Not interested in the Amazon Kindle or the Barnes and Noble Nook electronic book readers? Your not alone. Many people choose to go the "Sony" way and purchase one of their readers. In this article we will go over some of the ways in which the Sony PRS-600 Touch Edition electronic book reader is different.

Possible Deal breakers:

If you want to be able to use your electronic book reader without a computer (3G cellular connection like the Kindle or Nook) then the Sony PRS-600 is NOT for you. This electronic book reader requires a computer to download and transfer your electronic books and other content to it. Click here to check out electronic book readers with built in wireless downloading ability.

Highlights

• 6" Touch screen
• Resolution 800 x 600
• 8 Levels Grey-scale (Kindle and Nook have 16 levels)
• Internal Memory (512 with 380 accessable)
• Additional Memory Support for Sony Memory Stick Pro DUO and SDHC
• Battery is sealed inside, with about 2 weeks usage before re-charging.
• Retails for around $299 USD.

Introduction

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Sony was pretty much the first ones on the electronic book scene, and have recently been losing market share to both Amazon ("Kindle" electronic book readers) as well as Barnes and Noble (Newly introduced "Nook")

Sony has introduced some features that can not be found on other readers on the market today and many people skip over the Sony family of book readers because they are currently not the most popular.  I think that people should be informed of all products available before purchasing so they can make the best decision based on their needs, which is why I write these reviews.

Screen

Sony has implemented a 6" e-Ink 800 x 600 resolution touch screen in the PRS-600 Touch Edition. The problem with the Kindle and the Nook is that they are button driven. Sony has changed this with introduction of the PRS-600 Touch Edition reader. Want to change the page of the book you are reading? Simply swipe your finger across the page and it automatically recognises this motion and changes the page. Brilliant. The touch ability takes a little while to get used to as it is not as sensitive as say an iPhone or iPod touch. Play around with the touch abilities for a few minutes and you will quickly learn the best way to use it.

The screen is somewhat more reflective than the other mainstream electronic book readers (perhaps due to the touchscreen) If you are sensitive to glare you may want to try another reader. We have heard that some people return the PRS-600 in favor of a Kindle 2 while others said it takes a few hours of reading to get used to it and have loved the reader ever since.

Font

Sony has included 5 font sizes for people who want to increase or decrease the text size from the normal level. This benefit helps people who can not see smaller text.  Simply press the hardware button with the magnifiying glass to change the font size.

Size and Weight and Colors

• Size in inches : 6.9 x 4.8 x .4
• Weight  : 10.1 oz
• Available in Red, Black and Silver colors (Aluminum metal case)

Battery

The Sony PRS-600 Reader has a integrated battery which means it is not user replaceable. If your battery fails within the first year it will be replaced by Sony free of charge.  Battery life (until death) is not something to overly worry yourself with, as these batteries usually fail after 2-3 years (If not more). This of course depends on how many charge cycles you have been through, but even the most hardcore bibliophiles will have trouble running through the life cycle of the battery inside.  That being said, even though it is not "user-servicable" it can be replaced if you have a screw driver and feel comfortable taking apart your investment.

Sony quotes a full charge will last 7500 page turns. This was calculated by fully charging the electronic book reader and then going through 7500 pages back to back.  Of course normal usage will not be this extreme and should generally last you between a week and a half to two weeks with normal usage.  In today's society we are trained to recharge our electronic devices even when they are not completely depleted, so we do not see this (or any other electronic book battery life) as a problem. We recommend recharging once a week and you never have to worry about your electronic book being flat or dead.

Memory

The Sony PRS-600 has 512 kb of internal memory, of which you can access around 380 kb.  Not to worry, since Sony has a proprietory memory card standard, they have included Sony Memory Stick Pro DUO slot as well as an SDHC slot (For the SD memory fans).  This is very important, it means that you can expand the internal memory to fulfill your needs. If 380 kb of space is not enough (Roughly 300-400 books) simply pop in your Sony Memory Stick Pro DUO or SDHC card and have more space than you could ever need (16GB). Amazon dropped this feature with the Kindle 2 and is one of the reasons why some choose the Sony PRS-600 over the Kindle 2.

Dictionary

A built in dictionary is included in the Sony PRS-600. This is one of our favorite features when using this device. Don't know a word? No problem. Simply use your fingure (or stylus) to double tap the word you are enquiring about and it will pop up the dictionary definition which is very usefull.  While the other electronic book readers offer dictionaries, we love how easy it is to look up the words, with other readers you have to manually navigate to highlight the word which is a nuisance. Sony did a good job integrating the dictionary and the touch features into this device.

Supported File Formats

The Sony PRS-600 supports many electronic book formats, you can download them directly from the Sony eBook store, or perhaps browse Google's public domain book store which will give you thousands of free electronic books formatted perfectly for your Sony reader. Here are the supported file formats:

• BBeB Book (PRS DRM protected)
• ePub
• BBeB Book
• PDF
• TXT
• RTF
• Microsoft Word (Conversion requires Word on PC)

Graphics:

• JPEG
• PNG
• GIF
• BMP

Music:

• MP3 (Non-Encrypted)
• AAC (Non-Encrypted)

Editors Note: You may be wondering why Sony has included support for Graphics and Music files, it is just as you suspected, you can add images to make slideshows and also play your music files (although most people with iPods will neglect this feature)

Navigation

Navigation is done either with your finger or the included stylus.  Since we have never enjoyed or appreciated stylus's, we opted to test the unit with our finger.  While the touch interface is not as sensitive (as stated earlier) as other touch screen devices on the market today it is completely fine and works great.

Left, Right, Home, Magnify and Options buttons

Handwriting

The Sony PRS-600 Touch Edition has a feature that the other main stream electronic book readers do not.  The reader allows you to use the included stylus to write hand written notes or other things to yourself.  We love this feature and kind of with our other readers had it as well.

In the Box

• Reader
• USB cable for charging and synching the device
• Protective neoprene sleeve
• Quick start guide

Editors Note: No CD is included, once you plug your Sony reader into the computer, the software will automatically install.

We hope this guide gave you a good overview of the Sony PRS-600, which is a fine electronic book reader.  Our favorite parts of this device is the touch screen, the sleek aluminum exterior and general feel of the unit.  While the screen is more reflective than other comparable electronic book readers, we feel this is acceptable because of the added touch screen.  Because this model has no built in wireless connection, we can not in good faith recommend this electronic book reader to people who plan on using it without a computer or who plan on downloading books on the go, the functionality simply is not there. If you have a computer and can transfer books this way, then you will have no problems with the device. Enjoy your PRS-600 Touch Edition and feel free to comment below with your opinions.

Product Page:

PRS-600: Black, Silver, Red