Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 (silver)
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: PRS-300SC
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- While Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 has a basic feature set, its $200 price tag, compact size, and Epub file compatibility make it an appealing e-book reader.
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CNET editors' review
Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 (silver) price range: $189.99 - $222.99
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Edited by: John P. Falcone
- Reviewed on: 09/09/2009
The good: With its sharp 5-inch screen, the Sony Reader Pocket Edition is much more compact than the Kindle 2 and fits comfortably in one hand when reading; font size is adjustable; decent battery life; Sony's eBook Library software is now both Windows- and Mac-compatible, with best sellers costing $9.99 (just like Amazon); Epub file compatibility lets you access thousands of free classic Google Books and loaner files from many local libraries; also displays Word and PDF files.
The bad: No expandable memory; battery is sealed into unit; screen may be too small for some people; limited zoom function with PDF files; cannot display JPEGs or play back MP3 files; not as zippy as the step-up PRS-600; USB charging only works from PCs.
The bottom line: While Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 has a basic feature set, its $200 price tag, compact size, and Epub file compatibility make it an appealing e-book reader.
When it comes to e-book readers, the jury is still out on what screen size is ideal. Until recently, consumers were pretty much limited to choosing between 6-inch models from Sony, Amazon, and a few lesser-known manufacturers. But now new e-readers are cropping up in both larger and smaller sizes, and Sony's 5-inch Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300) is making a bid to capture a chunk of the nascent e-reader market.
As the entry-level model in Sony's 2009 e-book lineup, the comparatively diminutive PRS-300 has neither the touch screen that's found on the $300 PRS-600 Reader Touch Edition nor the built-in 3G cellular wireless connection of the $400 Reader Daily Edition and its archrival, the $300 Amazon Kindle. This model also lacks expansion slots for more memory, annotation and note-taking capabilities, a built-in dictionary, and the MP3 audio of its step-up siblings. But while the PRS-300 Reader Pocket Edition sticks to the basics, it has the most attractive price tag to date for a mainstream e-reader: $200. And unlike the Kindle, its use of the Epub file format opens the door to a variety of free content, including public domain Google Books downloads and titles that can be electronically checked out from many local libraries.
Measuring 6.25 inches by 4.25 inches by 0.41 inch and weighing just less than half a pound, the PRS-300 looks to be about 20 percent smaller than the PRS-600. It's hard to call it a true pocket device as the iPhone is, but it will slip into the inside pocket of most sports coats (we tried it with a blue blazer), as well as cargo pants pockets. The unit comes with an inexpensive yet functional neoprene black slip cover. Fancier covers are also available.
This model comes in blue, silver, and rose, and retains the look, feel, and interface of earlier Readers. While this doesn't quite have the minimalist styling of the touch-screen PRS-600 and PRS-700, this model does have a nice, clean look with only a handful of buttons that keeps things simple and makes navigating the device pretty straightforward. Below the screen, you'll find a five-way directional pad, plus home, back, bookmark, and zoom; to the right are 10 buttons that correspond to navigation options on menu screens.
The PRS-300's 5-inch screen offers 800x600 resolution and eight levels of grayscale (color e-book screens won't be available anytime soon). Like most other electronic paper products, the PRS-300 uses e-ink technology, which serves to make the letters and words on the screen look more printlike in their appearance. One of the characteristics of e-ink is that when you turn a page or scroll from one onscreen menu item to another, there's a slight delay as the screen refreshes. That's true of this model, too, and while the lag isn't irksome, we did get the impression that the step-up PRS-600 was zippier and turned pages a fraction of a second more quickly. (Note: When dealing with PDF files, especially larger size ones, the unit definitely slows down and appears downright sluggish at times.)
While the PRS-600 may have a speed advantage, the PRS-300 does offer better contrast. Comparing the PRS-300 with the PRS-600 side by side, the first thing you notice is that the letters and icons on this model appear significantly darker, and the background on the PRS-600 is slightly darker (read: a darker shade of gray). The reason, ironically, is that the PRS-300 lacks a touch screen. That's because the touch screen adds an extra layer to the display, which seems to reduce the contrast. In fact, we thought the PRS-300's contrast was arguably a hair better than the Kindle. The entry-level Sony also doesn't have any of the PRS-600's glare issues (another pesky by-product of the touch screen).
