PRS-600 Do you frequently read PDFs on your PRS600?

drmaxx · 09-06-2009, 10:12 AM

I did quite some research here in the forum on reading PDFs on a e-reader. And from what I understood is that the 6 inch screen are simply not the optimal size for PDFs. But on the other side, there are also benefits in having a small screen, especially when you need to haul that thing around a lot.

I would like to get some feedback from people with a PSR600 that actually do read frequently technical PDFs (with formulas, pictures and graphs). Do you get use to it? Or does it remain a pain in the neck?
It seems to me that the zoom in combination with the touch screen makes it fairly easy to move around on the document. Is that correct?

I really would appreciate your feedback - I read about several that are disappointed with this feature and would like to hear from others that actually don't mind.

Andybaby · 09-06-2009, 12:53 PM

Its capable, and Convenient, but not an enjoyable experience.

especially if you have to move around alot. my only experience is with scanned text books, and its fairly annoying. but it can get you through the day if you want.

formerroadie · 09-06-2009, 01:20 PM

All I have read are PDF's and I like it a lot. Now, I don't read "technical" manuals or whatever. Most of what I read is text and is just fine.

dek · 09-06-2009, 01:45 PM

I am used to iRex DR 1000S so that the experience with Sony PRS-600 is not as enjoyable as DR 1000S is to play with. At least, I think PRS-600 is better than Amazon Kindle DX in terms of pdf prcessing except the smaller screen of PRS-600.

The Zoom In feature of PRS-600 is very good to look around a big size page of a pdf document, but you cannot use some featurs (e.g., annotation, dictionary look up). If you increase the font size, the pdf document is converted into another format (Sometimes the converted format is not useful because the document structure is also changed so that you may miss something).

I hope Sony will comes up with a larger screen (larger than the proposed Daily Edition) ebook reader. I also hope that Amazon will add more features (e.g., touch screen) that handle pdf files better. Another hope for iRex is that they reduce the price of DR 1000S (I have one, but I need more for my colleagues and students).

Otherwise, I will wait for a PlasticLogic device next year.

doreenjoy · 09-06-2009, 10:53 PM

I read a lot of fiction PDFs on my 505, and expect to enjoy them even more on the 600.

A PDF in landscape mode is usually a fine size to read.

drmaxx · 09-07-2009, 04:07 AM

@doreenjoy and @formerroadie:
Do I understand you two correctly: You mostly read text heavy PDFs. Do you make use of reflow or do you reformat the PDFs before loading them on the reader?

weg · 09-07-2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drmaxx

I would like to get some feedback from people with a PSR600 that actually do read frequently technical PDFs (with formulas, pictures and graphs). Do you get use to it? Or does it remain a pain in the neck?
It seems to me that the zoom in combination with the touch screen makes it fairly easy to move around on the document. Is that correct?

Formerroadie was nice enough to post some pictures of technical PDFs in the following thread:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55418

Maybe those pictures help you to come to a decision (I also want to use it for reading papers and haven't made up my mind yet).

drmaxx · 09-07-2009, 11:09 AM

@weg: Thanks for the very interesting link. Now I just need to know if the text actually is readable. Kind of difficult to state from the picture.

Dragon_Well · 09-07-2009, 11:29 AM

This video may be helpful for you, if you haven't seen it already. I will mostly be reading pdf journal articles and texts on my reader, so I will be sure to post once I have a chance to experiment a bit.

Grandma Aubbie · 09-08-2009, 09:38 AM

Most of my PDFs reflow. I have a couple that don't and I have used the landscape and zoom features. Not a great option for "reading" but they work fine for me in referencing.

Grandma Aubbie · 09-08-2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragon_Well

This video may be helpful for you, if you haven't seen it already. I will mostly be reading pdf journal articles and texts on my reader, so I will be sure to post once I have a chance to experiment a bit.

Great Video - thanks!

Shoily · 09-18-2009, 11:50 AM

Hi All,

I had purchased Amazon Kindle DX because it has native PDF support. But it was disappointed to me because I read PDF docs of most of which are smaller font or technical. I have just returned the Kindle and waiting for the refund to be deposited

I'm attaching one PDF and one link. Please see the attached PDF as it contains the spaces in left and right margins which caused the PDF text to be displayed small.

The link contains a PDF with two column, but its content is scanned image.

Can anyone who has access the Sony PRS-600 reader check these two files and let me know how it looks with zooming or increased font size. Screen shot attachments are greatly appreciated.

Link -
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~moore/publ...ns/fstrpos.pdf

Thanks,

Shoily

AlexC · 09-18-2009, 05:49 PM

I took some quick snaps of your attached pdf. Didn't have time to do the same for the linked file.

Sorry for the poor quality, but these were taken hand held in poor light just as I was about to head out the door... they're not a good measure of the PRS-600 w.r.t. reflection/contrast/glare, etc.

Portrait orientation:

Portrait orientation (zoom):

Portrait orientation (zoom reflow large):

Landscape orientation:

Here are a couple on a cropped version of your pdf.

Portrait orientation (cropped pdf):

Landscape orientation (cropped pdf):

R0B_IX · 09-18-2009, 05:52 PM

Hey Shoily,

I just received my PRS-600 in the mail today, so I can't give you too much information on pdfs, but at the moment I am very pleased with how it displays them. For an ebook reader, I found the kindle dx to be a bit large and lacking in features. Just so you know where I'm coming from, I read mostly technical books/journals in pdf format. I gave your book a shot (sorry, my camera is horrible) and it is very readable in landscape and portrait mode. So far, I personally prefer reading in landscape mode, which basically shows you half of the page at a time.

One recommendation would be to crop books like the one you posted. There is no reason to lose screen real estate because of a giant margin. In a program like acrobat, it only takes a few seconds to do and can make a big improvement.

