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  • Overall Rating
    4 stars 4 Star Review
    Reviewed by: RGizzi

    Updated:07-02-08

    Duration of ownership:14 Days

    Strengths: Amount of book storage is amazing. I like the easy movement of turning pages, etc. Very lightweight

    Weaknesses: Until you start getting used to it, to me it feels clunky learning your way around, but then again, that can be with any new software

    Overall Evaluation: I just love it. It is so covenient for someone that is a voracious reader and hates to have to be carrying so many books around.I haven't throughly checked out all that I can do with it but if in time you could get online and download the local paper that day, that would be great

  • Overall Rating
    4 stars 4 Star Review
    Reviewed by: usasma

    Updated:06-12-08

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: Well readable in most light conditions when viewing the BBeB books

    Weaknesses: Slow to turn pages, no variable lighting, doesn't adjust font size to readable for imported .pdf files. Software wouldn't install on 64 bit Vista Ultimate

    Overall Evaluation: Overall I love this little toy - but am getting eyestrain trying to read the small lettering on imported .pdf documents. Others may want to try converting the .pdf to text or html - there's either support or converters for each.

  • Overall Rating
    4 stars 4 Star Review
    Reviewed by: kakaku

    Updated:04-26-08

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: Build quality. Compact. Takes SD card and Memory Stick for extra storage.

    Weaknesses: Sloooow. Needs bigger screen.

    Overall Evaluation: The build quality is so good that it's even therapeutic just to handle this Sony reader. Screen resolution and contrast is very good, and there is no problem reading dedicated eBook content or plain text content. However, because of the small screen size, displaying PDF files that you download from websites or receive as e-mail attachments are often unpractical. Even after switching to horizontal view and using zoom feature, text (and diagrams) are so small and painful to read that you'd rather lug around paper copies. The other weakness is lack of responsiveness. I understand that this is a limitation of the e-ink technology in general and therefore not Sony's fault, but the bottom line is that it is unrealistic to flip through pages. In summary, this reader is an excellent choice if you intend to use it to read novels, but it is not very usable for browsing office documents.

  • Overall Rating
    5 stars 5 Star Review
    Reviewed by: flexkeys

    Updated:01-14-08

    Duration of ownership:3 Weeks

    Strengths: Lightning download speed, easy to read.

    Weaknesses: Cannot delete books unless connected to computer. Econnect website hard to view from computer library.

    Overall Evaluation: I absolutely love this thing! Very easy to hold - no hand fatigue. Sleek and portable. Very nice leather cover which is removable. The only downside is the website which can be viewed online, but you can only pay for and download books from your computer's 'library'. The left third of the screen is taken up with your source view which means you are scrolling back and forth. Recommend choosing books from the web view and then open your library, find those book(s) you want and buy.

  • Overall Rating
    4 stars 4 Star Review
    Reviewed by: Green_Z

    Updated:12-15-07

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: Lighter and thinner than any novel, yet it reads like a book, not a computer screen.

    Weaknesses: Neither the unit nor the e-books are inexpensive and you can't swap or loan e-books like you might with a friend with a paper book. No Mac support either.

    Overall Evaluation: I first saw this at a local bookstore and fell in love. It felt great in the hands and sure beats lugging around a 3lb novel when traveling. But I hesitated because of the price. Then I saw an online store advertise it with a $50 gift card in addition to Sony's own offer of $200 worth of classic books. That was enough to hook me in. The e-ink on this reader looks just like a book so it's very easy on the eyes under any normal lighting condition. And because it's not backlit you can go through several books without have to charge it, so no need to bring a charger with you when you travel. The size is incredible if you travel to. Having to tend with bulky, heavy books can be a chore.The one thing I hate, but I guess is just part of modern life, is that the eBooks have Digital Rights Management embedded in them. That means you won't be able to buy an eBook and then when you are done give the copy to a friend or vice versa. The other thing that is a slight negative is that the eBooks cost as much as printed book on online bookstores or even brick and mortars with a coupon. There should be a much greater discount given there are fewer costs to distribution. So the eReader is truly a luxury. My guess though is that one day this will be the norm rather than the exception. I just wish they had this when I was in school. I know my back does.

  • Overall Rating
    4 stars 4 Star Review
    Reviewed by: donglianzhen62

    Updated:12-02-07

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: clarity

    Weaknesses: price

    Overall Evaluation: as of now this is the best e book reader out there but there is still room for improvement. The contrast for this reader seems higher than that of the previous generation, and is really close to paper copy made of recycle paper.

  • Overall Rating
    5 stars 5 Star Review
    Reviewed by: alevin

    Updated:12-02-07

    Duration of ownership:3 Weeks

    Strengths: I am sorry I didn't buy one sooner. It is a whole new way of reading. The display is great and it as easy to read as a book. Controls are well placed and it is simple to use.

    Weaknesses: Software from Sony is still a bit rough but hopefully will improve with time. Reading native PDF files can be difficult unless they are converted to the Sony format.

    Overall Evaluation: The Sony Ereader is a cutting edge product that should change how we read books. It can hold hundreds of books in the add in memory card slots. The battery life is long and the size of the unit is perfect.

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Sony Reader Digital Book - Silver E-book Reader
$229.96 • •Specs
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