Features – Hardware and Software 

The Sony PRS T1BC offers the same core reading experience as the Sony PRS Touch Edition: excellent reading screen, convenient navigation via the ultra-responsive touchscreen, support for multiple book formats, month-long battery life, and multiple page or text customization options.

There are two ways to take down notes or highlight texts: using the virtual keyboard or using one’s own handwriting (the eReader comes with a stylus for this purpose). Support for handwriting remains unique to Sony eReaders.

On the one hand, the Sony PRS T1BC has gotten lighter. It’s down to 5.9 ounces, a change which some users will think as unnecessary since the PRS 650 already had the right heft. The PRS T1BC comes with a support for Dropbox and other cloud-based storages: users can download files from the cloud via WiFi. Users can now download library books directly into the device as well. Like the rest of the PRS T1 models, casing is made of plastic instead of the traditional aluminum.

Where Sony should really have improved on is the screen refresh rate of the PRS T1BC. The eReader refreshes on every page turn — hence the more frequent flashes –  whereas the new Kindles, Kobo, and Nook eReaders refreshes only every 4-6 pages.

Pros

An open platform, the Sony PRS T1BC lets you download books from the Sony eBook store and a host of other eBookstores including Kobo. Hard drive can be surmounted with microSD card for added storage as well as USB from drop-and-dragging files. Integrated library support allows for direct lending from local libraries via Overdrive.

The ability to write on the screen using your own handwriting is a convenient and cool feature. You can write down notes on the margins of books, keep a journal, sketch diagrams, draw, and many more.

Cons

eBooks at the Sony Reader Store are more expensive than rival bookstores (Kindle, Nook, Kobo). Also, choices are fewer. The eReader doesn’t support taps for turning pages. To go up or back a page, you have to swipe the left or right corner of the page. This action can cause finger fatigue after a while. You can’t enhance the eReader with apps; Sony doesn’t have an app store yet.

The Bottom Line

Based on specs alone, Sony has created an able rival for the Kindle in the Sony PRS T1BC. Perhaps what the company needs to do next, if it really wants to advance in the eReader game, is to improve its eBookstore and eReader services.

Features – Hardware and Software

The Sony PRS 950 Daily Edition Reader is slated for release this November, but Sony has posted some of the details on the FCC website (via MobileRead). Basically, the device will carry over many of the features of the Sony PRS 900 including 7-inch screen size, 2GB storage, support for portrait or landscape orientation, memory stick expansion slots, and attractive aluminum enclosure. It will still let you borrow library books, access millions of Google Books, and download books from a variety of retailers and online sites. 

On the other hand, the Sony PRS 950 is designed to provide better readability. Firstly, it will now come with the eInk Pearl screen, and Sony is also replacing the touch layer found in the PRS 300 with optical sensing technology. The new optical-based screen can provide more responsive interface without reducing contrast of device as the previous technology did. The device will respond to both finger and stylus input. There’s also a virtual keyboard for text input.     

The PRS 950 will have more battery life than the Sony PRS 350 and 650. Sony says the device can deliver 27 days of reading with the wireless turned off – close to Kindle 3’s 1 month of battery life. No word yet how thin and how big the device will be, but Sony promises it will be slimmer. What’s known though is that will be lighter than the previous iteration (it will weigh 8.99 ounces only), and it will now come with six font sizes. The device will also allow users personalize the screensaver with their own photos.      

Like the Nook, the device can browse the web via WiFi connection only. 3G will be used for access to the Sony Reader Store and for book and periodical downloads. Once wireless radio is turned on, the device will search for WiFi network first. If it is not found, the device will automatically connect to the AT&T 3G network. If you decide to upgrade to the PRS 950 from any older Sony model, all your previously bought books from the Sony Store will automatically be synched to your new device.

The Bottom Line

The Sony PRS 950 is slated for a November release. It promises to be stronger than the last generation Daily Edition Reader. We will reserve full verdict, however, until we have experienced the device.

Features – Hardware and Software

One of the most notable improvements in the Sony PRS 650 is its readability. Gone is the murky, glary resistive touchscreen found in the PRS 600. What you have now is a screen that is clear and has high contrast. Two hardware changes are keys to this. First, Sony replaced the old screen with eInk’s new Pearl display. Then the designers removed the touch layer that caused the glares and lower contrast of the PRS 600. Instead, the device is using optical technology for sensing finger swipes, taps, and jabs. The use of infrared sensing has also improved overall responsive of the device. Page turning and menu navigation is faster and more intuitive.

