Customer Reviews

Sony PRS-600SC Touch Edition E-Book Reader

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Length:: 3:24 Mins

I have been following the e-book readers for some time, and I wanted several things for me to "jump on the bandwagon." ***Since I have received many questions, I am now including a video to demonstrate my favorite features***

1) I have a number of PDF reference books, so a Reader needs to handle these well. Since my books are text, these reflow well on the Sony.

2) Because I will use (and now am using) the Reader for reference books, it was important that I be able to access my notes directly from my computer to use in other documents. I actually began using the software on my desktop several months before I purchased the 600, and was pleased with its capabilities.

3) I enjoy the free epub books from my library. The Sony accesses these easily. There are also a number of locations besides Sony selling the epub or Adobe digital books (usable by the Sony Touch) giving me more choice in my decision.

4) The Touch handles my regular documents well - as a public speaker, I love having my speeches available to study on the reader, without having to print them out!

The points I already love (thus the 5 stars)
1) I love having the touch turn capability, just a brush of my thumb!
2) I enjoy the sideways and zoom features for PDFs that you want to keep "standard"
3) After only a couple of minutes, I forgot I was even using a reader and I got involved in the book.

*** I live in an isolated area - so neither Whispernet for the Kindle nor the upcoming 3G connection on the more expensive Daily model would be helpful - I'm just as happy to order my books "in advance" and carry them with me.

I enjoy the feel of the Reader by itself, but since I will be carrying this "library" with me, and I was worried about protection, I purchased the M-edge Executive Jacket for Sony Reader PRS-505 (Genuine Leather--Pebbled Grey w/ Black) - SALE! which fits it perfectly.

I also purchased the Sony AC Charger for PRS505SC and PRS505LC to ensure that I can charge up my reader when my computer isn't around.

Edited after 2 weeks and 10 books -

Some people have mentioned the glare - since my previous reading was on my laptop - this isn't an issue for me. I keep my lighting at my side, and it is not a problem at all. It is more noticeable in a dark room with a single light source.

Another issue I have encountered isn't with the reader - but with the interaction between Windows and the software. It is pretty touchy. I have learned to be careful of some PDF documents which have caused problems.

It is also important that when importing books that aren't loaded through the reader that you "maintain" the link by not moving them once they are imported. Like Powerpoint and other programs, the desktop ebook reader doesn't store the book in the program - it links to it on your computer. Breaking the link means it can't find the book - and it can't upload the book.

*** A special touch for a "Grandma" is the ability to be able to load photos of my granddaughter to carry with me. There is even a feature that permits showing the photos as a slide show. While the photos are in black and white, they are very sharp and it is a nice touch when I travel.

*** Edited after 2 months -
A recent update in the software has removed some of the software connection problems I originally experienced. So, that's a plus!

However, I have recently added some PDF files that did NOT flow the same way as my original "professional" files reflowed. After checking with those more knowledgeable, I have been told that the problem is not with the Sony, but with the way the PDF files have been set up. The PDF is supposed to include "tags" that will help the pages to reflow correctly. My recommendation is that anyone with PDFs they need to carry on the reader download the free computer software and attempt to read them using this software. If it works on your computer, it will reflow correctly on the Sony. If it does not - then it will not do so on the Reader either.

I did a fair amount of research before I bought this item. I studied the Kindle, and the more I read about it, the less I liked it! (Sorry Amazon!) I don't like the idea that my books reside on Amazon for me to down load again if I lose them (I guess I'm old school and want to be able to access my stuff on MY computer).

I'm also a fan of open architecture and that's what led me to the Sony.

On one review a person complained about the software. I'm not sure what operating system they have, but I have XP, and have had absolutely NO problems what so ever with crashes.

Pros: Open architecture, ton's of stuff out there that you can down load for free, Sony offers new free or low priced books just about every month, can read both ePub and PDF files with no problem. If you lose a book (I accidentally deleted one on my computer!) you can download it again for free.

Cons: The contrast on the touch edition is not as high as I would like it. I would like the background to be a bit whiter (I understand it's quite white on the Kindle), the touch screen is sometimes a bit twitchy especially on hi-liting, but once you get the hang of it's idiosyncrasies, not so bad. The dictionary is a bit limited: I find (at least in the books I read) it does not recognize quite a few words. I would like to see an update to a significantly better & comprehensive dictionary, (even if I have to pay a bit for it) which would operate seamlessly with this reader.

