Sony Reader PRS-505 (second gen) hands-on: we're in love
By Ryan Block 
posted October 12th 2007 4:39PM
posted October 12th 2007 4:39PM
- Numerous display improvements, including:
- Significantly faster refresh rate. It's still not instant, but it's definitely at or near the short threshold of a real paper page turn, which is a VAST improvement from the ~1 second refresh of the PRS-500.
- The ghosting is largely (but not entirely) gone.
- Contrast also seems improved (but could definitely use a lot more work).
- Grayscale has gone from 4 shades to 8.
- Did we mention how much the un-Sony-like mass-storage mode warmed our jaded (and occasionally Mac-using) hearts? Just place your (compatible) files anywhere on the MSC drive, the reader will find and index them.
- Internal memory has increased from 64MB to 192MB. (The SD slot isn't SDHC, though.)
- It's far thinner and flatter -- now 0.3-inches at its thinnest, compared to the 0.5-inch thick 500.
- The physical design seems far simpler and consolidated, with a lot fewer buttons / slots etc. on the edges (actually, none), with everything important on the top and bottom of the unit.
- Moving the page forward / back buttons to the right side, away from the spine of the cover. (Those buttons are also a little better laid out, and more clearly identified.)
- The 1-10 buttons have been moved from the bottom up to the side, next to their corresponding numbered menu options. (Essentially, where these buttons belong.)
- Startup is near instantaneous from "off" (standby); you can also easily skip pages with the 1-10 buttons.
- Leather binding has subtle magnetic clasps that provide a little stickiness when closed.
Based on the pictures, the background is still grey. It will not become mainstream until it, at minimum, duplicates the physical book environment. That means a white background. The picture on the box shows the screen as white, but the hands-on picture shows a grey background. Books I read have white pages regardless of the reading environment, this ebook should be the same. I remember MP3 players that only held like 12 songs just 5 years ago and in no way matched the sound quality of CD's...so I'm sure the ebooks will improve drastically over the next few years.
The screen is as close to white as a typical paperback is, in proper lighting.
Too many buttons. What ever happened to KISS?
Keeping it simple, stupid (KISS) doesn't really equate to fewer buttons. It means an obvious interface, which this has. Also, it takes ~0.5 seconds to update the screen, so it can't possibly function with a couple buttons. You need to be able to relay more information per refresh. Not to be TOO argumentative, but do you use a keyboard with your computer, or just a mouse?
If all I was doing was reading a book and navigating around it; then yes, I would use just a mouse. As it stand this device is over accessorized with buttons. And KISS can apply to anything. Not just software development.
If Sony wanted to impress they would have added a touch sensitive layer that allowed you to flip the page with your finger, increase the font size with 2 fingers (stretching a box or shrinking it with 2 fingers.), and flipping chapters with two fingers up and down. You don't need a shit load of buttons to make it functional. well I guess you do if Sony has not imagination.
@ John Doe ^^
And we all know how expensive the iPhone is......
Sony should have a new slogan: Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
By royal decree every device from now on will be comapared and described in terms of offerings made by Apple whether it be imacs, ipods, or iphones. In this particular situation this device is described thusly "ipod touch ripoff!"
Go back to sleep.
As soon as this thing gets a search function, I'm in. This would be great for reference books, but without being able to search on words, it's useless in that aspect.
Problematic, perhaps... but every reference book as an index. It's not an advancement, but it wouldn't be any more useless than any "dead-tree" reference book.
Will it blend ?
no
So what's the difference between an e-book reader and a really really dirt-cheap PDA that justifies the price difference, other than screen size? Battery life? It can't be THAT Much better, can it? I mean, hell, you can get a cheapo PDA for $20. I'm sure displaying an entire book on a screen that size would be difficult, but it's more than capable, has more features than this thing, and, my biggest point, is only 1/15th the price.
well, battery life IS that much better. It's measured in page turns instead of time as it doesn't need power to sustain the image. If you must use time to measure the battery life... the older version prs500, if you read "normally" everyday, would need to recharge after a month or more.
and of course, the DPI is twice as much as the best lcd on the market, meaning very sharp images. Albleit still very low compared to hi-q printouts
Screen looks like **paper**.
