Sony eReader Touch Edition PRS-600 Review
As an avid reader of ebooks on my Android based phone (I'd been using FBReader - which I highly recommend), I'd often considered buying an e-ink based reader. However the lack of standards, and the cost of the devices had stopped me from taking the plunge. Then my boss came to talk to me about a client who was considering providing e-readers to staff for reading large documents, and he suggested that we get a company one for me to play with and give him an overview... It would need to be touch sensitive as the client wanted to be able to annotate documents by hand, and support PDF and EPub files. After a bit of research it appeared the the Sony Reader Touch Edition would fit the bill, although it didn't have any wireless networking built in which would have made it perfect.
So a couple of weeks ago I took delivery of a Sony PRS-600 ereader with a 6" touch sensitive, e-ink screen. First impressions were good - the size of the device is perfect for holding comfortably in your hand (though I think for reading lots of A4/Letter sized business documents you would probably want a larger screen), the case is metallic with a soft feel back and the weight is enough to make it feel like a premium device, without being too heavy for prolonged reading. It was my first experience of an e-ink based device and I was immediately blown away by the amazing contrast and clarity of the screen. In good lighting conditions the screen looks just like ink on paper, under a piece of glass - perfect for doing serious reading! Battery life is also staggeringly good - I'm so used to smartphones/laptops having to be recharged daily, that having a battery that lasts over a week (this was only reading and not playing MP3s, which I'm sure would eat up the battery) was a pleasant surprise!
On the negative side of things, I quickly realised that the screen was best viewed in daylight (or good indirect light) and not under the glare of direct overhead lights or low light conditions. The touch functionality was useful, but after using the capacitive screen on my HTC Magic it was a bit hard to get used to pressing the resistive screen rather than just touching it. I also found that while making annotations with the stylus was useful, there was a lag between drawing/writing on the screen and it actually getting displayed - it wasn't unusable, just a bit awkward. There is also a slight lag with every page turn - but not enough to annoy, or detract from the flow of a book.
Another negative is the lack of wireless connectivity. Not so much for the the ability to upload files, but to allow access to full RSS web feeds and on-line content. Wireless would make it a much more useful and interesting device, especially if I could also synchronise my book reading across multiple devices (e.g. on my phone) like the Kindle does with its iPhone app.
I tested the MP3 functionality briefly, it works as a very basic MP3 player and you wouldn't want to use it as a primary music device. The dictionary function is also useful, double tapping on a word brings up the definition.
So would I recommend buying an e-ink based reader? If you're an avid reader then yes. They are a brilliant way to consume books, are easy on the eye, and incredibly convenient. Would I recommend the PRS-600? If you need touch annotation then you don't have much choice at the moment. While the PRS-600 is a wonderful machine (and has given me hours of reading pleasure), I can't help feeling that if it had wireless functionality it would have been a lot more useful. With all the new Android based e-readers promising even greater functionality on the horizon, I think I'd recommend waiting a while longer before buying one!
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