Manage updates with the Download AppSony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350SC (silver)
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: PRS-350SC
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- If you can overlook the fact that it's missing wireless connectivity, the Sony PRS-350 is a very nice little e-reader that's anchored by an impressive and easy-to-use touch interface.
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CNET editors' review
Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350SC (silver) price range: $104.89 - $311.49
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Edited by: John Falcone
- Reviewed on: 09/26/2010
The good: Very compact and lightweight; responsive touch-screen interface with no glare or contrast issues; high-contrast E Ink Pearl display; zippier performance than that of its predecessor; integration with Sony e-book store; good battery life (up to two weeks); supports ePub e-book standard, which allows for e-book downloads from libraries.
The bad: No Wi-Fi or 3G wireless means you'll need to drag and drop purchased books from a PC or Mac; more expensive than Wi-Fi versions of Kindle and Nook; no protective cover included; Sony Reader Store isn't quite as extensive as Amazon's or Barnes & Noble's.
The bottom line: If you can overlook the fact that it's missing wireless connectivity, the Sony PRS-350 is a very nice little e-reader that's anchored by an impressive and easy-to-use touch interface.
User reviews
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The reader to buy today!
by thxcam on September 27, 2010
Pros: E Ink screen, ePub support, compact size, battery life, dictionary, memory.
Cons: Arguably, the Sony price premium (but only $30 over a Kindle is worth every penny for ePub support).
Summary: I have been reading on hand held devices for over 10 years now; from my first monochrome Palm III, to a color Sony Clie, an Asus netbook and now to ...
Summary: I have been reading on hand held devices for over 10 years now; from my first monochrome Palm III, to a color Sony Clie, an Asus netbook and now to a dedicated ebook reader. I am a casual reader, usually finishing a book every few weeks. I bought the predecessor to this model, the Sony PRS300, over the Kindle for one major reason, ePub support. I don't collect books, so why would I want to buy them all the time when I can borrow them from the library? The Sony lets you read ebooks from the library, the Kindle does not. If I need or want to buy books, I am not tied exclusively to Amazon. Until Amazon adds ePub support, I wouldn't touch the Kindle.
The reason I chose a dedicated reader over an iPad type device is simple. The screen. If you want to read books, choose a device with an E Ink display, not a computer screen like the iPad. There is no comparison. Reading from an E Ink display is like reading from a printed page. Reading from an iPad (or other tablet with a back lit LCD screen) is like reading from a computer screen. It can produce eye strain and simply doesn't work well outdoors due to glare.
The lack of Wi-Fi is of no concern to me. I don't update content every day or even every week. I borrow or buy a few books, load them via my PC and I'm good for a month or two.
The features I missed from the previous device are now there; glare-free touch screen and built in dictionary. The 5" screen is big enough and the size is great for throwing in a jacket pocket. It's a very comfortable size to hold. I found the Nook to be quite bulky. The keyboard on the Kindle makes it bigger than it needs to be.
Also, by way of comparison, I bought the Sony Daily Edition because I thought I could use a bigger screen. It's really only necessary for periodicals and the previous generation Sony touch screens were quite glare prone. The touch screen glare problem has been fixed and I am more than happy with the PRS-350.
In my opinion, this is the best option for a pure book reader on the market today.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent Device, Typically Good Execution by Sony
by SAOUTCHIK on November 19, 2010
Pros: Excellent build, and comfortable in the hand to use. Nice and light, with good functionality
Cons: Nothing- it is just waht I wanted in a reader, and the price is now more competive.
Summary: Just picked this up on the occasion of the price drop to $149.99. Had my eye on it for weeks. The rendering of the text is excellent and very ...
Summary: Just picked this up on the occasion of the price drop to $149.99. Had my eye on it for weeks. The rendering of the text is excellent and very clear, and the feel of the device enhances the reading experience. Immediately downloaded some selections from my local library, and a few from Google books, which has most classics, and some unusual ephemera worth exploring. Page turning is quick, but I find the toggle button at the bottom of the reader easier to use than the touch screen. You don't have to take your hand off the device to turn the page that way. Set up had a couple of hiccups, as one needs an Adobe password as well as a Reader Store password, but I was impatient with the instructions. Potential buyers should know that the Sony Store has a stronger emphasis on business and technical books than Amazon appears to have,
I think we are heading for a "Small-Medium-Large-Extra Large" tech world: Phone, reader, tablet, destop monitor. A screen for every need, and a device for each function.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Readers Reader
by mobeale on October 2, 2010
Pros: Well designed, light, functional
Cons: Not large enough fanbase
Summary: This is a 100% clever and well designed product which is a pleasure to use. It functions exactly as a reader would hope. Light, not cheap plastic, an excellent touch ...
Summary: This is a 100% clever and well designed product which is a pleasure to use. It functions exactly as a reader would hope. Light, not cheap plastic, an excellent touch screen with clear text, a great dictionary function and a great improvement in PDF handling it exudes some "wow" feel when first handling it. Later, when using, it's just you and the words, very similar (and maybe better) to reading a BOOK!