Power only required when refreshing the screen hence the battery life can last weeks rather than hours. Try completing a proper book on a PDA with a single charge. It is impossible. This is rated at 7500 page turns (20+ books) per charge. Perfect for a long flight and holidays.
Also you can't get a PDA with that screen size (6") and resolution (SVGA) for 1/15th of the price so don't talk bullshit.
Jon: I didn't say a PDA with that screen size for 1/15th the price. I said a REALLY REALLY dirth cheap PDA for 1/15th the price, followed by asking what, __other than screen size__ made this worth that much more. I personally don't think a 2 to 3 times larger screen size is worth that much more, though for the added resolution and battery life it may be worth near that to me, though personally I'd be fine with 2 hour battery life - I don't usually go places I would be reading for more than an hour or so. Mostly I'd just use it so I didn't have to print a couple hundred pages a month.
That's you. The rest of the known world doesn't do so well on two, or four hours of battery life. That is one of the reasons e-books haven't gone anywhere. Remove the battery life issue, which you basically have done at over a month worth of life, get a standard for e-books, and have a high enough res on a screen (sorry but no PDA on the market today that is under 3 figures looks like anything other then ass.) and watch e-books take off.
That and it wouldn't hurt to have a nice design. Which I don't consider what Sony released to be.
Indeed, it is much better to get a cheapo Palm and load it up with ReadThemAll. It might not have a battery life of weeks, but days will be close enough. And with automatic 'spotlight' page scrolling there really is no looking back to these e-book readers or regular books. It is much easier to curl up with you book if it needs 1/4 of the space in you hand (1/2 of a paperback), requires no light (backlighted LCD with brightness adjusted to be easy o your eyes) and does not require any action from you to scroll the pages (spotlight autoscroll).
This device is too large for actual reading.
@Aigarius
How can this be too big to read books? It is the size of a trade paperback! Or did the last 300 page novel you read came in the size of a cassette?
You guys really don't get it. Is this really a gadget blog for guys that like new technology?
I'll wait till HDTV does 3D before I get one--I'll stick with radio till then.
I'll wait until cars run on Hydrogen before I get one, till then I'm sticking to my good ol' horse and buggy.
Bottom line with this thing: if you read a lot. You won't regret purchasing it. How about carrying 100 books in your bag in about half the space of 1? How about being able to download all the content you want converted .lit, .htlm, doc, txt, and PDF's. Oh yeah and its easier to read than a paperback and the battery lasts for 2 or 3 weeks.
You guys keep waiting for your Quantum computers, I'll be happy with my MacBook. Its not 3D, it doesn't recognize my voice and speak to me in a voice that's natural and it's more than $100 dollars but it works for me.
I love new tech but I can't see myself or any other person in my situation (graduate history student or any social science or humanities graduate student) getting one. I would dare say that we need books so that we can highlight and insert marginalia. I imagine these things would be great for casual reading though. These might make it to us (admittedly a minority) one day I am sure. (It would be wonderful too because then I could get rid of this crazy library that I needed more than 30 12x12x12 boxes to move this past summer.)
I think many people from Slashdot are here ;)
You know, if the content is significantly cheaper than bound books, I'm sold. I'm an engineering major and my textbooks are huge and plentiful. It would be cool to see these bundled with the books through the campus bookstore.
Some Gutenberg dot org. Others Many books dot net.
Height doesn't interest me as much as width because I don't mind scrolling up and down as much as I do side to side.
I too would love to have a digital textbook. I wish my DS had more learning games for those seeking higher education. Chem trainer, Bio trainer, Physics trainer, Programmer trainer, Major System/Peg trainer, Calcunomicon trainer, Vedic Math trainer etc. And that's with me stopping myself, I could go on for days.
Yes, you can jump to pages directly now, and the reader has always remembered where you are in each book.
E-Ink is an intriguing technology, but it's hardly ready for prime time.
