Manage updates with the Download AppSony Reader Daily Edition PRS-900BC
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: PRS-900BC
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Though there's a lot to like about the Daily Edition, the dazzle of Sony's first e-reader to integrate cellular wireless connectivity is diminished by its lackluster screen and high price tag.
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Where to buy
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 |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/24/2013 |
| Memory4Less.com | Not yet rated | In stock | as of 05/24/2013 |
CNET editors' review
Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-900BC price range: $209.95 - $378.79
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Edited by: John Falcone
- Reviewed on: 01/26/2010
The good: First Sony Reader with wireless 3G service; larger 7.1-inch touch screen displays significantly more lines of text; with the addition of an optional memory card (SD or Memory Stick Pro), it's capable of storing thousands of electronic books; six adjustable font sizes; decent battery life; displays Word and PDF files (and zooms in on them), shows most image files, and plays MP3 and AAC audio; Sony's eBook Library software is now both Windows- and Mac-compatible; most bestsellers cost $9.99 (just like from Amazon); EPUB file compatibility lets you access thousands of free classic Google Books and loaner files from many local libraries; built-in dictionary now included; charger and protective case included.
The bad: Expensive; screen is still glare-prone and the contrast isn't as good as other non-touch-screen e-readers; battery isn't user-replaceable; can't "cloud-push" files from Sony's online store (using your desktop) to the device as you can with the Kindle; limited selection of periodicals compared with Kindle.
The bottom line: Though there's a lot to like about the Daily Edition, the dazzle of Sony's first e-reader to integrate cellular wireless connectivity is diminished by its lackluster screen and high price tag.
User reviews
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Best of what's available on the market.
by Saint04 on February 15, 2010
Pros: 7" screen, *.PDF navigation, quality, battery life, included accessories (charger, cover, hardcase), removable battery, stable platform (interface) unlike nook, note taking capabilities, interface,accepts external SD memory,battery life,1.6 GB memory
Cons: acceptable glare that goes away if properly angled.
Summary: I'm very satisfied with my sony PRS900. I have owned the PRS 505/300/600 and now the 900. Out of all the readers, the PRS 900 is the ...
Summary: I'm very satisfied with my sony PRS900. I have owned the PRS 505/300/600 and now the 900. Out of all the readers, the PRS 900 is the most practical and convenient.
This product deserves 4.5 stars, not the 3.5 I accidentaly rated it.
Don't get me wrong, the Kindle II is a nice product and I have three coworkers with them, but it is proprietary and locks you into Amazon. With Sony, you have a broad base of books to purchase from multiple online vendors and a quality built product. You can also open and access your personal reading material on your computer unlike the Kindle. Basicaly, when you purchase materials/books, it belongs to you no matter what device you would like to access your books. However, if you don't own a kindle because it breaks, then you can't access your content unless you buy a new one or replace it under warranty. Have fun with that.
The Nook, it has some serious issues and is an unstable battery hogging platform.
As a soldier on deployment, my Sony reader is my best friend. I can't always access an outlet to charge my device, meaning battery life is a must and the Sony delivers. Believe me, out of my five peers I know with the Kindle II, they all like them, but they wish they would have invest themselves in the unproprietary Sony to keep their future options open on what devices they can upgrade and use their content/books on in the future.
As one who is always on the move and have done my fair share of research, the Sony PRS 900 is worth the investment. It saves on valuable space and you don?t worry about giving your books away because they take up so much space.
The screen glare that everyone seems to flip over is very minor. Obviously the point in having one of these devices is readability, but I promise it?s nowhere near as bad as some claim. I?m not saying it?s not there, I?m saying that under normal lighting conditions, you angle the device and you have your full reading experience.
SONY PRS900 ALL THE WAY ! ! !
Updated on Feb 15, 20108 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The best E-reader out there
by ccdavis23 on February 11, 2010
Pros: Extra screen real estate
Open Epub format
Fantastic user interface
Easy "write on screen" note taking & highlighting
Well designed, sleek deviceCons: Glare (if held at a certain angle)
Screen is dingy in lower light
3G wireless only connects to Sony E-book store
$399.00 pricetag is higher than Barnes & Noble and Amazon's offerings.Summary: I tried out the Kindle, took a look at a nook but was finally sold when I got a hold of the Daily Edition Reader at the Sony Store.