Did I mention it's light weight? Multiple clear text sizes?
I find the other 2 readers I've looked at have a toyish feel. May be unfair as I haven't owned either. I got completely psyched by the Nook from reading about it but stopped short of buying when I actually saw and handled one.
Picture a sheet of pearl-like paper with a small border around it with easy touch navigation and that's what you have with the Sony. No extraneous bs.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great for what I need. The price could be lower.
by famca on September 28, 2010
Pros: Features lacking on the market leaders, such as the "invisible" touch screen, the annotating capability, the handling of PDF files,also the ePub capability, and MP3 for audiobooks or music,
Cons: The price is a bit high, but prices tend to drop over time. What were these devices just recently, over $400?
Summary: I feel the marketing may be directed at people who already have books and (especially) PDF documents they want to have at hand. So a bookstore, which is most important ...
Summary: I feel the marketing may be directed at people who already have books and (especially) PDF documents they want to have at hand. So a bookstore, which is most important for the seller of the device, is an afterthought here. I put more value on a touch screen, reflowability (is that a word?) of PDFs, and good contrast.
Available color screens have glare, something e_ink eliminates. You can wait until Mirasol devices incorporate color into a fast-refresh reflective screen , but these will be very expensive, at least at first.
Oh, and lack of wifi or 3G poses more of a problem for the seller of the device. They want an easy way to sell books, and wifi/3G provides that, By the way, wireless devices on the market can't connect to your PC to access the content there, so they have limited usefulness2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Over-priced, but otherwise high-quality e-reader
by OlderThanOld on September 27, 2010
Pros: I like the touch interface, the clearer display, and the fact there is no wireless connectivity.
Cons: The unit as listed is over-priced for what it delivers.
Summary: Overall, it's a great successor to the earlier Sony Pocket Reader. It incorporates the touch interface of the Touch Reader, and has a better display to boot. The expandability ...
Summary: Overall, it's a great successor to the earlier Sony Pocket Reader. It incorporates the touch interface of the Touch Reader, and has a better display to boot. The expandability that the Touch Edition had is not really missed, because of the increase in storage capacity. The overall size is a plus; it's very pocketable. Build quality is great, as you'd expect from Sony products.
The problems that seem most noticeable to me are the lack of things like a cover and a charger. For the price, a separate charger should be included in the box, rather than requiring that all charging be done via an anemic USB connection. This is a problem that Sony seems to inflict on their customers for their e-readers - you have to pay extra for something that should be standard.
Some reviewers complain about the lack of wireless connectivity. I don't see this as a problem. For me, it removes the possibility of Sony doing something like Amazon did a while back when they deleted 1984 and Animal Farm from Kindles whose owners had bought the books in good faith, over a copyright dispute. I don't want Sony, Amazon, or any other vendor being able to meddle with my books, once I've paid for them. Having no wireless functionality prevents this from even being possible.
Bottom line summary - over-priced, well-made, compact e-reader for those who don't require or want wireless capability.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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best birthday present ive ever gotten, my first ereader
by GunshotGlamour on May 8, 2011
Pros: quick response touch screen, screen is crisp and clear, no glare, the way the stylus hides right in the corner makes no worry of losing it.
Cons: no light so you cant read it in the dark, no memory slot for expanding memory, no wi-fi, no 3g
Summary: this is my first e-reader, my husband bought it for me for my birthday yesterday. so far ive played with it for quite a while, and its still fully charged. ...
Summary: this is my first e-reader, my husband bought it for me for my birthday yesterday. so far ive played with it for quite a while, and its still fully charged. ive already added 5 books to it, which makes 13 total with the ones that come on it. although you have to actually plug it into your computer to add books it's quite simple to do it and its very quick. the only problem ive had is when i charged it thru USB (when i first opened it) i let it charge for about 6 hours and it still never said it was finished, so i unplugged it and attempted to turn it on and it said 'low battery' and shut right off. so i plugged it into the wall, let it charge and after 5 mins the light on the top shut off and it was fully charged. other than that i think its possibly the best e-reader ive used (ive used the kindle and the nook) this surpasses them both by FAR! i like how small it is, and my favorite thing about it is the way you can draw or right notes, the tapping in the corner to easily and simply bookmark a page, and how you can tap ANY word twice and it will pull up its meaning in the dictionary. i also like how you dont have to push down on the touch screen for it to register your moves, the lightest most gentle touch is more than enough for the PRS-350. so as for now, ill stick with sony!!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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so much improvement from the previous version !
by astridw10 on May 6, 2011
Pros: light , a really dedicated ebook reader , internal memory is more than enough , the screen is great (no glare).
Cons: small font size (but it's propotional to its size , so it's no bother for me actually !)
Summary: A really dedicated ebook reader , why did I say that ? because with no wireless function , no web browser , no mp3 feature , it really is just the perfect gadget for reading ...
