T3 screen quality- still stands firm against carta ?

[Fif23]

So I was going to get myself another Ebook reader to put in the car...
I know those Carta screens look good and sharp, but how is the T3 in comparison to them ? Still "close enough" in real life or is it a whole different experience ?

I didn't see any sony past the PRS 650 which is slow and grainy so thats where my question is coming from...

[Ghitulescu]

Why don't you test them in (real) shops?

[Fif23]

I know I can't they dont sell any EREADERS where I live ... Outside of the US.
Tell you what, to hell with the Cartas... If T3 has better sharpness than the PRS-650 then I'll go ahead and order one

What do you think ?

[Ghitulescu]

I have one, so you know what I think

[soulfuldog]

It won't stand up as well to the very latest (Kindle Voyage & Kobo H2O) due to their superior screen resolution. However, it should stand up reasonably well against the other 'main' ereaders like the Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Aura, as long as you don't want the in-built light they have. The light does really help the screen, but on the other hand, the light guide adds a layer to the screen that some people find makes the text slightly less clear - which is why the T3 will probably look ok next to them (in good light). It's really in low light levels that those with in-built lights have the real edge.

The screen on the PRS-T3 definitely looks a lot better than the PRS 650!

[Fif23]

Cool !
Now I have to figure out if the H2O is worth 100 dollars more...

I am sure I like the sony software better.... But I don't know if I like that backlight. I mean, I never really read in the dark... Who ever reads in pitch black ? Theres at worst a lamp next to my bed at night... And If I am camping in the forest I wouldn't be thinking of reading/cellphone/laptop anyway...

What is the use of it ?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Fif23

Cool !
Now I have to figure out if the H2O is worth 100 dollars more...

I am sure I like the sony software better.... But I don't know if I like that backlight. I mean, I never really read in the dark... Who ever reads in pitch black ? Theres at worst a lamp next to my bed at night... And If I am camping in the forest I wouldn't be thinking of reading/cellphone/laptop anyway...

What is the use of it ?

yes, the H2O is worth the extra $. With the H2O you get many more font sizes, margin control, line height control, side loaded fonts and more choices of fonts. The ability to darken the fonts as wanted. The contrast is better. The size is better. The resolution is better.

It's a front light, not a back light. I do read in the dark sometimes in bed. I cannot have a light on when my wife is trying to sleep. So the only light I can use is the front light on the H2O. You say you'll never read in a dark room, but you could read in a room without enough light and you cannot ever say never as you just don't know.

[Fif23]

Quite a convincing case you made there
Say, on the 650, I can just drop some PDF's and reflow them on the device.
Can this be done with the H2o or do I have to use a reflow PC program before each transfer ?

Also, is the plain " Kobo Aura " basically a 6" H2O ? It LOOKS like it could be more comfortable to use because of the design....

[robko]

Originally Posted by Fif23

Quite a convincing case you made there
Say, on the 650, I can just drop some PDF's and reflow them on the device.
Can this be done with the H2o or do I have to use a reflow PC program before each transfer ?

Also, is the plain " Kobo Aura " basically a 6" H2O ? It LOOKS like it could be more comfortable to use because of the design....

There is no "native" reflow option on the Kobo's. There are a couple of easy to install (no rooting required) programs you can put onto Kobo's alongside the stock firmware that will allow you to do this. I can't comment on them because I haven't used them.

The 6" Aura has a different screen to the H2O so it's not just a 6" H2O. It's not a Carta screen, but uses a different waveform that supposedly reduces ghosting allowing you to use it with refreshes once per chapter. It is also capacitive touch rather than the IR on the H2O. I don't have personal experience with the Aura 6", but some people have said the extra layer for the touch or something else in the design makes it slightly less clear.

Some people love the flat screen, others find they miss have a recessed screen know where they need to touch to change pages to hang onto.

[Fif23]

I see, and is it relatively easy to "root" and sideload apps to the Kobo ?
I have PRS Plus on my 650 and thought the installation was really simple...

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Fif23

I see, and is it relatively easy to "root" and sideload apps to the Kobo ?
I have PRS Plus on my 650 and thought the installation was really simple...

But you don't need anything like PRS Plus on a Kobo. Kobo has options for settings changes and the patches are very easy to apply. You can install Kobo Start Menu (KSM) and Koreader if you want. You do not have to root Kobo Readers. Also, you do have a web browser and games as part of the firmware.

The screen on H2O is much better than on any Sony Reader. I have a 650 & a T1 and the screen on the T1 is better than the 650. The extra .8" is done properly that it gives more screen space then the 7" screen of the 950.

[Fif23]

Very nice ! Then I don't have to look elsewhere.
H2O it is !
I am seeing around 200$ for the device... If this may be too much please PM me with any good deals you have found ? It's not easy to find this thing...

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Fif23

Very nice ! Then I don't have to look elsewhere.
H2O it is !
I am seeing around 200$ for the device... If this may be too much please PM me with any good deals you have found ? It's not easy to find this thing...

If you are in the USA, you can get the H2O from Chapters with fast shipping and slightly cheaper prices (even though you pay shipping) because of the US/CA exchange rate. If you have PayPal, you can use that to pay and not get charged any foreign transaction fee. But if you have a credit card that doesn't charge, you can use that as well.

I got my H2O in 4 days.

[radius]

I personally don't like the font rendering engine in the Kobo series, so most of JSWolf's comments don't apply for me.

To me, the T3 versus Kobo H2O breaks down as:

- screen and device size; Sony is smaller, lighter and easier to hold for long reading periods (maybe not a big deal in the car?). The H2O has a bigger screen (but Kobo uses up some of the top and bottom)

- weather-proof; Kobo wins obviously

- support and store; again a point for Kobo

- clarity; I find this depends on how close you hold your reader. The difference can be seen for sure, even by my middle-aged eyes, but the previous generation (Kindle PW2/Kobo Aura/Sony PRS-T3) screens are close to good enough for my style of reading. Also, as mentioned, I don't like the way Kobo renders letter-forms and embedded fonts so part of the appeal of the extra resolution and rendering/display adjustments are lost to me.

Extra notes:

- some of the things mentioned like adjustable margins are indeed available on Sony

- hyphenation; works great on Sony (especially helpful if you like larger font sizes as there is no option for left justification) and last time I checked Kobo support for hyphenation is uneven

- light; like you, this is a take it or leave it for me. In the dark the shine of it isn't really any more restful than an LCD screen IMO. In good lighting it's useless. In twilight or semi-lit conditions it works very well, but I don't think it's great for your eyes to read in that lighting anyways. It's better to increase your ambient lighting instead.

[Fif23]

To me the Sony software is just SO NICE ! The H2O's homescreen looks kinda like Windows 8 tiles But i'm a fan of high resolution.

SONY SHOULD OUT A NEW DEVICE WITH FULL HD.

But seriously, nobody buys ereaders ... Our society loves the fancy tablets with the Whatsapp link...Because they can't read for 5 minute without checking their mail.
I am the only person I know of with an Ereader.... So I can understand Sony wanting cash and not selling this kind of product aimed at a very specific audience.

And on that note, just ordered 100$ worth of hard-covers.... Anything that's not a "light read" I get as a hard cover.