- log in
- join CNET
- welcome,
- my profile
- log out

Sony Reader Digital Book PRS-505 (dark blue)

Manufacturer: Sony Part number: PRS505LC

1 | 2 | 3

Video Compare with most popular

$269.00 - $299.99 at 6 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
3.5 stars Very good
Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 8 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Product series; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: While the PRS-505 Reader Digital Book is not without flaws, Sony's improvements make this model easier to recommend.
Read more

Where to buy

store	customer rating	inventory	tax & shipping	price
	Rate this store See store profile	In stock	Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price	$274.00 Shop now as of 11/20/2008
Over 1,000 Sony products. Direct from Sony	Rate this store See store profile	In stock No Interest, No Payment Financing		$299.99 Shop now as of 11/21/2008
Your Trusted Source since 1983	Rate this store See store profile	In stock FREE SHIPPING		$269.00 Shop now as of 11/21/2008
PREMIER SOURCE of cutting edge electronics since 1973.	Rate this store See store profile	In stock FREE SHIPPING! Ships in 24 Hrs. Auth Sony Dealer		$269.00 Shop now as of 11/21/2008
Savings, Selection & Service since 1971	Rate this store See store profile	In stock Free Shipping		$270.00 Shop now as of 11/21/2008
	Rate this store See store profile	In stock		$274.99 Shop now as of 11/21/2008

*Total price for the Sony Reader Digital Book PRS-505 (dark blue) are estimated and may vary slightly based on exact tax, shipping, manufacturer rebate or any sale/promotion on the merchant site.

show

CNET editors' review

Sony Reader Digital Book PRS-505 (dark blue)

price range: $269.00 - $299.99

Reviewed by: David Carnoy
Edited by: John P. Falcone
Reviewed on: 11/14/2007
Updated on:09/12/2008

The good: Electronic book that can hold thousands of titles; excellent high-contrast screen rivals that of printed page and is easy to read in bright environments; some design and performance improvements versus first-gen model; 128MB internal memory, with more available via SD and Memory Stick Pro expansion slots; font size adjusts at the touch of a button; good battery life; also displays PDF and Word files, and plays MP3 files.

The bad: Downloadable titles are expensive and only available through Sony's online store; AC adapter is an optional accessory (you charge the PRS-505 by connecting the included USB cable to your computer); desktop software isn't available for Mac owners; PDF files are hard to read because they're reduced to fit the screen and you can't magnify (zoom) them; though diminished, some lag issues remain when flipping pages; no support for Audible audio books.

The bottom line: While the PRS-505 Reader Digital Book is not without flaws, Sony's improvements make this model easier to recommend.

Read full review

Editor's note: This review was completed just before the announcement and release of the Amazon Kindle e-book reader. Potential buyers of this product should also note that there are rumors of a new Sony Reader planned for fall 2008.

In early 2007, Sony put out the PRS-500 Portable Reader System, which most people know as the Sony Reader. While Sony got a lot right with the PRS-500, critics--this one included--noted a handful of shortcomings that made the potentially groundbreaking e-book reader less appealing than it should have been. Now, less than year since the PRS-500's release, Sony has released the PRS-505 "Reader Digital Book," which also retails for $300. On the surface, the two Readers look pretty similar, but the new PRS-505 boasts some subtle yet important improvements.

For starters, Sony has made the new Reader slimmer by about 0.2 inch--though not any lighter. At 6.9 inches high by 4.9 inches wide by 0.3 inch deep, the Reader is somewhere between the size of a standard DVD case and a short trade paperback novel. It's bound in a leather protective cover, and weighs about 9 ounces. The new reader is available in two colors: silver or metallic blue.

The Reader is roughly the size of a trade paperback, but it can hold several thousand titles and documents.

The new Reader has the same overall design as the original model--it looks like an oversized PDA, with the screen taking up the top three-quarters of the front panel. As part of the upgrade, Sony's sought to simplify the button layout and navigation on the Reader. The results are mostly successful, but some quirky elements remain. The little raised joystick-like navigation button has been replaced with a flatter four-way nav button with an "Enter" button in the middle. We preferred this arrangement but found the directional pad a tad stiff (perhaps it will loosen up with time).

There are still two separate buttons for turning pages, but that's an effort to accommodate left- and right-handed people. There are basically two ways that you hold the device in your hand, and depending on how you're holding it, your left thumb will either be resting on the left bottom corner of the device or higher up on its side, where a second set of page-turning buttons sit. It's also worth noting that Sony's moved the memory expansion slots from the side of the device to the top, making them easier to access.

