PRS-350 How comfortable is a 5" screen

ScotPjotr · 12-09-2010, 01:50 PM

A question to you lucky PRS-350 owners out there.

I think I have made up my mind that I want a Sony e-reader, so that's the hard part over. Now it's down to the 350 vs the 650.

I've got several MP3 players so do not need the audio on the 650, and with 2GB worth of memory I'll not need the card slot either. So I'm leaning towards getting the 350, which will also allow me to carry it during travel.

Only thing I am worried about is the screen size though: do any of you have a 350 and read it for hours at a time ? What's that like ? I know the screen quality is very good but what about the actual size of the screen ? Is it usable with a decent font size and (thus) lots of page turns ? Any experience, positive or negative, to help me decide on my Christmas present to myself ?

Many thanks !

ScotPjotr

Debi · 12-09-2010, 03:00 PM

I have a 350 and absolutely love it.

I use my reader for pleasure reading so PDFs and such aren't something I can address.

I bought a 900 back in the spring. I wanted the xxl fonts and the real estate. I've loved using the 900. I then got a 600 when they were being discontinued. It was much lighter but the screen wasn't quite as nice as the 900.

I really liked the size and screen on the 300 but it didn't have the larger fonts I needed. When the 350 went on sale at Dell I had to try one. If it didn't work I could gift it to someone in the family. Well, I love, love, love it. The fact that I don't get many words on a page doesn't bother me although it probably would others. The page turns aren't something I think about when reading. Since I tend to hold the reader in my left hand and use the page turn button more than touching the screen I'm hoping the buttons stand up to the approximately 10 turns per 1 "normal" page the larger fonts require. The weight-or lack there of-and the size which I can hold comfortably in one hand is easier on the wrist than the 900 which now seems heavy and clunky.

I haven't had a chance to touch a 650 but I really don't miss the extra real estate as much as I thought I would. I held a 950 at Best Buy not long ago thinking I might want to replace the 900 at some point. It seemed really big. I think for now I'll stick with the 350.

I hope you enjoy which ever one you decide on as much as I've enjoyed mine.

jlbfoot · 12-09-2010, 03:14 PM

I've gone back and forth on the 5" vs 6" issue. I originally had a 505 and loved it. I switched to a 300 for the form factor, and didn't miss the extra inch...or so I thought. I recently decided on a 650, rather than a 350, (and I hate to admit this) mainly because it came in a black color. Now I have a 6" screen again AND a nice form factor. I really didn't miss the larger screen with the 300, but now I appreciate it on the 650. I too could care less about the MP3 player, or the touch screen for that matter. Boy, was I wrong about the touch screen...it's.ah very nice.ah (imitation Italian). Now, if Sony would do something about the crappy landscape mode, I think the 650 is the perfect reader (for novels).

ardeegee · 12-09-2010, 04:07 PM

To me, the 5 inch screen is the perfect fit for holding cupped in one hand and the largest a reader can get and be considered "portable." (If you can't casually carry it in a pocket everywhere you go, it isn't portable.) A 6 inch screen is an awkward size-- too large to be casually carried but still "small" compared to a hardback. If I had a second reader size, it would be the pocketable 5-inch plus a luggable 8+ inch.

I could have picked a 650 instead of a 350 when I upgraded recently-- but I never even considered the 650.

Latinandgreek · 12-09-2010, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardeegee

If I had a second reader size, it would be the pocketable 5-inch plus a luggable 8+ inch.

That's a pretty good combination. If only Sony made 8+ inch readers! I've been tempted by the Kindle DX, but I want a touch screen so that I can mark stuff up with a stylus. I'm on the fence about the Pocketbook 903 (I had really high hopes for it but the reviews I've seen haven't looked so hot. I'll give it time for some firmware updates to come out). Perhaps the new Asus 9 inch reader will impress me.

Jason Green · 12-09-2010, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScotPjotr

A question to you lucky PRS-350 owners out there.

I think I have made up my mind that I want a Sony e-reader, so that's the hard part over. Now it's down to the 350 vs the 650.