In case you're wondering, there's no way to adjust the contrast. (There's also no backlight, but considering that it didn't really work well in the PRS-700, we're not complaining.) You can adjust the size of the letters. With the Size button, you can choose among three font settings: small, medium, and large. While the absolute sizes vary from title to title, a 5-inch screen (diagonal) doesn't give you a lot of real estate. In one case, the large font size yielded just 11 lines with about four words per line; in other cases, it was 15 to 17 lines. However, if you move to the "small" setting, you move up to 26 lines of text with around 10 words per line. (Note: You can manually set the screen to display vertically or horizontally, but we really didn't like the horizontal setting for reading books.)
The small font setting actually equates to the font size you'd find in your typical paperback book, so it's not that tiny and should work fine for most people. That said, you do run into some justification issues (words spread awkwardly across a line) and reading purists might be put off having to turn pages every 15 seconds or so, depending on your reading speed. But all in all, the reading experience was better than we expected and we really did like the PRS-300's design. The PRS-300 just fits more comfortably in your hand, and since it's lighter than 6-inch readers, you can hold it for longer without having your hand/arm get tired.
On a less positive note, the included lithium ion battery isn't user replaceable--you have to send the unit back to Sony if the battery dies--but it does offer good battery life (Sony says you should get up to 7,000 page turns, or about two weeks of usage, from a single charge).
We were also a bit disappointed that the unit doesn't ship with an AC adapter (it's an optional accessory that costs $29.99); instead, the default charging option is limited to connecting the Reader to your PC with the included USB cable. If you happen to own a Sony PSP, the charger from that device works with this one. It's also worth noting that we couldn't charge the Reader with a standard USB cable connected to a 5V power adapter, such as the standard iPod wall charger.
On the content side, Sony has made a great effort to catch up with Amazon in terms of the number of books it has available, as well as pricing (like Amazon, Sony charges $9.99 for best sellers). With the addition of thousands of free public domain titles from Google (which includes many pre-WWI classics), Sony boasts more than 1 million titles in the Sony eBook Library, and that number continues to grow.
Sony has also upgraded its eBook Library PC software (it's up to version 3.0), and--hallelujah--it's now available for both Windows and Mac machines. While the process of transferring content to the device isn't as convenient as downloading books wirelessly to the unit, as you can with the Kindle (so long as you can get a signal), Sony's definitely improved its software to the point where it has become pretty easy to use and not the liability it once was. Still, there are some small quirks you'll discover that make you think there's room for additional tweaks.
Downloading a purchased book is a two-step process. You launch the software, connect the Reader via USB, and browse the eBook Library, which in some ways is better organized and superior to the e-book store built into the Kindle. After you purchase a title, it goes into a special folder; you then drag the title onto the icon for the device and it transfers to it. All in all, it's fairly simple. And adding nonencrypted files isn't hard, either. After downloading a file to your computer, you import that file to your library using the "import" function and drag it over to the "Reader" icon on the left side of your screen.
In fact, as we've said before, one of the Reader's strengths is its ability to read other formats besides encrypted Sony eBooks from the store. The Reader is capable of displaying text, RTF, Word, BBeB Book files, and EPUB files, as well as PDFs. However, the zoom functionality on PDFs is basically limited to toggling to landscape mode, so anyone for whom robust PDF support is mission critical should probably look elsewhere.
Another big plus is that the PRS-300 and other Sony Readers are compatible with digital books from local libraries, which have just begun lending out e-books using an EPUB file format with a 21-day expiration. The selection is currently very limited, but anything that's available is free to download.
At $199, the Sony Reader Pocket Edition isn't a total bargain (we'd like to see it at $150), but it is appealing because it's more compact than the Kindle 2 and costs $100 less. If you're looking for an e-reader that has such extras as notes and annotations capabilities and the ability to display large font sizes with a decent amount of text per line, this is not the e-reader for you. Nor is it for someone who's looking to mix in some periodical reading, basic Web browsing, and audio capabilities (the Kindle offers subscriptions to several daily newspapers and monthly magazines, as will the forthcoming Sony Reader Daily Edition). But if you just want to read e-books in a variety of formats, the PRS-300 is worth a long look. We liked it despite its shortcomings.
User reviews
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Outstandingly good e-reader
by Paulddb on September 12, 2009
Pros: small enough to fit in a jacket or trousers hip pocket
compact enough to take everywhere
good contrast and screen clarity
good battery life
will charge using iPhone or iPod charger (?)
pleasurable reading experience
pages numberedCons: I can find no cons.
The weaknesses mentioned in the review are minor things that no not impact the reading experience. A larger screen would hold more text, but I bought this reader because if its portability.Summary: Despite lack of fancy features, the PRS-300 is perfect for my purpose - reading books. It's easy to hold (I use the optional leather cover); it goes in a ...
