02:30 PM by Bob Russell in E-Book Readers | Sony Reader

It's an exciting time for e-books with the explosion of new e-ink devices, and the emergence of a new generation of e-ink panel improvements. In the midst of all the excitement, Sony and iRex have certainly grabbed most of the interest with Sony's hardware reputation, a solid customer-friendly device and the Connect e-book store. iRex iLiad also continues to get much interest as the only company offering an impressive 8.1" e-ink screen.

But the big news so far this month was from Sony. MobileRead broke the official story on Oct 2, 2007 when the Sony Reader PRS-505 was released. We provided exclusive coverage of our conference call with Sony, and that information has been supplemented by many comments in the MobileRead forums from new owners. Well, now it's time to add my own thoughts on the 505 after about a week of reading with a review device.

As I have no intent of rehashing all the basic information on the device that has been covered previously, let me begin right off the bat with my observations on the device, all colored by my experience with the PRS-500.

Positives

* The screen is fantastic. One would think that a 20% improvement in contrast would not make that much difference, but it does. For inside lighting, one no longer feels a direct bright reading light is needed. The slight dullness has disappeared. It makes the reading experience much closer to the look of a paper book, and it brightens up the look of the device altogether. In addition, the flickering and ghost images are greatly improved. It's not like night and day, but it's a pretty dramatic difference.

* All the features of the previous model are brought forward or improved in the new model. Controls are rearranged so that the menu list lines up with the selection buttons. For the general public, this is a huge improvement in usability. In addition, those who have a lot of books will like the improved menu system for book lists.

* USB mass storage. This allows for the internal memory of the device to be accessed just like any mass storage device. It's a big hit with many users. For non-DRM'd books, it allows Mac users to have access that was only possible with external storage cards before.

* Direct page access is now possible when you push a number button. The numbers cycle around the three digits shown on the screen, so if you hit the wrong button just keep pushing your three digit page number. I haven't tried a book with more than 1000 pages, so I'm not sure whether you get four digits with bigger books. Tip: If you initiate the direct page access accidentally, just push the menu button and it will back you out.

* You can now turn the device completely off using the menus. This is a great feature if you don't plan to use the Reader for a period of time, and don't want to have to recharge it. (Even in sleep mode, the battery life is only about three weeks because of that background drain. But if you turn it off, you can hold the charge much longer.)

* A much updated style. If you look at the 505 and 500 side by side (I'm reviewing the silver model, by the way), you will immediately notice that the 505 looks so much more modern and up to date. It's much more of an attractive consumer item, even if the screen wasn't so much better. Take it out of the case, and it's almost hard to believe what Sony has been able to fit into such a tiny form factor.

Mixed Results

* Thinner and flatter form factor. This is something that's nice, but doesn't really do anything for me. The weight distribution is different so I don't really notice that it's lighter. Actually, the form factor makes the screen look smaller. It's so much of an optical illusion that I had to hold them together to convince myself that there was not a difference in screen size.

* More internal storage. Don't get me wrong, I like this. But in order to keep it easy for me to find a book I want to read on the device, I like to keep my Reader book selection small anyway. Keeping around 50 books on it is plenty for me. Those with larger files or manga fans might be much more excited.

* USB charging. You can buy the A/C as an accessory, but it doesn't come standard anymore. Charge time is not long, so it's really not a big deal. In fact, for a new user, it's probably simpler to charge with the USB cable and not worry about A/C. You just can't do that when you are traveling (unless you have a computer with you or some tech gizmo to charge via USB). More important is that you can now recharge the device with USB even if the battery goes completely dead.

* No dock accessory. This is not a big deal for most people and the dock was pretty expensive anyway. Because of the cost, if I was going to buy a 505, I probably wouldn't buy the dock. Still, the 500 dock was very pleasant and convenient for me to use on my desk.

* Indented location of the right hand page turn buttons. I like these buttons and their location a lot. But I don't have big fingers. Some people have complained that it's not easy to press them. I can't really comment on that very much because I haven't had any problem. In fact, I really like the design.

* Sample books are almost all excerpts. This makes sense because Sony wants to sell books at the Connect store. Excerpts are a good way to get people interested. Of course, we all know that the e-book collection at MobileRead is a great source of free Sony Reader books, as well as ManyBooks and others. Not every book is available in e-book form, but finding free or purchased books for the Reader is definitely not a problem.

* The expected future support for Adobe Digital Editions (ePub). While this is a positive, it's hard to list this as a positive when it's only a statement of desire by Sony. Too many things are yet to be determined, such as how long it takes for all the software to be ready and whether the 505 will be the optimal platform to release it on. We'll leave it as a mixed results item until the future becomes clearer.

