Sony PRS-505 Portable Digital e-Reader System (Silver)
by Sony
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Category: CE
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: SonyModel: PRS505S
Product features:
- displays eBooks purchased from the CONNECT eBook online store
- displays Adobe® PDFs, plus TXT, RTF, BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG and Microsoft® Word files
- plays MP3 and AAC files (protected files not supported)
- internal 192MB memory
- memory slot holds an SD Memory Card (up to 2GB capacity) and Memory Stick® Duo media (up to 8GB capacity)
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony PRS-505 Portable Digital e-Reader System (Silver)
Customer Review: Great product. Very versitile
Summary: 5 Stars
This review will cover many aspects of the product not covered in the other reviews,
*7500 page views - The term used is somewhat confusing; This is actually screen refreshes. Navigating the menu, putting the unit in standby, and the little spinning "working" icon all refresh the screen. Also, since standby uses battery life, this 7500 number is based on one sitting with a new fully charged battery. I read 2 RTF books totaling 2347 pages in 2 days, only near the end of the second book did the first 1/4 charge indicator disappear. About 5 days later I started up a new book, and almost immediately the second 1/4 indicator disappeared.
*Font Size. There are 3 relative font sizes. S-M-L. The actual pt size is based on the size the file is stored at. Thus if the base file is stored at 10px, then you will be able to choose, 8-10-12px as an example. The Base size for LRF files seems to be 16px, for a 12-16-20px font selection. The first time a font size is selected for a RTF there is a long wait while the computer formats the pages. When all font sizes have been chosen and formatted, for a given file, then the font can be quickly changed thereafter. If the base font size is too small, such as with RTFs, the size can be increased in a text editor then dropped back into the 505's memory.
*Screen color - The screen color is equivalent to many newspapers. The white background is slightly whiter if the unit is tilted away about 45 degrees, which may explain why the viewer is sometimes pictured at an angle.
*File delay - Opening any file the first time has a delay. The lowest delay is with LRF and LRX files--not surprisingly. RTFs, for example, can have a very long initial load time where there is not even a "working" icon, the unit appears to be locked up when it is not.
*Page margins - RTFs do not seem to have margins, but the LRX files do. I'm pretty sure the only reason those margins are there is tradition. There is no need for them at any resolution, with the text window as small as it is, besides, the edges of the unit act a frame, eliminating the usual visual appeal of margins. Because of page margins, with larger font sizes, most paragraphs wont fit on a page. RTFs are the way to go for a better reading experience because they utilize the entire viewable window.
*3rd Party support - This is where the Sony really shines compared to the Kindle and the reason I ultimately chose the Sony. There are many conversion programs out there to put a file in the best format for the reader. RTF works better than the native format or PDF, except for the aforementioned initial load delay. I've many Gigabytes of Manga. With the Sony I can drop the JPGs into the directory and read at my leisure. With the Kindle, I'd have to email-convert them.
*Unit may be locked - This feature doesn't get hardly any mention but it is great! If you have pictures, stories, or music loaded you don't want children or co-workers to see, you can lock the unit.
*Picture quality - About the same quality as a newspaper black and white.
*Leather Cover - This leather cover is far more tasteful than I expected. The outer is leather the inner is cloth, with thin magnets on the corners. The inner clasp is made of plastic however, so it is not designed to accommodate constant removal and replacement of the unit.
*File Indexing - Unfortunately, RTFs do not index well; they are listed by filename, but in a way this is better than how Sony indexes books. LRX files list books by first name not last. "The Duke of Saint-Simon" was listed under T, not D. "The Koran" was listed under T, for "Translated by Rev. J.M. Rodwell" Grouping files in the same folder will make them "collections" and somewhat easier to find; however, image files are all listed in added order, regardless of how they might be arranged in folders.
*Memory Cards - These are inset so do not come out easily as some might fear. Using my pinky and pressing hard isn't enough to make them unlock, I have to use my fingernail to push them in deeply enough to unlock.
*Sony Store - Most books are overpriced there. E-books have no minimum print runs, no appreciable storage fees, and shipping is almost nonexistent. There are also no return expenses. The only real cost associated with them is creating the file in the first place, after that everything is pure profit. Baen stated that their $5 books are more profitable than print. So much better that they give authors a bigger royalty. Yet e-books are being sold at hardcover prices. There were e-books for over $250 in the store. I don't mind paying a bit of a premium for an added benefit, such as reading a book before it is available in print, but with such a lower overhead, I expect to see some of that savings passed on to the customer. Hardcover prices for e-books clearly do not meet this requirement.
*3rd Generation - Many people don't realize that the first Sony reader was the Libre released only in Japan. This is actually Sony's 3rd Generation reader, not the second as many believe.
*Eye strain - Some this product's features are being inappropriately criticized. The lack of back light is a feature not an issue. Back lights cause eye strain over time, PDAs, with their back lights, are not designed to be continuously stared at for several hours , but this reader is. The off-white background is also easier on the eyes than pure white would be. Although I too would rather the white were slightly whiter, newspaper white is still acceptable.
Description of Sony PRS-505 Portable Digital e-Reader System (Silver)
Sony PRS505/SC Reader Digital Book The Reader Digital Book holds about 160 eBooks or hundreds more with optional removable memory cards. Its portable size makes it the perfect travel companion, allowing you to read a variety of books whenever and wherever you want. With thousands of eBook titles available at the eBook Store from Sony, you can choose to download new releases, classics and popular book titles as well as view other document formats such as Adobe® PDF10, RTF, TXT, BBeB® and Microsoft® Word. Its long battery life lasts up to 7,500 continuous page turns, and the amazing paper-like screen technology is easy on the eyes.Digital Cameras and Photo Categories
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