The ...Summary: I tried out the Kindle, took a look at a nook but was finally sold when I got a hold of the Daily Edition Reader at the Sony Store.
One more note. I noticed that the CNET review incorrectly states that the battery is not user replaceable.
The interface is fantastic. See a word you don't know? simply double tap on the word with your finger or stylus and the definition appears. Find a passage that moves you? highlight it with the stylus, dog-ear the page by tapping the top-right corner and maybe jot down a couple of notes about it with the stylus or onscreen keyboard.
The Sony Daily embraces an open e book format. You can buy e books for it at many different online retailers. You can also borrow e books from the library in many communities.
The screen is Eink, but markedly dingier than the Kindle and Nook in low lighting. Under a book lamp, in sunlight or with a book-light, i really cant tell much difference. The touchscreen also gives off a glare but you can always shift the angle the reader is held to eliminate it.
All in all, a fantastic purchase and I couldn't be happier with it.
Updated on Feb 11, 2010
It certainly is replaceable, in fact you have to insert the battery yourself before using the reader. Replacement batteries are sold at the Sony Store7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Shopped almost every major model before buying this one
by michelleespinoza on February 8, 2010
Pros: Slim, light, case included, touchscreen, 3g, PDF zoom and highlight, SD and XD card expansion, $399 at Best Buy, 2GB of built in storage, can get books from almost any ebook source, syncs flawlessly
Cons: Glare, would've preferred white background, Sony ereader store limited in periodicals, slow,
Summary: I really wanted a reader for its PDF capabilities. As a graduate student, I don't feel like lugging around 10lbs of PDF printouts to keep up on my reading. ...
Summary: I really wanted a reader for its PDF capabilities. As a graduate student, I don't feel like lugging around 10lbs of PDF printouts to keep up on my reading. The Sony reader beat all the other models hands-down because of its zooming and highlighting capabilities.
Some people complain that an accelerometer should've been built in, but honestly, I'm glad that I have to change orientation manually. My iPhone can be a pain if I'm reading it while laying down because it can't tell if it should adjust itself to portrait or landscape.
I couldn't figure out why the Wall Street Journal wasn't arriving every morning- and I discovered that you have to activate automatic download in your ereader account-- and also authorize your Sony reader when it's hooked up to your computer. (just in case anyone else got stuck)
The reader works perfectly with 64-bit Windows 7, but if you accidentally let the battery run out- then you'll have to use Sony's charger to boot it back up. Otherwise, it charges via included USB cable.
The included case is great, because I can just toss it in my bag when I'm ready to go. The contrast is great in bright light- and the glare can be avoided by holding it at the right angle when you're reading.
In all honesty, I think the upcoming iPad will be even better for reading both books and PDFs, but the Sony's advantage is that it travels better.6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This E-Reader has a touch screen and 3g wireless.
by golfingguy4 on January 5, 2010
Pros: The size of the screen is great along with the responsiveness of the touchscreen. The buttons work well and there is a great options menu that allows the user to change font size, go to a certain page, write notes, and use the built in dictionary.
Cons: Accessing the store takes about a minute's wait. The screen has an unfortunately low contrast so that it requires a good amount of light to read with a smaller font.
Summary: All in all the sony e-reader daily edition is a great piece of technology. It's touch screen allows you to do more things with it more easily, such as ...
Summary: All in all the sony e-reader daily edition is a great piece of technology. It's touch screen allows you to do more things with it more easily, such as double tapping any word for a definition that appears on the bottom, and writing notes on the handwriting application. The only real cons that go along with this product are the selection of books in the store, low screen contrast and the amount of time it takes to access the store (about a minute). Also it is extremely expensive compared with its predecessor (the touch edition) and the kindle, but if you are going to buy a lot of books it is worth the money.
Notes are easy to make with the stylus that's stored in the body and you can write directly on the page. Also the 2 page view is great as well. There are really no parts of this machine that underperform and i reccomend it to anyone willing to dole out 400 bucks to buy it.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The Sony REader Daily is almost what it should be
by Green Latern on February 23, 2010
Pros: Touch screen is very nice, besides the Sony store, you can download at Google books as well. Of course being able to obtain info from your library is another nice feature. It looks great, it has a great protective case, and works well.