Cons true of all readers not just Sony: I'm not sure if this is a result of the Publishers' policies, but the so called "List Price" of eBooks seem totally arbitrary! So the so-called "discount" from list doesn't work out to be much of a discount! Books that are already out as mass-market paperbacks for $9.99 or less are listed as anywhere from $11.99 to $15! And then discounted 5 or 10%!! When you consider that you can buy a mass-market paperback at Target for 25% off, and an eBook has no additional publishing costs (once the book is made into an eBook (i.e. no shipping, printing, distribution etc.) this discrepancy in pricing makes absolutely no sense other than publisher trying to make more money. I look for the day when Sam's, and Target start selling eBooks on their websites and in Kiosks at their stores. Hopefully this should bring eBooks more into line with paper books.

The bottom line is that this is a great piece of hardware that is crippled by poor software and a limited selection of retail books. The core purpose of the reader is hindered by not being able to effectively and reliably transfer purchased books.

I have been following e-reader devices for over two years. Always waiting for the "next" device to come out, my wife rallied my family to go in together and surprise me with this reader for my birthday. I was very excited and loved the device until I tried to purchase books for it. The #1 problem was that Sony's eBook Library software crashed whenever I tried to transfer a purchased book to it. Granted, I only purchased books from Sony's store so this may not be the case with other eBook vendors.

I'm highly proficient with computers and would describe myself as an early adopter for new technologies. This is the most disappointed I have been with a device manufacturer in years. The reason is that I love the eReader! It is well built and has a great feature set. Getting books from Google and local libraries is a great option and works great (I did it). But Sony completely dropped the ball on their software to purchase protected books. After 4 hours of trying to get it to work consistently across 2 desktops and a laptop I knew I couldn't keep the reader. The final factor was when I realized this has been and remains to be an unresolved issue for past models of Sony readers as well. Sony never appeared to resolve the issue for those having problems in the past and it persists to this day.

If the software works with your computer then I would recommend this reader. However, based on my disappointing experience I can't recommend giving it a try. I may find myself waiting until the best distribution and ecosystem, which I believe to be Amazon, finds its way onto the best devices.

Pros (+)
+ Ability to write notes and highlight with stylus
+ Very well built, looks and feels nice
+ Touch screen navigation
+ Removable memory slots
+ Fun extra features - store pictures, listen to MP3s
+ Free books - from Google and local libraries

Cons (-)
- "eBook Store from Sony" software crashes when transferring purchased books
- Retail book selection much smaller than that offered on Kindle
- No wireless purchase option on this model - a big deal to me only because the software required to transfer books does not work well

A side note:
There is a way to adjust your system settings on Windows Vista using Data Execution Prevention to mitigate some of the problems. However, even this did not cause the software to work consistently for me and I recognize that most people don't desire to go to such lengths to transfer eBooks. Another option is to buy books from other eBook sellers and use Adobe's digital editions software to transfer books. For me that wasn't a good enough option to keep the reader.

Why 3 stars for a device I love?
First of all the screen has more glare than I expected. That's the most (and only) important disadvantage.
Second, I had some problems installing the software. That might be a problem of my pc, since I haven't heard anyone else complain.

Now the bright stuff. The screen shows glare because it's a touch screen. And that is a great advantage. It's very accurate. You can just double tap a word and almost never miss it. Then the dictionary shows up.
Choosing between books is extremely easy. So is finding pages and sections.

Wireless connectivity (which it lacks) is not important for an ebook, since I can download stuff (free ebooks from [...], google books, wikisource, webpages converted to PDF or buy ebooks from various sources) and will be fine for weeks.

PDF and ePub formats are important. So are SD and MS card-slots for expanding the internal memory (it can play MP3).

Overall, this device delivers a great user experience. I only wish it had a more glare-free screen.

At first, I was highly skeptical of e-book readers...the thumbing of a page, the caressing of the book covers, the way books line up on my shelves...how could I not have those things any more? Well, I used to think I could never give up the practice of putting my Watermans and Mont Blancs on linen and parchment in favor of e-mails -- how bland! -- but, alas, it's a new, new world. All right, having convinced myself I would give it a shot, I then had to decide between the Kindle and Reader and other players. I was leaning towards Kindle for the sole reason of loyalty to Amazon, but the decision was made for me when my wife got me the Reader with a snug Sony cover. And now I never leave home without it.

