Review: The Sony Pocket Edition (PRS-300) Reader
Note: Check out my other related posts! Learn more about the Sony Ebook Reader Software. If you’re not sure what ebook reader to buy, this Ebook Comparison Post might help.
My decision to upgrade to the new Sony Pocket Edition Reader was based on two reasons: First, I wanted to take advantage of Sony’s move to ePub as its standard ebook format. Second, the price was right. At $199 it was worth the upgrade and I decided to do it now, while I had a little extra cash and not wait until such a purchase would break me.
Now for the nuts and bolts. As I played with my new Reader after bringing it home on Saturday night, I took notes (once a student, always a student) about my experience. Here’s how the Pocket Edition stacks up as an ebook reader.
First Impressions
Out of the box, the device feels sturdy and has a nice weight to it. The screen is smaller (5″) than my PRS-500 (6″) but that doesn’t bother me. I was also happy that it came pre-charged, so I was able to turn it on right away without having to plug it in and wait for it to charge.
My only disappointment in this regard is the fact that the device does not come with a power adapter. If you want one of those, you have to buy it separately. The Reader will charge when plugged into a computer via the USB cable that comes with it. Luckily I have a power adapter from my PRS-500 that should work fine.
When the Reader is turned on for the first time it takes you through a short and simple set-up. You are asked to select your preferred language. And then it asks your preference for the date/time format. In all, the set-up takes less than a minute.
Sony’s eBook Library Software 3.0
Now that Sony has finally decided to offer it’s software for the Mac, I downloaded the 3.0 version. The download itself is fast and only took a few minutes. Once downloaded and installed you are ready to go. If you already have an eBook Library account with Sony, you can sign in with your old username and password. This is great because it means you can still access all the ebooks you have purchased in the past.
Another big plus is that it lets you download past purchases to load onto your new device. So the book I’m currently reading and the few books I haven’t gotten to yet aren’t going to waste. I plugged my Pocket Edition into my computer and got it ‘authorized’ via the My Account settings. Once that is finished you are ready to go.
The user interface for the eBook Library Software is the same as it’s always been. It is definitely not iTunes, but is still easy and gets the job done. At the very least, the software is intuitive enough that you can figure everything out on your own with relative ease.
The Sony Pocket Edition (PRS-300) eReader
As I mentioned before, the device itself feels sturdy when held in the hands. It’s obviously not made of cheap plastic. The design is sleek and I love the light silver color. Yes, the screen is smaller but Sony makes up for it with a crisp display and plenty of contrast between the words and background (more on that later).
On feature I like is the arrow buttons to turn the pages are located in the middle of the device. So whether your left-handed or right-handed you can turn the pages with ease. In a side-by-side comparison with my older PRS-500, the speed of the page turns is about the same on the Pocket Edition (maybe slightly faster). However, when turning the device on, the PRS-300 turns on a lot faster than its predecessor.
Reading on the Pocket Edition is about like I suspected, great! The improved display contrast makes for a pleasant reading experience. I will only have to get used to reading off of a slightly smaller screen than my older Reader, which is no big deal considering I read a lot of digital content on my iPhone.
Another part of the PRS-300 I like is the simple controls. There’s a button for all the functions you will need with numbered buttons down the right-hand side for selecting menu options. This device is made for just reading, so Sony has minimized the distractions on the user interface.
Some critics of the Sony eReaders continue to decry the slight delay in turning the pages. I found this to be a non-issue. Not having the next page pop right up is more akin to turning the page on a print book. When I was contemplating buying the first PRS-500 a few years ago, I worried about this page turning issue as well. Then I saw a review video someone had posted and I saw it for myself. “That’s not bad at all,” I thought. A few days later I had my first dedicated ebook reading device.
Why did I chose the Pocket Edition over the Touch Edition?
For $100 more I could have gotten the Touch Edition, which comes with the ability for expanded memory, a touch screen, the ability to write notes and annotate the text, as well as audio feature. The simple answer is that I don’t need all those features. If I want to listen to music, I have my iPhone. If I need to take notes, I always carry a notebook and pen around with me. And I never annotate the books I’m reading (except when I was in college), so I don’t expect to start now.
