PRS 950 or 650??

petercreasey · 09-03-2010, 10:56 AM

For someone trying to decide between the Sony PRS 950 and 650 (and not worried about the delayed availability of the 950 or the price differential), what are the trade-offs between the two?

Is the 950 clearly the better choice? Or not?

And why?

Thanks!

Dave Berk · 09-03-2010, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petercreasey

For someone trying to decide between the Sony PRS 950 and 650 (and not worried about the delayed availability of the 950 or the price differential), what are the trade-offs between the two?

Is the 950 clearly the better choice? Or not?

And why?

Thanks!

I thought about getting the 950. Since I figure even with added inch it's probably as big as my 505. But I don't really need 3g or wifi. Also what I really want is a large 9.7 device with good PDF support. Sadly no such device currently exist.

Latinandgreek · 09-03-2010, 12:06 PM

I have the same dilemma. I don't care about the wi-fi or the 3g, the only reason that I would spend the extra $$$ on a 950 is because of the extra inch. I like that the 900 (and I imagine the 950) divides PDFs into thirds in landscape mode, so that scanned PDFs (which I have quite a few of) or PDFs that don't render correctly in reflow mode can be easily read. But then again, the 650 does have the pan and scanned, which seems to be improved over the 600, so maybe I don't really need the extra inch. hmmm.

Latinandgreek · 09-03-2010, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Berk

Also what I really want is a large 9.7 device with good PDF support. Sadly no such device currently exist.

Me too. I'm interested in the Pocketbook 903, but now that I've been seeing all these great new Pearl screens, I think I might wait a few more months for the next batch. However, my hubby really wants my old 505, so I think I'm going to pass that along to him and get myself one of the new Sonys in the meantime.

petercreasey · 09-03-2010, 01:22 PM

The touch, wireless, WiFi all are features that are NOT important to me.

I'm looking for the same quality as my 505. The larger display of the 950 sounds appealing but I wouldn't want any lesser using/reading quality.

vxf · 09-03-2010, 01:25 PM

I also wish SONY came up with a larger-screen device. For the moment, I make do with the PRS900. Reading PDFs works, but in landscape mode - displaying a third of the page. It's fine for text, but not if you deal with a lot of graphs, figures and the like.

I plan on upgrading to the 950 as soon as it becomes available.

Compared to the 600/650, the extra screen size is a big plus, not just for PDFs. I like large fonts when reading ebooks - and that means less page turns with the 900. Also, if you plan on reading newspapers/magazines, the extra screen size is a must.

3g and wifi... well, it depends on the use you make of the device. Again, if you like getting your morning newspaper, it's very convenient. If you travel a lot, it's nice being able to get them on the fly - and to purchase a book when you are lonely in a hotel room... but really, that all depends on your habits.

The downside of the bigger device, in terms of portability, seems negligible.

Rydertheblack · 09-03-2010, 03:24 PM

The prs950 has browsing.. basic but at least you browse.. no videos.. no java content or any thing like that.. i would like to try it but first i will get use the 650

sigma8 · 09-04-2010, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petercreasey

The touch, wireless, WiFi all are features that are NOT important to me.

I'm looking for the same quality as my 505. The larger display of the 950 sounds appealing but I wouldn't want any lesser using/reading quality.

I played with a 350 and 650 in the Sony store on Thursday (the day after their announcement--they had floor models in quick!) ... The screens were fantastic looking. They had an old 900 alongside the 350 and 650, since the 950 isn't ready yet, and the differences were clear. You could see reflection and shadow on the 900's screen. On the 350 and 650, you could only see shadow. Glare didn't seem to be an issue and/or was comparable to the 300/505 (if you felt they had glare problems; I didn't).

I didn't have a 505 or 300 around for comparison, but I'd say the 350 and 650 both looked better than I remember any of the previous "good" Reader screens being. The white seemed whiter and the black seemed blacker... and touch-enabled. It looks like Sony finally figured it out.

As for tradeoffs between the 650 and 950, there really aren't any authorities on the subject yet. People have touched 650's, but nobody has gotten a 950. However, all models seem pretty darned close now. The 350 stands out in that it's the smallest, and has no memcard slots. The 950, from what I can gather, stands out in that it's the biggest. AFAIK, it's identical to the 650, just bigger + wifi/3G. As you know, the daily editions are oblong rectangles. Their relatively narrow width may make them tempting to put in large, coat pockets, but their length will likely prohibit it. Some bags that seem up to the task may take issue with their dominant dimension.

Not knowing what all the new features were of the new models, I didn't test PDF stuff on the 650. Supposedly, render times are faster and it will remember your pan & zoom position now. I will have to remember to do that next time I'm in the store.

astra · 09-04-2010, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petercreasey

For someone trying to decide between the Sony PRS 950 and 650 (and not worried about the delayed availability of the 950 or the price differential), what are the trade-offs between the two?

Is the 950 clearly the better choice? Or not?

And why?

Thanks!

I would not buy 950.
Its bigger screen doesn't live up to the expectations.
It is taller than 6". If it were bigger than 6" by 1" proportionally, then it would clearly be the winner. However, it is as wide as 6". It means when you enlarge text size, you will get on 950 as much of text in one line as on 650. What is a point?

kartu · 09-04-2010, 05:40 AM

eReader size comparison:
http://blogkindle.com/ereader-comparison/

astra · 09-04-2010, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kartu

eReader size comparison:
http://blogkindle.com/ereader-comparison/

Excellent visualisation!
Thanks for the link

Scott Nielsen · 09-04-2010, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

It is taller than 6". If it were bigger than 6" by 1" proportionally, then it would clearly be the winner. However, it is as wide as 6". It means when you enlarge text size, you will get on 950 as much of text in one line as on 650. What is a point?