Downloading books is a breeze, and only take seconds. The entire process of buying the latest Dan Brown from browsing to purchasing to downloading took about one minute. Reading it--I totally forgot I was using an electronic device. Turning the page involved swiping a finger or just a quick click. The way I hold my Reader my right thumb is near the page-click button anyway so it's very natural. I also like that even when I have it magnified there are tiny original page notations to let me know what page I'm on. Highlighting and note-taking are some of the other features which I've barely touched so far.

I have over a thousand PDFs related to my work that up to now was restricted to residency in my computer or in diminished capacity in my mobile phone. I have already dragged and dropped a hundred PDFs onto my Reader and they are perfect.

The battery lasts well long enough (over a week even with heavy daily usage), and charging is simple anyway (I do it via the USB cable to my laptop), so this is not an issue.

There is both a memory stick slot and an SD one, but so far I haven't had to use it. I know someday I will have packed my Reader to capacity, so it's good to know they're there.

I had read about the glare problem but it hasn't been a big deal. A slight tilting this way or that way easily solved the issue.

Sony has a history of making proprietary devices, but they have advertised that books for other platforms can be read on the Reader. Up to now, the fairly well-stocked Sony e-bookstore and Google books have kept me satisfied and I haven't had to turn elsewhere for books yet.

Of course, there could be improvements. I had actually expected some kind of built-in lighting, e.g. backlighting, for reading in the dark. Right now, the only decent alternative is a cover with an attached light. Also, I have several computers which I alternate between and I can't think of how to sync the Reader software between computers. (There may be a way, especially since the software allows you to name computers, but I haven't explored it yet.) I really can't think of any other flaws.

It's not super cheap (slightly under $300), but reasonable given the market. I do expect a similar product will be priced about half the current list in a year or two.

Thin, light, stylish. Very user-friendly for reading books and PDFs. I love the Reader, and highly recommend it.

I've had my PRS 600 for about 2 weeks. We are still getting acquainted (learning how to download books, checking out features)but so far, I love it! I fought getting an eReader because of the "I like turning the pages" thing. I was surprised at how quickly I adapted to pressing a button to turn a page. What really sold me was remembering dragging arount Steven King's 1070 Under the Dome and wishing I had a reader so I could slip the whole book (and many others) into my purse! I like being able to get books from the library and also the option of audio books.

I downloaded the software and performed the upgrade successfully, and even used the software to get some representative books. The unit itself, in sturdy, elegant aluminum casing, is a handsome piece of engineering.

However, when I attempted to load books from the computer to the Digital Reader, it displayed an error message unexplained by the enclosed literature. When I tried accessing the help link via the desktop, I ended up with a null error. I then contacted customer service via a courteous operator, but neither the first the CS representative nor her supervisor were able to help; they requested I "call them again tomorrow." The "excuse" was that their servers were probably down for the day. I then tried calling their phone customer service, but experienced "above average traffic" before finally giving up.

I consider myself fairly experienced technically, but trying to get this to work was tortuous. Three hours later, I was no closer to a solution - and I then remembered how effortless it was to get e-texts via the iPod Touch, where I was able to download books like Anna Karenina in a half-minute or less. When I finally got to see the opening screen for the Sony, the screen contrast could have been more defined - but the Touch won hands down in this category, as well. I would have liked to be able to give this a more thorough testing, but struggling with the set-up made this a failed purchase. I ended up returning the Digital Reader. I'm hopeful that others will be be able to enjoy better success, but mine was an experience uninformed by the kind of service help I needed.

