One of the gifts I received for Christmas this year was a Sony PRS-505 ("Reader") and I quickly downloaded ReaderPlates. Here are my impressions.
Between getting the Reader and having a chance to get in the air, I downloaded a few books onto it to see how it performed. I've found reading a book on the Reader to be comfortable. The size of the screen is about the same size as that of the typical paperback and you don't have to worry about setting a bookmark before a) setting down the book or b) falling asleep while reading. The Reader remembers where you left off on any particular book, so switching between books while reading won't lose your place. Just re-select your book and select the Continue Reading menu option.
I also downloaded some sample plates from the ReaderPlates web site. This gave me a chance to see how they are laid out as well as get a sense of resolution, readability, etc. Overall, I was impressed enough to buy the full set.
I chose to install the plates manually (mostly because I'm a geek who likes to know exactly what's going where on my computer). ReaderPlates does offer an installer, but I haven't tried it and cannot speak to its usability. For the manual process, the plates are downloaded as a single compressed file (Zip format) which you then un-Zip to a local folder, then copy to your Reader. I strongly recommend the use of a USB 2.0 port for this part. I started this on a USB 1.1 port and soon cancelled it to move it to a 2.0 port. The files consume ~1.3GB (Compression doesn't save much here.) so there is quite a bit of data to squeeze onto the Reader. Also, this is why you want a memory card for the Reader. Obviously you'll need at least a 2GB data card (either Memory Stick Pro or SD).
The plates are delivered as a collection of PDF files. Each state (which is a separate PDF file) is a "book" and includes a number of airports for each state. States with higher numbers of airports (like Georgia, Ohio or Texas) are broken out into separate books. For example, "Georgia (A-I)" and "Georgia (J-Z)". Within each book, is a table of contents with an entry for each city. This means you need to know the name of the city (town, locality, whatever) rather than the identifier or name of the airport. This is usually not a problem (usually) and is how the NACO online database is laid out. The Reader will show the number of pages in each TOC and you can click the "next page" button a couple of times without having to wait for the page refresh.
This is where it might be worth noting a bit how the Reader works. They use a display from eInk that requires very little power to hold an image, but doesn't refresh as fast as other technologies (like LCD). This is just fine for "electronic paper" or other static images - like approach plates, but we have to remember changing pages or plates requires a fetch to memory, then a re-paint of the paper. Since we're using media cards like SD cards, memory fetches are slower than on a PC and the page refresh is itself slow enough to be visible. Changing plates or pages in ReaderPlates takes a bit less than 3 seconds on my Reader.
Once you narrow down the city, you're presented with Arrivals, Approaches, Minimums, Diagrams, etc. In the case where multiple airports serve the city, you'll get a chance to choose the airport first (like Orlando, FL or Lynchburg, VA). Here's where a nice feature comes into play. Obviously, we'll likely get an arrival before an approach - say, the COATT4 into Leesburg, VA (KJYO). We can go ahead and pull up the arrival, then when we get the "expect the GPS approach," we can pull up the approach (say, the RNAV GPS 17). The Reader has "page forward" and "page back" buttons as well as a four-way hat switch (much like most modern cell phones). Clicking the left button on that hat will flip us to the previously displayed page - in this case, our arrival. We can then click the right button and return to our approach. This can be a handy configuration. For example, set up the arrival, approach and airport diagram in that order, then simply page back and forth as needed.
Starting from "ground zero" (all the way back at the default Reader menu), I've found I can find a given approach in about 1 minute.
ReaderPlates is configured with two different display modes: portrait and landscape. Portrait mode displays the entire chart at once - much as if you'd printed it yourself. Landscape mode will show the top then bottom of the chart, respectively. This feature is activated with the center button on the hat switch mentioned earlier. Clicking the button will toggle between the three views of the chart.
The Reader display is a bit less than 1/2 the size of a "normal" printed chart (as pulled from NACO's online database). Despite this, readability is quite good. My eyes are corrected to 20/15 (most of the time) and I find I can read most of the information in portrait mode, but there have been a couple I've found where switching to landscape mode was a good thing. The display has very good contrast and good resolution. Reading it in any amount of light allowing me to read a book has not been a problem - but this is an area for attention: light.
My first chance to fly with ReaderPlates was last night when a flying buddy asked for me to fly safety pilot for him. We took off before sunset and returned well after dark giving me a chance to try out the Reader in the plane during daylight as well as night conditions.