That is exactly what makes it so endearing to me. I don't like too long a line (it slows down my reading speed) but do want to see the flow of the text - the more the better - which is helped by the longer/higher screen.

I was pretty much set on a Kindle 3 but am now contemplating waiting for the 950.

astra · 09-04-2010, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Nielsen

That is exactly what makes it so endearing to me. I don't like too long a line (it slows down my reading speed) but do want to see the flow of the text - the more the better - which is helped by the longer/higher screen.

I was pretty much set on a Kindle 3 but am now contemplating waiting for the 950.

Good point.
It shows we are very different. Hope it will help the topic starter to make the right decision.

Mike_73 · 09-04-2010, 07:22 AM

If you really want something around 10" I would recommend to look at the ipad, too. I was hesitant at first,too (I still disapprove to apples closed ecosystem), but it's just plain awesome for colored, heavy formatted pdfs. It's faster than my eInk devices for pdfs and I can easily sit on the couch and surf mobileread, too.
Battery life is decent considering it's not an eInk device. With my usage (reading, surfing, an occasional round of solitaire played by my wife), I get about a week of battery life. Sometimes it's shorter. That's when my wife can't get off playing solitaire

.

For reading plain text, I still prefer my dediated eInk Prs600.

petercreasey · 09-04-2010, 11:21 AM

Lots of good info in this thread! The link to the size comparison page is helpful also.

It appears there are no drawbacks to the 950. It is looking more and more interesting!

09-03-2010, 10:56 AM	#1
petercreasey Wizard Posts: 1,147 Karma: 1119516 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony: PRS 950 & T1, Kobo: Aura One & Forma	PRS 950 or 650?? For someone trying to decide between the Sony PRS 950 and 650 (and not worried about the delayed availability of the 950 or the price differential), what are the trade-offs between the two? Is the 950 clearly the better choice? Or not? And why? Thanks!

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09-03-2010, 12:06 PM	#3
Latinandgreek Warrior Princess Posts: 5,038 Karma: 9724231 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505; PRS-350, PRS-T1, iPad, Aura HD	I have the same dilemma. I don't care about the wi-fi or the 3g, the only reason that I would spend the extra $$$ on a 950 is because of the extra inch. I like that the 900 (and I imagine the 950) divides PDFs into thirds in landscape mode, so that scanned PDFs (which I have quite a few of) or PDFs that don't render correctly in reflow mode can be easily read. But then again, the 650 does have the pan and scanned, which seems to be improved over the 600, so maybe I don't really need the extra inch. hmmm.

09-03-2010, 01:22 PM	#5
petercreasey Wizard Posts: 1,147 Karma: 1119516 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony: PRS 950 & T1, Kobo: Aura One & Forma	The touch, wireless, WiFi all are features that are NOT important to me. I'm looking for the same quality as my 505. The larger display of the 950 sounds appealing but I wouldn't want any lesser using/reading quality.

09-03-2010, 01:25 PM	#6
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	I also wish SONY came up with a larger-screen device. For the moment, I make do with the PRS900. Reading PDFs works, but in landscape mode - displaying a third of the page. It's fine for text, but not if you deal with a lot of graphs, figures and the like. I plan on upgrading to the 950 as soon as it becomes available. Compared to the 600/650, the extra screen size is a big plus, not just for PDFs. I like large fonts when reading ebooks - and that means less page turns with the 900. Also, if you plan on reading newspapers/magazines, the extra screen size is a must. 3g and wifi... well, it depends on the use you make of the device. Again, if you like getting your morning newspaper, it's very convenient. If you travel a lot, it's nice being able to get them on the fly - and to purchase a book when you are lonely in a hotel room... but really, that all depends on your habits. The downside of the bigger device, in terms of portability, seems negligible.

09-03-2010, 03:24 PM	#7
Rydertheblack Þýskaland sonur Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: El Salvador Device: PRS900 // prs650	The prs950 has browsing.. basic but at least you browse.. no videos.. no java content or any thing like that.. i would like to try it but first i will get use the 650

09-04-2010, 05:40 AM	#10
kartu PRS+ author Posts: 1,637 Karma: 2446233 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Sony PRS-300, 505, 600, 650, 950	eReader size comparison: http://blogkindle.com/ereader-comparison/

09-04-2010, 07:22 AM	#14
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	If you really want something around 10" I would recommend to look at the ipad, too. I was hesitant at first,too (I still disapprove to apples closed ecosystem), but it's just plain awesome for colored, heavy formatted pdfs. It's faster than my eInk devices for pdfs and I can easily sit on the couch and surf mobileread, too. Battery life is decent considering it's not an eInk device. With my usage (reading, surfing, an occasional round of solitaire played by my wife), I get about a week of battery life. Sometimes it's shorter. That's when my wife can't get off playing solitaire . For reading plain text, I still prefer my dediated eInk Prs600.

09-04-2010, 11:21 AM	#15
petercreasey Wizard Posts: 1,147 Karma: 1119516 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony: PRS 950 & T1, Kobo: Aura One & Forma	Lots of good info in this thread! The link to the size comparison page is helpful also. It appears there are no drawbacks to the 950. It is looking more and more interesting!

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