I think eventually, readers like this will be great for schools once the technology has matured (like making refresh rates as good as LCD, eliminating all of the ghosting, going to color, and offering 16-24 bit color depth, etc.). WiFi, WiMax, or some sort of wireless technology for wirelessly downloading books would be great, and eventually necessary (at least for schools anyway). And adding touchscreen capability would be necessary for highlighting text and taking notes, etc.
Imagine being able to carry one of these around instead of fifty pounds worth of books, and wirelessly download all the books and book updates you'd need and want.
I haven't seen this new model, but I remember the one previous, and it was a joke. And although this new version has improvements, it doesn't sound much better. Certainly not anywhere close to being worth $300.
If this device had all the features I mentioned above, and a large variety and amount of available content (school books and mainstream titles), then $300 would definitely be worth it.
It amazes me the ignorance that has been spouted so many times about the Sony Reader. It isn't meant to replace a textbook, try the iRex Iliad for that. This is meant to replace paperbacks, and it works wonderfully for that. To some extent, you can even put simple graphics on it and they look pretty good. No backlight? Does a paperback have a backlight? You can use a regular booklight with it. The screen is a matte finish so there is very little glare. Too many buttons? With the PRS-500, there is a utility called HackBuilder that lets you assign whatever function you want to the buttons, so it turns out to be a blessing. Hopefully the guys at mobileread will hack the 505 for the same.
I've had the 500 for over a month now, and the thing is great. Weighs the same as a magazine, small enough to fit in a cargo pocket, I can finish one book and move on to the next without skipping a beat. Search would be great, but I can't search a paper book either. For just reading novels, this thing is a blessing. Sure, there's quite a bit of books that aren't in ebook format yet, but you CAN OCR them yourself.
As for being able to do all this with a PDA, not even close. Aside from the battery issues, the screen size issues, the glare, the eye strain from staring at a light for hours at a time, etc., this thing actually feels like a book when you're reading it. With the added benefit of not having to turn pages by hand (can stay under the covers when you're reading in bed).
Half the people I've showed my PRS-500 to have bought one. Working in Afghanistan, trying to ship books out here, read them, ship them home, its exhausting, time consuming, and expensive. I could read for years off of gutenberg alone. The $300 price tag? The thing is a convenience. People could buy a $20 CD player, but they buy a $300 iPod because its more convenient.
It does have some problems. I wish it had MORE buttons so I could change hand positions while I'm reading. I wish there was a AAA battery pack for it so I could throw one in when the battery dies every 3 weeks rather than recharging it. I wish LightWedge made something custom for it. I wish the Connect store had EVERYTHING from my favorite authors. I wish the Connect store books used up the whole screen, and didn't leave a little bit of a margin on all sides. But unlike just about everything else Sony, this thing is getting better.
The previous poster Mike Mac is dead on; this isn't perfect, it's an evolutionary product, not a revolutionary one. It's definitely not right for everybody. If you're going to bash it, bash it for one of its faults; don't bash it for not being perfect at something it wasn't intended to do.
MacDoogle, I understand you and maybe a couple others feel frustrated that some of us have criticized this device's shortcomings, and we all love technology, but not all of us are early adopters, and many of us like our technology to be practical and to meet needs. And because our needs and wants differ, and because our definitions of what makes for a mature product differ, our expectations are going to follow the same pattern. This isn't ignorance simply because our opinions may differ from yours... it's merely expressing what we'd like to see.
You mention that a paperback doesn't have a backlight... but a paperback also doesn't have ghosting, slow refresh, and contrast issues, either. So I'm not sure why you're trying to compare this to a paperback. Except for words, they have nothing in common - this device represents a paradigm shift in how we read, and is therefore subject to different judgments.
This device IS meant to replace paperback books (as much as possible, anyway, for those who indulge), so why shouldn't it offer the ability to replace textbooks as well? Many of us would want something that is meant to replace books to have the ability to replace all kinds of texts, not just novels. This is simply an expression of vision. I'd love to carry something like this around instead of an anvil's worth of books.