Memory expansion is available via SD and Memory Stick Pro slots found on the Reader's top edge.

In other improvements, the 600x800-pixel screen--or approximately 170 pixels per inch, according to Sony--now offers eight scales of gray instead of four-grayscale (the screen measures approximately 4.9x3.6 inches), which increases the contrast ratio and makes it slightly easier to read. The first thing you notice about the screen when you turn on the device (it takes a few seconds to fire up after you slide the power switch) is that it's a high-contrast monochrome display that isn't backlit. Technically, it's an electrophoretic display, which Wikipedia describes as "an information display that forms visible images by rearranging charged pigment particles using an applied electric field."

Like some other electronic paper products, the Reader uses "E Ink" technology, which serves to make the letters and words on the screen look more printlike in their appearance--it's quite impressive if you haven't seen the technology in action before. With the Size button, you can choose among three font settings (small, medium, and large), but even at the smallest setting, you're still getting fewer lines per page than you would with a printed book. For example, George Orwell's 1984 comes out to 767 pages on the Reader (on the medium font size), far longer than the printed version. You can also switch between landscape and portrait mode, though chances are you'll naturally hold the device vertically like a book and stick to portrait mode most of the time.

Overall, we liked the way text is displayed on the screen, and we didn't suffer eye fatigue over long reading periods (at least not any worse than what you'd expect from reading a standard book in a decently lit environment). With the earlier PRS-500, it was a little bothersome that when you turned a page, the screen took a second to refresh (it goes to black and essentially blinks). This is referred to as a "ghosting" effect and it appears to be an inherent downside to E Ink technology. It's still apparent in this newer model, but Sony has managed to slightly shorten the refresh time. The PRS-505 feels slightly zippier than its predecessor, but there's still some noticeable lag--and that may irk some users.

Sony doesn't appear to have done too much with the user interface--it remains OK but not stellar. There's a top-level menu that allows you to select books, audio, pictures, and adjust settings. You can select books by author, date, and also organize your books into collections and jump to a bookmarked page. The menu system is tabbed on the right column with numbers that correspond to a row of numbered buttons on the right side of the display (on the previous model, they were on the bottom of the display). Clicking on the number 8, for example, takes you to the eighth tab on the screen, which happens to be audio. If you're in the middle of reading a book, the numbered buttons allow you to jump forward and back over big chunks of pages (the Reader divides the number of total pages in the book by nine to evenly distribute the chunks).

We were a little disappointed that the unit doesn't ship with an AC adapter (it's an optional accessory that costs $29.99); instead, the default charging option is limited to connecting the Reader to your PC with the included USB cable. If you happen to own a Sony PSP, the charger from that device works with this one. It's also worth noting that we couldn't charge the Reader with a standard USB cable connected to a 5V power adapter, such as the standard iPod wall charger. The Reader only charged when we used the cable that came with the unit and connected it to the USB port on a PC. Go figure.

To be clear, the unit has no backlight (that would induce eye strain), so you need to use the Reader in a lit environment, just like you would a normal book. If you do want to read in the dark (while, say, a spouse sleeps), the optional Flex-Neck LED Reading Light PRS-LIGHT01 ($15) attachable nightlight is available.

Aside from the missing AC adapter and a few small navigational annoyances, we didn't have too much to complain about concerning the hardware. The real issue, of course--and sorry for waiting so long to get to this point--is what you can actually read on the Sony Reader. For starters, you can import a variety of content, much of it free, from your Windows computer to the device (via USB), though you have to use Sony's desktop software to move content to the device's 128MB of internal memory (its 128MB is up from the PRS-500's 64MB and allows you to store around 160 eBooks, so long as they aren't all War and Peace). Another way to access content is to transfer it to an SD or Memory Stick card and slip it in the Reader's expansion slot. However, you can only download encrypted Sony eBooks from the Connect store using the desktop software; likewise, only the software can be used to organize the titles into customized collections. So, if you're a Mac user, the device probably isn't worth buying.

The eBook Library 2.0 PC software is much like the Sony's hardware: a little quirky and not entirely easy to use, but once you get used to it, you can deal with it. The Reader is capable of displaying Text, RTF, Word (they get converted to RTF files as they're imported to the Reader), and BBeB Book files, as well as PDF files. There are caveats, however: You can increase the font size of Word documents, but PDFs are scaled to fit the screen and can't be zoomed, so they're unlikely to display properly. PDFs also take several seconds to load (as they often do on a computer).

