Comments on: Sony PRS-500 e-Book Reader

By: Zach

Zach — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 23:16:33 +0000

I, too, own a Pocket PC (Dell Axim X50v), but would still find this device pretty useful. Being a high school student, I’ve been toying around with the idea of scanning the papers that I’m forced to carry around in a back-breaking binder, maybe even scanning a few commonly used text book pages. Anthing to lessen the weight at this point.

But I haven’t really done any of this yet for a variety of reasons:

1. Screen. The X50v has an LCD screen with 3.7″ to its name. It’s just plain too small for me to read a page comfortably and the eye-strain caused by staring at an LCD screen for so long isn’t helpful, either. Being able to read in daylight would be another selling point for me.

2. Task switching. I often type on my Pcket PC while working, and sometimes I have to write while looking at a text book. I could use “Alt-Tab” or a similar function, but it takes too long to switch between the two and often interupts my train of thought. A second display would be really helpful.

3. Battery life. With both an extended and standard battery I can use my Pocket PC for quite a while without worrying about power. But it’s when I’m unable to recharge for a long period of time that I really start to wish I had more without sacrificing brightness.

Even though I love my Pocket PC, I think this would be an excellent device to own also. Better start getting them pennies together…

By: janine

janine — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 22:24:26 +0000

Completely agree with you, Jordan. The concept is cool but the price is ridiculous. A cool idea, I suppose, if you’ve got the money :) (which I don’t) :)

By: Jordan Wigley

Jordan Wigley — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 17:20:01 +0000

Interesting concept janine…. but I don’t think I could force myself to pay $30 to $50+ PER BOOK! :) That’s the going rate on the PlayawayDigital audio books.

For the book-fans, I’m sure $350 for a device they can read endless amounts of eBooks on would be more enticing than a single audio book for $50. But again, I’m not much of a book reader, so I don’t know. :)

By: janine249

janine249 — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 11:00:55 +0000

I would rather get something a little more for my money if the price is 349.99. Or, like Jordan mention, I would really have to be an avid reader…which is what this product is designed for anyway.
I saw an interesting take on audiobooks on another blog recently . The guy who blogged about it saw these audiobooks in a store at an airport:

http://www.playawaydigital.com

Maybe you’ve seen these before but it was the first I’ve heard of them. Kind of interesting….

By: Druish

Druish — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 06:33:15 +0000

no No NO! It has NOTHING to do with functionality. It also has nothing to do with display technology. You can, (I have) read a backlit LCD screen (specifically, an Axim) for HOURS at a time. That particular screen can display just about anything I can think of trying to display on it. In fact, it can display EVERYTHING I can think of, short of modern (ie less than quake II) 3d games. So why will this succed, while the PDA market continues to shrink? In a single word…. “MARKETING”. Sony isn’t selling a PDA, or a task list, or a calendar, they’re selling an “eBook Reader,” whether or not Pocket-PC’s can do that and oh so much more. With the backlinght turned down I can, and have, read eBooks on my Axim for more than 6 hours straight, but when was the last time you saw “eBook Reader” on Pocket-PC packaging? Or mp3 player? Or hand-held gaming platform? Or Personal Media Player? Or video player? Or pocket web-browser? Or GTD organizer? Or Mobile IM? Or Pocket-VOIP? Or pocket communicator? The very sad fact is that eBook readers, nay eBook readers and SO MUCH MORE have been available for YEARS but thanks to naive customers and poor marketing only a very few are in the know. So sadly, heart-wrenchingly sadly, I must look forward to purchasing my NEXT Pocket-PC not as a PDA but as a cellphone or whatever else they decide to call it. But they know, and I know, that it’s REALLY a pocket-pc and a PDA, but not in name because of the mother of all screw-ups in the technology marketing world. Viva la Axim!!!!!!

By: Jordan Wigley

Jordan Wigley — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 03:45:36 +0000

While I am not much of a reader and would not use an eBook reader, I think this will likely be a very popular device…. at least moreso than past eBook readers.

The main thing that the “average consumer” will like about this device is the eInk display. Many people have problems reading PDA/Laptop/Monitor/etc screens for long periods of time because of the way they are lit. With the eInk display on this reader, it is pretty much as easy on the eyes as a sheet of paper. So for people with sensitive eyes, this will likely be the best option around for eBooks.

Also, the battery life will be a big selling point. The only time that power is drawn from the battery is when the eInk display is refreshed (”page turn”). So you can set it down just like a book and pick it back up hours later without even having to press a power button, and you won’t be losing any charge from your battery.

If I were an avid reader, I honestly might would look into something like this once the prices drop a bit. But alas, I haven’t touched a book in quite some time. :)