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149 of 149 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly good, 17 Feb 2010
This review is from: Sony eBook Reader Touch Edition (Black) PRS-600 (Electronics)
I took some convincing to get one of these things. I love books - the feel, the look, the sheer tactile pleasure of a new and unopened volume, the smell of the ink and paper, the physicality of knowing how far through the piece you are, seeing them lined up in no particular order on the bookshelves. So reading on a slick piece of Japanese technology didn't seem a great idea, even if the theory of it - potentially hundreds of books all tucked into something the size of a pamphlet - had its attractions.
But I borrowed one of these machines from a friend for the weekend, and had a go at "Great Expectations". A day and half and a third of the book later, I realised that I had discovered no great problems, had found the physical experience entirely comfortable, had enjoyed the convenience and simplicity, and really concluded that my only complaint was, well - it wasn't a book.
So I bought one.
I've downloaded a whole heap of free classic literature, all of which so far seems nicely formatted and eminently readable, and I reckon after 20-30 of those I will have written off the cost.
So what about the screen and the interface? I was very dubious about the touch screen, being concerned about the shininess (an oft aired complaint), grubby finger marks, low light performance, clarity etc. In practice, the screen is a little reflective, but in general a slight adjustment of angle - easy, because the machine is light and easily handleable - resolves the issue. It isn't a bright screen, not being backlit, and that is actually a key to it being a comfortable paper replacement. So no, you can't read with the lights out. But I can't read a book with the lights out either. I've been reading in bed entirely comfortably with a well shaded and not terribly bright lamp. If it was backlit I believe it would be unuseable, and I fully expect Apple's iPad to be an e-book disaster because of that.
Interface wise, it is a little sluggish on occasions - needing a deliberate touch or the stylus - but is simple and clear. Page turning is simple with button or gesture, and the refresh speed is very good. I read quite quickly, so I do turn pages rapidly - I would like a slightly larger reading area, even at the smallest font size - but I've had no "lag" issues or frustration. It's just like turning a paper page.
Battery life seems fine and being able to use it as a simple MP3 player will be very handy.
One of the top scoring features is the integrated dictionary: this is simply wonderful. It's a pretty good Oxford dictionary as well, coping remarkably well with Dickens, and I absolutely love the feature. You could only improve on it by loading up the Shorter Oxford really.
Overall, I'm very surprised by the quality and practicality of the PRS600. What seem like compromises are actually often typically good Sony design features, and I see myself reading a lot of classic literature this way. How much I buy is another matter, and the joy of a bookshop browse and a few unplanned purchases made of real paper and ink will never be replaced. As an adjunct to "normal" reading and as a great way to save some space and read some great works for no extra cost - it's very good indeed.
I would suggest that you should try before you buy, because it won't work for everyone, but you might be pleasantly surprised.
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Supplement from extended use:
- the MP3 facility is not very good
- buying ebooks from Waterstones is clunky and irritating, particularly because there is DRM in place, but also because the prices are criminally high. It's frquently cheaper to buy the hardback version of a book rather than download the e-version. Blatant profiteering, which personally I won't be falling for. They could easily kill the market for the devices. And DRM ... has nobody taken note of what has happened in the music market? Books have always passed from hand to hand, so exactly what are they afraid of here?
Otherwise, all of my other points re the functionality of the machine still stand. Very enjoyable.
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76 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sony?? Kindle??..err m Sony., 16 Jan 2010
This review is from: Sony eBook Reader Touch Edition (Black) PRS-600 (Electronics)
I've gone with the Sony instead of the Kindle and I'll explain in the second half of the review the reasons why.
But I'll start with my impressions of the Sony.
The first thing you notice is how soild it feels,its smaller than I imagined but in a good way.
The unit feels comfortable..just like a book really which goes along way to explaining the design choices Sony
have gone with.
The layout of the controls are logical.I was able to start using it without reading the instructions from the word go.
Its said to be touch sensitive..its not ..it TAP sensitive.
I like the fact they have a dictionary built in..TAP a word in the text and it comes up with the Dictionary definition.
Something I find myself using when reading older works of victorian fiction.You can also make notes and with
the styleless that locks into the side of the pad,secure and out of the way.
The screen can show a little glare on it..but I find it small,a tilt of the hand and its gone.
Now I don't even notice it.Once you start using it to read its nice and easy on the eyes.
The machine has Expansion to spare(2 card slots).
I have a 8 Gig SD card clicked in and half a dozen Audio books on them.The Sony can play MP3's.
Not a big feature but I like a little classical music and sometimes on the train I don't feel like reading.
I just lay back close my eyes and play a audio book.Its not a dealbreaker function,but its there if you
want it.
Downsides I found ?
Software could be better,it works and it is OK but it could have more functions.
You can go RIGHT round it and get the files on and off the Sony by drop and click.The computer treats the Sony and its
SD and Sony Card slots as Mass Storage Drives.Nice to know if you get software problems.Your not slave to a peice of software and can stil get your "read on".I moved books on and off the sony without using any software.
I know others that are using Freeware 3rd Party software that they like better.The Sony a open Book so to speak when
connected to a PC so you really are in control.
Not the case with the Kindle..its a closed loop.
I thought hard about the Kindle,I like the way you could buy books over a wireless or cell phone network anywhere you are.