I have a Cencal tri-fold kneeboard and the Reader fits in either of a couple pockets rather nicely. Being slimmer than my Motorola Q cell phone means it adds very little bulk to the arrangement - much less than the tablet PC I have used for electronic charts for the last couple years. In short, the Reader fits in the cockpit very nicely.
I had no trouble at all finding the approaches the pilot was flying and I waited until the last possible moment to be "surprised" by the approach. In other words, I didn't find them and bookmark them ahead of time like I could have for a planned flight of my own. This was to simulate ATC giving me an unexpected approach. I was able to find the next approach in slightly more time than it took the pilot to flip to his preselected approach he had printed and clipped to his kneeboard.
Flying at night was what I was particularly interested in seeing. I use a green LED "geek light" clipped to my hat at night. (You can find them almost everywhere these days.) I found the green LEDs seemed to improve the contrast of the screen (an optical illusion, I'm sure) and I had no problem at all reading the entire chart in portrait mode. This proved to be the case for a few approach plates. I found the Reader to be at least as readable in this fashion as my paper charts.
Sony offers a cover with built-in light for the PRS-505 which wasn't available in time for Christmas. However, it was ordered and should be in hand for my next night flight. I'm anxious to see how effective it is. Also, the PRS-700 Reader has a built-in light negating the need for the special cover. C'est la vie. One cannot reasonably complain about a free gift, no?
Comparisons
Reader vs Tablet PC
I use a Gateway C120X tablet PC running Sporty's ChartViewer. This is a convertible laptop that folds flat and presents itself as a tablet. I've been using this configuration for a couple years with some satisfaction, but it is not without fault.
Utility: The tablet I use is thick. I wanted something I could use routinely outside the plane and, for me, a slate-style tablet simply doesn't offer the usability of a convertible. On the one hand, the tablet is a true PC. The Reader is a display-only device. (OK, it does have the ability to play MP3s, but I'd much rather use my Zune for that.) Being light enough to keep in a kneeboard pocket, the Reader is much more handy than my tablet which, due to its thickness, remains on the floor between the seats when not in actual use.
Point: Reader
Readability in general: Though the 14.1" diagonal screen on the tablet is far greater than the 6" diagonal of the Reader, bright daylight readability of the tablet is "OK" at best and it's easy for the screen to be washed out in direct sunlight. Although there are other models with screens designed for direct sunlight, mine is not. The Reader does not have that issue. Then again, the tablet's screen is backlit at night. My reader is not (see the PRS-700, though).
Point: Draw
Readability in sun: The readability of the tablet's LCD screen is affected by the use of polarized sunglasses. Yes, I know the FAA recommends against their use in the cockpit, but the visibility of none of the displays in my plane is affected by them - except my tablet. The Reader does not suffer that issue at all.
Point: Reader
Battery: My tablet has two batteries: the main 8-cell pack and a 6-cell pack in the drive bay. This configuraiton gives me about 4.5 hours and weighs in at about 10 pounds. The Reader comes with a built-in lithium ion battery (not user replaceable) that, fully charged, will last days with average use. For comparison, I charged it fully on Christmas and downloaded three 700-page books. It has not been charged since then and I've read all three books over the course of five days and taken the Reader on a ~2-hour flight where it was powered up nearly the whole time. It still shows a full charge on the battery indicator. Oh, and it tips the scales at about 9 ounces.
Point: Reader (not even close)
ReaderPlates vs Sporty's ChartViewer
I was concerned about the usability of ReaderPlates on a purpose-built device like the Reader. As I've said, I've been using ChartViewer for a couple years now and, while it has its own quirks, it is fairly intuitive to use. For those not familiar with it, ChartViewer is essentially a stand-alone copy of NACO's online database. I was interested to see how it compared.
Speed: It takes me approximately 20-25 seconds to find any given approach in ChartViewer with my tablet in tablet mode. It takes me just about a minute (60 seconds) to do the same task on the Reader with ReaderPlates installed on an SDHC memory card. Part of this speed delta is due simply to the nature of using a much more powerful processor with much faster memory and display. However, when speed counts, ChartViewer will win. (Regardless, let's hope it's a very rare case when you need to pull up a chart Right Now.)
Point: ChartViewer
Printing: Both products have the ability to print charts. ChartViewer has a "print chart" feature and ReaderPlates can be opened in Adobe Reader directly. (Adobe Reader is needed for ChartViewer, as well, and provides the viewing and printing features of that product.). Printing a ReaderPlates chart at the same size I print ChartViwer plates resulted in a chart that was nearly identical in quality.