You say don't criticize it for what it was never meant to be. Well, first of all, you're not the one making it, so how do you know what it's meant and not meant to be? You say it's "evolutionary". Well, that sounds like it's meant to be a lot more than what it currently is, hence the word, "evolutionary". Besides, if some of us want to express a desire to see it evolve into much more than what it is, then what's wrong with that? And if it evolves into what I've defined in my other post above, then that would certainly be revolutionary, IMO, because it would redefine how we access and digest books of all kinds.
Right now, it's a niche product, with access to little content, and so the price is far more than what it should be. But of course the price is also affected by supply and demand (as in little demand), so what are you gonna do?
If you're enjoying it, then that's great! But for me (as well as others), it's overpriced and underwhelming.
[quote]
You mention that a paperback doesn't have a backlight... but a paperback also doesn't have ghosting, slow refresh, and contrast issues, either. So I'm not sure why you're trying to compare this to a paperback. Except for words, they have nothing in common - this device represents a paradigm shift in how we read, and is therefore subject to different judgments.
[/quote]
I hate to say this, but I think you've misunderstood some things. The ghosting issue is not like ghosting from refresh, like you have in motion scenes on cheap LCDs.
E-Ink doesn't refresh once it's displaying the image. There is no battery power used to sustain the onscreen display once it's there, and the image only "refreshes" when you push the button for the next page, at which point it draws a weird screen for a split second that's something between the old page and the new page, maybe leaning a little heavy towards totally black, and then the new page is displayed, at which point nothing changes until the next new page.
The "contrast issues" are non-existent if you're reading in proper lighting. Sitting outside on a sunny day it's like reading laser printed text on clean white 25# bond copier paper.
The device has shortcomings, for sure, but you've misidentified them.
@ Tom
Not meaning to sound argumentative, but I'm aware of how E-ink works and how it doesn't need to constantly refresh a page once it's displayed. Nothing I said previously indicated that I didn't grasp this. And as you said, it does indeed refresh when switching to a new page of text, hence my reference to "refresh issues". When I saw the previous version of this product, the screen was very slow to come into focus or redraw when refreshing or "flipping" pages. The description you provided of this and the devices performance only supports what I'm saying.
And the contrast of the screen certainly left a lot to be desired. Even you mention the need for "proper" lighting. So once again, there are contrast issues here, as well.
In essence, I misidentified nothing. I know what I've seen with my own eyes. Although this version may have improved upon some things, the issues, to whatever degree, still remain. Improvements are still needed. Still overpriced. Still underwhelming.
A few may like it. But don't count me in. Not yet, anyway.
wait! does it play doo... oh, wait
You can find additional case/jacket protection for your Sony Reader PRS-505 at M-edge Acessories (www.buymedge.com). They make an "Executive" style jacket in multiple colors and a "Sleeve" jacket that's perfect for taking your reader to the beach, pool, or gym. Highly recommend them both!
I like this device.
Sony should put a blu-ray drive in it and sell it for 1200.
Sure it's pointless and you'd need a TV to see anything but that's why it would be a bad managerial decision worthy of sony you see.
This gadget may be perfect replacement for *paperbacks*
How many paperbacks does the average person read a year - 10? 3 new and 7 used?
That's 3*$10 + 7*$5 = $65 a year on paperbacks.
hmm and this thing costs $300 before buying the books.
How many books does the average person read a year? 15? 20? textbooks, magazines, reference, etc.
But to replace these, the device needs search, good PDF reading, automatic update of periodicals.
Then it's going to be worth $300. Until then - just another novelty.
I'd love those upgrades you suggest, and since it reads standard SD cards and .TXT .RTF and .PDF files, i'm working to implement some of them on an ad hoc basis myself, but I don't think they're targeting this at the average reader -- I read more like 50-100 books a year, more if you add in all of the stories I read online, and this is great for me, and a definite improvement over the previous version.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini eReader Book from BooksonBoard (discount eReader seller):
$20.16
same book (Hardcover-NEW!!!) @ Amazon.com :
$14.27
and so, there you have the #1 reason eBook readers will continue to remain novelty items
'nuff said
Yes but will it blend?