Summary: A really dedicated ebook reader , why did I say that ? because with no wireless function , no web browser , no mp3 feature , it really is just the perfect gadget for reading only ! It's my second ebook reader , the firs one being sony reader prs 600 , I wanted to feel the improvement of the screen (couldn't find the prs 650 , so I bought this one) and no I'm fully satisfied ! :D I even realize how I don't really that much memory that prs 600/650 offers , 2gb internal memory in prs 350 is enough . the mp3 feature ? I never use it !
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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One of the best ebook readers.
by protoesp on May 3, 2011
Pros: Lightweight, an ideal companion for its size, good storage capacity.
Cons: No audio compared to the other Sony Reader models, no SD card slot, no wireless ebook store (I have to go on turn on the computer before buying a new book).
Summary: Overall this reader is 4 out of 5.
Summary: Overall this reader is 4 out of 5.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The best e-reader, forget the locked in Kindle
by mgillespie2 on April 9, 2011
Pros: E-PUB support
Great display
snappy performance
fantastic build quality
excellent battery life.Cons: small price premium over others, but worth every penny.
Summary: The best reader by a long shot. If you want onboard connectivity get the 950.
Summary: The best reader by a long shot. If you want onboard connectivity get the 950.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best portable e-reader. Only major negative is cost.
by PF_ on April 8, 2011
Pros: 1) Pocket size, but big enough for enjoyable reading experience. 2) epub support, so free copies of current books available from library. 3) Touch screen, it's the difference between a good and a great reading experience. 4) Long battery life.
Cons: 1) High cost for e-rook coeader and the lighted book cover. 2) The lighted book cover is too wide (+1 inch), but is so darn useful I can't get rid of it...
Summary: Great e-reader. The Sony should be ranked higher by CNET. The Kindle is nice hardware, but is too big, has no touch screen, and does not support epub borrowing from ...
Summary: Great e-reader. The Sony should be ranked higher by CNET. The Kindle is nice hardware, but is too big, has no touch screen, and does not support epub borrowing from libraries. The Sony lack of wi-fi/3g is a trivial issue for a dedicated e-reader (I've got hundreds of free e-books loaded and waiting to be read), and color screens run down the batteries with no benefit to most readers (except children with color picture books)...
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: PRS-350SC
- Description: Take your favorite books to go with the Reader Pocket Edition by Sony. Its smart, lightweight design makes it perfect for on-the-go reading. Choose more content from more places like Reader Store from Sony, where you can access new releases or choose from over two million titles and find links to borrow eBooks from public libraries.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type eBook reader
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 4.11 in x 0.33 nm x 5.71 in
- Weight 5.64 oz
- Color Silver
Display
- Type 5 in,
Monochrome E Ink - Display Resolution 800 x 600
- Touchscreen Yes
- Display type 5 in,
E Ink - Color Depth 4-bit (16 gray levels)
- Max resolution 800 x 600
Memory
- Flash Memory 2 GB
- Flash memory installed 2 GB
Operating System / Software
- OS Required Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit Edition SP2 or later,
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition SP2 or later,
Microsoft Windows Vista Business 64-bit Edition SP2 or later,
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition SP2 or later,
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic SP2 or later,
Apple MacOS X 10.5.8 or later,
Microsoft Windows 7 Starter,
Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP2 or later,
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP2 or later,
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP2 or later,
Apple MacOS X 10.6.3 or later,
Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (32/64 bits),
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (32/64 bits),
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 SP3 or later,
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP3 or later,
Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3 or later,
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP3 or later,
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic (32/64 bits),
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (32/64 bits),
Apple MacOS X 10.4.11 or later EBook Reader
- Supported Text Formats EPUB ,
PDF ,
RTF ,
TXT ,
BBeB DRM - Supported Still Image Formats PNG,
JPEG,
BMP,
GIF - Features Touch screen
Location
- GPS Navigation None
Input Device
- Type Touch-screen
Power
- Recharge Time 3 hour(s)
Expansion and Connectivity
- Interfaces 1 x USB 2.0
System Requirements for PC Connection
- System Requirements Details Windows XP - Celeron - 800 MHz - RAM 128 MB - HDD 100 MB,
Windows 7/Vista - Celeron - 800 MHz - RAM 512 MB - HDD 100 MB,
MacOS X 10.4.11 or later - PowerPC G3 - RAM 128 MB - HDD 60 MB Battery
- Capacity 940 mAh
- Run Time 14 day(s)
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x USB cable
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 4.11 in
- Depth 0.33 nm
- Height 5.71 in
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts - 1 year,
Limited warranty - Labor - 90 days Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 41 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 95 °F
Product series
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Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350SC (silver)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: 5 in,
Monochrome E Ink,
4.11 in x 0.33 nm x 5.71 in,
5.64 oz -
Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350PC (pink)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: 5 in,
Monochrome E Ink,
4.11 in x 0.33 in x 5.71 in,
5.64 mg
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
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