Product Description

The Reader Digital Book holds about 160 eBooks. Its portable size makes it the perfect travel companion, allowing you to read a variety of books whenever and wherever you want. With thousands of eBook titles available at The eBook Store from Sony, you can choose to download new releases, classics and popular book titles as well as view other document formats such as Adobe PDF10, RTF, TXT, BBeB and Microsoft Word. Its long battery life lasts up to 7,500 continuous page turns, and the amazing paper-like screen technology is easy on the eyes.

Product Details

• Color: Red
• Brand: Sony
• Model: PRS-505/RC
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• CPU: PowerPC G4 2.1 GHz
• Memory: 2000MB SDRAM
• Hard Disk: 1GB
• Processors: 1
• Display size: 6

Features

• Offers a unique, on-the-go reading experience and is the perfect travel companion. With a compact and lightweight design.
• Easy to read display - E-Paper display with quicker page turns
• Premium design - Simple, yet sophisticated with easier navigation
• Plenty of internal memory, and a slot for optional removable memory cards, you can take hundreds of titles.
• 20MB Minimum available Hard Drive space

Customer Reviews

Best reader on the market -- far clearer than PRS-700
This past fall, I bought the Sony PRS-505/LC Blue Digital Book Reader a few weeks PRIOR to finding out that Sony was going to be releasing a new model. At first, my inner gadget-aholic was crushed -- I wouldn't have the latest and greatest.

However, after now being able to compare and contrast -- I'm convinced that the PRS-505 is still a better reader.

-- The PRS-505 screen is a non-glare screen so that it doesn't show fingerprints and smudges.
-- I believe the buttons make for a much more user-friendly interface than the touch screen. I just don't really see the value of the touch screen.
-- The screen (and more importantly, the print) is significantly clearer on the PRS-505. This is due to the fact that in an effort to appease the "why isn't there backlighting" crowd, Sony has added LEDs around the frame to try to facilitate reading in the dark. This has had the effect of significantly reducing the contrast and clarity of the type.
-- From a tactile perspective -- I really don't like the ridges on the left hand side of the device. I'm left-handed so I tend to hold the reader with my left hand and it is not a nice feeling.
-- The PRS-505 is nearly 150.00 bucks cheaper than the 700. This will buy a lot of ebooks! And the trade off -- having to push buttons rather than having a touch screen is not worth the money.

It is clear that Sony has put the PRS-700 out to compete with the iRex iLiad Book Edition which has a touch screen and is twice the price. But it just doesn't cut it because the wireless capability is still not there.

If you would like to download newspapers etc, I would suggest checking out Calibre -- though, come to think of it, not sure if it works with the 700.

Calibre is a free/shareware book management utility and it also has a feature that allows you to "Fetch News". The list includes the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Wired, CNN, BBC, LA Times, and many foreign news sources as well. You can set up a schedule to have them downloaded auto-magically to your computer and to your Sony Reader.

Here is the link for Calibre:

http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/

Also, the MobileRead Forum is a very useful place to get information on where to get additional content any reader that exists today:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/

[[ standard disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with either of these sites or organizations -- I just found them to be EXTREMELY useful if you are new to the world of eReaders, DRM issues, device management etc.]]

When you compare the Sony PRS-700BC against the PRS-505 -- you are MUCH better sticking with the 505.

That said, if you are trying to decide between the Kindle or the Iliad, Sony, in my humble opinion still has the advantage.

-- Cost: The Sony PRS-505 is much less expensive than the Kindle and has a much better build and aesthetic quality (no cheap plastic here).
-- Supports a wider variety of formats than the Kindle: Amazon's Wireless Reading Device (though the Iliad is best from that respect -- but not 300.00 bucks better).
-- you can buy from a wide range of stores with Adobe Digital support. Today, I purchased a new fiction book that cost about 6.00 US (it costs 19.00 US via the Sony bookstore!!!)
-- better response time and page turns

No, the Sony still doesn't have wireless -- but again, that is not a limitation for me. If you really want to read newspapers on the eReader, you can get Calibre (a shareware format conversion and library management program) and download periodicals onto your PC and then use the USB connection to get them onto the reader.

For me, the thing that I really like about the Sony readers is that they are solidly built -- they use a metal case as opposed to cheap plastic. This makes the device heavier but to me, that is a bit like reading a hardcover vs a paperback. I personally prefer the more substantial feel.

The upshot -- if you are trying to decide whether to get the "latest Sony Technology" -- don't. Save your money and stick with the PRS 505. However, if you are trying to decide between Sony and one of the the main competitors (Iliad, Kindle, Ectaco jetBook e-Book Reader - Red), then go with the Sony.

NCJAR

Disabled Daughter Loves It!
My 16-year old daughter has a neuromuscular disease that leaves her with weak arms and hands. Reading actual books can be difficult due to the weight and bulk of a hardback or the thinkness of a paperback. This reader is the perfect solution for her.

My avid reader now enjoys reading independantly without the burden of handling an awkward book. She is able to operate all the reader's functions and can easily handle the unit itself due to its light weight.

There are many reviewers out there who speak of the technical side of this product. For me, it is more emotional. If your loved one finds difficulty in handling books, please consider this as an option. It has opened the doors of greater independence for my daughter.

Best e-ink ereader for the money
PROS: Least expensive e-ink ereader, easy to set up, works with secure Adobe epub ebooks.

CONS: Somewhat annoying flash when changing pages.

Before I purchased the Sony PRS-505, I investigated all the other e-ink ereaders on the market: Kindle 2, Sony PRS-700, iRex iLiad, Cybook and BeBook.

Although I liked the idea of wirelessly downloading ebooks instantly with the Kindle 2, I was put off that I would only have one source for purchased ebooks, that being Amazon.com. I was also put off by the high price for newspaper and magazine subscriptions (which would have been a plus if they were more reasonably priced).

I was leaning towards the Sony PRS-700 because it has a touch screen. It also has a faster processor and higher memory capacity than the PRS-505. However, the negative reviews about the touch screen and how it degrades the e-ink page made me think twice about spending an extra $100+ for this ereader. And the David Pogue review in the NYT put the nail in the coffin for me.

The iRex iLiad is the most expensive e-ink ereader I considered and also the most feature rich, with built in wi-fi and a large 8 inch touch screen. However I read some very negative reviews about its reliability and the fact it needs to be shipped back to Germany for repairs.

The Cybook and BeBook are comparably priced to the Sony PRS-505 and are probably good choices if you prefer purchased ebooks in the secure Mobipocket format. These ereaders are not so well known and have mixed reviews.

I have had the Sony PRS-505 ereader for 2 weeks and I am very pleased with it. I like the sleek metal finish and the dark red color (the only ereader that comes in red). It was very easy to set up and works flawlessly with the Sony software and Adobe Digital Editions software (which is required for secure Adobe Digital Editions ebooks or Adobe epub ebooks). I connect the PRS-505 to a HP laptop that is running 64 bit Windows Vista. I have a 2GB memory stick in the PRS-505 and I have loaded most of the ebooks I have on it. There are a lot of free ebooks readily available from sites such and manybooks.net, gutenberg.org and now the Sony bookstore with free Google ebooks. I found the controls on the PRS-505 to be quite intuitive. The e-ink display is very nice too and does look very much like actual paper. The only thing I don't like is the flash when I turn a page, which does distract from the reading experience.

I highly recommend the Sony PRS-505 to anyone who is looking for a reasonably priced e-ink ereader.