Another New E-Reader
Back in February I purchased an Aluratek Libre E-Reader. My review of it is here. Since then I have found myself reading more and more and I credit the Libre for that. I think the ease of use, combined with the ability to carry a number of books with you in a compact format, will make eReaders a “must have” item for many people, especially this holiday season. While I don’t think they will completely replace books, I think they will claim a large percentage of traditional book buyers dollars over the next few years.
Since I started using the Libre my wife (Pam) has expressed more interest in eReaders than she originally did. I think she saw how easy it was to use and decided that it might be nice to have an eReader for herself. So, after 8 months out of the market, we started searching for another eReader. We very quickly discovered that the market had changed since I purchased the Aluratek. Both the Kindle and the Nook had lowered prices quite a bit and there were several new eReaders on the market, including newly redesigned models from Sony.
After a couple of weeks of trying several different readers (including the Kindle, Nook and Kobo) Pam decided that she really wanted a smaller, compact reader without a lot of bells and whistles. She was impressed with the construction, look and responsiveness of the new 5 inch reader from Sony, the PRS-350. We ordered one from the Sony site a couple of weeks ago and so far Pam has really enjoyed it. Here is my “video review” of the PRS-350:
The Verdict
The Sony PRS-350 is a very nice eReader. Pam really enjoys it. It is built very solidly and feels substantial in your hand. While it feels solid it is also very compact and easy to use. Pam has small hands but she is easily able to hold it in one hand and use her finger to “swipe” across the touch screen to change pages. The touch screen works great and the navigation and menu buttons are fairly intuitive. The screen is fantastic and has much better contrast than my Aluratek and we both think it is better than either the Nook or Kindle (although it is close). Also, the ability to read EPUB documents, including borrowing books from the local library, was a big plus.
On the downside, the PRS-350 is a little expensive, but I think the build quality makes up for some of that. The lack of wi-fi connectivity is also a little puzzling. It wasn’t a deal-breaker for Pam but I could see how it could be for some people. Also, the PRS-350 does not have a separate slot to add a memory card. It relies on just the internal memory of 1.4 gig for storage. Once again that wasn’t a big deal for us but I know some people want to have 1000′s of books on their ereaders. If you want extra memory and/or wi-fi, the other two models in the Sony line offer these additional features. The PRS-650 has a memory card slot and the PRS-950 has wi-fi as well.
If you are looking for a straight forward eReader that does everything its supposed to do (let you read ebooks easily) without a lot of extras, the Sony PRS-350 is a great choice.
E Book And E-Reader Resources
Here are some links to resources I used when deciding which E-Reader to buy:
MobileRead Forums: This is a great resource. There are forums discussing all the major e readers as well as software tools, including Calibre, which I use to manage my growing ebook collection. Spend some time here and you will learn a lot.
Calibre Ebook Management Software: Calibre is a fantastic FREE software package that helps you manage your ebooks and e-readers. It does a lot of great stuff. Check it out!
eReaders on Amazon
Inkmesh: If you want to compare prices on ebooks, Inkmesh.com is the place! A very useful site.
