Portable Ebook Reader

The PRS-700 is Sony’s 3rd generation ebook reader. It comes with some fancy new features, like a touch screen, side lighting (for reading in the dark), and a much improved user interface. It retails for approximately $349 USD.

Some of the other improvements from previous Sony Reader generations include: increased speed for page turns, faster CPU (now 532 MHz, like the Amazon Kindle 2), larger font sizes, and better PDF viewing. Unfortunately not everything can be seen as an improvement. The new touch screen functionality requires a layer on top of the eInk display, as well as frame-mounted LED side lights. This all adds up to worse contrast and glare and takes away from the eInk viewing experience.

Features of the Sony Reader PRS-700

Advanced Design

• Small size - 6.8″ x 5.2″ x 0.4″
• Light weight - only 10 ounces!
• Both internal and expansion memory - 512 MB internal, up to 36 GB SDHC expansion card
• Long battery life - Li-Ion battery provides up to 7500 page turns between charges

Enhanced Reading

• Touch screen - allows users to annotate by way of a virtual keyboard
• LED lighting - better reading in low light conditions

File Formats Supported

• DRM-free Text - LRF, PDF, TXT, RTF, ePub
• DRM Text - LRX, Secure PDF, ePub
• DRM-free Audio - MP3, AAC
• Images - GIF, PNG, JPG, BMP
• RSS - limited to 20 featured blogs

Sony Reader PRS-700 Recommendation

The Sony Reader PRS-700 is a big improvement over Sony’s previous ebook readers (PRS-500, PRS-505), but it still leaves a bit to be desired. Some folks may find the touch screen useful and trendy, but we think it’s ahead of its time if it conflicts with the readability of eInk technology.

Considering that its nearest competitor is the Amazon Kindle 2, Sony has definitely thrown down the gauntlet, as it beats the Kindle 2 in the areas of PDF viewing and having a touch screen (if you consider that a good feature, of course). On the other hand, the Kindle 2 is arguably easier to read and has more internal memory (more storage for books). So in our opinion, it’s a toss-up as to which of these two devices is better. We’d recommend that you try to find a friend who has each device and take them for a test drive to make your own decision.

Rating:
(7.00 out of 10)  Loading ...

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