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

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Vienna01

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

That's the current Sony Reader. The new ones are still not on their site.

[dugbug]

This site has a good photo breakdown:
http://wowio.wordpress.com/

[LaughingVulcan]

Hmm... they relocated the second set of page forward/back from the left side to the right. Don't know if I like that. I can see the logic of it - seems like it'd be easier to hold it with your right hand and thumb the side page indicators.

But I guess I'm just used to the "old technology" - I like holding with right hand and using lower left page disc or left handed using side buttons....

[Cthulhu]

I find it encouraging that after someone here--perhaps an Abt plant--broke the story here, it was picked up by a number of other tech websites, including Wired's GadgetLabs.

On a personal note, I really hope that we can end the debate of LCD versus E-Ink. Every time someone mentions the evil effect of backlight on the human eye, my hypochrondia kicks into overdrive and I need to stop using my laptop. ;-

Seriously, more people need to see electro-fluoretic displays and realise how astoundingly cool they are.

At the member who called Abt a "no-name website":
Abt has been in business selling appliances and electronics longer than I have been alive. They are a fixture of the market in Chicagoland, and for the greater part, have exceptional customer service, including free shipping within 100 miles of Chicago. They have a SONY store built into their building, and I think that it says something about the company that they were one of the first sellers to have specs about the PRS-505.

[Azayzel]

Originally Posted by LaughingVulcan

Hmm... they relocated the second set of page forward/back from the left side to the right. Don't know if I like that. I can see the logic of it - seems like it'd be easier to hold it with your right hand and thumb the side page indicators.

But I guess I'm just used to the "old technology" - I like holding with right hand and using lower left page disc or left handed using side buttons....

Heh, I was going to comment on how they relocated the page-flip keys as well... but on a positive note. I actually find it quite frustrating to have to reach around or across to turn the page when it would be much easier to just thumb it with the hand that's holding it. Am I being lazy? Probably, but hey, that's what technology does to us! lol

BTW Still haven't applied the custom F/W, but I'm planning on it sometime soon and will try out the new custom icon set too.

[Andanzas]

With the new layout reading in landscape mode is going to be way more comfortable than it is now.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Cthulhu

On a personal note, I really hope that we can end the debate of LCD versus E-Ink. Every time someone mentions the evil effect of backlight on the human eye, my hypochrondia kicks into overdrive and I need to stop using my laptop. ;-

It's interesting to read other mailing lists. Eg, on the "Fictionwise" mailing list there appears to be a strong following for a device called the "eb1150", and any mention of eInk readers is met by a chorus of "it doesn't have a backlight so it's useless" type posts.

Seriously, more people need to see electro-fluoretic displays and realise how astoundingly cool they are.

Just to be pedantic, note that it's spelt "electrophoretic display" (EPD) - the "technical" name for "eInk".

I can only think that the people who are so "anti-eInk" haven't actually seen it for real.

[BuddyBoy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's interesting to read other mailing lists. Eg, on the "Fictionwise" mailing list there appears to be a strong following for a device called the "eb1150", and any mention of eInk readers is met by a chorus of "it doesn't have a backlight so it's useless" type posts.

I started out with a Rocket eBook back in 2000 (can it be only seven years ago?!) when they were, like the Sony Reader, about $300. The Rocket begat the RCA 1100 which begate the Gemstar GEB 1150 which reappeared as the eBookwise 1150, and I've owned them all. The screen resolution was best with the Rocket but readable with all of them, and the backlight a neccessity, otherwise you couldn't even read the screen. I happily read tons of books, backlit and organized in categories with an easy to scroll directory.

And yet, when the Sony Reader came out, I pounced.

Why? eInk is nice on the eyes, true. The size of the unit is great. The fact that I can charge it with my igo system icing on the cake (I built my own igo tip for the eb1150).

But for me the main reason for jumping on the Sony Reader is battery life, and the ability to take more than 128Megs of memory. I want to carry all my books with me when I travel, and I want to be able to read more than one book before I have to recharge it, something I couldn't do with my 1150 or, for that matter, with my iPaq (nasty thing to read a book on, that!).

[mdhuang]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Just to be pedantic, note that it's spelt "electrophoretic display" (EPD) - the "technical" name for "eInk".

EPD stands for Electronic Paper Display from e-ink's website. But obviously electrophoretic display is a more technical name.

[dugbug]

Originally Posted by BuddyBoy

Why? eInk is nice on the eyes, true. The size of the unit is great. The fact that I can charge it with my igo system icing on the cake (I built my own igo tip for the eb1150).

But for me the main reason for jumping on the Sony Reader is battery life, and the ability to take more than 128Megs of memory. I want to carry all my books with me when I travel, and I want to be able to read more than one book before I have to recharge it, something I couldn't do with my 1150 or, for that matter, with my iPaq (nasty thing to read a book on, that!).

Just FYI, I have a disposable mobile reader I bought from borders. It has only one book and you cannot change it. It does not require power and has a fantastic ink display

-d

[Ravenflight]

Originally Posted by dugbug

Just FYI, I have a disposable mobile reader I bought from borders. It has only one book and you cannot change it. It does not require power and has a fantastic ink display

-d

LOL! Ow that hurt- I just snorted hot coffee up my nose when I read that.

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by dugbug

Just FYI, I have a disposable mobile reader I bought from borders. It has only one book and you cannot change it. It does not require power and has a fantastic ink display

-d

Good one!

[vivaldirules]

I rather like the new look. My guess is that this is a pretty smart move on Sony's part making minor functional and cosmetic improvements. It gives me hope that they're in this for awhile and didn't just produce the PRS-500 as an experiment.

And I *like* carrying around 218 documents on my reader (I still have room for plenty more and the number will certainly grow). It's useful for letting me refer to multiple reference documents both professionally and otherwise. It also appeals to my inner ADD-ness when I'm just fooling around. I love having more options available than I could sensiibly deal with at any one time. Sometimes I'm feeling "Wind in the Willlows" and other times "Dubliners". Maybe not a good way to read literature, but it's my way sometimes. And then there are the dozens of news articles I can't read online so I download them to my reader to peruse later. I almost wish I had bought a 4 Gb card instead of the 2 Gb.

[westsan]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I almost wish I had bought a 4 Gb card instead of the 2 Gb.

I think you cant use the 4GB card on the reader. 2GB is the max.

[TadW]

Originally Posted by msundman

and
So it's 0.3" deep but 0.5" thin at the narrowest point. Sign me up for one of these non-euclidean devices!