01-17-2009, 01:25 PM | #1 |
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Thinking of buying it; What are the cons?
Alright, I've been wanting a reader for the longest time, and am thinking of just buying the sony's newest.
I've been looking at various reviews, and here are the cons I've found: No wireless connectivity; which does make the battery last longer. Those of you who own it, do you regret no having this? Backlight sucks; You know, I don't find this a con. I don't believe a backlight could NOT suck, but this is the only device with this feature. Glare is bad; I've heard some of you moan about this, but for the rest of you, is it really a problem, and is it the same on other devices; because I expect it is. Resolution is low - do you find it uncomfortable to read off of? Lousy book manager - If true, I will be very disturbed, because I expect I would be putting at least 20k books on. Is there at least a search function? And finally, I have a two questions: Is there a release date for the next version? Is the battery replaceable? Thanks, and I hope your those critical reviews were not felt by all! |
01-17-2009, 01:36 PM | #2 |
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I have a 505, and the lack of wireless is a plus for me. I use a clip on booklight as well. There is a search function for the ebook library, but you are probably better off using Calibre if you are going to have 20k books.
Most of the people who complain about the glare had another ereader before hand to compare it to. I would play with one at a store (Borders should have one) to see if it bothers you. I hear that Sony will replace the battery, but it can't be done by the average user. I have no idea what it costs. There is no release date for the next one, and personally I don't think it will be for a while, since CES would have been a good time to announce it. |
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01-17-2009, 02:59 PM | #3 |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
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I haven't seen a PRS-700, (I have a CyBook Gen3), but those who've seen both say that the PRS-700 screen is worse because of the extra layers it has in front of the eInk screen. In short, all the other 6" eInk readers out there have clearer screens than the PRS-700.
I'd definitely want to see it comoared to something else before buying. |
01-17-2009, 03:20 PM | #4 |
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
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i have a 700, and my first device was an eb1150 (older device with backlit lcd display, touch screen, search function...). i think most often the people who have hated the 700 are the ones who are used to a sony 505 or Cybook Gen3, and don't care about the extra features on the 700, and the ones who love it are often eb1150 users who don't want to give up the ergonomy of the eb1150 when they move to e-ink, and appreciate the features such as search and notetaking. personally i find the 700 to be an excellent device (although still not perfect). i'm not bothered by the glare and the screen is quite readable for my needs, including at night in bed by low light, although like all e-ink screens the more light the better. i almost never use the sidelights but i use the touchscreen all the time for turning pages and notes.
concerning your specific questions : i don't personally feel the need for wireless connectivity (although, this could be because i've never had it, just like the people who have never used an eb1150 and think they would never use the note-taking feature / touchscreen ). it's very easy to connect the 700 to the computer and transfer files using calibre or the file browser and as a bonus it charges the battery at the same time. and i always have enough books loaded that it's not a problem if i finish one while away from my computer. sidelights : i'm not a fan of lit screens in general and this is a feature i dislike on my eb1150, so i don't use it in general. however i was glad to have it once in a particular situation where it was very handy. it's actually pretty decent, if you like that sort of thing, and quite useable. the light is irregular but it didn't prevent me from reading (on the lowest setting). glare : there is some, and sometimes i notice it more than other times, but it's not been a huge problem for me, and has never prevented me from reading. resolution is the same as other e-ink screens if i'm not mistaken and is ample for reading text and can even display images quite satisfactorily. perhaps you mean contrast, which is lower than the 505 or the Gen3 screen, however again this hasn't been a problem for me. book manager : if you mean the sony software, i don't use it ; i use calibre instead and it's quite good, and does have a live search (results are filtered as you type in the search bar). i don't have 20k books yet but from what i hear even in large libraries it manages quite well. if you mean on the device, i'm actually very pleased with the UI, and this is one of the places having a touch screen is really brilliant. you can sort the library view by title, author or date added. in title and author view the alphabet is displayed vertically along the right side of the screen and you simply touch the letter you want to go to, then you can page forward and backwards to find your book, touch the title to open it. there are also the collections, which allow you to create groups of books and find them easily by theme, genre, or whatever tag you want to add. and if you like to read several books at the same time and switch back and forth, i've found it's really convenient to use the notes and bookmarks for this ; just add a bookmark before putting away your book, then you can open the "all notes" view and select any bookmark to go immediately to whichever book you want to pick up. in the past sony has released a new model each autumn however with the current economic "downturn" and layoffs i'm not sure whether they will continue to do so. in any case no official date has been announced. |
01-17-2009, 03:38 PM | #5 |
Anti-Narcissist
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Apple & Artichokes....
If you have had nothing by way of an eReader device thus far; then I'd say
be ahead of the curve and buy into newer technology and a faster processor. This will ensure you will have longer usage of your device. Go for the 7series! You will love the speed and touch panel not to mention iconized book organization. The search is a huge plus if you carry lots of pdf's that are research related. As for the contrast, use proper lighting (day or florescent) or just switch on the internal lights. If you have borowed or used (extensively) an older reader without a touchpanel, then I'd recommend you stick with the downgrade model as it appears many on these boards feel they can't adjust or cope with the change. If you head over to a Sony Store and attempt to direct compare the two, you will frustrate yourself because you will long for the speed and search and additional features not found on the 5Series yet the 5 will seem to have more 'contrast'. Its like you walk into a used car dealership, and start testing out two cars, a Mercedes S class vs. a Honda Civic... they both do the same thing but are they really comparible side by side? I'll let you answer that for yourself. If you put TWO touchpanel readers side by side then you can say you are now comparing apples with apple and not apple with artichokes.... |
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01-17-2009, 05:22 PM | #6 |
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Thanks guys, you've reassured me enough that I think I could buy this. I don't know what I'll end up doing, and may even just buy an iphone, so I'll have to see.
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01-17-2009, 05:40 PM | #7 |
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Please don't buy an iPhone. You'll be one of the zombie masses buying Apple products for the sake of being able to say you have an Apple product. Please give in to reality and see it for what it is (something you really don't want).
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01-17-2009, 05:42 PM | #8 | |
Grand Sorcerer
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Quote:
But I do love my Apple iPod Touch |
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01-17-2009, 05:50 PM | #9 |
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I don't mind the iPod Touch. I just dislike the iPhone. But as an eBook reader, I do dislike both.
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01-17-2009, 05:55 PM | #10 |
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While reading on an iPhone/Touch is totally not out of the question and
VERY VERY do-able, I would have to agree over-all that your main reader should be a dedicate device and with access to unlimited amounts of reading materials out there you will eventually limit yourself by sticking to an iPhone reader. However they are sure gaining popularity due to the easy of always having it by your side... |
01-17-2009, 09:13 PM | #11 | |
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Quote:
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01-17-2009, 09:16 PM | #12 |
Enjoying the show....
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01-17-2009, 09:18 PM | #13 | |
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Quote:
I don't know about having a phone on my Reader though, LOL. |
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01-17-2009, 09:19 PM | #14 |
Enjoying the show....
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01-17-2009, 09:20 PM | #15 | |
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