half but installed the PRS Customizer the first week. Have had the clock in the status bar ever since and it just "feels" right.
RA

[disney_mommy]

Love my 505!

When I was first looking, I was really leaning towards the kindle, because I love Amazon. But that price is too outragous. The 505 had a much better pricetag, and I knew with a little work I could get most any ebook onto it. I also looked at the 700, generally because I like to have the latest version of anything. But, the screen wasn't getting any love and it was priced higher, so I finally decided on the 505.

It's my first ereader and I am so in love with it! I don't think the page refresh is too long, I just hit the button when I begin the last line, and it flips to the next page at the perfect moment, I never have to wait. The buttons are very intuitive, and comfy from any angle. No matter how I am sitting or laying down, it always seems to fit.

The learning curve it so easy, you don't even have to read the instructions, just turn it on and within seconds you can figure it out.

So convenient to carry around tons of books in something so small.

I wouldn't change a thing about it.

[QubyB]

I live In Holland. The 505 is not yet for sale here so I had been looking at the Bebook and the Cybook first. I tried both hands on in a shop. Took a few different pdf’s with me to see how they showed up. Disappointing on both cause of the lack of pdf reflow. Cybook announced they’ll have new firmware out Q1 2009 that has reflow capability … but that SW is still to come.

Furthermore, the Bebook (IMO) has cumbersome navigation with the numbered buttons at the bottom. Cybook has a lot more to offer, nicer menu’s (however navigation / operation still can’t beat the Sony) and many font sizes. Alas the one that comes with a cover (deluxe edition) is too expensive.

A big plus of both the Bebook and Cybook is their mobi / prc support. Many books and many news-feeds are available via Mobipocket. The Sony is not compatible with that format. Luckily the free Calibre software helps out here. Any moby / prc file can be converted to epub or lrf for use with the Sony.

I’ll admit that synchronizing and loading news feeds on your device via Mobipocket is lightning fast as compared with Calibre, but with a little patience Calibre does the job. Actually I use a work around, daily downloading some 15 feeds with Mobipocket and then converting them with Calibre … it takes 1/10 of the time as compared to doing the whole job with Calibre!

What I like about my Sony:
- I could get it (web order in the UK) for €50,- less than a Bebook or Cybook
- Metal case versus plastic for both B & C
- Cover included
- Very good navigation / operation compared to B & C
- PDF reflow really works (as far as I have seen)

What I would have liked about my Sony:
- Mobi / prc support (I use Calibre to convert)
- Support for multiple fonts and font sizes (I used PRScustomizer to change the font)
- To be a bit better readable in lower light conditions. The contrast is less than real paper.
- And … I would have liked a blue one; alas I couldn’t get it for a decent price.

[Coops]

OK.....

I got my blue 505 in Bangkok, delivered and waiting when i got back from a trip to Holland.
Loaded various free books (all the PG Wodehouse from this forum, thanks!) and have been using at work on an offshore oil rig for about 10 days so far.

Good stuff...
===========
1. Hardware / design - yes, the blue is lovely. The metal case is too, and a decent size. The Kindle looked in pics (not seen one for real) like a Dell engineers weekend rush job. The Sony however managed to be even more impressive in the hands than its online pictures. One small example of this is the free cover that comes with it. It does it's job simply and can fold back easily - but, most impressive is the small detail that inside the cover on both front and back are some small magnets that help keep it 'comfortably' closed - that is, it can be easily opened but also stays closed just as well.... like a hardback, really. Nice.

2. Not excessively DRM'd and format phobic - quite a surprise, coming from Sony.

3. SD card.

4. Navigation seems ok for books but see below for other...

5. It really is a very very good reader. A pleasure to use.


The bad.... or not so good, anyway
===========================
I do like it, and highly recommend it - the following is not that important to me, but is more general Sony silliness, really.

1. Getting books on and off the reader is ok... the Sony library is functional but not great, and could always use Calibre if i needed to. The book store is seemingly.... crap. Where's the back and forward buttons to navigate in it? And why bother anyway - just put it on the web for access from any browser. Sheesh. Did successfully download "Don Quixote", free, though, so it does work.

2. So, as it has audio functions - why, on earth wouldn't it support proper audio books? Bizarre. And if you're going to the trouble of putting a headphone jack and all the rest on there, why wouldn't you ensure there's a decent music interface? Sort by alphabetical only? For mp3's? From Sony? Of 'Sony Walkman' fame? The shame....

3. More flexible font choice would be nice, without needing hacks....

4. Shame there's not a slightly larger screen size available - not the huge 10" or whatever that new Kindle is, but around 7 to 8" would be just that bit more useful - and would require very little more size overall if they cut a few mm here and there from the screen surround.


Basically, I think it's a great product - for reading books. Which is what I want it for (but if you're going to put audio on it... oh, i'm repeating myself).

