Sony PRS-700 - The Third Generation Sony Reader
Tom Jarvis
As the newest addition to Sony line of ebook readers, Sony PRS-700 offers the best of what Sony has developed for ebook reader design so far. It carries a number of remarkable improvements to the earlier generations of Sony readers. For one thing, PRS-700 has added touch screen features with more expedient UI and side lighting for easier reading in dark rooms or places. It has a less cumbersome finger swipe navigation to allow easy ebook content switching, increased font sizes from 3 to 5 and faster screen refresh rate.
With the new PRS-700, users are bound to notice some changes and improvements. The numbered buttons are now removed and no longer needed since they are now replaced by the touch screen navigation features. Now, page turning is done with an easy finger swipe command. Surprisingly, for a touch screen device, a PRS-700 does not get smudgy as PDAs and touch screen phones normally do.
Now, let us talk about the menu screen. The device now has an icon indicating note applications, which enables users to take and make notes to a particular spot in a book. Its main menu is created to use simple and user-friendly interfaces with four finger-friendly icons for reading applications; the continue reading icon, view list of ebook in the library icon and the view notes and view a list of book collection icon.
When it comes to the quality and resolution of text display, Sony PRS-700's touch screen layers effectively reduce contrast. It uses the E-Ink technology, which gives the model a very low-power and paper-like display of 8-level grayscale settings. Never has touch screen and E-Ink technologies been combined in a single electronic device.
In terms of appearance, Sony PRS-700 is about the same size of its predecessors, but it is one ounce heavier than PRS-505. One thing distinct about its appearance is its ribbed front face texture, making it more modern looking than the other Sony readers. Its tasteful combination of metal and plastic casing is complemented with the same spine-mount cover system that is found on PRS-505, giving the device a more solid feel and sturdy look.
When talking about the model's advantage, the exceptional touch screen feature of Sony PRS-700 makes it appealing to all avid ebook readers. Its increased variety of supported formats, especially DRM and non-DRM and the native PDF and ePUB support deserves applause. While it lacks the wireless shopping feature of other popular ebook reader brands and models, it certainly brings the adjectives svelte and sleek to its appearance making it more fashionable and way better to carry around instead of stacks of books.
Overall, PRS-700's design points go to its responsive touch screen, excellent user interface, more attractive hardware and faster processing rates. The device's more attractive ergonomics made it easy and comfortable to hold, use or carry. In allowing easier notation, text highlights and bookmarking, it practically allows users to do almost everything they can with the actual paperback. While the model has issues with its built-in backlighting features, no support for audible audio books and has no built-in wireless access, the device gains an advantage for its touch-centric user interface, expanded content storage capacity and better processing and faster response speed.
Click to read our honest Sony PRS-700 review at http://www.SimplyEasyRead.com and please feel free to submit your own review.
|
