Friday, May 9, 2008

Review: Sony Digital Reader PRS-505

I'm an avid book reader. I love books and take them with me to work so I'll always have something to keep me occupied while sitting in airport terminals, during my breaks on the plane, and to keep me company on layovers. The only problem is that I have to be selective on which book to bring since they make my rollerboard pretty heavy. Because of this, there were more than one occasion when I had wished I brought a different one with me.

Well, no more. The Sony Reader Digital Book PRS-505 is the answer to my prayers.

One of the most attractive features is it's size. At less than half an inch thick, it's thinner than most paperbacks, and the 9 ounce Reader easily fits into my bag without weighing me down. The large rectangular 6-inch LCD makes it easy to read the pages and it feels comfortable in my hands even during longer periods of time.

In order to download books, you must install and sign-up with the Sony Connect CD-ROM software included with your purchase. It was really easy to set-up and I was able to figure out how to use the program in a matter of minutes. It was pretty cool to be able to get my book instantly and it saved me a trip down to the bookstore. Keep in mind that it is not Mac compatible.

The size and font of words are easy to read and adjustable to accommodate your preference. The pages were viewable even at angles, dim or bright lights, and can also be changed from portrait to landscape mode.

However, like with anything else, there are a couple of downsides that I noticed. First, when I tried to view some downloaded family photos, they seem pixelated at first and took a few moments to sharpen. Also, the photos are displayed only in black & white which made it difficult to see some of the details.

Another downside is the lag time when pressing the menu buttons or turning pages. It's not a big deal but I guess I've gotten used to immediate responses with other electronic gadgets.

All in all, I really like the Sony Digital Reader Book and plan on making good use it. I can now bring tons of books, stored on memory cards, along for the ride. I don't think it will replace books all together but it does offer another option to consumers.

The Sony Digital Reader Book sells for $299.00.

5 comments:

Desert Songbird said...

Thanks for the review on this. I've always wondered about thing like this. I think books are a tactile experience, and I'll never give up the actual book, but these gadgets help enhance our reading experience.

Anonymous said...

Also you might want to check out the amazon kindle. Its the same price as well and also recently came out.

Renee Nefe said...

You situation is one where I think this device would be very good...or perhaps a business traveler too... someone on the go who likes to read a lot.

I'm glad to hear that it works well for you. Perhaps as technology gets better the lag time will disappear. good luck!

Superdumb Supervillain said...

very cool!

Kristin said...

That is really neat! Perfect!