Sony PRS-300BC Digital Reader Pocket Edition - Navy Blue Sony PRS-300BC Digital Reader Pocket Edition - Navy Blue

Pros: 1. More or less works.
2. I haven't had the glare problem others have complained of. A slight tilt of the screen fixes it.
3. Software generally pretty stable.

Cons: Hoo boy, where to start.
1. The (lack of) screen contrast is disappointing. Depending on the source material it ranges from "no biggie" to "I'm supposed to read 100 pages of *that*?"
2. Remarkably the unit does not function as a reader when plugged in to the USB port. So you can't read and recharge at the same time.
3. Battery life is significantly less than claimed. Of course, I'm a heavy reader.
4. The PC software for loading and managing content functions OK but can be slow. No import of HTML content, while other products in the class have built-in web browser and Wifi.
5. Viewing options are limited; you can choose between small, medium, and large fonts and that's it. You can't choose different fonts, etc.
6. Unit is often noticeably slow, especially when reloading the library after syncing or rebooting.
7. Did I mention you can't import HTML? Not even simple text-and-an-image-or-two HTML?
8. Prices on on-line ebook library are quite high, higher than paperbac

Other Thoughts: Bought this partly because I didn't want to be tied to a particular vendor, but lock-in is as bad as anybody else's. And given the competition in this space, Sony really needs to step up its game.

Pros: Very crisp display when in good light; battery life is great; controls and speed are adequate; 512MB holds a LOT of plain text books. Feels very solidly built.

Cons: I don't think there is any text search capability; no mobile phone or wifi; no SDHC slot; a handier advance button would be nice; could not find a status screen showing how much free memory is left; hard to read in low light (a minimal led reading light would be nice, even if it drains the battery faster). Nothing critical to complain about, but I wish it had a few GB of flash memory or a microSD(HC) slot.

Other Thoughts: This is my first reader. Holding it is pretty comparable to holding a paperback. For usability, I wish it gave me several redundant forward buttons to choose among - maybe even one light-sensitive or sound triggered.

The PRS-300 is growing on me with use. I am glad I purchased it. With it, I hope to hold out for a fast, full-featured color E-Reader when it comes over the horizon.

Pros: Beautiful display, really durable, I've had it for 4 months now and I have read easily over a dozed 1k+ page books but i have only had to charge the reader 3 times. charging takes less than an hour normally. Extremely clear screen makes reading in almost any light easy, and the print can get so big that anyone can read it. Dont let the 512mb memory space get you down because thats hundreds if not thousands of .txt files!

Cons: no color (its for reading books so who really cares), the book manager seems really clunky and slow but i downloaded calibre so thats no longer an issue, and the book takes 3-5 seconds to change pages. im guessing its because i use calibre that it has to format every time i start up a new book and thats just a one time deal.. a few little things the book wont charge when the lock is activated, also you can not access it via computer, cant even put in your code to let it charge, you have to unplug and deactivate the lock then plug back in. Also you cant read anything while charging. and i guess no backlight is a con also.

Other Thoughts: after dropping it enough and never using the awesome cover it comes with i actually cracked the screen... no visible damage unless you look at it at Just the right angle or slide your fingers across the screen. Could really use a backlight for nighttime reading but i guess that would kill the awesome battery life, all in all the pros far outweigh the cons this book definitely deserves 5 eggs

Pros: Solid build, gorgeous eInk display, battery life on-par with other eInk devices. Reads RTF, PDF, TXT natively and works great with the included ePub conversion profile in Calibre. It's just the right size too.

Cons: SLOW! Don't bother scrolling through menus, use the corresponding buttons on the side. Changing the font size is painfully slow. It'd be neat if there were a button near the top or on the side for advancing to the next page, as it is you have to hold it low or use another hand.

Other Thoughts: This is my first eInk device, but I've been reading eBooks since I had a Palm Personal. This hands-down beats any software I've seen for Android or iPhone, mostly a result of the size of the screen. I was surprised, though, that eInk seems to require a bit more light to read easily than a paper book does. Maybe it's just been a while since I've read a real book and I'm getting old :)

Pros: I've been looking to get an ereader for sometime. I have been reading books on my palm and pocketPC for years, and enjoyed being able to carry several books with me at all times, but was looking to get a bigger screen. I looked at the Nook, Kindle and others and too be honest they just had more than I needed. I don't need 3g, I don't need a browser, I don't need MP3s - my phone can do all that, I just needed a reader.

The Sony Reader pocket fits this need perfectly. It's simply an ebook reader, and for those of us that have am multitude of gadgets that already do everything else that's all we need. The screen is very sharp and easy to read even in full sunlight. However, it's not backlit so good ambient lighting or a booklight is a must. It also holds far more than the advertised 350 books depending how they are formatted. Solid feeling, very low battery usage and looks good. All in all the best simple reader on the market.