I've got several MP3 players so do not need the audio on the 650, and with 2GB worth of memory I'll not need the card slot either. So I'm leaning towards getting the 350, which will also allow me to carry it during travel.

Only thing I am worried about is the screen size though: do any of you have a 350 and read it for hours at a time ? What's that like ? I know the screen quality is very good but what about the actual size of the screen ? Is it usable with a decent font size and (thus) lots of page turns ? Any experience, positive or negative, to help me decide on my Christmas present to myself ?

Many thanks !

ScotPjotr

The size of the reader is good for carrying while traveling but the screen size is a little smaller than I would like.

I feel as though a quarter of the page is missing compared to a book, and that you are having to turn the page a lot more than if the whole page was on screen.

Of course you can go down a size in font but then you are squinting a little.

The extra inch makes a difference in reading but then it adds to the size of the reader too.

If you want to read while traveling then the 350 is better, but if you want to read at home then I'd say the 650 is better.

Doogman · 12-09-2010, 04:27 PM

I'm sure just about everyone on this board that has a 350 reads for hours at a time.

Remember, the screen resolution of the 350 and 650 are the same (600x800), so you actually get a higher DPI with the 350. The 650 displays more text per page.

As far as font size, I THINK that Sony scaled the fonts so that the text size of the 350 and 650 is the same. Can anyone who has both verify this?

SeaBookGuy · 12-09-2010, 04:32 PM

Welcome to MR, Scot!

I'm happy with my 650; I don't use the audio feature much at all as it's pretty much useless with a resume/bookmark feature (for books), and I do use an SD card, but could easily get away without that.

As for screen size, in seeing the two models side by side the 650 squeezes in a couple more lines-per-page (as many as four?), but that doesn't seem such a difference that you'll be turning pages continuously. I read most books in small font, some are more comfortable in medium, but even then you wouldn't be continuously page turning on a 350.

To be brutally honest, unless someone wanted a specific color (I do like the black), or had a large e-library that was important to carry around on a card, I'd suggest a 350.

tb74 · 12-09-2010, 04:33 PM

I started with at 300 and recently up-sized to the 650. I was not crazy about the size of the 300 screen as it seemed I was always and forever turning the page. Even though it's only 1-inch difference, it seemed to make a big difference in how much fit on the page. The 300 is great to hold in one hand, but the screen size truly is noticeably smaller. Unfortunately, this is really the type of thing that you won't know the answer to until you are using it for a while. At that point, however, you have already bought one. Good luck deciding!

elemenoP · 12-09-2010, 04:41 PM

Can you check them out in person? I think Best Buy probably has demos by now? I love small gadgets and I thought I was going to get a 350, but when I tried them out in the store, I actually thought the 350 was too small. But people who have them (on these boards... I don't actually know anyone IRL who has any Sony Reader!) seem very happy with them.

eP

Elfwreck · 12-09-2010, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

Can you check them out in person? I think Best Buy probably has demos by now?

Fry's has 350 and 650 demos. (And 300's on sale for $112 for blue and $99 for silver.)

Towerblock · 12-09-2010, 05:43 PM

I have the 350, Nook Color and Kindle 3. I've owned the 900, Nook and briefly the 650. Of ALL of them the 350 is my favorite. Being able to slip it in your pocket is a great benefit. The size is perfect for me when reading in bed..much nicer to hold onto than any of the other devices. I read one handed and use my thumb to swipe on the screen to turn pages. One thing to know is that a "swipe" doesn't have to be very big, .25 inch of movement is all I do to turn pages...easily done holding the 350 one handed.

The Nook color is nice, but I use it only to surf the web and watch movies. It is not nearly as nice to read a book on as the Sony. The Kindle has sort of become the least used. I love the device, think it's really well designed, but it's not comfortable to hold, I accidentally hit the page turn buttons sometimes and the web browser has been eclipsed by the web browser in the nook color. Sooo...the kindle does many things ok, but nothing excellently.

Back to your original question, I find the screen size and readability of the 350 perfect. FYI I'm 46 and have the typical vision issues (and more) of a 46 year old..

