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"WAIT TILL THEY FIX THE SCREEN TO MUCH GLARE" on by hoving
Pros: built in light for low light settings
Cons: too many to enumerate!
Summary: Pros: the onboard light
Cons: so many!
I have had every ereader sony has made, both models, and have loved them both.
This one is just awful, an out and out disaster. Leave it to Sony to take a great product and turn it into a piece of junk.
BOTTOM LINE: YOU CAN NO LONGER READ COMFORTABLY BECAUSE OF THE TERRIBLE REFLECTION GIVEN OFF BY THE NEW TOUCHSCREEN.
WHAT A HUGE MISTAKE!
WHO ASKED FOR A TOUCH SCREEN?
WHO NEEDS IT, WHEN THE TRADE OFF IS A REFLECTION THAT IS SO BAD YOU CAN NOT READ YOUR BOOKS ANY LONGER!
People could'nt push one of the two sets of buttons you once had with the 505 ereader?
IT IS JUST TERRIBLE- GO TO THE STORE AND DEMO THIS BEOFRE YOU BUY IT AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.
YOU WILL END UP BUYING THE 505 unless they discontinue it in favor of this, which is what they will probably do!
I kid you not, I am soooo disappointed with this product.
It as though you are looking at a sheet of glass and then some fuzzy lettering.
They have changed all the well designed buttons they painstakingly added after the 500 got so many complaints. The navigation buttons originally, there were 2 then they added two more with the 500 and then now they left us with 2 again and really badly place. Forget about one hand reading anymore! An the swiping thing, just horrendous, it barely works, a lot of hesitation, sometimes it turns the page other times it freezes. You'll go nuts trying to turn the pages on this thing.
There is not even an option like on the iphone to swipe in different directions! Or tap ti turn would have been kind of a no brainer! And the 8 grey scales, one would never know it!
The only redeeming thing this has is the built in light which if you use it takes away the reflection but use that the whole time your reading and you'll have no battery left!
I don't know what these morons were thinking but they blew it in a very big way. There must have been someone at Sony who said, hey, what are we going to do about this reflection? Ahh, nothing stupid Americans they'll never notice!
I guess they did cause when I spoke to customer service and it is the number one complaint and the guy told me that Sony is aware of it! Ha, they were aware of it when the damm thing shipped.
Apparently they are going to do something about it hardware wise, here comes another model. Or they will be shipping a lot of screen protectors out to people who purchase this and then find out they can't stand using it.
Great concept, really poor implementation of the technology.
I suppose those who have never has an ereader before will never know the difference and how perfectly awesome the other models were, how clean and legible the words were in almost any kind of lighting.
Now you need a light to see the words, and have to angle it in such a way so your not looking right into your own reflection!
I was really extremely excited to learn about this new 700BC, especially with the built in lighting which really would come in handy instead of carrying around yet another thing, a light to be able to see in bed. That problem solved, so lets add another one, make it useless during the day!
I received mine today and it is going right back. I read another review here that warned about this terrible reflection and thought how bad could it be?
Well, its worse than I could possibly have imagined.
WHY SONY DID YOU DO THIS TO THIS THIER WONDERFUL PRODUCT?
If they don't fix it, I am sure the kindle will have an onboard lighting system shortly and i'll move over to that, the books are way cheaper on that system and you have an identical screen! -
"Fabulous upgrade from PRS 500" on by tink50
Pros: The touch screen is terrific. The built in light could be better but is functional. The expanded storage size is great. The attached cover is a good quality and protects the device. The ability to add notes is much appreciated.
Cons: The screen glare could be improved upon and the ability to wirelessly download is something to look forward to in another improved model. Still expensive but worth the price.
Summary: After using the original PRS 500 model for two years I researched both the Kindle and this new Sony model and found the Sony to be far more ergonomically comfortable and because I don't travel much anymore I currently don't need the wireless feature. This is truly the wave of the future for all those who wish to be "green" and de-clutter their lives. All schools should be participating in electronic readers for their students. ALL books should be available in this format and at cheaper prices
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"This is a very poor product" on by nag4dg
Pros: Touch Screen
Cons: Poor screen quality, no dicitionary look up like iPod/iPhone eReader, built in light does not really help. Too pricey! Overall not half as good as the PRS-505.
Summary: I think Sony has a good idea if they can make the contrast on the screen as good as the PRS-505. There also is no dictionary look up like the iPod/iPhone eReader. I love that featue. Kindle also has that feature. I'm hoping that Sony gets it together and makes this concept better than it is now. I'm returning the PRS-700 today.
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"My First eBook Reader" on by Floyd_W
Pros: Can store lots of books so I don't have to carry schoolbooks around with me.
Great size for carrying around (fits nicely in my toolkit bag).
Syncs easily with laptop software - even using Windows 7 RC1.Cons: Screen is sorta reflective (not shiny) if you're not used to it; my Acer Aspire One has a shiny screen and is WAY different reflection-wise.
Haven't been able to sync a 19MB dictionary file to it, but the 10MB Lord of the Rings syncs okay.Summary: The sidelights really help a lot in low-light situations, like when trying to read on the subway platform where there's dim lighting all around. I definitely prefer the sidelights to a backlight because my eyes don't get as tired and bleary as when using something backlit (think about the very different experience of reading a laptop in the dark, with the screen glaring you in the face, even with the brightness turned all the way down versus shining a flashlight onto a book).
