Does PRS-350 or PRS-650 slow down in the sun?

[JSWolf]

Squirsier have a look at the following thread. It will show you how to add fonts onto your Reader so you can access them from the ePub's CSS to have whatever fonts you want. Also, you'll be able to get true italics and true bold.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36361

[Squirsier]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

I guess its time to bring this up in the calibre forum, read this for more info.

Done, thanks for the tip

[Robert22]

Originally Posted by Squirsier

Done, thanks for the tip

Thanks very much Squirsier, you've done a good service for all the new 350 owners!

So far anyway, this thread has only seen one issue and that seems to be a slow down due to using a LRF book. No surprise there! I think the 350 slow down myth has pretty much been debunked as far as normal indoor use.

I personally have no desire to go sit outside and read in the hot Texas afternoon with a heat index over 100, so I won't be testing out the heat effect on Pearl screens. But so far I've heard no complaints yet from 350 or 650 users related to heat. Granted there are very few of us with 350s and 650s as they just became available.

The K3 seems to have some complaints related to heat, although they are talking about direct sunlight. But even at 70 degrees, direct sunlight on a reader could drive the actual temperature up to at least 85 degrees or higher. So they are probably experiencing heat related issues rather than sunlight issues. But that is just a guess. I might buy into sunlight as a cause if they were experiencing screen fade, but I have a hard time believing sunlight causes slow downs. If it is heat related, remember that the K3s have WiFi and some have 3G. I know these radios can cause more heat inside the case, especially if the radios are working overtime to receive weak signals. Using WiFi outside your house in the yard will probably cause it to struggle to maintain signal strength. Using AT&T 3G anywhere is going to cause it to struggle to maintain signal strength. The Sony 350 and 650 don't have these radios so they should stay cooler under similar conditions. The 950 might be a different story when it is released.

[lindnet]

The page turn slow-downs on K3 are actually being seen just in bright outdoor light. It does not have to be warm outside, and the sun does not need to be directly on the ereader or screen. I don't know what is causing it, but for me and several others, it seems to be light-related, rather than heat-related.

It might be light, but I'm extremely skeptical. I never had that problem with my Kindle DXG in direct sunlight and hot temperatures to boot. I've never had any problems with any readers in sunlight except for that bad batch of Kindle 2s where the screen would fade. I had to send two K2s back before I got a good one. I can buy into screen fade because of light, but slowdowns just doesn't make sense. Most of the threads and posts I read on various Kindle forums seem to be basing their thoughts on very unscientific methodology, that is, they are guessing rather than trying to prove what the problem is. Until it pops up on Sony Pearl screens I'm going to assume it is not the screen that is the problem.

[Squirsier]

Originally Posted by jswinden

So far anyway, this thread has only seen one issue and that seems to be a slow down due to using a LRF book. No surprise there! I think the 350 slow down myth has pretty much been debunked as far as normal indoor use.

Still, a LRF that works just fine on the PRS-300 (I did test it since then). I definitely agree that it seems to be a LRF issue and not a screen issue, tho at first the similarity of the problem, removing the sun as the main issue, was hard to ignore. Just reporting all issues I find with the device

[Robert22]

Originally Posted by Squirsier

Still, a LRF that works just fine on the PRS-300 (I did test it since then). I definitely agree that it seems to be a LRF issue and not a screen issue, tho at first the similarity of the problem, removing the sun as the main issue, was hard to ignore. Just reporting all issues I find with the device

Hi Squirsier

Since you've had your 350 for a while, what is your impression now, how do you like it so far?

Thanks.

[Squirsier]

Originally Posted by Robert22

Hi Squirsier

Since you've had your 350 for a while, what is your impression now, how do you like it so far?

Thanks.

I really love it. Just for the screen it was worth it. Requires less light to be readable, contrast is adjustable tho I personally haven't seen the need to change it to anything else than "Original" for the moment.

Interface wise, I much prefer this more graphical approach to the main menu (continue reading has the covert art from the book you're reading as well as the date and time of your last reading session), the last 3 books added and a "New" stamp on newly sent eBooks to the device.

As jswinden mentioned it's a lot lighter and doesn't quite "feel" as sturdy as the PRS-300, but after using it for a few days you get back to the PRS-300 and see just how bulky it feels in comparison, and it's still a rock solid device, tho don't ask me to do a drop test comparing the 2 models

jswinden also mentioned the screen being recessed in the frame (due to the IR), and if you had shadow issues with the PRS-300, you'll have them a little bit worse with this model.

But all in all, I think this is close to being the ideal pocket reader ; a 6 inch screen on the same size frame would most probably be it! The weight is great, the physical size too.

As for the other reasons I enjoy it, they've mostly been covered by the PRS-600 and just absent from the PRS-300 ; dictionary, note taking, touch screen (yes, I do like it!).

[Robert22]

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences, Squirsier! When I saw the 350 in the store I also fell in love with it and just can't wait to get mine. Thanks again.

[Squirsier]

Okay, I have a new development in "my slowdown issues" which, up to tonight, thought it due to a badly formatted LRF... Turns out my issue was.... artificial sun.

I feel like an idiot not seeing this before. I often read in a lounge chair with an halogen lamp attached to it, and as you probably know, halogen lamps give out a lot of heat. The reader is always about 1 -2 foot away from it, depending where I attach the lamp. Sometimes I like to turn off all lamps in the room and just have the halogen lamp on - like tonight, so I put it closer.

Tonight, I was reading another LRF book and the problem started happening after about 40 pages. Then something in my head clicked - the damn heat from the lamp. I let the book rest for 5 mins, went to my bed and started reading from there with just a regular table lamp on a beside table and all was fine, read 60 pages w/o issues. Went back to the lounge chair, read 30 pages, this time doing it on purpose to have the reader closer to the halogen lamp and voila - slowdown.

I feel stupid not having thought about this sooner. This explain why a) the reader seemed to work fine after letting it, presumably, cooldown for several minutes before starting to read again and b) why I had this issue seemingly in a random fashion all weekend - I used the reading room upstairs during the day and the bedroom at night, where my lounge chair and halogen lamp is.

Well, I figured I better clarify things here. It's the heat, not the file's format that's the issue.

I'm curious if anyone else would have the same issue...!

[Fbone]

What does Sony list as the maximum operating temperature? We know the K3 is 95F.

[Squirsier]

Originally Posted by Fbone

What does Sony list as the maximum operating temperature? We know the K3 is 95F.

Same ; 41f to 95f.

[Squirsier]

Originally Posted by Robert22

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences, Squirsier! When I saw the 350 in the store I also fell in love with it and just can't wait to get mine. Thanks again.

You're welcome Btw, something to add... This mostly buttonless frame makes me think that I am closer to reading a real book rather than reading from an electronic device. There is something to be said for streamlining the units to remove the "electronic device" feel. Which isn't knew - the PRS-600 and 900 did so but for me is new

[Avwriter]

Speaking of buttons, how are they? Do they seem too mushy, clicky, or loose? I was always dissatisfied with the way the buttons felt on the 600. They just did not feel very solid. Also, they have enough space around them that crumbs or particles of dirt easily get caught in the slots.