DreamStreetRose · 12-09-2010, 06:17 PM

I have the 350 and am very sure that I made the right decision when choosing it. No frills; no thrills...just simple reading. Got it, the cover w/light and A/C adapter for $149 at Walmart.

jsites · 12-09-2010, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

Can you check them out in person? I think Best Buy probably has demos by now? I love small gadgets and I thought I was going to get a 350, but when I tried them out in the store, I actually thought the 350 was too small. But people who have them (on these boards... I don't actually know anyone IRL who has any Sony Reader!) seem very happy with them.

eP

Borders stores also have both the 650 and 350 models available to play around with in the store.

vvvbe · 12-09-2010, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamStreetRose

I have the 350 and am very sure that I made the right decision when choosing it. No frills; no thrills...just simple reading. Got it, the cover w/light and A/C adapter for $149 at Walmart.

Wow... All for $149 or was it the 300... All will be mad-dash to the Mart
at that price, including me.

I have a 300 and a 650 and I put the 650 on top of the 300 and was surprised to find the 650 is just a smidge bigger than the 300 and thinner. I think the 650 is just the right size... And maybe the 350 being a little too small... I really, really feel the 650 is just the right size. But agree for portability the 350 wins hand down...

You really gotta get some place to do the hands-on, eyeball thing! Or better yet get both and then do what ya gotta do...

12-09-2010, 01:50 PM	#1
ScotPjotr Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: PRC-350	How comfortable is a 5" screen A question to you lucky PRS-350 owners out there. I think I have made up my mind that I want a Sony e-reader, so that's the hard part over. Now it's down to the 350 vs the 650. I've got several MP3 players so do not need the audio on the 650, and with 2GB worth of memory I'll not need the card slot either. So I'm leaning towards getting the 350, which will also allow me to carry it during travel. Only thing I am worried about is the screen size though: do any of you have a 350 and read it for hours at a time ? What's that like ? I know the screen quality is very good but what about the actual size of the screen ? Is it usable with a decent font size and (thus) lots of page turns ? Any experience, positive or negative, to help me decide on my Christmas present to myself ? Many thanks ! ScotPjotr

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12-09-2010, 03:00 PM	#2
Debi Connoisseur Posts: 96 Karma: 286412 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Virginia Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Voyage, Ipad Mini 2, Ipad Air 2	I have a 350 and absolutely love it. I use my reader for pleasure reading so PDFs and such aren't something I can address. I bought a 900 back in the spring. I wanted the xxl fonts and the real estate. I've loved using the 900. I then got a 600 when they were being discontinued. It was much lighter but the screen wasn't quite as nice as the 900. I really liked the size and screen on the 300 but it didn't have the larger fonts I needed. When the 350 went on sale at Dell I had to try one. If it didn't work I could gift it to someone in the family. Well, I love, love, love it. The fact that I don't get many words on a page doesn't bother me although it probably would others. The page turns aren't something I think about when reading. Since I tend to hold the reader in my left hand and use the page turn button more than touching the screen I'm hoping the buttons stand up to the approximately 10 turns per 1 "normal" page the larger fonts require. The weight-or lack there of-and the size which I can hold comfortably in one hand is easier on the wrist than the 900 which now seems heavy and clunky. I haven't had a chance to touch a 650 but I really don't miss the extra real estate as much as I thought I would. I held a 950 at Best Buy not long ago thinking I might want to replace the 900 at some point. It seemed really big. I think for now I'll stick with the 350. I hope you enjoy which ever one you decide on as much as I've enjoyed mine.

12-09-2010, 03:14 PM	#3
jlbfoot idiot Posts: 91 Karma: 16 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Grand Cayman Device: Sony 505, 300, and 650	I've gone back and forth on the 5" vs 6" issue. I originally had a 505 and loved it. I switched to a 300 for the form factor, and didn't miss the extra inch...or so I thought. I recently decided on a 650, rather than a 350, (and I hate to admit this) mainly because it came in a black color. Now I have a 6" screen again AND a nice form factor. I really didn't miss the larger screen with the 300, but now I appreciate it on the 650. I too could care less about the MP3 player, or the touch screen for that matter. Boy, was I wrong about the touch screen...it's.ah very nice.ah (imitation Italian). Now, if Sony would do something about the crappy landscape mode, I think the 650 is the perfect reader (for novels).