Like its predecessor, the Touch Edition Reader 2 supports freehand note-taking and highlighting of texts. You can also use the virtual keyboard to add notes. (A note taking software is bundled with the device.)

No changes in design has been made to the new Sony PRS 650 that people may miss the slight reduction in the size of the device. The device now comes with a more compact 5.71 x 4.11 inch measurement. It now comes with a thinner girth of 0.36 inches and now weighs a very light 7.58 ounces only.

Onboard storage, on the other hand, is beefed up from 512MB (enough for 350 books only) to 2GB (it can now store up to 1200 eBooks). By inserting external storage device into SD and Memory Stick Duo expansion slots, you can to bring up to 50,000 books at a time.

There are now six font sizes available to give readers, particularly those suffering from low vision, more options in optimizing readability of texts (basing it on their personal reading comfort level). Search function has become handier now that there are 2 English language dictionaries available (The New Oxford American Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of English). The device also packs 10 translation dictionaries.

Like its predecessors, the new Sony Touch Edition Reader supports a wide variety of text files. It can display ePub, DRM-protected PDF, BBeb, LRF, Doc, Txt, and RTF files. Images supported include JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP. The Sony Reader PRS 650 can also play MP3 and AAC audio files – a feature that is lacking from the PRS 350. There’s no improvement in battery life of the Sony PRS 650. Battery life is still 2 weeks or 7500 page refreshes per charge.

The Sony PRS 650 now has built-in WiFi connectivity for accessing bookstores.

The Bottom Line

With the Sony PRS 650’s more responsive touch interface, better screen contrast, and faster page turns, it can easily find its way into the upper echelon of eReaders again.

Features – Hardware and Software

The new Sony PRS 350 Reader looks pretty in pink or silver, but you will be impressed more by its clearer screen and noticeably improved readability. Contrast is more than 50 times better than the PRS 300, as the second generation Pocket Edition Reader uses eInk’s new Pearl display with 16 grayscale level. And while screen size is still five inches, the new device now offers touch interface. It may not be as responsive as the iPad’s, but it’s definitely more responsive than the Sony Touch Edition’s.

Indeed, Sony seems to have finally hit its stride when it comes to its touch technology. The company has managed to improve the Sony PRS-350’s responsiveness without compromising readability. The designers achieved this by using infrared technology instead of adding touch layer on top of the screen.  The result – a noticeably faster response to touch commands. Gone are the glares, too, (added touch layer increased reflectivity of screen of the Sony Touch) and contrast issues (letters on the Sony Touch were not as dark as the Kindle 2’s). You can use your finger to turn pages or mark up texts or write down notes.

The addition of touch interface has also allowed Sony to trim the device to a more compact size. The PRS 350 has become more pocketable than ever as its chassis has been whittled on all sides to 5.75 x 4.12 inches. Waistline is also slimmer at 0.344 inches (the same size as the Kindle 3’s). The Sony PRS 350 still uses the same pink or silver casing, but it now comes with smaller buttons. Instead of 4 big rounded shortcut buttons, the device now features narrow rectangular keys placed horizontally next to each other directly below the screen. The big D-pad wheel is gone.

While weight is significantly reduced to a lighter 5.64 ounces, onboard storage is increased to 2GB (it can store up to 1200 eBooks). The Sony PRS 350 still supports ePub (DRM and non DRM), PDF (DRM and nonDRM), Microsoft Word, and other text formats. It can display JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP image files. Battery life, while it still doesn’t match up to Kindle 3’s, is still a good 2 weeks worth of reading per full charge.

The Bottom Line

The new Sony PRS 350 comes with a price tag of $179.99 – just $10 cheaper than the 3G + WiFi-enabled Kindle 3G. It may not have the convenience brought by built-in wireless connectivity, but for those looking for a more organic way to interact with books, the Sony PRS 350 is truly a bargain.

Hot on the tracks of the Sony Touch Edition, the Sony Reader Daily Edition is ready to take the market away from the Amazon Kindle. With a name like “Daily Edition”, you can expect some newsreading abilities. But does Sony have other tricks in the bag that make it live up to its reputation as a potential Kindle killer?