Summary: Despite lack of fancy features, the PRS-300 is perfect for my purpose - reading books. It's easy to hold (I use the optional leather cover); it goes in a jacket pocket and even in trousers hip pocket, and I do find myself taking it everywhere to grab a few minutes reading, even in places where I might not take a printed book. It's the sheer convenience of having this reader with me that makes it outstanding.
After one week of heavy use, the battery still shows full charge. I found that the iPhone/ iPod charger does seem to charge through the USB port, but I may be mistaken.
I chose this because screen contrast and clarity are better than the touch-screen PRS-600; the larger screen has a preferable page layout, but for me contrast is more important.
The review complains of sluggish page turns - I often flick back a few pages to read a prior passage, and page turning is still as quick as with a paper book. The pages are numbered (unlike Kindle) and reformat according to font size. Even if you read several books concurrently, the Sony remembers your page in every book you've read.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fantastic Build Quality and SLEEK Design
by steveinny1 on November 22, 2009
Pros: Abilility to digitally borrow books from my public Library!
Excellent Quality (metal front), built to last.
Nice Sony library as well as free Google public domain book downloads.Cons: Maybe another page turning button on the side of the device would be nice, but the device is compact enough that the 4 way rocker is easy to reach.
Summary: I have owned a PRS500, PRS505 and now this PRS300. I alos have an Amazon Kindle. I love the quality that goes into the sony, the attention to detail and ...
Summary: I have owned a PRS500, PRS505 and now this PRS300. I alos have an Amazon Kindle. I love the quality that goes into the sony, the attention to detail and its very sleek design. Wireless downloads are nice, but not a dealbreaker. I mean, how many books does this device hold? At least a couple of hundred. You can certainly wait to synch it to your PC without having a crisis! Personally, I have about 350 digital books in my library and I would have run out of space a long time ago if these were print edition books. Now Sony lets me borrow books digitally from my public library...I am simply blown away. It works flawlessly and adds another dimension of usefulness to this already necessary device. Yes, I said necessary (to me, an avid reader and gadget lover...I am in Nirvana.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Does what it needs to
by poonam316 on November 18, 2009
Pros: Solid feel, long battery life, text clarity
Cons: button for page change, page flip time
Summary: I travel frequently and finally got tired of carrying around a book or even two when I knew I would finish the first. I decided to jump on the opportunity ...
Summary: I travel frequently and finally got tired of carrying around a book or even two when I knew I would finish the first. I decided to jump on the opportunity to purchase one when I found a great deal. I didn't need any sort of fancy 3g internet connection, nor did I need an MP3 player so I decided to go with the PRS-300. The size was welcoming as the price was one to beat, even at retail price compared to the other options out there. I have had this product for over a month now and have found that it does what it needs to and I have not run into any issues as of yet. The PRS-300 has a 5" reading screen. There are three different text sizes and I have found that the 2nd or middle text size is best suited for my eyes. it will take approximately 30 seconds for me to read an average page before I have to flip to the next page. I have found that the page flip will take about 1 second to refresh. For me this was a little slow but I've got used to it now. The reader feels solid in my hand while reading. Does not have a plastic cheap feel like a few other out there. I wish Sony would have place a button on the side to flip the page so you do not have to keep your thumb positioned over the center circle button, but once again, I have gotten used to it. I download books off of the internet and use Google's free listings for all of the book I upload. I always download several books to my computer which takes a matter of seconds and then sync them to my reader using Calibre. Therefore, I have found no need for an internet connection to download books. I have an iPod and hate to listen to music while I read, so I never found the need for MP3 play option. I read only for pleasure now and have no need to annotate text either. I also believe I have an extensive vocabulary, so no need for a dictionary. So, if you do not require any of these features, this is the reader for you. It is also small in size and thin, i can pack it away in my brief case without even noticing I have it on me. Sony includes a neoprene sleeve for the reader. Although it is a nicely constructed sleeve, I would prefer to have a leather book style case. For some reason, they are very expensive and I have waited to dive into that purchase. For the time being, the provided sleeve will do just fine. All in all, I consider to be a good product and does what it needs to do. Basically eliminate the need for thick books to be carting around while traveling and allow yourself to have hundreds of books just a few clicks away.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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It works better than the last eReader I tried
by junk64 on September 22, 2009
Pros: ts 5" screen seems a nicer viewing size than the more common 6" ones.
Cons: Menu's don't change text size. Packaging is the kind we all dread to open.