The Bad

* The round page turn button on the lower left side. This is the only real and legitimate complaint I have about the PRS-505. New users, especially less technical users, probably won't notice. But you have to push pretty hard on the button to change the page, and it doesn't give that gratifying click that device buttons are supposed to give as feedback. Even worse, you can't tell sometimes whether or not you pushed the button, because there is also no screen confirmation until the page finally starts its flicker/turn process. It's probably more of a personal preference, but if you are picky about these things, you might want to try it out at a retail store before you purchase.

* The PRS-500 covers and dock don't work with the new 505. Not a big deal for the average buyer, but I really like my dock, and I really like my fancy cover. I even have a custom made wooden case from Yvan that I treasure. Not being able to use them with the 505 is a big deal for me. Fortunately, most people will either not have a 500, or they will not have such an attachment to their accessories.

* Hacks are not yet available on the PRS-505. If you have enjoyed the ability to customize your Reader by adding a clock display, changing the button functions (e.g. to change pages with the joystick), or by installing any of the other available hacks, then you will not be able to use those hacks on the 505. Not until and unless someone can figure out how to make them work on the 505. In a remarkable show of community support, MobileRead members have contributed to quickly donate a 505 Reader for Igorski to see if he can provide hack functionality, but nothing has yet been determined.

* Full page PDF books are still not easily read on the 505. The screen is just too small and the rendering is not optimized. Tools available at MobileRead can help optimize the rendering, but a larger screen is really needed to comfortably read a standard PDF e-book.

* The price. $300 is a great price for what you get, given the current technology. But it's a lot of money for people that are used to reading a few paperbacks a year, at less than $10 each. On the other hand, you can do things that you just can't do with a paperback. I like not having to smell the paper because it can give me a headache. It's cleaner than a used book - who wants to carry it into their bed to read, when it's dusty or could be infested with microscopic bugs? It's easier to handle than a paper book, and page turns are easier. How many times have you read a paper book in one hand only to fumble it and lose your page? Your eyes will love the ability to adjust the font size. It can carry a full library, you can buy books instantly, and let's be honest... for many of us, it's more fun all around to read e-books.

Overall Impressions

The pure and simple conclusion is that the PRS-505 is great!

This device is a huge improvement for the average person on the street. The improved contrast is significant in room lighting, the buttons are arranged much better, and there is no longer that scary circle case connector on the back.

As much as I like my PRS-500, it already looks like it's a 5 year old dinosaur next to the nicely updated look of the new model. Even though there is not actually a lot of difference in the specs between the two, the changes in the buttons and screen are striking and effective, and are a surprisingly strong motivation to upgrade.

On the negative side, while I made the long list above, there is really only one item of any significance - the feel of the round page turn button, which is unlikely to matter to any first time mass market buyer.

One has to conclude that this is a great device and worthy of any reader with $300 to spare. It might even turn into a favorite gift item once it catches on. There are sure to be competitors coming around the corner, but you can't go wrong with this very nice PRS-505 Reader.

Related Stories...
Sony Reader PRS-505 - MobileRead's Conference Call with Sony
Sony Reader PRS-505 - Specifications
Sony Reader PRS-505 - Press Release
Poll - What color do you prefer?
Sony plans UK e-reader launch at London BookFair 2008

07:00 AM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Week in Review

Here are the highlights from the past seven days of MobileRead:

E-books - News

• Best seller lists punish e-books
• Electronic Paper: Where do we go from here?

E-book Devices - Sony Portable Reader

• Sony eBook Library download link! (for PRS-500 users)

E-book Devices - Amazon Kindle

• Amazon Whispernet -- Trademark Information Discovered!

E-book Devices - Future E-Book Devices

• Ricavision Home E-Reader to launch in November?

05:11 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Details are a bit hazy on this one, but there is a remote possibility that Ricavision is going to launch their "Home E-Reader" e-book device next month. Well, the only tidbit of information we got is a notice on Ricavision's homepage, indicating the launch of their new website, along "with new SideShow products", on the first week of November.

Since you probably won't fit all your memories on this device (right?): the Home E-Reader is equipped with an E Ink display and uses Windows SideShow to wirelessly connect to a PC running Windows Vista. For more, check out this discussion thread and this older brochure (PDF).

Thanks to eagle-eyed MobileReader Jason for the tip!

09:54 AM by jasonkchapman in E-Book General | News

The Future of Things has a good summary of the past, present, and future of electronic paper displays.

