SONY PRS950 vs KINDLE 3 PDF SmackDown!

SONY PRS950

    The Sony PRS950 also keeps track of words I've looked through the book, which actually contributes to retention. EReader FINALLY PDF on a laptop without a number of caveats and limitations. Rejoice!

    I am now the proud owner of a Sony PRS-950, but I will try to integrate the new line of Sony and Kindle 3. I was reading and studying the release of Sony PRS505, which IMO was the eReader have more than 3 years. With the exhibition, spent a pearl Kindle 3. Although many aspects still prefer the PRS505, the excellent team Kindle 3 seduced me ... Until recently, when I went to the Sony PRS950.

    From the beginning, the only real advantage over Sony PRS950 eReader other 7 "screen and the best aspect ratio to PDF ... If you read the text (ie, novels), you can probably skip some of the recommendations review. But for some people (like me) is the number one problem, and I'm happy with the Sony PRS950 never been with another eReader. If the entire publication in PDF format are the bread and butter, then you want the Sony PRS950.

DISCLAIMER:

    PDF is not optimal in its native form, it is necessary to cut the area of excess white border! I use a very good program called Brisse, the process described in the notes. The Sony PRS950 has a "cutting room" Page Mode, but does not seem to do anything.

    This step is very easy to pre-treatment gave excellent results ... Text to PDF can come and go zoom (page breaks out, the better to turn ePub and mobility), but complex PDF files can be redistributed and maintain their structure. Period. No PDF software in the world could really do on the fly, so please do not blame eReader!

    I have opened hundreds of PDF files on the Sony PRS950 without problems. Equations, links, tables, footnotes / headers, images, embedded fonts, special characters. Everything is as it should be! Font, size, jumping from the page, as if my computer PDF viewer.

    Some are better than others depending on the original appearance and the amount of space has been reduced. However, I believe that the most acceptable, much better than any other I've known ... eReader And most important, ties are broken all the words are searchable and can be found in the dictionary.

KINDLE 3

     This is the first time, I am very happy! :) The Kindle3 is a reader in a position, and is able to view PDF files converted fine. But this PDF is destroyed. You will lose the dictionary, word search, short, and even go to the navigation ... This process, which gives results very readable Kinlde PDF (if raised) is indicated in the notes.

    Sony readers also have a history of more open formats, and user development... Kindle? Not so much... Some truly amazing functionality was added to previous Sony readers by the user development community. A PRS+ firmware Alpha version is scheduled for end January or February 2011.
For me Sony PRS950 has roundly defeated the Kindle 3. But perhaps not for you?

Sony PRS950 Pros: 

+28% larger screen than Kindle 3 (and all 6" ereaders). +Touchscreen +Hold to scroll pages +Fairly compact and light for size +Aluminum construction +PRS line has good user development (PRS+ firmware)

Sony PRS950 cons:

-Default fonts less crisp than K3s -Fewer zooms than Kindle 3 -Margin cut PDF page mode doesn't do anything -2 column PDF page mode is crippled by breaking into quadrants -Slower than K3's page turn (not huge deal, still quite fast) -Price -No case (used to help justify the higher Sony price) -Huge stylus tip -Taking notes when zoomed resets zoom

Addressing Sony PRS950 concerns from other reviewers:

*Glare: There is none. Equal to Kindle 3.
*PDF support: opened over 100 PDFs from academic papers, to technical reference books, to books loaded with equations, pictures and tables. Never had a single failure... Perhaps special characters from non-English languages are the issue?
*Flickering: none noticed. I have noticed some slight ghosting... Which is remedied with a shutdown/restart. Not frequent, but hopefully a firmware update will fix this.
*Cost: it's freaking expensive, this one is accurate.
*Notes: Notes are a little awkward, likely due to fat stylus, and can't be exported yet... However, I see notes being able to be exported soon. The Mobile Read community figured this out on the Sony PRS600.
*web browsing/mp3 problems: such a minor issue to me, I can't be made to care enough to test... these will always have issues on ereaders. 

Kindle 3 Pros:

+Crisp fonts +Easy font change (not in PDF) +Fastest page turn +Fantastic battery life +Price

Kindle 3 Cons:

-Top and bottom status bars... Even if the top one hides, its space cannot be utilized by the book
-Huge side margins (can be corrected by editing a text file on Kindle3)
-Not much user development community
-Cannot effectively navigate pictures via jump to page (this is crippling for PDF converts and comics)
-Large keyboard
-Amazon not likely to help development for rendering outside material

RECOMMENDATIONS

Get a Sony if you:

*want access to library books
*like to doodle and write notes in your books
*value pocket space and want a more compact ereader
*value higher quality form factor and construction
*want to have a choice in ebook stores
*like to customize your firmware (hopefully there will be a functionality expanding version of PRS+ firmware soon)
*don't mind paying a little to significantly more
*have a local collection of reading material in a variety of formats (Calibre helps the Kindle close this gap, but not there yet)
 
6WHICH SONY IS RIGHT FOR YOU

Sony PRS950: If you read PDFs, periodicals, journals, articles, (possibly comics?), reference books then THIS is the only reader you want.

Sony PRS650: You prefer a larger reader, or perhaps if your eyes are not great. Otherwise, I think you're better off with the PRS350. Which is smaller (and cheaper), but has the same resolution.

Sony PRS350: Value portability. Lowest cost, for same resolution.

Get a Kindle if you:

*mostly buy your ebooks, and buy them from Amazon
*are on a very tight budget (Sony PRS350 is only $15 more than Kindle 3 WIFI)
*would use the text to speech function (might be nice for driving. although I prefer real audiobooks)
*want low quality 3g internet browsing (requires $189 3g)... I can't stand internet browsing on an ereader, but if you have no other option it might be useful.
*browse and buy books from your ereader (PRS950 has this functionality also)... I must admit I do not enjoy shopping on an ereader, it will never compete with a true browser.

Suggestions for all ereaders

*Use Calibre for ebook management and general conversions (Mobile Read is an excellent resource for converting)

*Get a cover that folds back and locks in some way. Holding the front and back cover can be tiresome.

    The Sony cover PRS950BC, which is significantly lower quality than Sony's old generation covers... Most corner strap style Nook covers should fit the Sony PRS950. I am using a CaseCrown Nook cover, which is heavy but I am pleased. 

FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES

***PDF prep for Sony PRS950 = Use Briss (check Mobile Read forums) to crop excess white margin. Fin... I usually append the original PDF in the Calibre library with "_source" so Calibre will send the clipped PDF to the ereader.

***PDF prep for Kindle 3 = 1.) PRS2LRF; be sure to save as '.zip' instead of '.lrf' 2.) Extract .zip to folder and run through Mangle program... These will be images, but this is the way to create the most readable PDF for Kindle.

    As mentioned above you will lose almost all functionality (dict, search, notes, txt to speech, ToContents, page navigation).

    I have no experience with Kindle dx, which could be an authority ... eReader However, I believe that much stupidity. Too big for me to be concerned that I get my Sony PRS950 in his jacket pocket one day ... If you have a good view will not have difficulty reading PDF files of more than Sony PRS950, which causes excess Kindle DX.