Point: Draw
Usability: ChartViewer is basically a stand-alone version of NACO's online database - complete with the clickable graphic depicting the 50 states. Both come with a complete set of charts for all US states and territories (Pacific, Virgin Islands, ets.). While the interface of ChartViewer is easy to use due to its clickable interface and scrollable drop-down list of cities, ReaderPlates' collection is identical and the usability is as good as the hardware platform will allow. ChartViewer may be faster (due to hardware), but it's usability is ultimately no better than ReaderPlates.
Point: Draw
Utility: The charts in ChartViewer are full-size PDF documents - well, at least as "full-sized" as they come since they're designed to be printed on one half of a standard 8.5"x11" sheet of paper. The document scales well to the size of my tablet's 14.1" screen, though. The PDFs used by ReaderPlates are trimmed slightly (dropping extraneous info at the bottom and side of most plates) and scaled down to fit the Reader's screen "natively." Regardless, using my printer, printouts of charts from ReaderPlates are nearly identical in quality to those from ChartViewer.
Point: Draw
Price: ChartViewer is available on DVD. ReaderPlates via electronic delivery (download). Both charge $9.95/issue (every 28 days). However, ChartViewer is only on DVD and they charge shipping. For me, that totals $10.53/issue. Switching to ReaderPlates will be less expensive (by a whopping $7.54/year).
Point: ReaderPlates (marginally)
Reader/ReaderPlates vs Paper
This is the real comparison, in my opinion. The speed of a notebook is simply so much greater than that of the Reader's computer that a speed comparison simply isn't fair. Further, the Reader was designed for a single purpose - displaying static text and images - while the tablet/PC is designed for far more strenuous tasks. It's more fair to compare the Reader to what it was intended to replace: paper.
- Readability: The readability of the printed chart is going to be a function of the quality of the paper and printer as well as user-selectable items like "image quality." Still, comparisons can be made pretty easily using "standard" settings on paper and standard settings on the Reader. The Reader's display does not share the problems with viewing angle that affects LCDs. This allows the same range of angles you get from paper. Contrast is comparable in my opinion (though highly tuned measuring devices may be able to discern a difference). The only issue between the Reader and the printed chart is size. To deal with that where the image or text of the chart may be simply too small for the viewer, ReaderPlates introduced the landscape mode. In that mode, the Reader image is nearly the same size and ratio as the printed form - albeit only half a page at a time.
Point: Draw
- Portability: It's hard to beat the portability of the lowly sheet of paper. A chart printed from online sources (like NACO) will take about 46.75 square inches of paper at something on the order of 0.004 inches in depth. By comparison, the Reader clocks in at ~33.1 square inches (with a display of some 17.7 square inches) and 0.3 inches in depth. Still, the Reader is very conveniently sized (even fitting the pocket of several slacks of mine). Then when one considers the volume of paper required to print all the charts carried on the Reader, the balance tips quite readily in favor of the Reader. If I were to compare it to a bound book of NACO charts, there is no comparison. The Reader's screen is "brighter" (whiter with higher contrast), much thinner, lighter and does not require a binder clip or other special handling to keep a given chart displayed.
Point: Reader (easily)
Conclusion
Ultimately, the Reader may not be enough to sway a pilot from the old paper standby. After all, paper does not need batteries. Also, some pilots' eyesight may be such that large printouts are needed and the small screen of the Reader is simply a deal-breaker. However, for those pilots with good to decent eyesight, this will not be a problem. I've long been sold on the convenience of having all available charts with me in the plane. I think it only takes one enroute diversion to convince a good pilot of this. Printing a lot of "unnecessary" charts (i.e., "ones I don't expect to need") before a long cross-country flight is time-consuming and perhaps even wasteful. Likewise, bringing along a bound NACO book (or few) for the same reason adds bulk to what is likely an already crowded flight bag. The Reader with ReaderPlates gives you the entire collection of NACO approaches, arrivals, departures, diagrams, minima, etc. (any of which can be called up in about a minute) in an easily readable device that comfortably fits in a kneeboard - and has the battery life to easily last the duration of just about any cross country flight. That gives me a good deal of comfort.
Here are some photos to provide some sense of relative scale, readability and usability. I printed the RNAV (GPS) 17 approach from the NACO site and showed the same approach on the Reader. The printout was made on an Epson R300M photo inkjet printer set to "text & image" quality (what I normally use for printing approaches).
[Note: I am not a professional photographer. I didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night so I can't pretend to be one, either, so please forgive the lighting and any other photographic issues. The photos accompanying this PIREP are intended to give a sense of scale and usability.]