Cons: Processor is a little slow, there is a slight delay with opening books and page turning. Also the pages flicker to a "photo negative" look briefly when turning pages, but you stop noticing this after awhile. AC charger should be included with it and not an extra $30, but this seems to be standard operating procedure for accessories nowadays. A backlight for nighttime reading would also be great, though this would likely impact it's current incredible battery life. Bundled sony software is clunky, but to be honest you don't need it. Only 3 text sizes, but even the smallest is easy for me to read and I have an extremely high lens prescription. No browser, MP3, etc for those that care...but too be honest you don't need these in a reader and they just add cost/drain battery life.

Other Thoughts: As stated in a prevous review, this works fantastic with Calibre. If you have poor eyesight (older readers) the text is a little small, though the large setting seems clear enough for even my grandmother to read fairly easily. Probably one of the best gadget purchases I've made and one I'll be getting hundreds of hours of use with.

Will also help me eventually win an old college bet - Todd, I told you one day all books would be electronic and paperbacks would be a thing of the past. More readers like this and paper books will finally be obsolete.

Pros: Amazingly long battery life (+1 month). E-ink technology makes it easy on the eyes to read in long periods of time.

Cons: Small Screen. Will freeze & reboot its self if you select large text format for a +1,000 page book (but its never needed because medium text size is large enough).

Other Thoughts: This is my 1st ebook reader and I love it. The software is easy to use. The battery life is really amazing, I haven't had to recharge it since i got it from newegg. That was a month ago and it still has half a charge left. The trick is to fully shut it down if you don't use it for long periods of time.

Pros: quick shipping, best price, works as advertised. Is actually cooler than I expected. Battery life is good. Really easy to use and understand. I also like how its usb powered. Screen is easy on the eyes.

Cons: 6 inch screen is more expensive. On-line books are over priced. Navigation is a bit slow, but not to a point of frustration.

Other Thoughts: Surprised my wife with one for Christmas after I told her I thought ebook readers were lame. After I did research on them I changed my mind. Now I think they are pretty slick. She is really happy. Happy wife leads to good things. Going to read lost symbol on this after she does

Pros: Despite some literatures claims that this ereader will hold "350 books," you can fit closer to 1,000 in appropriate formats. Screen is easy to read, controls are intuitive. The battery life is phenomenal. I've finished two novels over the last few days and the meter hasn't budged. Feels solid and safe inside a pocket.

Cons: Controls are slightly laggy, but your button presses seem to queue to help negate this (pressing right three times flips three pages, though not immediately). Print can appear slightly fuzzy in dimmer light, and the screen has some glare, but nowhere near as bad as glossy print magazines.

AC adapter does not come standard, though the unit can charge through USB.

Memory is more than adequate, but non-expandable.

The device is 100% compatible with the popular and free Calibre software.

Other Thoughts: If you want to purchase books on the go, you'll miss the wireless. If you're already netbook equipped, you'll wonder what you'd ever need the wireless for.

There was no installation disc for the software in my package; instead, the software is stored in a separate section of the reader's internal storage. Nothing to lose!

As with the majority of this generation of readers, PDF support isn't great. It's there, and you can easily read text, but don't expect graphics and diagrams to render well.

Pros: Actually fits in pockets (!), battery life is great, and supports a great range of formats.

Cons: No wireless, but there hasn't been a time I cant wait. These are stories... not heroin, so time pressure is your imagination.

The screen SEEMS like it could get scratched easily. This doesn't affect my rating at all though. I am really quite rough in handling it and haven't been able to scratch it yet. I can't find it in me to knock a product just for my perceptions.

The other "con" is that to access Sony's E-Book library, you must use their proprietary software. They have not made it friendly to Linux. But again, this is not a flaw with the product, so I don't feel like it is a reason to lower my rating.

Other Thoughts: Did I mention that it plays VERY nicely with Ubuntu/Calibre? No dependency issues with any single OS which is really important to me. Another solid product from Sony!

Pros: It works as advertised and the product itself is excellent.
The entire system is intuitive and easy to use out of the box.

Cons: It's a little slow to respond - either changing pages or returning to the menu.
But the real "gotcha" is the price of the books - they are ridiculous. Most of the time, the savings are a dollar or two - no printing, no shipping, no shelving, no middle man and all one saves is a couple bucks? Compare prices on Sony's bookstore vs. Kindle books. You'll never look back.

Other Thoughts: Larger screens are always better. It doesn't matter which ebook one gets, screens of this size really leave one wanting a larger screen.