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However, after checking the Kindle library, I found that many books, particularly non-fiction, that I was interested in were not there (yet). With free conversion software such as Calibre, the PRS-505 could read most popular document formats.
There is little need for instantaneous wireless book purchase capability.I had no problem zooming in a pdf page (Small, Medium, Large), unless it was an image.Reading was easy on the eyes, though you need to have sufficient light.Page turning was not instantaneous, but acceptable at around 1 second (longer for pdf).I would have bought the new PRS-700 with its convenient touch screen, high-lighting and notes capabilities, but was unsure about the reduced screen clarity.The PRS-505 fills the basic need of an ereader at half the cost of competitive devices. Another advantage is the memory stick and SD card slots.
This is a huge advantage over the Kindle which only supports its own proprietary format (you'd have to email Kindle the document you want to convert). size is 2Gb, but I have a 8Gb SDHC SD card and have had no problem.With an 8Gb SD card, I can practically store millions of pages or over ten thousand books.
I initially considered the Kindle due to the more extensive Kindle bookstore. The Kindle 2 does not have built-in support for pdf and other formats, so reading material available online is very cumbersome or impossible.The Sony PRS-505 that I finally bought turned out to be very well-constructed, of the right size for reading AND holding, and support pdf document format.
The manual says max.
I purchased the PRS-505 right after Christmas and within a week started having problems with the device hanging. After talking with tech support I ended up returning and exchanging the device.
Tech support is no help, they just read scripts to me to tell me to reset the device.Add to that the general unresponsiveness of the device even when it's working, and the annoyance of needing to connect it to my PC to download books, and the fact that I've seen books in my local grocery store that cost $12.00 LESS than the cost of downloading them from Sony, well you get the picture.It's a good looking device, and it's handy for traveling when it works, but it's simply not worth the headache. It works for a while, then hangs, then works again (maybe).
Unfortunately the new unit appears to be no better. It can connect to the PC for an hour and then refuse to connect again for a day, or a week.
This is a device that I truly want to love, but I've had so many problems with it that I'm going to give up and get a Kindle. It was nearly impossible to get it to reset (there's a super-secret bunch sequence of button presses and incantations you have to chant to hard reset the device).
It might talk to my PC, it might not.
There are sometimes promotionals from Sony that you can look into to drop the price of the Sony 505, or you can use credits or coupons from your Amazon card. For me, this isn't an issue because all I need the reader for is for reading eBooks. But there is such a wealth of material on Google public domain books, it'll be quite a while before you dip your hand into purchasing titles from the Sony library.I've had my Sony 505 for a couple of weeks now and I am very satisfied with its performance, look, and function. Not worth the extra money, in my opinion.One more consideration or "negative" about eBook readers is the exorbitant price of these devices. The web designers for Sony's eBook site were either hired at a cut rate, or didn't give a hoot about the functionality of it. Until the retail price of these readers approaches $150, the high cost may be a deterrent for many to buy this reader and other reader brands.Now for the good stuff. It is solidly built and is very easy to navigate.
Add a SD card or Sony memory card and you'll have more than enough books to keep you busy for a year or more.The Sony 505 is a classy looking device and doesn't look cheap. You can also listen to music via the headphone port, but this will seriously bring down the battery power of your reader very quickly, so beware.My reader is full of public domain novels and articles which can be downloaded via the Sony eBook library software. Since most of us use a computer in our daily chores, no wireless is not a problem. As has been noted in other reviews, the Sony 505 has problems with displaying pdf files properly. Number two, the Sony eBook website is very slow, clunky, and stupid. Besides, it'll cost you an extra $100 or so to have this feature on another brand.
The Sony 505 is everything you want in an eReader. The regular books for purchase are relatively expensive if you consider that these are just eBooks. Let's get the negatives out of the way. But after a while, the pain goes away and you'll actually get use to it.It doesn't have the capability to download books over wireless, but this is such a non-issue because all your downloading can be accomplished with your computer anyway. The display is crisp and clean, and you can literally load tens of dozens of eBooks into this little device.
Otherwise, great way to have all your books always with you and not carry great weight. great product, but be careful not to drop it, that's how I lost my previous one. Easy to read, just like regular paper back
There are some free books on the Sony book store and tons of free books available from Google. The menus are easy to navigate and the text is plenty big for us. The ability to listen to MP3 music while you are reading is also a nice feature, although you'll probably need to buy a few SD cards (2 GB max) to store your music on. I bought the Sony rather than the Kindle because we live overseas and the wireless connection is useless to us, so why pay extra for it. of course I've only had it for a few days so I don't know how reliable it will be yet. I don't bother with the zoom feature, but it works if you need it.
Overall this seems like a great, quality product. I bought this reader for my wife's birthday but I haven't given her a chance to use it yet. The Sony fits our needs perfectly. sure they are old any many are things you would never even consider reading, but hey, free is free.
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