Sony PRS-300BC Reader Pocket Edition Blue

by Sony

• Elegant, lightweight design with 5" display
• Paper-like display for easy, natural reading
• Three adjustable font sizes to enhance reading
• Quick page turns and high contrast ratio
• Carry up to 350 of your favorite books at a time

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.4 x 6.2 inches ; 7.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B002MWWMH8
• Item model number: PRS-300BC
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,032 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 26, 2009

Product Description

Take your favorite books to go with the Sony Reader Pocket Edition. Its elegant, lightweight design makes it perfect for on-the-go reading. Build your library today at the eBook Store from Sony, where you can access new releases or choose from over one million free public domain titles from Google Books, or you can visit public libraries to borrow eBooks.

Elegant, lightweight design with 5 display
The Reader Pocket Edition features a 5 display and an elegant, lightweight design thats easy to slip into a purse or jacket pocket for convenient, on-the-go reading.

Carry up to 350 of your favorite books at a time
Not sure which books to bring on your trip? With the Reader Pocket Edition, you will never have to make that choice again. 512MB of onboard memory6 lets you carry up to 350 of your favorite books at a time.

Open format provides access to books from various sources
Enjoy access to a wider number of books from a wider number of places. By supporting both industry standard formats, ePub and PDF, you can access content from a wide variety of online bookstores.

Paper-like display for easy, natural reading
The Reader Pocket Edition utilizes E Ink Vizplex screen technology to deliver an amazing, paper-like display thats more like ink on paper and fully readable in direct sunlight.

Intuitive eBook Library software for PC and Mac
Intuitive eBook Library software makes it easy to download eBooks, manage your collection, and transfer titles to your Reader Pocket Edition. eBook Library software works with both PC and Mac.

Two full weeks of reading on a single battery charge
Enjoy up to two full weeks of reading (7,500 continuous page turns) on a single battery charge.

Three adjustable font sizes to enhance reading
The Reader Pocket Edition offers you the ability to resize text. Choose from three adjustable font sizes to improve readability.

USB

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

354 of 356 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sony PRS-300 "Pocket Edition": A Truly Excellent, Portable eReader September 23, 2009

By Chris C

I rarely, if ever, write reviews for products, simply because I rarely find a product that dramatically exceeds, or fails to meet, its published description. The PRS-300 "Pocket Edition" ereader is a device that provided a far better than expected experience.

One device with which I was previously as impressed was the iPod Touch, which I've found to be simply one of the best consumer goods purchases that I've ever made. Funny enough, my principle use for the Touch was as an ebook reader, and it was the Touch's shortcomings as an ebook reader that eventually prompted me to purchase the Sony PRS-300 "Pocket Edition".

I read extensively, both on my work commute (1.5 hours each workday on public transit), and in the evenings and on weekends. Conservatively, I probably read upwards of 20 hours each week, both ebooks and downloaded news articles and the like. I previously purchased the Sony PRS-505, in late 2007, and found it to be a good ereader. The PRS-505 provided a sharp, glare-free page image that was easy and relaxing to read. Unfortunately, it was a bit delicate, and within a few weeks of purchasing I had managed to drop it (from only about 2.5 feet) and crush the upper corner, dislodging the power slider. After having it fixed under warranty, I held onto the PRS-505 until mid-2008, when I purchased an iPod Touch. I read on the Touch, and--briefly--on the Amazon Kindle 2, until I purchased the PRS-300.

The new PRS-300 "Pocket Edition" over-comes several of the short-comings of the Sony PRS-505 and Amazon Kindle 2:

1. Great form-factor: The PRS-300 really will fit in a pocket, either a jacket pocket or very comfortably in a pocket of my cargo shorts on the weekend.... This is an improvement over the PRS-505, which always seemed either slightly too big (to fit in a jacket pocket, or anything short of backpack or my briefcase), or not quite large enough (to read work PDFs with charts and graphs, or more structured documents, like instruction manuals). The PRS-505 and the Kindle 2 were also awkward to tote by hand (which is why I dropped the PRS-505, while trying to get my mail). While the Pocket Edition won't display large, structured documents either, you recognize this as a trade-off for this model, in favor of its truly convenient size. It's perfect for books, news articles, blog posts and the like, and, not having to carry it by hand or in bag, I take it with me more often when I'm out, and use it more than either the PRS-505 or Kindle 2.

