For novices: Which Sony Reader to buy, if any?
Sony e-readers are the ones you’ll most likely see at your local discount store over the next few months. Which Sony would be best for you?
First off, think about other brands, too, not just Sony, even if they’re not sold locally. And consider the ability to read the ePub standard—including the Adobe-DRM-tainted variety, if you want to enjoy bestsellers in E. See TeleRead’s DRM primer.
If you’re still keen on a Sony Reader—which doesn’t come with all the gotcha of the Kindle, such as the risk of Orwellian book yanks—here are the options:
–The PRS-300 Pocket Edition. The screen measures just five inches, and there are other limitations such as only three adjustable fonts and limited storage (not an obstacle in many cases). But of the Sony models, the 300 is the least expensive at just under $200 without taxes or shipping. While it’s called the Pocket Edition, I wouldn’t risk carrying it in a pants pocket—the 300’s screen might crack. Maybe a roomy coat pocket, just so there is no danger of your new love slipping out?
–The PRS-505. A six-inch screen. Discounted to $260 or less. Older model, but still could be best for many even though it lacks all the frills of the 600. I own a 505 myself, although I do more of my reading on my iPod Touch because it has an LCD screen, from which I can easily read without messing with a book light. See a New Yorker article where Nicholson Baker favors LCD screens over the E Iink variety, which Sony and Amazon offer. The iPod also has the advantage of being useful for much more than e-books.
–The PRS-600. Another six-inch display, selling for around $300. The touch screen simplifies things, and you can annotate books. In the opinion of some, however, the contrast between text and background isn’t as good as the 300 or 505’s. See a MobileRead article, source of photos (PRS-300 screen on the left, PRS-600 display on the right), and also TeleRead contributor Chris Meadows’s series on his two-week trial of the 600’s predecessor, the touchscreen-equipped PRS-700. For plain reading without note-taking and all that, might a 505 be better?
–The PRS-2121 Daily Edition. Due in the next few months—in time for the holidays, let’s hope. Seven inch screen. Free 3G wireless, via AT&T, so you can download books directly from some stores, without worrying about a computer. Sixteen rather than eight gray scales—which means better reproduction of photographs.
Caveat: Those are merely my opinions, and I’ll welcome other people expanding on the above, or disagreeing so novices can benefit from different perspectives.
Detail: Amazon has promised to be less Orwellian and not remove already-bought books; and laudably it’s allowed people to reclaim copies of 1984 and Animal Farm. But I’d still be cautious.
September 11th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Go for the PRS-300. Small, portable and has a fantastic screen for reading. Better than the 505. Although, I’m still not ready to say the PRS-600. Still like that one.
September 11th, 2009 at 9:27 am
I have a Sony 505 as well and initially was excited at seeing the PRS 600 thinking “ooh upgrade”…except, it almost seems like a downgrade if anything.
The only thing about the PRS 505 is that yes you can annotate it but the interface is awful. They should really simplify that — I’d really like to be able to enter a mode where I can just highlight text at will and use the buttons to navigate instead of selecting the annotate option, then highlighting, then selecting annotate option to highlightagain ad nauseum
September 11th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Pretty difficult… I have tried them all, pretty extensively, with the exception of the Daily Edition. The 300 is too small for my taste. But it is faster then the 505, which in turn has a much better display than the 600. (The 600’s touch screen eats away some of the contrast and adds glossiness.) The 700 has lighting, which is practical for nightly reading, but the effect on the display contrast and sharpness is abysmal.
I dislike the page-turning buttons on the 505 (too small and stiff; not nice on my precious little programmer-fingers), and they are even worse on the 500. Also, the 500’s display is pre-Vizplex, so it does not offer the same contrast. It seems that my 500’s display is getting darker with age.
The touch UI of the 600 and 700 is pretty slick, but the page turning by swiping does not work very well for me.
In my experience, the ergonomics of the Kindle are better than the Sony’s. I like EPUB, because it is easier to decripple, but Amazon is likely to offer a greater range of interesting titles.
So… If it has to be a Sony, I would be pretty open to any of the following:
If you are ok with 5 inch, go for the 300. It is good value for money. If you can accept a slightly darker display, get the 600, which will also supply you with scribbling features. And if you want the best display and you can live with slower page-turning, get the 505.
September 11th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Of possible interest: At my local Sony Store I bought a display model 505 they were selling for %40 off. They weren’t being displayed anymore (only the new models were out on the floor), but when I asked if they had any 505s they let me know about it.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Personally, I’m in love with my new Sony Pocket Edition Reader (PRS-300). It’s small and portable, yet has really good display quality with much improved contrast between the text and background.
For me, features like wireless and note-taking are less important. While the Sony Touch (PRS-600) allows you to annotate the text and take notes. Also, I find the feature of playing music on a reading device to be useless and a waste of resources. If I want to listen to music, I’ll fire up my iPhone. Just my own opinion though.
David: Thanks for the links in the previous post. Like always, I really appreciate it.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Got a used PRS 505 on craigslist for 150.00. It does everything I would want it to do (which is reading ebooks). Just couldn’t justify spending double on a 600, but then, 150 is a great deal. I would love the additional levels of zoom that you get with the 600, otherwise it’s just about ideal.