On the image side, you can view JPEG, GIF, and PNG files. The pictures are monochromatic--and they look like some really detailed Etch-a-Sketch work--but the effect is kind of cool, and you can use the reader to show off your family album if you're so inclined. As for audio, the Reader plays back MP3 and AAC files; there's no built-in speaker, however, so you will need to plug a pair of headphones into the headphone jack to hear anything. Curiously, Sony doesn't support the Audible file format, so fans of audio books will need to fall back to their iPod or MP3 player of choice. The good news is you can read a book and listen to MP3 songs at the same time. Sony says that with a fully charged battery, you can turn 7,500 pages. It's hard to say what that translates into in terms of hours, but you should expect to get 15 to 20 hours of battery life, and possibly more.

You can find some free full-length books online in the form of PDF or Word files. But as we mentioned, to get the stuff you'd buy today in Barnes and Noble, you have to tap into Sony's Connect eBooks online store, which is integrated into the desktop software. Once you set up an account, you can download whatever titles (they're copy-protected) strike your fancy--for a price, of course. We won't go into a full critique of the Connect service--you can follow the previous link to check it out yourself--but suffice to say that while the selection isn't anywhere near Amazon's, it isn't bad for a fledgling service. The books aren't exactly a bargain, with the prices for many books basically the same as their printed versions (in some cases, you might even find the printed version for less online). According to a Sony rep, "DRM rules allow any purchased eBook to be read on up to six devices (at least one of those six must be a PC). Although you cannot share purchased eBooks on other people's devices and accounts, you will have the opportunity to register five Readers to your account and share your books accordingly."

Sony does offer a number of classic titles for $1.99 and is currently running a promotion where you get 100 eBooks Classics with your purchase of the Reader. These classics include everything from Hamlet to Moby Dick and Great Expectations. That's all well and good, but it's a shame that all eBooks don't cost less than $10--and most of them should cost less than $5. Or, alternatively, Sony should come up with some sort of subscription service for checking out books, a la Netflix, and divorce itself from the Connect brand, which is tied to its failed music store.

In our review of the PRS-500, we said that Sony needed to make a second-generation device that's zippier, tweak the Reader's interface (both the hardware interface, as well as the desktop software), and continue to evolve the Connect eBooks store. The company's done just that, and we applaud the step forward. That said, buyers of the original Reader shouldn't feel too bad for taking the plunge early in the e-book reader game. The improvements are more evolutionary than revolutionary. And while the newer Reader may not be a bargain at $300, it's certainly easier to recommend.

See pricing

show

User reviews

Write Review

Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 8 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 8 out of 8

Sort by:
8 stars

Recommended for an avid book reader or wanting to avoid eye strain from reading on laptop/PC

by ajayvm on November 20, 2007

Pros: easy on eyes, less fatigue with reading, enough memory to hold plenty of books, portable, choice of small, medium and large fonts, portait or landscape reading, book marks, remembers where you left

Cons: slow in reading other formats such as pdf, rtf (good with .lrf), black and white, the software needs improvement

Summary: Since i have to read a lot of documents on laptop, PC that was causing eye strain, i wanted an e-reader that is easy on eyes and had read about ...

Read more

Summary: Since i have to read a lot of documents on laptop, PC that was causing eye strain, i wanted an e-reader that is easy on eyes and had read about e-ink technology. And I must say that the Sony PRS 505 reader is a good product in this regard. its as nice to eye as a printed book, but that also means you cant read it in the dark. the inbuilt memory of 190 MB + 2GB SD card + 8GB Sony memory stick assure enough books can be accomodated. user friendly as it remembers what page you were at when you stopped reading last time. other user friendly features i liked are facility of collections (where you can classify your content), landscape/portait reading, menu screen and navigation. Easy to carry, and battery lasts real long inspite of heavy reading. The screen is soothing white in color and size is good trade off between amount of information and portability / mobility. Images look a bit ok. I have been using it for two weeks now, and this thing is selling like hot cakes; i am surprised how come it does not have user reviews on cnet so far.

On the other hand, its very slow in performance when opening certain rtf, pdf. the software is bad at importing other formats such as pdf (especially A4 size) or rtf. if support for these formats is improved, the sales would boom. currently, managing with http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_conversion . Cmon Sony, take a cue from this site above, you can do better than just publishing a 3-4 pager "how to guide", that relies on people using Acrobat software (not reader) to resize and reformat docs to fit reader. Please read the website mobileread.com; its a good companion. Expect a slightly longish learning curve in getting your PC docs (pdf, chm, doc, html) on to the reader. Also dont expect it to replace your laptop or pc. Also remember, its just black and white.

