SONY or is the iLiad worth it?

gouzos · 12-02-2008, 07:59 PM

First of all, thanks for having me on the forum, it's a great source of info.

I am still not sure which device to buy.
I am between the Sony PRS-505 and the iRex iLiad.

The use I was considering is mainly for reading fiction. That is, free classics and the occasional ripped book in .pdf form (text-based and scanned). So connectivity is not a concern. I plan on doing that through my PC. Also, I really don't mind using a converter before I transfer the files.

I would really like the iLiad's big screen but the price is a bit steep. Since we're talking about greyscale I can't really use it for comics (cbr, cbz) which would necessitate a big screen.

I think I will go with the SONY and maybe in a couple of years devices with specs like the iLiad will be more affordable by then.

Do you think this is the right choice for me?

ShortNCuddlyAm · 12-02-2008, 08:05 PM

Welcome to the forum!

If you're only reading the occasional pdf, but mostly non-pdfs, then the Sony probably is the right choice

gouzos · 12-03-2008, 06:34 AM

How about if it was the other way around? I actually have a lot of pdf's. I meant that few of them are scanned image-based as opposed to text-based.
Does that change matters?
The way I understand it, no reader copes that well with .pdf's anyway, right?

PS. One more question. Is the iLiad's screen inferior because of the touch screen like the PRS-700 reportedly is, or have they managed to keep the high contrast?

carandol · 12-03-2008, 06:54 AM

If you're just wanting to read fiction, then better to go with the Sony. I used to have an iLiad, which was great when I was at university, since I could read academic articles in PDF format and annotate them with the stylus. But the short battery life (about 12-15 hours) and long boot time (about 45 seconds) is less than friendly for fiction reading, as you can't just pick it up and read for five minutes in a convenient way. Once my course was over and I didn't need to read & annotate PDFs, I traded it in for a Bebook -- being able to leave it switched on without worrying about the battery being dead when you come back to it is perfect for fiction reading.

In reply to Gouzos -- PDF is not perfect, but is actually pretty good compared to other machines. You can blow up the page as big as you like and scroll around it, and the 1024x768 screen resolution and 16 shades of grey makes graphics look very nice. And there's no problem with lack of contrast -- its not a touch screen you use with your fingers, but a Wacom screen that you write on with the inbuilt stylus, and the screen's as bright as any other e-ink screen.

gouzos · 12-03-2008, 09:31 AM

I took the plunge and ordered the PRS-505.

I guess that if I get really into the eBook reader thing I could upgrade in a couple of years. By then bigger screens might be the norm.
I don't care about the annotation aspect so I would be paying double the price just to be able to read scanned image pdf's.

I hope I made the right choice and I'm sure I will be back soon asking for help.

Thanks everyone.

carpii · 12-03-2008, 12:21 PM

It sounds like you were in a similar dilemma to me
I ended up buying the Sony, and just did a writeup of the whole process. I doubt its that useful to you now, if youve already ordered though

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33139

ShortNCuddlyAm · 12-03-2008, 04:20 PM

I'm sure you'll both be pleased with the Sony

12-02-2008, 07:59 PM	#1
gouzos Member Posts: 16 Karma: 110 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Prs-505	SONY or is the iLiad worth it? First of all, thanks for having me on the forum, it's a great source of info. I am still not sure which device to buy. I am between the Sony PRS-505 and the iRex iLiad. The use I was considering is mainly for reading fiction. That is, free classics and the occasional ripped book in .pdf form (text-based and scanned). So connectivity is not a concern. I plan on doing that through my PC. Also, I really don't mind using a converter before I transfer the files. I would really like the iLiad's big screen but the price is a bit steep. Since we're talking about greyscale I can't really use it for comics (cbr, cbz) which would necessitate a big screen. I think I will go with the SONY and maybe in a couple of years devices with specs like the iLiad will be more affordable by then. Do you think this is the right choice for me?

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12-02-2008, 08:05 PM	#2
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	Welcome to the forum! If you're only reading the occasional pdf, but mostly non-pdfs, then the Sony probably is the right choice

12-03-2008, 06:34 AM	#3
gouzos Member Posts: 16 Karma: 110 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Prs-505	How about if it was the other way around? I actually have a lot of pdf's. I meant that few of them are scanned image-based as opposed to text-based. Does that change matters? The way I understand it, no reader copes that well with .pdf's anyway, right? PS. One more question. Is the iLiad's screen inferior because of the touch screen like the PRS-700 reportedly is, or have they managed to keep the high contrast?

12-03-2008, 06:54 AM	#4
carandol Evangelist Posts: 423 Karma: 2153430 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: BeBook	If you're just wanting to read fiction, then better to go with the Sony. I used to have an iLiad, which was great when I was at university, since I could read academic articles in PDF format and annotate them with the stylus. But the short battery life (about 12-15 hours) and long boot time (about 45 seconds) is less than friendly for fiction reading, as you can't just pick it up and read for five minutes in a convenient way. Once my course was over and I didn't need to read & annotate PDFs, I traded it in for a Bebook -- being able to leave it switched on without worrying about the battery being dead when you come back to it is perfect for fiction reading. In reply to Gouzos -- PDF is not perfect, but is actually pretty good compared to other machines. You can blow up the page as big as you like and scroll around it, and the 1024x768 screen resolution and 16 shades of grey makes graphics look very nice. And there's no problem with lack of contrast -- its not a touch screen you use with your fingers, but a Wacom screen that you write on with the inbuilt stylus, and the screen's as bright as any other e-ink screen.

12-03-2008, 09:31 AM	#5
gouzos Member Posts: 16 Karma: 110 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Prs-505	I took the plunge and ordered the PRS-505. I guess that if I get really into the eBook reader thing I could upgrade in a couple of years. By then bigger screens might be the norm. I don't care about the annotation aspect so I would be paying double the price just to be able to read scanned image pdf's. I hope I made the right choice and I'm sure I will be back soon asking for help. Thanks everyone.

12-03-2008, 12:21 PM	#6
carpii Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 16 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Iliad or Sony	It sounds like you were in a similar dilemma to me I ended up buying the Sony, and just did a writeup of the whole process. I doubt its that useful to you now, if youve already ordered though https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33139

12-03-2008, 04:20 PM	#7
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	I'm sure you'll both be pleased with the Sony

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