But the Alam bells started to ring when I say that it had no way for YOU to back up your own books.
No copying them to a SD card..hell NO SD CARD or PC link backup.
It turns out that Amazon can yank your license to read a book if they desire. And of course it is true that if Amazon folds, or gets bored with the Kindle idea, that all the books I "purchased" will disappear.Now I'm not saying
thats going to happen.
But the fact of the matter is clear,while Amazon (and music vendors) portray the transaction as a "purchase", it is really a "lease".
It may be the control Freak In me but my books are MY books when I pay for them..not YOURS lol.
I just like to own the books I have,and be able to make hard copys of them(Burn My collection to a DVD) or put them onto a SD card.With Kindle you are leasing FROM THEM ONLY.And your choice of Vendor is...THEM.
With the Sony your a free agent.You buy from who ever you like in the market.
So were that leave me?
So summing up,after 3 weeks I go EVERWERE with it.I carry 45+ book and my comic collection,even some music(the last bit surprizing me).Sony have updated their software and its got slight'ly better and I have to say I'm happy with my choice.
Good Buy..Nice one Sony.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not for Apple snob idiots, 3 Mar 2010
This review is from: Sony eBook Reader Touch Edition (Black) PRS-600 (Electronics)
This product has been very useful to me for two reasons. Firstly, I study law in the UK, which is a common law system that is based mainly on case law. I have to read lots of cases, and I have to read lots of articles commenting on the cases. Secondly, I read a lot anyway. Whether it be fiction or non-fiction, blogs, or anything I can find in PDF, doc, Rtf, or txt format electronically, I will read. Having these two factors in mind, this device has been a godsend. Printing articles for seminar is now a thing of the past. Storing lots of articles and case reports is also a thing of the past.
This device is smaller in footprint than an A3 piece of paper. It can be carried in a blazer pocket and inside pocket of most jackets, as well as easily in any briefcase. Yes, the screen is slightly glossy which creates problems of glare where you have a ceiling light directly above you, but overall with minor adjustments of finding the right angle I find I can read it anywhere. This for me includes in the library, on the train, on the bus, in the street, in waiting rooms. Juggling study and work at the same time and having a job which involves a lot of waiting (court interpreter), this product is ideal for keeping the mind engaged as fully and as often as possible.
The paper and toner saved in printing documents means my Touch will pay for itself in about 6-8 months. Plus the convenience of pressing a button instead of turning a page helps too.
That's my opinion of the thing in itself, the e-book reader. I suppose I would probably feel the same about any e-book reader I would have bought, in terms of basic utility. Now to look at the specifics of the PRS-600.
The device has a quality feel, encased in brushed steel which is reminiscent of the better-quality old Sony Walkmans. All the buttons are nice and clicky and don't feel cheap. The menus are clear and concise.
I use it for reading .doc and .pdf files. I find that for some reason .doc files have to be encoded as .rtf in Word. .doc files coded in Word and files coded in OpenOffice seem to be problematic. When reading text documents or PDF files that are not very rigidly encrypted, you can change the font size from about size 8 to about size 40 with 5 different settings. Some PDF files are more awkward because they will not reformat so as to be readable and instead will compel you to zoom in, which is unwieldy but which I get around by switching from portrait to landscape and reading top half then bottom half.
The page turn is quick and I have no problem reading for hours on end on this. It's all touch screen, this can be done with fingers or with the sleek metal stylus included. There is a feature to take text notes or do scribbles. I probably won't use text notes as I use the blackberry for this and the drawing tool is more ornamental than anything else. You can also highlight in the actual document. This works fairly well and can be useful, although you have to be careful with the stylus so you don't highlight from the wrong point.
The sorting systems on the device and the library program for your desktop are not very well designed. There is no option on the device to sort files any other way than alphabetically. You can create 'collections' but only on the desktop program and not through the device. The titling of each book is quite awkward... the program searches for the topmost 'title' or 'heading' formatted piece of text in the file and uses that as the filename in the list on the device, which is a problem because some pdfs might have some incoherent piece of information which does not tell you anything about the file. The desktop program is like an imitation of iTunes. Not great, and I generally drag and drop items straight onto the SD card.
Having an SD card slot is reassuring considering how reticent Sony have been in the past about allowing standard formats to 'talk' to their products.
One irritating aspect of the way this product charges is that you have to have it plugged to a PC via USB and the pc has to be on. With iPods you can charge even if the PC is off. You also can't use the ebook reader while it's being charged.
These are all the features of the reader that I use. I can't tell you about audio or pictures features. PErsonally I've been waiting for this technology for ages so I can being so dependent on paper and toner and so I don't have to get tired from reading a monitor. Some of the peculiarly awkward bits of design, such as the file menu and the having to charge on a powered up computer probably point to a rushed product that had to be brought to market on quite a tight time schedule, considering how many other major manufacturers have their own e-book reader, out or are planning to enter the arena with one.
Add these two downsides to the fact that you can't add your own foreign language dictionary (would have been very useful for me as someone who deals with languages) however and you still have a very useful and good quality sturdy product which as far as I can see will stand the rigours of daily use for a long time yet, as well as saving a lot of money on printing if you read lots of articles, reviews, reports, readily available e-books.
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