Much of it comes under the heading of "been there, talked about that" for MobileReaders, but it's great to have it all in one place. It also includes an interview with Nick Sheridan, inventor of the Gyricon e-paper, about the early developments at Xerox PARC.

09:32 AM by TadW in E-Book Readers | Sony Reader

eBook Library is the replacement software of the Sony Connect, and it is currently being shipped with the new Reader PRS-505. Sony promised that it would also be available for download for PRS-500 users soon, but so far no luck.

Well, until now.

Through some ingenious detective work I discovered the direct download URL of the setup program:

http://download.sony.com/prs/ebookli...0Installer.exe

No idea what's new, but I hope you can enjoy it.

11:52 PM by NatCh in E-Book Readers | Amazon Kindle

First off, a mea culpa is in order, I was trying to split off some posts into their own thread so that they could have the front page exposure they deserve, and managed to delete them instead.

So, I'm left with reproducing them as best I can from the cached pages in my browser (thank the powers that be for browser caches!)

This was originally posted by Nate the great, who is quickly living up to his moniker!

-- NatCh

Warning: the trademark queries won't work. Sorry
So I am a little bored, and have nothing better to do. I did a trademark search on "Whispernet" and "Kindle". I was inspired to do this by the manual.

Whispernet was trademarked back in May 2007. The process was begun, at least. There are actually seven entries for Whispernet. All may apply to the Amazon Kindle.I don't know. Six were filed for a guy named Mark Cheikhali of New Jersey - all on 22 May 2007. The other one was filed on 23 May by the corporation that holds the trademark to "Kindle". Does he work for them or did he beat them to the punch? I'm not telling.
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield...h=Submit+Query
description of second from the top:

Wireless broadband communication services; text and numeric wireless digital messaging services; communication via wireless ebook reader
Kindle was trademarked in May 2006.

http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?r...entry=78874830
description:

Portable electronic device for receiving and reading text and images and sound through wireless Internet access and for displaying electronically published materials, namely, books, journals, newspapers, magazines, multimedia presentations; computer hardware and software in the field of text, image and sound transmission and display

The kindle trademark is owned by a corporation with an address just outside Seattle. It occurs to me that Amazon is based in Seattle. I'm sure that's just a coincidence.

P.S. The attached pictures are the actual trademarks.
P.P.S. If anyone from Amazon is reading this, yes I can be bribed to not reveal any more info. I want one of the first Kindles.

Here are the trademark records:

http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?r...entry=78874830
http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?r...entry=77188453

@Nate: I couldn't save the images you attached, if you wouldn't mind reattaching them to this thread, I'd appreciate it.

01:17 PM by Bob Russell in E-Book General | News

The lack of e-book publishing enthusiasm is a constant frustration to e-book readers. Everyone says that e-books are big in the future of publishing, yet it seems as if some publishers would rather drink castor oil.

Jane at Dear Author has shared information over the years about the situation, and has just recently brought additional focus to the issue of best seller lists. She points out that e-books are not counted in most major best seller lists. And, of course, it is essential to make a book a best-seller if you want to get people interested in buying it. "The major lists such as New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and even Bookscan, do not take into account ebook sales. This provides a huge deterrent to authors and publishers to provide readers with a same release day, reasonably priced ebook." If e-book sales are going to cannibalize the paper sales that get you on the best seller list, it's a significant disincentive.

This is one more example of the chicken and egg problem that e-books struggle from. What will break the barrier? Will it be the arrival of inexpensive and easy to use book reading devices, will it be a push by publishers, or will it be customer outcry for more e-books?

07:00 AM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Week in Review

Ok kids, time for the weekly roundup of what we've covered this week:

E-books - News

• E Ink in 2009: Larger, colorful and flexible, says CEO
• Lulu allows users to optimise ebooks for iPhone, Sony Reader
• DRM does not hurt consumers
• Sony plans UK e-reader launch at London BookFair 2008
• By 2010: Samsung will power cell phones with water

E-books - Content

• One Day Sale - Text2Go converts text to iPod speech mp3s

E-book Devices - iRex iLiad

• iRex displays iLiad 2nd ed. at Frankfurt Book Fair

E-book Devices - Sony Portable Reader

• Engadget in love with Sony Reader PRS-505

E-book Devices - Bookeen Cybook Gen3

• Cybook Gen3: Latest about supported formats, price, etc.

E-book Devices - Amazon Kindle

• No sight of Amazon's Kindle reader at Frankfurt Book Fair

Mobile Devices - General Talk

• New use for e-ink in cell-phones

Miscellaneous - Announcements

• Latest forum changes: One comes... one goes