As compared to competition such as kindle or iliad, i would prefer sony. the kindle might be tied to Amazon only stuff and seems a 100$ more expensive, and iliad is way to expensive at 700$, however you can make your notes.

Wishlist - faster firmware, better support for opening pdf, more investment in e-book library to make it a bit more professional, user friendly and attractive.

e-ink technology has a good future, please add color to our lives, its like going back to 1700s.

Between blue and silver, i found blue better due to its good contrast with the white screen, may be its just me. The metallic finish and the magnetic black cover that snaps to close on reader, are coool.

overall - excellent for taking and reading in garden, train, or in your bed in daytime, and by a night lamp at night. the Sony reader is like a fiction book, just much thinner and lighter and can hold 100s of them. Go, do your eyes a favor by trying it out at a store.

Show less

6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

THE BEST WAY TO READ

by dannd42 on December 20, 2007

Pros: COOL TECH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

Cons: NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summary: While the correct on the goo everything listed in the bad is WRONG!!!!!!!!!!

The bad:
1.)Downloadable titles are expensive and only available through Sony's online store
REAL ANSWER=

...

Read more

Summary: While the correct on the goo everything listed in the bad is WRONG!!!!!!!!!!

The bad:
1.)Downloadable titles are expensive and only available through Sony's online store
REAL ANSWER= Manybooks.com has a ton of free titales!!! also fictonwise.com is a good paysite. CNET IS DUMB

2.) AC adapter is an optional accessory (you charge the PRS-505 by connecting the included USB cable to your computer)
OK- even a broken clock is correct 2 x a day

3.)desktop software isn't available for Mac owners;
REAL Answer= MACS are dumb the 80'd are over. cut the pony tail already!!!

2.)PDF files are hard to read because they're reduced to fit the screen and you can't magnify (zoom) them
REAL ANSWER= That is why you convert them with the countles free pdf2 text progs. Or just download the orig BBEB format from manybooks.com
3.though diminished, some lag issues remain when flipping pages;
Real Answer= Books are big and smell funny. Way to nitpick bro!

4.)no support for Audible audio books.
Real answer= Another LIE just google it.

come on guys!! people rely on you!! get it straight!!!

Show less

2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

A Great B'day Present w/Caveats

by MLA1 on May 9, 2008

Pros: Extremely portable, beautiful sleek design, fairly quick downloads, easy on the eyes (3x zoom), simple navigation, ample add'l storage

Cons: Wee bit pricey {both hardware & titles}, sluggish ebook store & desktop software, & [currently] not enough inventory

Summary: This was a lovely birthday present this week! Despite many "mediocre" reviews on various websites {not just this one}, I have been quite pleased with my new Blue Sony Reader. ...

Read more

Summary: This was a lovely birthday present this week! Despite many "mediocre" reviews on various websites {not just this one}, I have been quite pleased with my new Blue Sony Reader. I felt compelled to submit my $0.02 because I wanted to clear up one main thing that many people, apparently, are not getting straight [INCLUDING cnet.com editorial reviewer(s) -- unless they have since realized the inaccuracy -- please see comment on pdf files].

OK, here is my two cents worth:

PROS:

=> it fits easily in my purse; not much taller than a paperback and obviously much thinner;

=> w/blue being my childhood favorite color, it is a very sleek looking piece of hardware and coordinates beautifully with the included navy blue cover;

=> I s'pose I could be shot for this, but I absolutely cannot imagine reading on my cellphone, PDA, laptop {w/the flickering, ugh}, etc.; hence, my new reader is PERFECT for...well, reading :o);

=> for those of us with ~20/20-but-not-quite vision, there is the small/med./large zoom feature for all e-book text AND [cnet], if you simply go to Sony's website, you can download the SUPER EASY instructions for creating your own pdf files AND you can ZOOM them...I tested these instructions with an online article after initially pasting into MS Word. Using the simple instructions, I QUICKLY CREATED A 2-PAGE PDF FILE AND WAS ABLE TO ZOOM IT ON MY READER;

=> I have had no problems w/downloads; they are quick and painless {e.g., War and Peace (~6mb) took about 35 seconds on my computer. I read a review where the person complained about it taking "65" seconds on his/her PC...};