Also, I was able to visit my local Sony Style store and see the two devices side-by-side. When I played around with the Touch Edition, I had problems turning the page. It could have been just the display unit, or maybe my finger swiping technique was off. But I want simplicity with my reading. Nevertheless I liked how simple the Pocket Edition was and decided that it was the device for me.
The only plus to the Touch Edition in my mind is the larger screen size. The Touch Edition has a 6″ screen, the same as my PRS-500. I thought it might be an issue as I was researching the two Readers online. But when I saw them in person I realized a 1″ difference shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
Final Thoughts
Overall I’m very pleased with the Pocket Edition. I’m going to put it through its paces over the next few weeks and I will try and remember to write a follow-up review that will include things like the battery life and any other issues that come up in my daily reading. I also want to try and post a short video demonstration of the eReader, along with a comparison of my older model.
Yes, I am recommending the Pocket Edition to anyone who is in the market for a good, solid ebook reading device. The improving e-ink technology makes digital reading very close to reading a printed page.
Related posts
- Barnes & Noble’s Nook vs. the Sony Reader Pocket Edition
- Love my Sony Pocket Edition Reader, hate the Sony ebook software
- Unboxing pictures of a new Sony Pocket Edition Reader
- Sony releases new ebook software, compatible with Mac, leaves out PRS-500 support
- Sony unveils wireless eReader
Read More: Technology, eBooks
This was my first digital reader, and being from Canada, SONY was really the only choice.
I waffled back and forth between the Touch and Pocket edition as well. I eventually decided on the Pocket edition, and after reading a couple of books on it, I’m so glad I did.
For me the clincher was the screen. Maybe it was just the lights in the SonyStyle store, but I really think the reduced contrast on the Touch edition would have bothered me after awhile.Besides, the reduced weight and size of the Pocket edition really has the feel of a pocket book, especially after purchasing for the leather cover (my only beef is that it wasn’t included with the initial purchase).
The only problem I’m having now is with my wife and kids are getting tired of me proclaiming how much I love this thing.
Just wondering if you could take a picture of the Pocket Reader vs. the size of a paperback novel. I’ve been wanting an eBook reader and this would fit the bill, but I don’t want anything with a screen any smaller than a paperback novel.
Thanks!
Hi Michael, thank you for your comment!
I am planning on either doing a video review of the Sony Pocked Edition Reader or post more pictures. Either way I will do a side-by-side comparison with a paperback novel.
So far, I’m loving my new Pocket Edition. I’ll admit the screen is a little smaller than I anticipated, but it is not an issue. The display is crisp and the contrast between the text and background is good.
Stay tuned for more details…
Just got one tonight, can’t stop playing with it! I can’t explain why, but the small size just isn’t an issue at all. I’ve been using BIG text as well and it’s just somehow fun to turn a page every minute or so, maybe because it’s new, but I just LOVE the size. It is so easy and comfortable to hold. Crazy about the thing! BUT…aren’t I supposed to turn it off ever? There is no off button? Any ideas???
I can’t get the software loaded. What’s the deal. It keeps giving an error to check my internet connection. My internet connection is working. I’ve tried different computers, still can’t use it
The software goes down sometimes. I think because it is so new. I’m sure you already got it to work, but try again. It is working for me right now, but periodically gives me that message. Patience is the key with that software
l’m having the same trouble as pam software wont load now on my eighth attempt.
Now I am all paranoid that things aren’t going to go well. I got the 300 for Christmas and downloaded the software in minutes and have purchased two books with no problem. I guess I am now goign to be waiting for a shoe to drop sigh. I have been really happy with it thus far.
I do though have a call into the public library cause the site says it supports the 500 but doesn’t list the 300. I am not sure if it will work or not has anyone tried this?
Hey all, thanks for your comments!
I can sympathize with all of you having software issues. I was able to load Sony’s software with relative ease, but since then it has been freezing up and crashing a lot. Very annoying.
As of yet, I have been unable to find a remedy for Sony’s horrible program. Even after they updated it not too long ago it is still just as bad.
@Sheila If you still cannot successfully load the software, you might want to try contacting Sony. I haven’t done this, but it’s worth a shot.
As I’ve said before, the PRS-300 itself is a great device and I’ve never had any issues with it. You can bypass Sony’s ebookstore and use a program called Calibre – it allows you to manage your ebooks and can even convert between the various formats. Then you can buy ebooks on websites like Fictionwise and Smashwords.