Cons: The glare can be annoying at times, but like many have said, just tilt it a little and it is gone. The Kindle has more of a white background and the letters are darker for easier reading. Easy reading is the most important thing here folks.
Summary: I like the features, look, and larger screen for reading over the Kindle with its keyboard on the bottom.Of course being able to obtain information from your library is ...
Summary: I like the features, look, and larger screen for reading over the Kindle with its keyboard on the bottom.Of course being able to obtain information from your library is nice too. The layout of the WSJ on the Sony is better than the Kindle. Don't know why the layout is different. However the Kindle does not have glare, and it's easier to read compared to the Sony since it has more of a white background and the words are darker. It's not a big difference, but enough that it tempts me to get the Kindle. The most important thing is being able to read with your reader. Now it's true if you never saw the Kindle, you would say that the Sony reader is just fine. Yes there is still a glare, but not enough to turn you off from buying it. I can't believe they did not offer a contrast control. That would of allowed me to give this unit 4 full stars instead of 3 1/2. If you have read a paper back with the grey paper and black letters, the Sony is more like that. Still the more I have read with the Sony, the more I have gotten used to it and really have fallen in love with it.
Called Sony today 2/25/10, the price has dropped to $379 with free shipping. Looks a little better.
Updated on Feb 25, 20102 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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FANTASTIC!
by blastedenferno on May 5, 2010
Pros: Size, Style and Functionality... Touchscreen for taking notes and drawings as well as highlighting material. Battery life!
Cons: As many have said already... The contrast is kinda low, but that's the price of touchscreen. It was the exact same thing with all the Palms. That's pretty much it though.
Summary: My friends have the kindle, which seems to be the popular choice, but after comparing the two this was a no-brainer.
It supports epub which is probably going to be ...Summary: My friends have the kindle, which seems to be the popular choice, but after comparing the two this was a no-brainer.
It supports epub which is probably going to be the standard for these kinds of readers. The fact that the screen is so large and totally dedicated to the text, and not useless buttons like the kindle, makes it way more appealing.
You gotta love the way it looks and feels, as well as the weight.
The Battery is user replaceable unlike what the reviewer said, but why even worry about that... how often would you need to replace the battery? You barely even have to charge it.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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In general, a very good product
by puruagrawal on February 6, 2010
Pros: Large screen, good touch screen, can turn off wireless to prolong battery life, integrated oxford american dictionary, works with word files, two page view mode with horizontal orientation, user changeable battery, support for SD card & memory stick
Cons: 3G access can be slow, screen has glare issues, sony should provide ability to take stand alone notes, expensive at $399, included padded case is useless
Summary: I generally like this product. It feels sturdy, not too weighty, and easily fits into my briefcase without taking up a lot of additional room. Very convenient for reading on ...
Summary: I generally like this product. It feels sturdy, not too weighty, and easily fits into my briefcase without taking up a lot of additional room. Very convenient for reading on airplanes, as I travel a lot. I like the ability to get the news paper subscriptions and being able to download books just as you are getting on a plane is very convenient.
The library feature would be great if they actually had any libraries in Austin, TX supported. Strange, since Austin isn't exactly a small town with a population of nearly a million.
It would be really useful if you could take stand-alone notes on this, as it would double the utility of the product for me -- there are a lot of situations where it's not so easy to pull out and power up a laptop, and the reader's form factor would be very convenient to take notes, digitize them, and possibly integrate with One Note.
This product could also benefit from the ability to keep bookmarks across multiple books -- especially since it allows the user to keep hundreds of books in the storage.
I'm not sure why Sony bundles the daily reader with the padded case, since the leather binding seems to work just fine. I'd rather that Sony remove the padded case and reduce the price of the reader.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Device
by johnmcginty on February 3, 2010
Pros: CORRECTION: The Sony 900 Daily Edition has user replaceable battery and downloads from computer to reader are simple and quick. The author of this article is as wrong as he can be about these two issues listed in his "cons".
Cons: Screen could have a lighter background.
Summary: Focus of this device is reading plain and simple, and personal editing is very useful and very advantageous for people who like to make reading notes and bookmarks.
Summary: Focus of this device is reading plain and simple, and personal editing is very useful and very advantageous for people who like to make reading notes and bookmarks.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Disappointing
by tetyler on July 4, 2011
Pros: Good concept. Open file format allowing purchase of books from multiple stores (a very good thing, see below). Simple, intuitive use interface.