Summary: "I've only had it a few hours but its readability is unmatched. I sat in a coffee shoppe this morning as the sun beamed onto the device. My eyes ...
Summary: "I've only had it a few hours but its readability is unmatched. I sat in a coffee shoppe this morning as the sun beamed onto the device. My eyes were in the shade yet it remained very easy and comfortable to read!
The packaging is terrible. It is that bubble sealed kind that requires a knife or scissors and, after returning from overseas, I've yet to put my pocket knife back in my pocket. So it was most difficult to open.
The software is downloadable from Sony and I prepared about a 100 ePub books so when I got the unit I could quickly add content ( it comes pre-charged ). Well, it froze on the first attempt. Apparently one of the files is corrupt. Once I trimmed the list of books down to about 10 books, it worked.
The software does not provide a "print list" as I wanted to share my reading list with others. It does have a "print book" option. And the ePub file names are very cryptic so I could not use a simple list of those names to share either.
On the unit, you can adjust the text size to three sizes. This change does not change the menu text.
Overall, a great unit and it may help me to read more. It seems the PRS-300 is the very first affordable eBook reader. It claims to hold about 350 books. I don't need "always connected" eReader as the Kindle. I just want to read books. The text is so crisp and clear. Page turning is easy. I even think I like landscape better ( a button adjust this option ).
With the optional cover, it is a little big. It won't fit in a shirt pocket like the iPhone does. Actually, without the optional cover it would not fit there either but that is ok. It is much smaller that most all other eReaders.
I paid just under $250 with tax for the reader and the cover. All the books I put on it were the ePub format and were free. Best selection seems to be http://feedbooks.com but it appears you can buy books at the Sony store ( the software, like iTunes will take you to the store ). Feedbooks offers download in many formats but I chose the ePub to begin with.
The big difference in this eBook reader is the ePub software. This sets it apart from the Kindle which cannot read this standard. ePub can be open ( see http://feedbooks.com/ ) or DRM'd for sale." Also see Google Books at http://books.google.com2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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An excellent no-frills ebook reader
by Crunchy_Frog on September 19, 2009
Pros: Compact size, high contrast screen, nice white background, easy to use controls, open formats for endless reading
Cons: Slow clunky sync program, foam slip cover ofers no screen protection, screen fades badly in sunlight
Summary: For my first eBook reader, the Sony PRS-300 makes me glad I waited. The unit is a joy to use and I have found tons of great free books on ...
Summary: For my first eBook reader, the Sony PRS-300 makes me glad I waited. The unit is a joy to use and I have found tons of great free books on the Internet so now I can easily read when I have a spare moment.
So far the battery life is amazing. Hours of use and it has not gone down at all. The high contrast screen makes reading a pure joy in all light conditions except in direct sunlight. There appears to be an issue with the screens and may be a defect that when you initiate a page turn while sunlight is on the screen, the text is very light and hard to read. Only the areas where light is on it is light so if you shade the screen, the problem does not show. I have read it may be a bad batch so I may exchange it.
Other than the sreen issue the unit is amazing and I highly recommend it for anyone who just needs a basic reader to read book after book on for a low price and high portability.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: PRS-300SC
- Description: The Reader Pocket Edition sports a five-inch electronic paper display packaged in a stylish chassis. The Reader Pocket Edition is easy to navigate with one hand, and fits into a purse or jacket pocket. The diminutive device can store about 350 standard eBooks and provides up to two weeks of reading enjoyment on a single battery charge.
General
- Product Type eBook reader
- Width 4.2 in
- Depth 0.4 in
- Height 6.2 in
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 4.2 in x .4 in x 6.2 in
- Color Silver
- Weight 7.7 oz
- Color Silver
- Included Accessories Protective cover
Display
- Display Type 5 in E Ink
- Display type 5 in E Ink
- Image 3-bit (8 gray levels)
- Display Resolution 800 x 600
Telecom
- Modem None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Interfaces Hi-Speed USB
Power
- Battery installed (max) 1 Lithium ion
EBook Reader
- Supported Text Formats PDF, RTF, TXT, BBeB, EPUB, BBeB DRM
- Supported Still Image Formats JPEG
- Battery Life (pages) 7500 pages
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x USB cable
Battery
- Installed Qty (Max Supported) 1
- Technology / Form Factor Lithium ion
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 41 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 95 °F
Product series
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Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 (blue)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs:
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Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 (rose)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs:
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Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 (silver)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs:
Manufacturer info
- Sony
- Manufacturer profile
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- Website: http://www.sonystyle.com
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790
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