2. Excellent ergonomics: The PRS-300 simply feels great in the hand: it has excellent balance, and a really comforting heft that reminds me of the way a solid paperback book just rest in your hand without the need to consciously grasp it, or constantly adjust it. This is a true improvement over both the PRS-505 and the Kindle 2: Both of these devices were very, very light, which in consumer electronics is usually the Holy Grail of product design, but neither was particularly well-balanced and I was always conscious of having to exercise control of the device, especially when clicking the page-turn buttons. The Pocket Edition isn't by any means heavy--it's actually a lighter than both the PRS-505 and the Kindle 2, at about 7.5 ounces--but the smaller form-factor, coupled with its superb balance, allows you to comfortably fade into your reading, without the physicality of the device intruding. While that kind of device transparency was a stated goal of the Kindle, I have to admit that I only rarely was able to read with the Kindle 2 without it intruding in some way (usually to re-balance it in my hand). The Pocket Edition has only one page-turn button--the large round navigation pad in the bottom-center--but the pad is in comfortable reach of your thumb while holding the Reader on the side. The button is firm without being obtrusively difficult to press (which was often a failing I noticed on both the PRS-505 and the Kindle 2). Of all the things that I enjoy about the Pocket Edition, its truly comfortable, unobtrusive physical design is probably the stand-out quality.

3. More durable design: The PRS-300 is, like the iPhone, or iPod Touch, or your laptop, a piece of consumer electronics that you simply don't want to drop. Electronics are delicate (unless you spend ungodly amounts of money on Toughbooks and the like), and not tolerant of abuse. That said, the casing and design of the Pocket Edition is a very large step up from the PRS-505, which as I mentioned I managed to grievously injure with one (not very far) drop. I have "Whoops"-ed the Pocket Edition a couple of times, and was impressed that the more solid aluminum casing, coupled with the plastic end-caps and power slider, made it a great deal more resilient than its predecessor. In terms of durability, it's probably about comparable to the Kindle 2; the Kindle 2, though, at least from Amazon's marketing materials, does seem designed to "bounce back" from drops and falls that the Sony Reader was not made to withstand. In comparison with other ereaders on the market, the Pocket Edition is far sturdier, in terms of its heft, the resilient aluminum front buttons, and the (very) slightly elastic plastic end-caps.

4. Excellent screen image: The screen image of the Pocket Edition is crisp, clear, and CONSISTENTLY easy to read in both high- and medium-light conditions. The screen is non-glare, and there has been only one occasion (under somewhat harsh artificial light) when I needed to shift position slightly to remove a light-diffraction effect from the screen. The screen quality is comparable to the PRS-505, and considerably better than that of the Kindle 2. I'm somewhat puzzled by this, because there's only one e-ink technology on the market right now, and the manufacturers of the screens all license the same process, with the same quality control parameters (the parameters are part of the license agreement), so I don't really understand why the Kindle 2 screens seem to perform a notch or two below their competitors. I did read that Amazon made a decision to lighten the font image on the Kindle 2 (which owners of the Kindle 1 noted and complained about), so perhaps it's simply a software issue. However, I finally decided to ditch the Kindle 2 when I noted the screen image literally fading away in direct sunlight (this issue has been commented on by a number of users, and Amazon will happily provide a replacement Kindle for units that experience this). The Sony Pocket Edition, though, has provided a much crisper screen image, with noticeably darker fonts, a whiter (lighter) screen background, almost no glare, and no funky fades, distortions, or other effects that inhibit reading. The clarity and comfort of reading the screen image is as good as (and sometimes better than) that of a physical book.

5. Very good on-device interface: The on-device interface of the PRS-300 is straight-forward, uncluttered, and relatively easy to navigate. Since the Pocket Edition (unlike the PRS-505, the Kindle 2, and the new Sony PRS-600 Touch Edition) does not include an MP3 player and image viewer, the Pocket Edition's interface is strictly for book navigation and the better for it. It does take a click or two more than it "seems" like it should to access a book, or navigate to a specific goal, but I've decided that this expectation is formed largely from our use of personal computers (and iPod Touches/iPhones), which provide an instantaneous response (unlike e-ink) and the possibility for much more flexible menu designs (a virtue that the PRS-600 Touch Edition captures to some extent with its touch-screen). In comparison with the PRS-505, or the Kindle 2, the on-device interface of the Pocket Edition is at least as simple/easy to use, and perhaps slightly better, since it doesn't have music, image, browser, text-to-speech, etc. options. The on-device interface is very good, and given the technology, it's only the adoption of the touch-screen that will likely improve on it.

