Sony Pocket eBook Reader Edition Dark Blue Reviews

Excellent ergonomics
The PRS-300 simply feels great in the hand: it has excellent balance, and a really comforting heft that reminds me of the way a solid paperback book just rest in your hand without the need to consciously grasp it, or constantly adjust it. This is a true improvement over both the PRS-505 and the Kindle 2: Both of these devices were very, very light, which in consumer electronics is usually the Holy Grail of product design, but neither was particularly well-balanced and I was always conscious of having to exercise control of the device, especially when clicking the page-turn buttons.

The Pocket Edition isn’t by any means heavy–it’s actually a lighter than both the PRS-505 and the Kindle 2, at about 7.5 ounces–but the smaller form-factor, coupled with its superb balance, allows you to comfortably fade into your reading, without the physicality of the device intruding. While that kind of device transparency was a stated goal of the Kindle, I have to admit that I only rarely was able to read with the Kindle 2 without it intruding in some way (usually to re-balance it in my hand). The Pocket Edition has only one page-turn button–the large round navigation pad in the bottom-center–but the pad is in comfortable reach of your thumb while holding the Reader on the side. The button is firm without being obtrusively difficult to press (which was often a failing I noticed on both the PRS-505 and the Kindle 2). Of all the things that I enjoy about the Pocket Edition, its truly comfortable, unobtrusive physical design is probably the stand-out quality.

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The Pocket Edition is not wireless, but it’s really not a problem. It takes me less than 2 mins to go on the web from my laptop, choose and purchase a book and transfer it onto my reader. I thought I wanted wireless Kindle or Nook because I could go on the web, but I’ve been told that you can’t – it’s only to go to the online estore.

Again, why pay for all those features that you really don’t want or need? This is a great reader at a reasonable price! The pocket size makes a lot more sense if you are wanting to throw it in your bag to take to the beach or read at the Dr office – the larger ones are almost too large to tote around. I held the Nook in my hands at Barnes and Noble, and felt that it was heavy – actually, kind of top heavy. If I held it toward the bottom corners (which is how I normally hold a hard cover book), I felt it wanted to tip back. Awkward and uncomfortable. Also, the touch screen on the Nook is very small – the girl at the store kept hitting the wrong things when she was demonstrating it for me.

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