The pics of the red one looked good too ;-)


Coops

[ChipnDale]

The only thing that has been annoying lately is the "previous/next" buttons on the side...sometimes I press them and nothing happends so I either have to use the wheel at the base of the 505 or press harder...not a big deal though, everything else I love!

[Amalthia]

Originally Posted by Renaldo

I have around 1100 books on my reader. I used to use a cheap 2gb SD card and I had loads of problems. The reader would take 15-20 mins to index after I unplugged it from my computer, if it didn't crash that is. The Sony software would crash routinely. It sucked.

I bought a good quality, high speed 4gb memory stick and tossed the SD card. Everything else being equal as that was the only change, the reader indexes in 2-3 minutes when I unplug it, hasn't crashed yet, and neither has the Sony software (although I now mainly use calibre). 1100 books only takes up about 1gb of space. I bought the 4gb stick instead of a smaller one because it was on sale and cheaper than the smaller sticks and cards.



*If you don't get that last part, read the threads here on color choices.

What brand of memory card did you get because seriously if this made a difference I'd really like to try it out. I just had to delete 400 ebooks from my device because the load time would take forever after I unplugged from my computer. I'm now back down to 1000 titles but it's still slow. I currently have a 2GB SD Scandisk memory card.

[alecE]

Have had my Sony 505 for about 5 months now - primary reason for getting a reader was the ever-diminishing lack of personal space as the pbooks multiplied. Chose the Sony on basis of product reviews and hands-on test & fell in love with it at once.

The metal case, screen resolution, button placement, bookmarking, capacity, battery life are wonderful. Yes, faster and better indexing (folders, please!) would be nice, but I can live without easily enough. The only niggle - I use my right thumb to press the forward/backward buttons; my right thumb cannot be described as slender and artistic, a bigger pair of buttons would be helpful.

Related loves: Calibre (allows this anal-retentive ex-librarian to arrange his books exactly the way he wants), Tuff-Luv case.

Dislikes - there are none.


Btw Sony silver, Tuff-Luv black

[astra]

Originally Posted by alecE

Yes, faster and better indexing (folders, please!) would be nice

Related loves: Calibre

If you betray your relationship with Calibre and use eBook Library, you will forget about indexing speed.

[alecE]

If you betray your relationship with Calibre and use eBook Library, you will forget about indexing speed

I'm doubtless being stupid here, but I thought indexing speed was a function of the Sony reader rather than the library software on the PC? I need to understand more before plunging into software polygamy.

[astra]

Originally Posted by alecE

I'm doubtless being stupid here, but I thought indexing speed was a function of the Sony reader rather than the library software on the PC? I need to understand more before plunging into software polygamy.

Maybe I am stupid.
Lets find the truth and enlight each other

What do you mean by "indexing"?

[alecE]

What do you mean by "indexing"?

Aaah. I was originally referring to the time taken by the Sony reader to index the book collection after transferring titles to it, irrespective of whether they had been transferred from the Sony software (now lying abandoned and weeping in a corner of the HDD) or from Calibre. Sorry, should have made that clear.

[astra]

Ah, book collections. I don't know anything about collections. Never used the feature.
I thought you are referring to time it takes Sony Reader to open a book for the first time and change font size for the first time

[jamesbeat]

I like most things about my 505, especially as I have now used the hacked firmware to get all the buttons doing what I like etc.

I do however have two gripes, one small and one very big.

The small one is that the mirrored edges at the top and bottom of the device seem perfectly designed to pick up on whatever light source is overhead and reflect it like a laser beam into my eyes while I'm reading.

The large one is the lack of folders, although I believe this is not exclusive to the 505.

Why can't the thing read directories instead of messing around with meta tags?!
Why can't I just organise my books into logical folders instead of having to spend hours meticulously tagging my books?

Maybe someone can explain to me what the advantage of using a metatag database is over a simple file browser?

The lack of this has crippled my device in that it becomes impossible to store all of my books on it without it becoming too cumbersome to use.

I could carry a number of easy to lose sd cards and spend ages waiting for them to load I suppose, but if there was a file browser, I could sort my books into categories and authors with ease and put them all on one large sd card.

I use Linux as my only os, but it's at times like this that I wish I knew how to develop for it too. The kernel and HAL are already there, could some kindly developer please write a good file management system for the thing?

[doreenjoy]

I love darn near everything:

1. The form factor - no wasted space around the screen (unlike Kindle)
2. Comes with a nice cover that stays closed but opens with a gentle nudge
3. Screen contrast is good
4. Shape and location of buttons
5. Buttons require a firm press & don't get activated by mistake
6. Plays MP3s while I read
7. Can organize books into collections using drag & drop
8. Synching with Sony Software lets me update collections easily
9. Accepts "normal" media like SD cards
10. Light weight
11. Metal case

Minor dislikes:

1. No search feature
2. Bookmarks sometimes get kludged/erased