I had a blue Sony prs-505 that was amazing. When the prs-700 came out I wasn't really inclined to switch. Then I saw the prs-600 when it came out. Let me tell you, this thing is by far the easiest, most attractive thing I have ever seen. Well, as far as ereaders go anyway, lol. My boyfriend finally got me one for my birthday after listening to me beg for weeks (what a sweetie, huh?) and I swear, I was so happy I cried. I charged it up, turned it on, and was not disappointed.
The screen is crystal clear even though it is a touchscreen, which is something I was extremely worried about. Super easy to use, I have not had any issues as far as,"omg I don't know how I did it but I'm glad it happened!" Everything is practically spelled out for you. You can turn the page with a .25 of an inch movement of your finger to the right or left, depending on how you have it set up or you can use the page turn button. Double tap a word you don't know and the definition springs up at the bottom of the screen. View the entire dictionary page by tapping another button. When done hit x to close and you're reading again. Hmmmm, what else? Oh yeah, it looks beautiful, lol! Feels very nice in my hands, not too heavy and not too light. Very convienent, this thing will last for years! The price is pretty good for what you're getting. I would buy everyone I know one of these if I had the means to, lol! Definitely recommend this for people who want to read w/o having to sacrifice the quality of their reading.

Pros:
1. Very attractive design, not too heavy
2. Very easy to use, have yet to have a problem trying to figure anything out.
3. Price is very reasonable. Considering I bought my PRS-505 8 months ago and paid the same amount, I feel they did a very good job. Comes with a ton of extra features than my 505 didn't offer.
4. Everything about the device, lol!

Cons:
1. The case it comes in is very flimsy, which doesn't really bother me as they have cases to buy for less than $25

All in all, you would have to pry this thing from my dead, lifeless fingers!!!

UPDATE: So far it has been almost one month and I don't have not one complaint. Simple to use, does not cause any eyestrain (I can read for hours at a time without feeling like my eyes are on fire). My only complaint is that I don't make enough money to buy a back-up one!!!!
UPDATE-2/11/10: I still love my reader. In fact, I saved up my money and.....bought a second one so in case something happens to this one I still have another one. I use the one I bought so the one my bf got me doesn't get messed up. I can't even leave the house without this thing!

The Sony Reader appeared to be the answer to my problem of accumulating more books than I could keep whenever I moved to a new location - which has been frequent as I live in a travel trailer. Once I got over the feeling of "something missing" by not having the actual book in my hands, I began to appreciate the convenience of being able to carry my books with me everywhere I went and the ability to read them whenever I had a few moments to spare.

I also purchased the Sony cover with built-in lamp which is a must to protect the reader and to make it usable in dim light situations. The reader is not back-lit like the Amazon Kindle and cannot be used in low light situations without the aid of the cover and lamp. Without the cover, I would not be willing to carry the Reader with me.

My one big disappointment is the E-reader store from which the books are purchased. My reading interests are somewhat esoteric; most of the books In which I am interested are not available in ePub format. I have located some on the Google Books option but they are of poor quality. The books that are available from the E-Reader Store are not much cheaper than the printed version, especially if it is offered by discount sellers like Books-A-Million. However, I have discovered that I can download articles from the internet in PDF format and import them into the reader. So all those lengthy articles which, in the past, I printed out and kept in binders are now on my Reader. Of course, they are also on my computer but, since it is not a laptop, I cannot carry that with me.

I still have not figured out how to use the optional memory card. There seems to be no way to access that from the menu options so it is just duplicating everything on the resident memory. There are probably more things I can do with the Sony Reader which I have not yet discovered. That is my fault, not Sony's. It is also possible the the Mac version of the Reader software is not as full-featured as the Windows version. (I have a MacMini)

In conclusion: Since the titles available in the Reader Store are somewhat limited to best sellers, novels and mainstream works, I find that I still must purchase many of the printed books that I want to read. Perhaps the digital book market will expand and more variety will become available but it will be a long time before the money I spent on the Reader is recovered by what I save on book purchases. If you purchase one, it would be for the convenience, not the savings.

This is my first ebook reader. I like it. Since it is my only ebook reader, I can not comment on glare or other issues. It does not bother me. But I could not say the same thing for desktop software, sonly library. It is desktop companion for your reader. You are supposed to buy books, organize content on your reader through this software. It is extremely sluggish and buggy. It crushed several times and when this occurs you have to uninstall it and reinstall or clear its cash. While synchronizing it removed all of my purchased books from my reader without asking me any question. I am a software engineer and graduate of a computer engineering department. I know how to use a software. I am sure that this was not my fault. I am using calibre instead of Sony ebook library. Normally I could give this product 5 star but due to its desktop companion I am giving 3 star.