12-09-2010, 04:07 PM	#4
ardeegee Maratus speciosus butt Posts: 3,292 Karma: 1162698 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-350	To me, the 5 inch screen is the perfect fit for holding cupped in one hand and the largest a reader can get and be considered "portable." (If you can't casually carry it in a pocket everywhere you go, it isn't portable.) A 6 inch screen is an awkward size-- too large to be casually carried but still "small" compared to a hardback. If I had a second reader size, it would be the pocketable 5-inch plus a luggable 8+ inch. I could have picked a 650 instead of a 350 when I upgraded recently-- but I never even considered the 650.

12-09-2010, 04:27 PM	#7
Doogman Connoisseur Posts: 52 Karma: 945 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook ST	I'm sure just about everyone on this board that has a 350 reads for hours at a time. Remember, the screen resolution of the 350 and 650 are the same (600x800), so you actually get a higher DPI with the 350. The 650 displays more text per page. As far as font size, I THINK that Sony scaled the fonts so that the text size of the 350 and 650 is the same. Can anyone who has both verify this?

12-09-2010, 04:32 PM	#8
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,015 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	Welcome to MR, Scot! I'm happy with my 650; I don't use the audio feature much at all as it's pretty much useless with a resume/bookmark feature (for books), and I do use an SD card, but could easily get away without that. As for screen size, in seeing the two models side by side the 650 squeezes in a couple more lines-per-page (as many as four?), but that doesn't seem such a difference that you'll be turning pages continuously. I read most books in small font, some are more comfortable in medium, but even then you wouldn't be continuously page turning on a 350. To be brutally honest, unless someone wanted a specific color (I do like the black), or had a large e-library that was important to carry around on a card, I'd suggest a 350.

12-09-2010, 04:33 PM	#9
tb74 Member Posts: 12 Karma: 21 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Sony PRS-650	I started with at 300 and recently up-sized to the 650. I was not crazy about the size of the 300 screen as it seemed I was always and forever turning the page. Even though it's only 1-inch difference, it seemed to make a big difference in how much fit on the page. The 300 is great to hold in one hand, but the screen size truly is noticeably smaller. Unfortunately, this is really the type of thing that you won't know the answer to until you are using it for a while. At that point, however, you have already bought one. Good luck deciding!

12-09-2010, 04:41 PM	#10
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	Can you check them out in person? I think Best Buy probably has demos by now? I love small gadgets and I thought I was going to get a 350, but when I tried them out in the store, I actually thought the 350 was too small. But people who have them (on these boards... I don't actually know anyone IRL who has any Sony Reader!) seem very happy with them. eP

12-09-2010, 05:43 PM	#12
Towerblock Semi-Noob Posts: 32 Karma: 47 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Sony PRS-350, Kindle 3, Nook Color	I have the 350, Nook Color and Kindle 3. I've owned the 900, Nook and briefly the 650. Of ALL of them the 350 is my favorite. Being able to slip it in your pocket is a great benefit. The size is perfect for me when reading in bed..much nicer to hold onto than any of the other devices. I read one handed and use my thumb to swipe on the screen to turn pages. One thing to know is that a "swipe" doesn't have to be very big, .25 inch of movement is all I do to turn pages...easily done holding the 350 one handed. The Nook color is nice, but I use it only to surf the web and watch movies. It is not nearly as nice to read a book on as the Sony. The Kindle has sort of become the least used. I love the device, think it's really well designed, but it's not comfortable to hold, I accidentally hit the page turn buttons sometimes and the web browser has been eclipsed by the web browser in the nook color. Sooo...the kindle does many things ok, but nothing excellently. Back to your original question, I find the screen size and readability of the 350 perfect. FYI I'm 46 and have the typical vision issues (and more) of a 46 year old..

12-09-2010, 06:17 PM	#13
DreamStreetRose Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Sony PRS-300	I have the 350 and am very sure that I made the right decision when choosing it. No frills; no thrills...just simple reading. Got it, the cover w/light and A/C adapter for $149 at Walmart.

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