Sony Reader Pocket Edition Digital Book PRS300S Colour SILVER

Shop about for both price (can vary considerably) and information/advice. I have found electrical shops sell on technology and book shops sell on the notion of digital books but neither appreciate that the eReader is a blend of two mindsets. I bought the Pocket eReader for reading work and coursework documents so I wanted it to be able to read Word and pdfs with ease. Information given in shops, including Sony, can be misleading. I chose the Pocket as I didn't need a hard drive bigger than 512MB (I have loaded a pile of documents on and I haven't reached 30MB yet), also I preferred the screen on the pocket for size (it feels more like a paperback book size) and screen quality. The Touch eReader has an additional surface layer and I felt the screen wasn't as clear as the Pocket. Also the Touch is less touch and more push as it's not heat sensitive like the iPhone so to turn a page you push and drag. The Pocket was also £100 cheaper half of which I then used up on the Sony cover with backlight as this seemed a good idea and works very well. The software is easy to use and in 3 computers (2 Vista and 1 XP) the software self installed and I was able to immediately drag and drop all the files I wanted and it synched seamlessly. For pdf Sony say that increasing the type size can lead to loss of some scripts such as superscript. I haven't found this at all. The Touch has an additional 2 sizes up to include XL and XXL so if you have significant visual problems then this may be a good reason to go for the more expensive version. My eyesight is not as good as it once was but I have found the medium type size to be absolutely fine. Sony don't provide a charger and don't approve of charging other than via the USB cable (Blackberry mini USB) or the accesory. I tried using a Sony camera connection and it works fine and so does a USB wall charger so when travelling I shall use the same USB charger for the eReader, iPod and camera. I went on to Waterstones and bought 2 books and both downloaded with ease. However I would say the concept of an eReader has some way to go and while this is a delightful and simple piece of kit I woudl suggest eReaders will be updated over the next few years and improved upon. The button layout is a bit odd, though easily understood, and I would guess the future will be for the gadget to be able to connect directly to the web and download wherever you are which would make more sense. However I have found the Pocket eReader a delightful and simple piece of kit. The Touch wil play MP3s while the Pocket doesn't appear to have that facility.

Jan 2010: All working fine until I got a message from Sony telling me to upgrade the reader software and the connection between laptop and Sony hasn't worked since. Frequent calls to Sony and all have told me I shouldn't have upgraded as requested and despite uninstalling and reinstalling it just won't work. A Google search will tell you this is a common issue right now. There is a quick get around and that is uninstall the Sony Reader software and install Adobe Digital Editions. It works the same apart from it actually does work!
Jan 2010: Sony have appeared to solve the problem and the software now works fine though Adobe Digital Editions works fine. Moral of the story is - don't trust Sony to get upgrades right first time so when Sony sends a message to upgrade ignore it if your eReader is working fine. Overall it remains a great bit of kit and is being used all the time synching with 3 different computers without a problem

Sept 2010: Still working perfectly well, feels like a book and have never had an issue reading any kind of file I drop on to it. One issue I have noticed that the reader prefers not to be charged from a wall plug in USB but prefers to power from a laptop. But since the power drainage is minimal all I need to do is charge up before I go away. Haven't needed recharging even if away for 2 weeks. Yes the iPad receives more comments and it can download a book or file on the move it also requires a pile more gadgetry and connection costs. Instead this sits in my pocket and functions like a book and doesn't try to make a statement. Once when travelling I wished to add a large pdf file I got it emailed to a colleague and then synched it by cable and added some charge at the same time

I was arguing long and hard with friends, family and myself about the merits of an ereader, eventually realising that the only way to make my mind up about this controversial and ultra-modern gadget would be to buy one and use it. My background - I'm not a voracious reader; I mainly read classic novels for pleasure and will buy four to five hard copy books each month.

The physical form of the PRS-300 is quite pleasing. The screen on this device is unbelievable; possibly its best feature. I've spent the last few months reading online newspapers on my Blackberry during the commute or lunch break and tend to manage fine with that, but this screen really is like reading off paper. Turning the page - nay, pressing any functional button on this device - does have a mildly slow response time, unlike with physical books. I'd seen this on display models in shops and it is sadly the same on my device, but we're talking 0.8-1.5 seconds or so, which isn't too bad. If you compare this with interfaces on other digital media devices like ipods or mobile phones (I can't comment how it fares alongside other ereaders), it is on the slow side, but in truth I haven't found this level of responsiveness to hinder the main function or performance at all.