Two words: Backlight.
Being able to read from my PDA at night without needing a bedside light, or carrying around a stupid book light is what's keeping me from getting this reader. Why they can't get some sort of low-power light in there is a mystery.
I use bloglines to access your site. The Sony reader has come up first and repeatedly the past several days. Does this reflect a financial arrangement between you and Sony. If so it should be announced.
I love the concept, but it still fails for me. I'm a big reader, and this would make an awesome replacement for carrying actual books with me... if I carried actual books with me. But I'm not in a situation where doing so is feasible. I don't carry a book bag with me, or anything else beyond what fits in my pockets or on my belt. So the only eBooks that are convenient for me are the ones that can go on my Windows Mobile device.
The bottom line is:
This is the future of books. I'm not saying we will all have a paperbook burning party, of course not. We will still love to sit back with a paper book, just for the sensual experience of it (sensual meaning "pertaining to the senses" not sexual ok?).
But as stated before, it will take time, many revisions, and many additional features before it becomes the norm.
This will be really great for students when you have your entire college curriculum crammed into one "slate".
Color, touch, ability to "write", highlight, download wirelessly (imagine you walk into your class and the whole semester's info is loaded right away).
This is gonna be cool. I will probably wait at least until color is added, which SHOULD be tomorrow since color eink has be around for a good 3yearsnow. But i'm happy with my widescreen PDA for now (which I use for things other than reading too).
"...considering the content selection isn't anywhere near as expansive or cheap as your local Borders..."
WTF? Have you heard of gutenberg.org?
People seem to constantly mention the price of books, but continually ignore the fact that there are thousands upon thousands of books available for free. Check out the "books" section of any torrent website and you'll find a ridiculous number of books available. I current have about 8 gigs of fiction, nonfiction, and technical eBooks that I didn't pay a penny for. For those wanting to stay on the up-and-up, there are plenty (over 100,000) public domain titles that can be downloaded for free and displayed on this reader.
I've barely cracked my collection since reading whole books on a computer is a somewhat unpleasant (although not as bad as I would have thought), but I plan on getting the 505 to encourage myself to read more. It seems like Sony addressed (to a reasonable extent) every major issue with the last version, and it's at the point now where I think it will be a good investment (providing that there are a few solid firmware updates along the line). It seems like people are looking for reasons to not like this product, but at the moment it's comparatively cheap (the cheapest?) and straightforward compared to other similar products. It doesn't have annotation, a touch screen, or backlighting (although an LED light accessory is available for $15). If these are make-or-break features for you, then I'd understand looking around for another product. As a portable device for displaying basic text, though, this seems like it would be extremely handy for a lot of people. I can't wait to get my hands on one.
You're gonna really love this product! Our whole family is fighting over who gets to read their book next! Text is clear, and the three sizing options are terrific. Mom and dad need the greatest magnification setting, of course, and our two teenagers set it back on the smallest type.
Page turning is a breeze, even with the slight pause and flash that accompanies it. The menu options are easy to navigate. The reader is smaller than I envisioned (a good thing), and lighter, too. The faux leather cover is quite attractive, actually, and one wonders why anyone would step up to a leather one--they're not available, but when are, they go for $39 a pop. Don't waste your money. The standard issue is just fine.
I got a blue model. I think it provides good contrast to the type, but the silver one looks great, too.
My only complaint so far is that there is no "highlighting" function. I don't read books without a yellow highlighter or, in the very least, a good pen. This seems like such a small thing for Sony to add but, then, maybe it's not such a big deal for most people.
A bigger complaint is the scanty inventory of books on Connect eBooks. Compared to the Kindle inventory, this is a huge disappointment. Perhaps the number of titles will improve with sales, but that remains the big unknown.
Even at $299, even with the whimpy inventory,this thing is worth every penny.
Two thumbs up for the new and improved Sony PRS-505 reader.