6. Acceptable Sony Library software: The Sony Library software has always reminded me of Apple iTunes: It's slower than it should be, less intuitive than it could be, less flexible than its competition, and usually at least slightly frustrating. On the most basic level, as a tool for transferring content from your PC/Mac to the Reader, the Library software meets its goal; the software is, though, always slower than it "seems" like it should be. Like iTunes, it makes you wonder why it takes twice as long to transfer a file than it would through Windows Explorer/Mac Finder, and ask, "Why can't a large consumer electronics company like Sony (and Apple) do better?" The Library's short-comings are especially puzzling when you consider that there is a free software program, Calibre, designed by an ardent ebook enthusiast, that does more than the Sony Library, faster, more intuitively, less obtrusively, and without regularly freezing. I use the Sony Library for my Sony-purchased content, and Calibre for my personal content. If you have personal, non-DRM content, I can't recommend Calibre highly enough (did I mention it's free?); additionally, Calibre provides extensive, easy-to-use news media feeds, which it will painlessly transfer directly to your Reader, from both newspapers and news magazines. (If you do decide to use Calibre, please consider making a donation; it's truly a masterful program that is continually up-dated and improved.) The Sony Library itself, however frustrating it can sometimes be, isn't a reason to reject the PRS-300. The Library software does its job, and is reliable and improving. The local library finder is a great new feature, and one that--finally--has me using my local library for ebooks, rather than continually purchasing them. When I first read the press releases for the new Sony Readers, I discounted this feature, but quickly (as in the course of a weekend) realized that the ability to access library ebooks is a feature that I will frequently use.

It should be said that the Kindle 2, which foregoes a software interface with your PC/Mac in favor or an online library, truly enjoys an advantage over other ereaders; the Whispernet feature of the Kindle 2 (which was mimicked on the iPod Touch by the Touch's WiFi access) is the only one that I vaguely miss. Of course, I don't miss Amazon reaching into my Kindle and deleting MY content, from both my device and online library. As internet-based data storage expands in consumer electronics, I have really come to appreciate the advantages of having my personal content available to me off-line and distanced from vendors/service providers. When it comes down to it, I don't have any need for book content always-on-demand, such as is offered by the Kindle; that's a nice feature, but one that caters solely to an almost pathological consumerist tendency for instant gratification. I buy fewer books without that feature, and enjoy my books more (and persevere longer with books that don't immediately engage me).

The Sony PRS-300 "Pocket Edition" is honestly one of perhaps only 2 or 3 consumer electronics purchases that I've ever made that make me sit back and say, "Wow, I'm really glad that I bought this." The Pocket Edition is like one of those books that you begin reading, and after a few chapters pause, smile, and get the slight rush that comes from true enjoyment. As I mentioned, the iPod Touch was one of the very few devices that gave me similar enjoyment, but the eye strain that came from reading from an active LCD screen was simply not worth the convenience of the device's form factor. I have, too, really begun to appreciate the slightly larger screen on the Pocket Edition, and enjoy the "muscle memory" experience of my eyes scanning across a screen that's almost the same size as my favorite old paperback books. Read more ›

198 of 211 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for the "Everyreader" but Others Should Look Elsewhere. September 28, 2009

By Kevin Currie-Knight TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

The Sony Ebook Reader Pocket edition is a very solid ebook reader for certain types of readers. At a much lesser cost than the kindle, I would strongly reccomend this reader for those who want an easy-to-use, no nonsense, bells, or whistles, ereader. If you are not planning on taking notes, highlighting passages, having a book read to you via text-to-voice, or store 1,000 books at a time, then why pay extra for a kindle 2 with those features when you can pay less for this solid machine?

But, alas, I am not that kind of reader. I do highlight, make "notes in the margins," and - from time to time - want to turn my book into an audiobook (even if it does sound like a GPS).

Here's the backstory. I am a kindle user who has become frustrated with several features of the kindle, nonetheleast of which are its lack of page numbers (making it hard to reference passages to others) and its proprietary nature (why can't it handle PDF's without a cumbersome conversion process?!). So, I bought a Sony Ebook Reader Pocket edition to play around with.

Immediately, I was struck by its compact design, with a 5'' screen perfect for putting in one's jacket pocket, briefcase, or carry-on bag. I was also VERY impressed with its readability; in my opinion, the resolution and text-to-screen contrast is actually better than the kindle (albeit only barely). It is easy to turn pages, jump from one page to another (this is much easier than on the kindle), and one has the option of text appearing vertically or horizontally on the screen.

Now, the downside: instead of five text sizes, there are only three (sometimes the choice is between just too smal and just too big). AND DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE CLAIM THAT THIS MACHINE HANDLES PDF FILES WELL; it doesn't.... Especially since there are only three text sizes, in order to display with formatting in tact, the text will be very tiny! One can only change text size on some PDF's and even then the PDF formatting comes completely unglued. Nor can you search for a word that apears in the book like you can on the kindle. [EDIT (12/05/09): Since reviewing this product, kindle has now updated their kindle 2 to accept pdf files. From what I remember about the Sony Pocket, the kindle's new ability to handle pdfs does a better job displaying them than the Pocket.]

