Sony PRS-505 LC Blue Digital Book Reader
The Reader Digital Book holds about 160 eBooks or hundreds more with optional removable memory cards. Its portable size makes it the perfect travel companion, allowing you to read a variety of books whenever and wherever you want. With thousands of eBook titles available from the CONNECT eBooks Store, you can choose to download new releases, classics and popular book titles as well as view other document formats such as Adobe PDF10, RTF, TXT, BBeB and Microsoft Word. Its long battery life lasts up to 7,500 continuous page turns, and the amazing paper-like screen technology is easy on the eyes.
Sony PRS-505 LC Blue Digital Book Reader Features
- Integrated eBookstore with 20K titles
- Compact and lightweight
- Premium design - Simple, yet sophisticated with easier navigation
- Easy to read display - e-paper display with quicker page turns
My wife is an avid reader, and initially I did not pay attention to any of these devices because of all the different formats that are out there.
While the Kindle seems like a fantastic device, my concerns are about being forced to buy only content from Amazon (even though I do love shopping on Amazon).
I looked into the new generation Sony readers. Many seem to like the touch screen features, but looking at the device in person, the screen does have a glare that seems troublesome, a negative effect of having a touch screen. And while Sony offers a non-touch screen pocket edition, I don't like the smaller screen, and it has no expansion slots.
Looking at the older reviews of the Sony PRS 505, it seems people love this device, and now I know why. It has the larger screen of the current Sony Touch. It accepts SD memory and Sony Duo memory. The screen is just as nice as the smaller Sony pocket edition, but larger.
After using the device for a few days I love the portability. I can easily get lost into the book, just as if it were real print, which is the real test. I have no eye fatique looking at the digital e-ink.
And can I say open format? I discovered I can "check out" digital books for free from my local library website. I can't confirm for sure, but I believe the Kindle is not able to do this. This reader is capable of reading a variety of formats and allows me flexibility on where I purchase.
I've downloaded dozens of free e-books. I even like the Sony store interface for purchasing e-books.
The worst thing I can say about this reader is if you want internet, or the convience of buying directly from the device, then this reader isn't for you. I have several computers at my disposal including a netbook, so that feature is of no concern to me.
These readers are commanding a premium price even used and it is for a good reason. I think if you give this reader a try you'll fall in love with it too.
-- Last generation reader may be better than the current ones
It's not just for e-books. With Sony's "eBook Library" or, my favorite software, Kovid Goyal's free (open source) "Calibre" on my computer, I've downloaded & converted thousands of free books (public domain), news feeds (rss), blogs, and html articles from hundreds of respected on-line sources.
I use to download material to my laptop. But I grew tired of the bulky, heat and nose producing, contraption on my desk/lap/bed/couch/in my bathroom. The e-reader is so natural to use, I've at times found myself turning it over looking for the next page.
The PRS-505 doesn't have wireless connection (like Kindle) but it doesn't need it! It also doesn't have the Kindle's unnecessary bulk and the 50+ keys/buttons to fumble with. Through your computer, it does everything the Kindle can do, but the 505 is a lot smaller (footprint, not screen) and easier to use.
I've used my PRS-505 (daily) for two years. It's function flawlessly and I've read more books & news articles then every before in my life. I've downloaded books, maps, dictionaries, and even graphic novels, and not once wished I had any of the added functionality advertised by the Kindle - or even the newest reader models (Touch, Pocket, or Daily). The PRS-505 is, in a word, perfect.
-- It's not just for e-books!
Just bought this a week ago - got a good deal on one on Craigslist. My favorite thing about this is I can download ebooks from my library for free and they work great on the reader. Nice to not have to spend a fortune on books. The Sony eBook website is good too. Nice selection, and the best sellers are offered at 9.99, which seems okay. I downloaded 3 library books, bought two from the Soney eBook site and had them on my reader in minutes. I'm on my computer every day, so it's really not a big deal for me to not have wireless downloads since I am using it for just reading books.
It's very sturdy, well made, and the controls seem very well thought out. The screen is wonderful - it's like reading a real book. I am very pleased with my purchase. -- Absolutely Fantastic
I'm a Vietnamese. I decided to buy this ebook right after saw it at the first time.
Because this device can't show Vietnamese correctly so I have to hack it's firmware. Everything is ok now.
My wife loves reading and I gave it to her as a present. And now she like it very much. -- Love this book very much
