SONY PRS 600 E-READER TOUCH EDITION
Whats In The Box?
well for your £240 you get your PRS 600, a unit to USB lead, and a neoprene soft case.... and some warranty papers.
The PRS 600 is about the same size as a paperback novel, and weighs about the same thanks to its swanky alloy casing. As its a touchscreen model the case is delightfully clutter free, with some ports and card slots on the edge, and a line of simple command buttons across the bottom of the screen. Simple, uncluttered, classic. The stylus also slots nicely in and feels like a small biro.
Comes in black or brushed steel finishes, althoughthe bloke in the shop said they are bringing out a nice pink one for the lasses.
Soon as you plug it in the lovely little beast unloads some software onto your PC, starts charging itself up, and off you go.
Whats It Do Then?
Charge time is about an hour from empty to full. Charges off your PC or laptop via the USB lead. Optional accessory is a plug in univeral charger, although at this point I dont see the need for one. It says it does 7500 page turns per charge.... Ive had mine for a month and have charged it once (when I first plugged it in) and have been using it every day.
I did the research and Sony have made their model compatible with just about every single common document format, so virtually all formats can be read via the screen....better than its competitors. Its a clever little beast and can auto convert some formats like word documents to RTF and store them in that format.
The screen is a clever bit of E Ink technology, so as it changes pages there is a slight delay - and I mean slight. It isnt annoying, and takes about the same time as flipping a page. This adds to the e-book type feel rather than a PC.
The screen itself is not backlit, so if you are in the dark you still need a light to read by. Its also very very shiny, so in some angles you get glare or reflection. This is easily sorted by just adjusting the angle you have the book inclined at, or can be sorted with an after market screen matte film cover like y stick on an IPhone.
The controls are basic and very very intuitive. Its as simple as a box of spanners and works a treat. Even my 66 year old dad found it easy to get used to in 5 minutes.
You can adjust the font size, which is good as some formats of document mean the screen font is tiny as hell. One quick puch of a control and you can adjust the font to suit...it goes up to silly size (abt 72 point). You can also adjust the screen orientation between vertical and horizontal, and the display in horizontal format allows for dual page displays.
The unit carries a good version of the Oxford English for us Brits, and a US dictionary where all the words are spelt wrong for our transatlantic cousins.Lookup is fast and effective.
It also allows you to make notes on a book with the stylus or your finger at a pinch.
The unit itself can be usd as an impromptu notepad, so can be used to make notes at meetings or even do your shopping list on.
It does store image files, but as the screen in only 16 part greyscale displays this seems a bit redundant to me, unless you like and store black and white photos.
Can also store and play audio files, which means you can store your music and audio-books, and listen on the move or while reading. Add a bt of atmospheric music to your read, or just rock out with your ebook having lobbed the sodding annoyingly crap Ipod in the bin like me.
Books can be downloaded from official stores including Sony'sown, or do like me and just rip them down from a site like Burgomeister or Ebook30.
The screen is easy to read and easy on the eyes....it actually does look the same sort of buff colour as a paperback novel. Bookmarking is automatic so you never lose your place, and linked books like the discworld novels can easily be arranged into individual collections. It makes reading and indexing your books easy as pie and a pleasant experience.
Can It be Customised?
Well theres a scad of fancy leather and art finish covers out and about, as well as reading lights, chargers etc. A quick look on Ebay should give you an idea.
You can also expand the memory massively. It comes with 512mb onboard memory, but I recc you go out and get a 16 gig memory card and slot it in, allowing you to carry about 4000 books and loads of music around. Never a dull day again.
Headphones are also a good idea as this means you can use the music functions.
The Good Bits
Clean and simple and looks way way cool, works a treat and is as simple as pie, and does what it says on the tin in a stylish and effective way. Means I can carry a town library and diner jukebox in my pocket.Also now have a notepad for making notes at all times. Walks the walk, talks the talk, and tapdances a merry jig across its competitors like the Kindle who have gone all cluttered and gadgety.
The Bad Bits
Online user manual is as useful as a chocolate fireguard, and the Reader software isnt exactly the most intuitive or user friendly, unless you are used to synch style software.You also cant rename files once they are on the unit memory which is a bit dumb. The shiny screen issue is a minor pain, as is the lack of a backlit screen.
Minor gripes.... very minor.
Would I Recommend It?
Definitely. Its possibly the best gadgety tool Ive bought since a laptop. Feels nice, works a treat. I like simple, and this is as simple and easy to use as it gets. Does what it says well, and doesnt try to be a phone or video player or anything else. For the price of a small stack of new paperbacks here you have the chance to own and read a small library.
There is a new colour version coming out soon called the DAILY edition for newspaper readers etc, so if you want colour displays then wait a while.
www.sony.co.uk/product/rd-reader-ebook/prs-600
