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Sony display specs straight from E Ink—but is the contrast really ‘on par with a book’?
October 15, 2007 | 6:01 am
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By David Rothman
Quick! How much brighter is the new Sony Reader screen compared to the old display?
From E Ink CEO Russ Wilcox, come some answers. As reported by UMPCS, he says the PRS-505′s Vizplex screen is 20 percent brighter and contrast has gone up by the same amount. “The contrast level is better than a newspaper, on par with a book, and a bit below a magazine,” Wilcox is quoted. Hmm. Is the book part really accurate? UMPCS’s photo doesn’t suggest so. But are there some technicalities I’m not thinking of?
The usual page turning speed is 20 percent better than the old PRS-500, although speed in the menu mode is twice as fast.
Related: Interesting phenomenon reading p-book, in MobileRead.
Update, Oct. 16: Dr. Ellen Hage’s mostly favorable review of the new Reader. She really likes the screen, which she describes as “so much clearer and brighter. I almost felt like it had a light. When I read on the older Sony reader I always had to have additional lighting in the room; not so anymore.”
Technorati Tags: Sony , PRS-505 , PRS-500 , E Ink , Vizplex , Russell Wilcox
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Comments:
I’m not an expert in the English language, but I think speed could be high or low, but I’m quite sure it can’t be fast. (Prices, otoh, can be expensive, although it’s very uncommon.) I’ve never quite understood why people have a problem with references and datatypes. It probably wouldn’t hurt to study the conversation about the Knight’s poem from Throught The Looking Glass: http://haddockseyes.com/
The photo you reference is perhaps somewhat deceiving. There is additional contract, which makes a huge difference, especially with the additional grayscale, in both photos and text. I hope Sony will send you a review unit.
Damn typo. Contract = contrast.
Plus, It also depends on how light hits the thing. Sorry, but this the nature of these kinds of screens that depend on light reflectivity to increase their brightness.
That said, I’ve seen two people in real life using the original Reader. One on the NYC subway, and one on a street bench — during *dusk* with light from a nearby streetlamp.
Thanks, Mike. I’m surprised that people in real life can use the Reader in such low-light situations–based on my experiences with my own unit.
I wonder how much variation exists among screens, even among the old Readers.
As for a review unit, I’ve tried in the past and might approach Sony again. Meanwhlie I’ll be dropping by my local Borders
Was very pleased to run your own Reader review.
Thanks,
David