=> while I have not had it long enough to test the 7,500 page turns before recharging {what, about 2-3 weeks or more???}, I will assume this to be the case. I have been reading quite a bit this week, and thus far, the indicator is still "full;"

=> quite pleased w/the add'l memory slots. I already had SD cards for my PDA, so this was a nice feature on the reader {I do not use Sony's memory stick, but that is the other option in case you are not aware};

=> the navigation is fairly simple & quick. Bookmarks can be set up for where you left off {in SEVERAL books, in case you tend to read more than one @ a time}. Page turning accommodates both righties and lefties. Being right-handed, I like the fact I can turn the page forward/backward with my thumb--barely moving my hand while reading. I also like the 0-9 tabs along the right side of the reader to quickly get to a title, author, etc., and I like the page search feature of simply entering a page number (e.g., 108) and you quickly get to that page. Hyperlinks in any e-book allow for quick navigation, as well;

=> SINCE THIS IS SUPPOSED TO MIMIC/REPLACE A BOOK, I do not have a problem with the screen not having a back light. Oddly enough, while I enjoy reading the text on the screen in the three zoom modes as if this were a paperback, admittedly, I slightly miss the cover of the book not being in color on the reader [oh well];

=> last, but not least, as a subway commuter I was compelled this week to "pretend" I was actually listening to music while reading. Sometimes, folks in the subways [strangers] want to strike up a conversation {on airplanes, too--right, folks?!}, or a guy tries to flirt :o), {or a panhandler begs for money :o( }, and so forth. So I am always doing something on the subways during my commute {reading, logic problems, listening to music, whatever}, so now I can simply put the ear buds in my ears WITHOUT actually listening to music, but I can then read in peace. I have on occasion listened to classical music while reading on the subways, but I decided not to load/listen to music on my reader to maintain the battery life...but who knows in the future. Of course, playing mp3s is still a nice feature and it comes with a couple of songs.

CONS:

=> perhaps I would have seen things differently had I not used Microsoft's free reader on my desktop first, but...alas: unlike MS's reader, the Sony portable reader does NOT allow text highlighting, selecting a word to look up the definition {i.e., if you have an e-dictionary(s) already downloaded}, searching for specific words/phrases in your e-book, or adding your very own notes or drawings on a page. Since I used these features on occasion w/desktops, they were somewhat missed on Sony's reader {esp. word search & definitions}. I suppose this would be a bigger problem for students {although, it would certainly be better for their backs and the environment by not killing so many trees for those enormous textbooks}. Oddly, given the fact that the reader supports audio files to listen while you read, it does not support audio books. While I do not have any audio books in MS's reader, there is an audio feature and it works nicely with regular e-books I downloaded {e.g., if/when you are tired, you can press play and a voice starts speaking from wherever your cursor is};

=> similarly to the above, I cannot help but compare Sony's desktop software to iTunes. The navigation is just a wee bit sluggish. Screen changing in the desktop software with those status arrows is slow, even on a fast computer AND even on Sony's own website on the internet [noticeable on several computers around town, etc.]. While I am OK with the way the portable reader turns pages [time in seconds], the desktop software is much slower to navigate. also, it is slightly annoying the way it returns to an author's HOME page instead of just his/her PREVIOUS page when you want to read add'l info about a specific title {using the back arrow}. This is not a big deal if the author has just two pages, but for those with several pages, it is ridiculous to have to page through to, say, the sixth page AGAIN to continue where you left off;

=> not sure if this is a software bug, but so far this happens ALL the time on my desktop when I open Sony's software -- I click on "eBook Store," my e-mail address is already there, and I enter my password. But then I get a gray screen that says "Page not available...contact our customer support..." Yet, if I just go to the bottom of this window and click the eBook Store TAB, it goes directly to the home page of the store. Again, so far this happens 100% of the time and there is certainly nothing wrong w/our broadband connection, etc.;

=> inventory ? this is a strange one. While Sony and Borders Books are in partnership, currently, there still are not as many titles as for, say, Amazon's new reader...go figure;

=> while it is only the 2nd gen, @ 300 bucks [much less than Amazon's, obviously] it is still pricey. Also, websites like fictionwise.com and others tend to have much cheaper content, so not sure what is up with that. I do hope inventory pricing will come down in the future. We opted to purchase the reader on sonystyle.com because it appeared the other online vendors were NOT doing the free 100 classic titles w/the purchase of the unit &/or any engraving; and

=> just a minor pet peeve I alluded to in the other section ? I am spoiled by the vibrancy of MS's reader {even its highlights/drawings can be done in SEVERAL colors} so it is a bit to get used to, only viewing things in several shades of gray w/Sony's portable reader. I keep telling myself: "THIS REPLACES BOOKS; YOU ARE READING ? READING; YOU COULD NOT PRESS A BUTTON TO LISTEN TO MUSIC WHEN YOU READ PAPERBACKS; YOU DID NOT HAVE A BACK LIGHT; YOU COULD NOT DO A WORD SEARCH WITH A HARD COPY; ETC.; ETC.; ETC."