As Dolly said, patience is the key to Sony’s ebook software. They really need to fix all the bugs and give us a decent program to go with the ebook readers or they’ll lose customers left and right.
Thanks again for all the comments!
Brad
PRS-300 looks as a good choice, comparing the price of competition. Pity it does not have support for expansion and dictionary. Still, market of e-readers is far from maturity.
I got a PRS-300 for Christmas ‘09 and am having all sorts of issues with it. The first experience was awful because Sony’s ebook site was down ALL day and night on Christmas. I wasn’t able to load my first book until the next day. It gives an error message saying to check your internet connection. This agravates me because my internet connectivity was fine, but their site was down. Shouldn’t the error message say “Our site is currently down, please try again later.” I wish I would have got a Kindle instead of a Sony, I’ve never had a problem with not being able to connect to Amazon.
The second major issue I have had since I was given this gift is that my pocket reader will not keep a charge. It says it is to last for 2 weeks, mine doesn’t last for 2 days.
I’m very disappointed with the PRS-300 and am planning to try to return it today or tomorrow.
Best of luck to everyone else.
A very informative review.
I’m considering buying this model but sadly there isn’t a Sony store in my area. Can the text be read from any angle or do you have to hold the reader a certain way to see the text clearly?
Hi Dina, thank you for your comment.
Yes, generally the text can be read from most angles. The only exception to this is when there’s a glare (from the sun, for example). When I read at night with my itty bitty booklight I make minor adjustments to the angle of my reader to avoid the glare from the light. It’s by no means distracting though.
Just keep in mind that all ebook reading devices have this problem in one way or another. For the Sony Reader Pocket Edition, I would not consider it a deal breaker.
Good luck and thanks again for your comment.
-Brad
Thank you Brad,
The Sony pocket edition sounds like what I’ve been looking for in a ebook reader. Thanks again for the info
Hi Brad,
Nice review !
I am based out of India and I recently had a friend pick up a Sony PRS-300 Pocket Edition from the US, and i had no idea till i opened the box that the Sony PRS 300 is only authorized to work in the US and Canada.
I installed the Reader Library software and went to the Sony Store to buy a book. When i went to buy the book, the library software tells me it has to “Authorize” the device, else, it says, i may not be able to read the book that i downloaded. When i went to authorize it, it rejected throwing up an Error 2027. There was no reference to the error list. Sony tells me i have to call up a US number to get fix.
Secondly, Sony doesnt recognize Non US or Non Canada Credit Card addresses, so its difficult to buy anything from their store with my Indian Card.
Is there a way to authorise the device and also to buy books which are not slaved to the reader software ?
Thanks
Venky
Nice review, thanks.
Have you tried reading pdfs on it? One of the things I want a reader for is to do all of my work-related reading – most of which comes in pdf format. I’m a bit concerned about how they display – are they readable or does retaining the format mean the size of the text is too small to read comfortably, or do you have to read a bit of the page at a time?
Thanks
My daughter brought me sony reader PRS300 and i was happy to get it. While loading book an error occur ed showing loading continually and i was unable to make it OFF. any how i kept it as it is and screen become normal Again after a week I made it on the same screen appeared with two Arrows with LOADING indication loading underneath the screen Is there any solution to this problem? please forward on my E-mail Address.
Hi, I’m just about to quote your article on my blog and I thought I would check if its ok? I’ll put a linkback as well!
Hi Albert. Yes, you may quote from this post, I appreciate you asking. Thanks!
I bought this for myself as a birthday gift, while it was on sale. Very pleased with it. Had a few problems, but learned that some of it was just the library reading the prs-300 content, I’ve learned patience.
Dolly, there is a way to turn it off, go to the home page (the button looks like a house-far left button), go to settings, then advanced settings, there you will see the Device Shutdown option.
I have a prs 300 and love it. One thing bugs me a little, though: Lines are broken up in strange ways. Sometimes just one letter of a word is taken to the next line, sometimes just a period. What is the reason for that?
Also, I don’t suppose any books already downloaded to the reader can be deleted? They automatically included some excerpts and foreign language stuff I would like to get rid of.
Thanks for your help.
Rick