Sony Reader Pocket Edition Digital Book PRS300S Colour SILVER

I bought a Sony PRS-300 to research the feasibility of using it for holding technical documentation for service engineers 'in the field'. A couple of things become apparent immediately; whilst the e-paper screen itself is very readable, it is too small and the Reader is very slow. Most .pdf manuals are rendered with a minute size of typeface, and are therefore unreadable. The 'zoom' function often does not work, and when it does it is slow - so slow that I often gave up trying. So for using it to read technical documentation it is a fail. However, text only material I created (as A5 .pdf files with 12pt text) worked well, so it was usable for simple text lists and tables. Using it for its intended purpose (as an eBook reader) was much more successful; the free eBooks downloaded from the Sony Reader site were perfect. Others in various (.lit .lrf) formats were from excellent to average, again mostly due to font/page size issues. Verdict? As a reader of eBooks formatted specifically for the PRS-300 it is excellent. As a reader of other eBook formats it is excellent to OK depending on page and font sizes. As a general purpose .pdf document reader it is mostly unusable due to font/page size problems. For my intended use it's no good, but my girlfriend loves it for reading novels on long airplane flights. I also highly recommend Calibre, the eBook management software available FREE from the interweb. This is far better Sony's rather flaky offering.

ok firstly i bought this product on the 22nd jan and only writing this review now, as i have finished my 8th novel. That is how engrossed i have been, using this new e reader. i couldnt believe how fast delivery was, i had it the next morning! Easy to install, and no glitches, as i have read on some reviews, however i think this is down to computer versions/ software etc. the E Reader itself, is amazing, the pages are just like the pages you get in books, same quality. and page tunring is very simple, and again in my opinion, the page turn delay, (which i dont really notice) is negligable. battery life is very very good, as i have said i finished my first novel, over 3000 pages and afterwards it then needed charging, which i found amazing. all in all i would say i made the correct choice in choosing this model over the touch screen one. one slight negative i would say is that i only used amazon as my friends bought an evoucher for my birthday to buy this. If you shop around you can pick this up for a slightly cheaper price, but having said that, the speed and service, and reviews on amazon did make this the better choice. 10/10 product, very happy with it, and got a long holiday to Dubai soon, and this will be in my pocket for the long flights and lazy days....a great companion. Ian S.

I wasn't sure about the concept of reading from a screen, after all, if you like reading you get used to the feel of a book. The smell of the print, the whole experience of a well worn favourite. You don't have to stop reading books. The convenience of this reader is great and it will certainly a great addition to the holiday luggage. The screen is easy to read even in sunlight and the convenience of storing up to 350 books on a hand held device is brilliant. I'm getting through more books than I used to. I didn't choose the touch screen version because I can't stand finger marks all over the screen that I get with other devices. The latest readers that promise colour screens and the ability to play MP3's would just be a distraction. I've got my Ipod Touch for that. I'm very pleased with this device and I'm glad I bought it.

I got this and I have not put it down since! I enjoy reading, I always have, but the sleek and slender Sony book reader fits easily into my hands. It also weighs considerably less than a real book, so you no longer get that sore wrist that comes along with reading a book for a long time. For those who are concerned, reading from a book reader like this is nothing like reading from a computer screen. The absence of a back light means that your eyes are not straining to look at the words. I have no issues working on a computer all day then coming back and reading on my book reader.

The Sony ereader is certainly easier to use than a Kindle and performs quite satisfactorily. I suspect this technology is in its infancy and future ereaders will be a great deal easier to load and offer more facilities. The full price Sony is expensive but fortunately there are lots available for less.

I have both the PRS-600 and now this smaller version. I have found that the non touch screen is noticably clearer and has better contrast than its bigger more expensive 'sister'. A great little gadget. The touch screen version is slightly less fiddly to use but I have no problems with this once I got used to pressing the buttons! And now that there are new versions out this little gadget also reflects great value for money if you are taking your first plunge into ereaders. No issues with obtaining books, not tied to a specific vendor many formats supported.

Best item I've bought in ages! Used mainly when on holiday so I don't have to pack lots of books, it's lightweight, easy to use and easy to carry in hand luggage. Screen protectors and case also bought on Amazon are great accessories for this item.

I think I may have finally mastered to download a book bought through Sony as well as borrowing a library e-book from our local library. Not sure about the page as it reloads to the next page, but I've been assured by the optician it should not hurt my eyes. I am definitely a bad workwoman who blames her tools!

Dies ist mein erster Reader und ich wollte bewusst auf jede technische Spielerei verzichten. Also nur lesen... Und das macht mir richtig Spass! Das Gerät liegt mir beim Lesen handlich in der Hand; das Blättern ist ok (wobei seitliche Buttons angenehmer wären). Einziges Manko: Entgegen der beiliegenden Infoblätter war KEINE CD anbei. Die Installation der Software also nicht möglich. Erst nach Rücksprache mit Sony Support und viel Ärger war zu erfahren, dass die Software auf dem Reader jetzt vorinstalliert ist und von dort installiert werden muss. Dadurch ein sehr ärgerlicher Erst-Start mit einem Reader. Die Calibri Software ist übrigens 1000mal besser als die von Sony. Die ist extrem mager und nicht sehr logisch auf- gebaut. Verarbeitung übrigens tadellos. Das Gehäuse ist super und Geschindigkeit beim Blättern usw. absolut ok. Fazit: Sehr empfehlenswert, wenn man "nur" lesen will.

Alles Okay