Cheers

AlexC · 09-18-2009, 06:53 PM

One note on the PRS-600 and pdfs: it struggles mightily on files with a large number of cross references or complex indexing. I've had to strip some of my technical manuals and textbooks of internal links to make the reading experience something less than glacially slow. The built-in search makes this bearable, but it is a bit annoying.

09-06-2009, 10:12 AM	#1
drmaxx Connoisseur Posts: 74 Karma: 57808 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: none	Do you frequently read PDFs on your PRS600? I did quite some research here in the forum on reading PDFs on a e-reader. And from what I understood is that the 6 inch screen are simply not the optimal size for PDFs. But on the other side, there are also benefits in having a small screen, especially when you need to haul that thing around a lot. I would like to get some feedback from people with a PSR600 that actually do read frequently technical PDFs (with formulas, pictures and graphs). Do you get use to it? Or does it remain a pain in the neck? It seems to me that the zoom in combination with the touch screen makes it fairly easy to move around on the document. Is that correct? I really would appreciate your feedback - I read about several that are disappointed with this feature and would like to hear from others that actually don't mind.

09-06-2009, 01:45 PM	#4
dek Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: PRS600, iPod touch	I am used to iRex DR 1000S so that the experience with Sony PRS-600 is not as enjoyable as DR 1000S is to play with. At least, I think PRS-600 is better than Amazon Kindle DX in terms of pdf prcessing except the smaller screen of PRS-600. The Zoom In feature of PRS-600 is very good to look around a big size page of a pdf document, but you cannot use some featurs (e.g., annotation, dictionary look up). If you increase the font size, the pdf document is converted into another format (Sometimes the converted format is not useful because the document structure is also changed so that you may miss something). I hope Sony will comes up with a larger screen (larger than the proposed Daily Edition) ebook reader. I also hope that Amazon will add more features (e.g., touch screen) that handle pdf files better. Another hope for iRex is that they reduce the price of DR 1000S (I have one, but I need more for my colleagues and students). Otherwise, I will wait for a PlasticLogic device next year. Last edited by dek; 09-06-2009 at 01:47 PM.

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09-06-2009, 12:53 PM	#2
Andybaby Wizard Posts: 1,279 Karma: 1002683 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: New York Device: PRS-700	Its capable, and Convenient, but not an enjoyable experience. especially if you have to move around alot. my only experience is with scanned text books, and its fairly annoying. but it can get you through the day if you want.

09-06-2009, 01:20 PM	#3
formerroadie Bada Bing Posts: 146 Karma: 504 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Fort Worth, TX Device: Sony Reader PRS-600	All I have read are PDF's and I like it a lot. Now, I don't read "technical" manuals or whatever. Most of what I read is text and is just fine.

09-06-2009, 10:53 PM	#5
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	I read a lot of fiction PDFs on my 505, and expect to enjoy them even more on the 600. A PDF in landscape mode is usually a fine size to read.

09-07-2009, 04:07 AM	#6
drmaxx Connoisseur Posts: 74 Karma: 57808 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: none	@doreenjoy and @formerroadie: Do I understand you two correctly: You mostly read text heavy PDFs. Do you make use of reflow or do you reformat the PDFs before loading them on the reader?

09-07-2009, 11:09 AM	#8
drmaxx Connoisseur Posts: 74 Karma: 57808 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: none	@weg: Thanks for the very interesting link. Now I just need to know if the text actually is readable. Kind of difficult to state from the picture.

09-07-2009, 11:29 AM	#9
Dragon_Well Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 46 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Astak EZ-reader, Sony PRS-600	This video may be helpful for you, if you haven't seen it already. I will mostly be reading pdf journal articles and texts on my reader, so I will be sure to post once I have a chance to experiment a bit.

09-08-2009, 09:38 AM	#10
Grandma Aubbie Grandma Aubbie Posts: 79 Karma: 229 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southwest Kansas Device: sony 600	Most of my PDFs reflow. I have a couple that don't and I have used the landscape and zoom features. Not a great option for "reading" but they work fine for me in referencing.

09-18-2009, 05:49 PM	#13
AlexC Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 737 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Vancouver Device: Apple iPad; iRex iLiad	I took some quick snaps of your attached pdf. Didn't have time to do the same for the linked file. Sorry for the poor quality, but these were taken hand held in poor light just as I was about to head out the door... they're not a good measure of the PRS-600 w.r.t. reflection/contrast/glare, etc. Portrait orientation: Portrait orientation (zoom): Portrait orientation (zoom reflow large): Landscape orientation: Here are a couple on a cropped version of your pdf. Portrait orientation (cropped pdf): Landscape orientation (cropped pdf):

09-18-2009, 05:52 PM	#14
R0B_IX Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 48 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-300	Hey Shoily, I just received my PRS-600 in the mail today, so I can't give you too much information on pdfs, but at the moment I am very pleased with how it displays them. For an ebook reader, I found the kindle dx to be a bit large and lacking in features. Just so you know where I'm coming from, I read mostly technical books/journals in pdf format. I gave your book a shot (sorry, my camera is horrible) and it is very readable in landscape and portrait mode. So far, I personally prefer reading in landscape mode, which basically shows you half of the page at a time. One recommendation would be to crop books like the one you posted. There is no reason to lose screen real estate because of a giant margin. In a program like acrobat, it only takes a few seconds to do and can make a big improvement. Cheers

09-18-2009, 06:53 PM	#15
AlexC Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 737 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Vancouver Device: Apple iPad; iRex iLiad	One note on the PRS-600 and pdfs: it struggles mightily on files with a large number of cross references or complex indexing. I've had to strip some of my technical manuals and textbooks of internal links to make the reading experience something less than glacially slow. The built-in search makes this bearable, but it is a bit annoying.

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