Screen quality is fine for reading documents -- perhaps coming from a PRS-505 or a Kindle may be a problem, but this is my first eBook reader so no problem. I compared the two in the Sony store, but the difference was not enough to convince me to give up the sidelights or the much faster speed or the touchscreen of the PRS-700.
I really like that I can search for book titles or for text within a book. It's a snap to hit the option button and bring up the on-screen keyboard. If I want to go to a certain page number, I can also use the search button to open an on-screen "go to page" slider and an entry field where I can type in a specific page number. Moving between pages with a swipe of the screen is great, and makes it easy to change pages back and forth.
I knocked it down 1/2 star because there's no wireless connectivity. Don't get me wrong, it's been very easy to add books to read. Come to think of it, maybe not having the Kindle's wireless connection is a good thing -- maybe it's keeping me from spending too much money on books! Also, there's no newspaper support just yet. -
"Look elsewhere for Quality or Customer Support" on by davetrevor
Pros: Cool, trendy, yada ... yes, but when you have two other products on the market, you may want to consider long-term quality and customer service and support, both of which Sony seriously lacks. See below and see how Sony "Thanks [YOU] for waiting"
Cons: The screen goes out and Sony's solution is to charge you a $99 fee to replace it with a refurbish unit of the same model you own. So, if improvements are made to your current unit, you'll get stuck paying a hundred bucks for the same subpar e-reader
Summary: A conversation w/Sony Support: "Thanks for Waiting" Email sent at: 7:19:42 PM, 10/22/2009 S> Hi David. Welcome to Sony Online Support. I'm George. Please allow me a moment to review your concern. Thanks for waiting, David. I'm sorry that the display window of the Reader is not being able to display. I?ll be glad to assist you with this. When did it last work normally? ME > last week when it was last used S> Please let me know if you are using a fully charged battery. M> yes it has been charged overnight but currently there are no lights coming on either on the side or the front. The unit is currently hooked to a computer via USB S> Is there any error message displayed? Me> no the screen is blank except there is a black rectangular display ion the upper left had corner and several verticle lines on the screen S> Did you press the RESET button when the Reader is connected to the Computer? Me> yet, I have unplugged it from the computer now S> Please disconnect the Reader, then press the RESET button and check if it helps. M> I did and reset again==nothing happens S> To reset the Reader, please press the RESET button using the tip of a ball point pen or any sharp pointed object. The RESET button is located at the rear of the Reader. Me> yes I have used a paper clip several times and hear the reset button click but the unit does nothing S> I'm really sorry to hear that the issue still persists after performing the troubleshooting steps. Me> I have plugged the unit to the electrical outlet and an amber light is flashing on the side S> David, unfortunately the Reader requires service. S> Shall I forward a link where you can initiate a repair? Me> I would be willing to perhaps buy a new Sony eReader if I had a credit for the broken unit. are you still there George? S> Please give me a moment while I get this information for you. Thanks for waiting, David. Me> David, there is an exchange program available. S> Please initiate a repair for the Reader to avail the exchange options. M> Ok George, please tell me all about it--It sounds exciting! George_ > I would like to forward a link to a page where you can initiate a repair. S> When you receive the link, please click on it to open the page and let me know if you are able to view it. http://eservice.sony.com Are you able to view the page? Me> it just says I can pay $99 and get a refurbished unit--I actually want to buy a new unit but at least get some credit for the broken one S> David, the Reader can be exchanged and only a refurbished unit will be provided to you. I'm sorry, David. There are no options to exchange the unit for a new model. You too! I'm sorry for the typo. You're welcome. Bye and take care. Me> Well, is there any way to talk to a manager ME> I want to continue to buy Sony products but if they just break well there are other options S> Sure, David. I'd like to transfer this chat to our next level of support. They can review what we've discussed and will assist you from here. S> Please wait, while the problem is escalated to another analyst S> Hi David. Welcome to Sony Online Support. I'm Lindsey. Please allow me a moment to review your concern. Thanks for waiting, David. I'm sorry that the display window of the Reader is not being able to display. I?ll be glad to assist you with this. I checked for the information and the Reader can be exchanged and only a refurbished unit will be provided to you. I'm really sorry for the difficulties you're experiencing with the Portable Reader as it is not working. David > When I bought this unit it was over $400 and it is just not right that now I have to accept an out of date unit--I mean I am offering to purchase a new unit if there can be some price reduction on the new one--I can't see buying a new unit David > from Sony if it is just going to break and then what I get in replacement is not even a new unit Me> Help me continue to buy Sony. S> May I know the date of purchase of the Portable Reader? ME> It was last year but I don't have the exact date at hand right this minute. Don't get me wrong--I don't want to think ah my unit is broken i want the newest one available without paying anything--I am willing to pay for a new unit--I just think it is fair to have a credit from Sony toward that unit due to the broken unit. I mean I paid twice for this unit of what the new ones cost. Me> So even a credit of $100 toward a new unit would make me purchase it S> The original Sony limited warranty covers your Portable Reader for a period of twelve months from the original date of purchase for both parts and labor. Me> Well, I can't see paying $99 to exchange the broken unit for a refurbished one S> I'm really keen to help you. However, this is the only available option at this moment. Me> I am sorry to hear it and my friends in the industry will be sorry to hear about it. S> I really tried to help you. Me> You do get points for that but I will need to include this in my review for Cnet
Sony Reader Digital Book PRS-700BC user reviews (eBook reader - Sony Reader Software - 6")
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