Buttons and navigation: the menu system and user interface is well designed and intuitive. The number keys on the side aren't what you'd necessarily expect on an ereader, but it does allow for quick navigation. In fact, comparing it with the scroll wheel on my ipod, I actually prefer this as you don't have to rotate anything haphazardly to get to the right menu option. As the numbers are so useful, I hardly use the directional buttons apart from when turning pages. In terms of build and feel, the buttons are great - no stickiness, logically positioned and not too many to get in the way. The device is ridiculously light, especially when compared with physical books. In fact, what prompted me to buy this was purchasing Tolstoy's War and Peace a few days early and realising that taking this on the train, into work or travelling took up a disproportionate amount of space. The PRS-300 is smaller and lighter than most regular paperbacks, even when placed in its cover (which I also bought separately).

One slight annoyance is something which I was expecting - merely the ability to flick through, or even jump to a certain page. You can type in sepcific page numbers using the side number keys, but this doesn't always do the job. Obviously, many decent ebook files will have a contents page which allows you to jump to a particular chapter, but certain documents can require a trial and error navigation approach. For example, I have a 700-page document PDF file which is broken ito 1200 'sections'. If I wanted to get to section 530, I'd probably go to page 300 and see how far off I was, then repeat a few times until hitting the exact section. That said, the very ability of this device to read PDFs is so priceless that this isn't too significant a problem. Besdies, you can bookmark pages (either on your computer or on the ereader itself) to make navigation easier.

In fact, it is the ability to read PDF files which sets this reader apart and makes it very useful. Whilst I enjoy reading fiction, being able to browse documents for work/college while commuting in the morning is just as brilliant as being able to pick from dozens of novels to unwind on the way home. Or rather than staying late in an office, it's possible to stick the document on here and head home before rush hour. On that note, it's worth mentioning the computer software and how the reader connects with the PC. At first, I did have problems - it froze whenever I tried to disconnect the device. But after downloading the latest version of 'eBook Library' off Sony's website (the PC software, equivalent of iTunes, for this device), the problem was fixed. Annoyingly, I haven't yet worked out how to change title/author information. This means that Zola's Germinal, translated by Roger Pearson, comes up as 'Germinal' by 'Pearson' on my device and in the library. I cannot imagine ever seeing a bookspine in a shop omitting the name of Zola!

All in all, the device performs so well and is revolutionary - primarily in the fact that it can store a wide amount and variety of texts. Also, I'm fairly certain I've been reading more since I bought it. And whilst this price-tag isn't exactly budget or friendly, it's certainly decent value for money, given the quality and functionality it offers. One minor complain that buying extras such as the flip cover (though the reader does come with a nylon/foam sleeve included) and AC charger bumps the price up, but it is the same with other gadgets such as the ipod.

UPDATE MAY 2011: I though I should update this as the device has been sat on my bedside table switched off for the last six months! I still think it is a revolutionary device, but after the novelty wears off, waiting for pages/books to load up (which in some cases can slow the machine up and take nearer a minute on a bad day can get frustrating (especially if you are used to PCs and other digital handheld media operating instantly, or, dare I say it, physical books opening and having pages that turn instantly). As such, I've dropped the rating by a star. I also missed (i) browsing bookshops and (ii) having books with creased spines sitting on the shelf as a marker of the achievement of having read them.

I was very kindly bought the PRS-300 for Christmas by a number of family members who clubbed together to purchase it for me. The build quality of the hardware is excellent, and after reading a number of reviews it seems that this is the best model of the current generation, as the more expensive touch-screen models suffer from an inferior display, due to the touch-screen membrane laid over the screen.

Having read quite a number of reviews of these products, I didn't even bother trying to install the Sony software that shipped with the device, and instead downloaded 'Calibre' Ebook Management software, which is free software that supports the Sony Readers. This software worked perfectly with the Sony Reader and there are versions for Windows, Linux and Mac, so pretty much everybody should be catered for.

I've read 3 books on the device so far, and the battery is still at 3/4 charge, so I'd have no concerns over taking it away for a week without a charger.

The only criticism I can level at the device is that it isn't a real book and doesn't have the feel of a book. It would be churlish to mark it down for that, this device has given me the ability to slip a small library into my jacket pocket and carry it around with me.

It's a marvel.