Cons: Notes/highlighting feature too buggy to use. If you take notes the way any good student would on a reasonably sized book, your notes will disappear without a trace, or your notes and highlights database will become corrupt and you will no longer be able t
Summary: Great idea, very poorly implemented. Probably ok for reading dime store novels, but not for any serious reading.
Summary: Great idea, very poorly implemented. Probably ok for reading dime store novels, but not for any serious reading.
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Sony customer service is horrible!
Pros: The reader itself was a nice size.
Cons: The screen was black and white, did not have a backlight option, the pages kind of flashed whenever you turned the page. The customer service is intolerable and if you give them your credit card, watch out and prepare to be ripped off.
Summary: I was charged for almost $200 worth of books on the reader that I didn't purchase and they refused to refund my money! I canceled my account and I'...
Summary: I was charged for almost $200 worth of books on the reader that I didn't purchase and they refused to refund my money! I canceled my account and I'm even getting a new credit card number so it can't continue happening.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: PRS-900BC
- Description: Experience the freedom to wirelessly browse, purchase and download books and periodicals with free 3G wireless access. Measuring just 0.6" thin and weighing only 12.75 ounces, the Reader Daily Edition also features a 7" paper-like display and touch screen navigation. With six adjustable font levels you can be sure to read easy in either portrait or landscape format. Plus, the Reader supports multiple formats including ePub and PDF while giving you access to over one million eBooks available at the Sony Reader Store. The Daily Edition is the premier digital reader for The Wall Street Journal, allowing the added freedom of subscribing to exclusive content and daily updates.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type eBook reader
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 5 in x 0.6 in x 8.1 in
- Weight 12.7 oz
- Color Black
- Packaged contents Stylus,
Carrying case,
Soft cover,
Sim card - Slot provided type [Dec 3, 2010 from CDS: Slot Provided] SIM card,
Memory Stick Duo,
SD Memory Card Display
- Type 7.1 in Monochrome E Ink
- Display Resolution 1024 x 600
- Touchscreen Yes
- Display type 7.1 in E Ink
- Color Depth 4-bit (16 gray levels)
- Max resolution 1024 x 600
Memory
- Supported Flash Memory Cards SD Memory Card,
Memory Stick Duo Communications
- Cellular Technology 3G
- Cellular Protocols HSPA,
GPRS,
EDGE,
UMTS Operating System / Software
- OS Required Microsoft Windows 7 Professional,
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium,
Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate,
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (32/64 bits),
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (32/64 bits),
Apple MacOS X 10.6,
Microsoft Windows Vista Business (32/64 bits),
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition,
Microsoft Windows XP Professional,
Apple MacOS X 10.5.6 or later,
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2,
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic (32/64 bits),
Apple MacOS X 10.4.11 or later,
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 or later,
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic EBook Reader
- Supported Text Formats EPUB ,
PDF ,
DOC ,
RTF ,
TXT - Supported Still Image Formats PNG,
JPEG,
BMP,
GIF - Features 3G wireless ,
Touch screen ,
Expandable memory Location
- GPS Navigation None
Multimedia
- Supported Digital Audio Formats AAC ,
MP3
Input Device
- Type Touch-screen
Power
- Battery installed (max) Lithium ion
- Power supply device Power adapter
Expansion and Connectivity
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SIM card,
1 x Memory Stick Duo,
1 x SD Memory Card - Interfaces 1 x USB 2.0
System Requirements for PC Connection
- System Requirements Details Windows XP - Celeron - 800 MHz - RAM 128 MB - HDD 20 MB,
Windows 7 - Celeron - 800 MHz - RAM 128 MB - HDD 20 MB,
Windows Vista - Celeron - 800 MHz - RAM 512 MB - HDD 20 MB,
MacOS X - PowerPC G3 - RAM 128 MB - HDD 20 MB Battery
- Technology / Form Factor Lithium ion
- Battery Life (pages) 12000 pages
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Power adapter , Stylus,
Carrying case,
Soft cover,
Sim card - Cables Included 1 x USB cable
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 5 in
- Depth 0.6 in
- Height 8.1 in
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 41 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 95 °F
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Sony
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790
