Re: [NTLK] New Sony eReader PRS-600: Newton/Kindle Killer?

Hello,

--- On Tue, 9/1/09, Ryan Vetter <physicalconstants@yahoo.ca> wrote:

> A Newton killer? Actually, the eink displays are incredible, much better
> than the dim, grey Newton's screen. True, you don't get a backlight with
> the eink displays, but the contrast is just so much better than the
> Newton, and the clarity too...

There's no doubt that screen technology has come a long way since the Newton was considered state of the art.

But I find it amazing that the same company that is purportedly attempting to offer end users an improved reading experience can't be bothered to throw a backlight into the deal. For $399 CAD, the end user is, apparently, still expected to supply his own light source (or spend even more dough for an aftermarket add-on).

I have a hard time believing that the folks at Sony are entirely unaware that, sometimes, people like to read in low-light (or dark) conditions. Sure, the OMP didn't have a backlight. However, Apple realized that one was necessary and incorporated one into the MP130. I can't claim to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but color me baffled that Sony can't pick up on something Apple did back in 1996.

Please don't read this the wrong way: the PRS-600 is an impressive device, to be sure. And it's certainly difficult to please all of the end users all of the time. That being said, I think I understand what Dan was getting at when he said, "it is not that hard to design a unit that everyone wants rather than keep trying to force what we don't want on us."

An eReader manufacturer that doesn't see fit to include a backlight into their not-inexpensive product is not giving me what I want, but what they think I ought to have. And until that former condition is met, my money tends to stay in my pocket. Other folks might feel differently than I do and I respect that.

Best,

James Fraser

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Received on Wed Sep 2 09:00:42 2009