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Features – Hardware and Software
 

With 2GB onboard memory – 2 and half times more than what the previous Sony ereader offered – the Sony Reader Daily Edition lets you carry up to a thousand books at a time. And with its dual memory expansion card slot, we are talking about a virtually limitless reading library. 
But in order to place toe to toe with its main rival, the Amazon Kindle, Sony equips its third installment with 3G capability. Reader users will be able to shop, purchase, or download books, magazines, and newspapers over the AT&T network. 
Cherry-picking some of the mistakes of Kindle, lack of touch pad for one, the Sony Daily Edition Reader is rolled out with touch sensitive screen. The object is to give readers a reading experience that is quite similar to reading a paper back: pages can be flipped with the swipe of a finger, written with notes on the margin, or highlighted sectionally with a stylus.
At 7 inches, the Sony Daily Edition Reader boasts of a bigger screen display than its predecessor. Users will find this size suitable for comfortable reading of broad sheet pages like magazines and newspapers. The Daily Edition has also improved contrast/resolution. With 16 grayscales – twice that of the Sony 700 –  the Daily Edition is now on par with the Kindle 2 in terms of clarity of images and crispness of text.
But what has really captured the imagination of the reading public – and what gives the Sony Daily Edition Reader an edge over its rivals –  is its library lending and finding features. Users will be able to borrow e-books from their local library for 14-29 days, depending on the library’s borrowing policies. No late fees to pay; the ebooks automatically expire at the end of the lending period. The library software is compatible with Mac and other PCs.

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The Bottom line!
 

If you are looking for a device that gives you freedom in accessing your content, you don’t have to wait any longer – the Sony Reader Daily Edition Reader will be available in stores this December for $399. Light, attractive-looking, wired, and fully-featured, what more can you ask from an e-reader? 
 

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Features

While Sony didn’t provide an upgrade to memory in this edition, with 512MB capable of storing up to 350 books, along with dual expansion slots for both SD and Memory Stick Duo memory cards, did they really need to?

What they did add was a stylus for writing freehand notes and annotations, making this Touch Edition an excellent choice for students, PDA users and business users. They’ve also included a built in dictionary that brings up definitions with just a double tap of the screen.

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As for software, Sony’s eBook library software, no long slim pickings with nearly 1 million offerings, is now compatible with both Windows and the Mac.

The Bottom Line

Sony has certainly made some necessary improvements over its previous touchscreen entry, and its $299 mid-price offering fills a void in the Sony lineup. For those who are looking for a sleek, easy to use touchscreen and can live without wireless capability, the Touch Edition is just the eReader for you.

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Features

With the reduced size of the Pocket Edition measuring just 6-1/4 x 4-1/4 inches, comes a reduced screen size as well, just five inches compared with the six inches that has been standard among eReaders. Fortunately, the font sizes are adjustable, so this doesn’t necessarily mean the print size will be smaller as well.

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While the size of the product has been reduced the memory capabilities remain impressive, with the Sony Pocket Edition offering 512MB storage, allowing it to hold up to 350 books. What it does lack is the expandable memory capability that its mid-priced big brother, the Sony Touch Edition, offers.

Sony’s online eBook store does now support both Windows and Mac, and the Pocket Edition also features what all Sony eReaders boast – the capability to read the ePub format, opening up a new range of possibilities for book purchases and free public domain offerings, something the Kindle is known for NOT offering. In fact, with the addition of thousands of free public domain offerings, the Sony eBook store now has nearly 1 million offerings, a marked improvement over its slim pickings of the past.

The Bottom Line

While the Pocket Edition doesn’t offer the bells and whistles of its more expensive counterparts, its low price tag and small size are certain to find plenty of takers for this spiffy entry-level Sony eReader.

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FEATURES – HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

The Sony PRS-505 set the standard in eReaders with a huge leap in graphics, a high-resolution, high-contrast, electronic paper display that delivers a realistic print look rivaling traditional paper and using minimal battery power- a technology known as e-ink. For those looking for relief from the eyestrain of the LCD screens in their cell phones and other gadgets, this sooths tech-related headaches and make daylight screen glare and squinting a thing of the past. The high contrast and high resolution offer a reading experience that rivals that of a regular paper book.

With the capacity to store up to 160 typical eBooks, the Sony can become your own mobile library. Expansion slots for Memory Stick Duo or SD memory cards make the device’s library potential even greater. More advanced users will appreciate the new USB storage capability that allows them to use the device as a portable drive for document transfers, images and other files to the Reader.

Since Sony’s launch of the CONNECT eBooks store last year, the number of downloadable eBooks offered has expanded to more than 20,000 titles with new ones added weekly.

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