And here are the reasons that I personally could not see this device as a worthy kindle replacement: first, one cannot highlight or make notes in the margins. This is crucial for me, as I am a PhD student who often reads research articles on my ereader. One can bookmark pages, but not make any notes or highlights in the text. Also, to be honest, the software the Sony Ereader works with (ebook library) is quite clumsy. I had it for less than a week, and it crapped out on my twice, and since there is no wireless compatibility, when the software doesn't work, no new books can be downloaded. Lastly, the book selection isn't there yet. Every single book that was available for the Sony was available and cheaper on the kindle.

As an aside, I was also looking forward to the Sony Ereader's ability to download any google book (that is in the public domain) for free. While this was something alleged to be exclusive to the Sony Ereader, it is not. While I cannot get into specifics, there exists freeware online that will allow the kindle to accept public domained google books. (And most are available free via other websites, anyhow.) If this is a selling point for you, rethink.

But, for many readers who don't need to "write in margins," highlight, or search a book for words that appear in it, this ereader is every bit as solid in performance as the kindle, costs quite a bit less and is more affordable. (Some even say it is every bit as stylish, but that is a matter of taste.) I can fully see most everyday book readers willing to trade bells and whistles for affordability happily using the Sony Ereader Pocket edition.

But for those who want more advanced features, this ereader doesn't have them. Read more ›

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A good reader September 8, 2009

By Eric Westrope

Pros: The unit is slightly smaller then a standard paperback and slimmer, so it fits inside a jacket or coat pocket nicely. The unit is light and the screen is easy to read in bright light. It handles the .lrf, .epub and .pdf files

Cons: The page turn button placement is located in the center at the bottom, which makes it awkward to hold and turn the page. The unit ships with a slip cover rather then a book style cover, so you will not be able to use a clip on book light unless you purchase the book style cover from Sony. Also the unit does not ship with a plug in charger, just the USB adapter, so you will have to plug the unit in to your computer to charge it. It does not have an external memory slot for add on memory storage.

Overall, the Sony PRS-300 Pocket Edition Reader is nice and worth the price, even with the cons listed above, the unit does the job, and if you are a person on the go that needs a small compact reader, this one it worth the price.
It is small and easy to use and you can import your own documents with simple ease using either the Sony Reader software or using the opensource software Calibre.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little reader September 28, 2009

By areldthomp

Amazon Verified Purchase

I've owned my reader over a week. I did alot of research reading reviews here, Sony, and on CNET. I decided to go with the Pocket Reader for size and price. I ordered the cover with the light for a more book like experience when I hold the book. This is the only cover so far for this reader. The reader is more black than blue. I chose the dark color so I could focus better on the screen. It was a good choice.

I've downloaded 2 books from my library for free. I have finished one and reading the other. I have 7 days to read them and the reader has a handy count down for me. The files were Adobe and they downloaded easily. The only issue I had was the small font was really small so I have to bump up to a medium font. The font at medium is the same size as reading a paperback. It's not perfect (more page turns) but is is quite good. Hopefully my library will have Epub files in the future. I refuse to pay money for books if I can get them for free.

All said in previous reviews are correct. I was disappointed to find Google Books no longer has free books. There was a lawsuit and apparently Google was the Napster of books. So no more free downloads. There now is no place to get free books as all the websites are shut down. Hopefully the Sony bookstore will offer free books of classics as Kindle does. Wish Sony would stop advertising you can get free books. Kudos to them for the promoting local libraries tho.

All in all this is a great little reader, no frills and easy on the budget. It won't totally be my reading source but it gives me another option fro reading. I plan on using it for a long time.

Update 28 Oct: I've had some software issues. Contacted Sony and Customer Service was really good. Fixed the Sony issue quickly.... The problem is the Adobe issue. Sony can't help me because it's an Adobe product. Adobe is horrible the won't support via phone because it's a free software. Took me 2 days to find out how to open a case file. Still waiting for them to contact me about the software. Basically I can't open books I get from the library. So at the momemt I can't use the reader for what I bought it for. You would think if your device depends on another company's software the companies would talk to each other. They don't. Basically right now I have a $250 paperweight. I have faith I will get it fixed but very very frustrating....

Update 20 Jan: The software has finally caught up and I'm back in business. I can download books from the Public Library and I am very very happy. I still think it is a very good buy.

Update 4 Jul 11: I still have it! I still download books from the library. I'm still very happy with it. The battery needs to be recharged if you haven't used it in a while but great little product. Lives up to the Sony name Read more ›