Folks, I guess if you keep everything in perspective, you will find very strong merits for having this tool--if you read a lot--and for taking back shelf space in your homes/doing right by the environment.

Thx for your time-

MLA

Show less

1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 stars

Not a great tool.

by bubbawitz on April 21, 2008

Pros: Large type makes for easier reading.

Cons: Locked into Sony's E-book Service

Summary: Can only use Sony's E-book Store. Cannot download prior e-books obtained from, say, e-Reader.com into the PRS system. Spoke with a tech services guy; no joy there. Also, ...

Read more

Summary: Can only use Sony's E-book Store. Cannot download prior e-books obtained from, say, e-Reader.com into the PRS system. Spoke with a tech services guy; no joy there. Also, the unit offers no illumination and does not allow e-dictionary interactions. Sorry, I'd rather have stayed with a Palm PDA. And, yes, the Sony e-books ARE expensive.

Show less

1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 stars

Poor Quality -- Worse Service

by dfharri on August 15, 2008

Pros: Hard to have a pro when it breaks in six months

Cons: Sony service is anything but

Summary: The reader broke after 6 months and when we called custimer service they asked me to pay for a refurbished replacement. When I balked at that -- they negotiated somewhat ...

Read more

Summary: The reader broke after 6 months and when we called custimer service they asked me to pay for a refurbished replacement. When I balked at that -- they negotiated somewhat but still asked that I pay for refurb and to add insult to injury i need to box up the replacement and pay for shipping.

I understand stuff breaks -- but if it does within the first six months GOOD companies stand by their products. Not the case here.

Clearly Sony does not stand by its products and they apparently lack quality. Stay away from this reader. the lack or response from customer service from Sony will also keep me from purchasing any other sony product in the future.

Show less
9 stars

Quality is Fantastic!

by Freebird2nd on July 6, 2008

Pros: Easy to Use, Load & Read

Cons: Sony-add more ebooks!

Summary: This product was a great surprise!! High quality construction, Easy software to use and great E-ink pages!! The page turning really doesn't bother me as it changes quite quickly! ...

Read more

Summary: This product was a great surprise!! High quality construction, Easy software to use and great E-ink pages!! The page turning really doesn't bother me as it changes quite quickly! The background is quite white and printing really sticks out nicely!!
Would have given it a 10 if Sony offered more Ebooks on it's website. But check out Feedbooks.com. They offer some great free ebooks in .pdf for the Sony Reader that have a nice size print!! ALL IN ALL A++ SONY!!!

Show less
9 stars

I loved it!

by Sofita226 on May 29, 2008

Pros: Looks like real paper

Cons: The menus access can be improved

Summary: The device is great, plus I can load other formats using a free program named "calibre" that converts my texts to the reader format.
I own a Sony reader and
...

Read more

Summary: The device is great, plus I can load other formats using a free program named "calibre" that converts my texts to the reader format.
I own a Sony reader and I am happy with its performance. The access to the menus could improve, you have to do all the way back to access the player, for instance.

Show less
9 stars

Read longer with less eye strain

by JOxier on February 26, 2008

Pros: Comfortable, stores over 100 books with just the memory stick that comes with; option to upgrade memory, good price and selection on downloaded books

Cons: I'd like to see one size bigger on the enlarged print. Most people would find the big size more than sufficient, but for the weak-sighted, one more step would be nice.

Summary: For $300, I got 100 books. All further books will be at a good price. Sure, $300 is nothing to sneeze at, but for what you're getting, it's ...

Read more

Summary: For $300, I got 100 books. All further books will be at a good price. Sure, $300 is nothing to sneeze at, but for what you're getting, it's a great deal. I love carrying a small library with me. Somehow, I'm able to read longer and focus better with this gadget. I think it's because I like to read curled on my side, which is easier when I'm not fighting Book Bump. (the curve of the page near the binding) The screen is easy on my weak eyes as well. The screen is easy on my weak eyes as well. All in all, this was a great anniversary present.

Show less