Sony PRS-600 Electronic Book Reader in Black w/ Premium Cover and AC Charger Adapter

Product Description

Product Details

• Sony PRS-600 Electronic Book Reader
• Sony Premium Protective Leather Cover
• Sony AC Charger Adapter

Customer Reviews

Why a Sony? - And why this one?

Review Date: October 2, 2009

Reviewer: Bobbie - "Andromeda's Grandma", United States

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2TJ3P6410OCJ5 The video includes a few of my favorite features on the Sony, but misses things like the dictionary and audio options - since you can use up to a 16g SD chip - it is also possible to carry some of your albums with you, permitting the reader to substitute as an mpg player as well. This particular model comes with the cover AND the A/C Adapter - which is why the price is a bit higher, but it is a great option. The 600 comes with a little clutch bag instead of a cover, and most of us have discovered that a cover is necessary. It not only protects the screen, but it is the best way to clip on a light if you are reading in a dark location. Since the Sony comes with a USB connector that also charges it, some do not feel the A/C adapter is necessary, but it was my first purchase after I bought the Sony! I plug it in at night (just like I do my cell-phone and other necessary items) and it is always fresh to read in the morning. The A/C adapter is also essential when I am traveling, since I do not always have my laptop available to charge it. While the Sony has 7,000 page turns on the battery, I read in large print, meaning I turn the pages quite frequently, and can't go more than 2-3 days without a charge. If you prefer to purchase a cover and charger separately, there is actually no savings to the package deal. However, if you are purchasing this as a gift, including everything as a package is a very nice idea. I have been following the e-book readers for some time, and I wanted several things for me to "jump on the bandwagon." 1) I have a number of PDF reference books, so a Reader needs to handle these well. Since my books are text, these reflow well on the Sony. 2) Because I will use (and now am using) the Reader for reference books, it was important that I be able to access my notes directly from my computer to use in other documents. I actually began using the software on my desktop several months before I purchased the 600, and was pleased with its capabilities. 3) I enjoy the free epub books from my library. The Sony accesses these easily. There are also a number of locations besides Sony selling the epub or Adobe digital books (usable by the Sony Touch) giving me more choice in my decision. 4) The Touch handles my regular documents well - as a public speaker, I love having my speeches available to study on the reader, without having to print them out! But for those looking for the points I already love (thus the 5 stars) 1) I love having the touch turn capability, just a brush of my thumb! 2) I enjoy the sideways and zoom features for PDFs that you want to keep "standard" 3) After only a couple of minutes, I forgot I was even using a reader and I got involved in the book. *** I live in an isolated area - so neither Whispernet for the Kindle nor the upcoming 3G connection on the more expensive Daily model would be helpful - I'm just as happy to order my books "in advance" and carry them with me. Some people have mentioned the glare - since my previous reading was on my laptop - this isn't an issue for me. I keep my lighting at my side, and it is not a problem at all. It is more noticeable in a dark room with a single light source. My favorite reading location is outdoors. Another issue I have encountered isn't with the reader - but with the interaction between Windows and the software. It is pretty touchy, and I have had to use Sony Support to adjust settings on Windows to make it work correctly.

must get item....reads cirylic symbols too!!!!

Review Date: February 17, 2010

Reviewer: Artem Teplov,

this was a present for my wife. the main concern buying this book was if i would be able to load russian books for her(because many products out there does not support Russian text) thanfully this one does!!! this is one of the best e books i've ever seen.

Sony PRS-600 - an excellent purchase

Review Date: February 24, 2010

Reviewer: Jo-ann B. Jordan,

After loads of research, I purchased a Kindle in July 2009 only to return it because the global wireless was not yet available. The only ereader I wanted was a Kindle and was sorely disappointed when it did not work to my expectations. I had to do the research all over again and there was one thing that kept coming to the fore...the Kindle does not handle .pdf files well. I had loads of .pdf files from research etc. So, I purchased the Sony PRS-600 and am not sorry. Like anything, it does have its pros and cons. I have yet to understand how the dictionary works...sometimes I find it, sometimes I don't. There is a slight glare depending on how the device is held, but a slight shift in position makes this a non-issue. I have found the selection on the eReader store to be extensive and not limiting in any way. The device itself is unbelievably easy to use everyone who I have shown it to so far are truly impressed with its ease of operation. The lack of wireless capability is not an issue for me, as I do not reside in the USA. Whenever I am on the computer, I connect the device and search the store for new books. On purchasing, it automatically downloads to the device. The ability to adjust the font size in .pdf files is also key ... something which the Kindle cannot do. Most importantly to me, it handles .pdf files extremely well.

Great Reader with Crap Software

Review Date: December 28, 2009

Reviewer: Marcy, Nevada USA

I absolutely love this reader. I have a Kindle 1 and a Kindle 2 and this one is much better than them by a wide margin. The page turns are faster, the interface is easier to use and most importantly it has *folders* so I can sort my almost 1000 books into meaningful categories instead of having them in one huge sprawling list. This also handles many more formats than the Kindle, including the epub which seems to be heading to be the industry standard. You can borrow library ebooks from your local library if they participate in ebook lending. The only downside compared to the Kindle is that it doesn't have the markers showing how much of a book you've read on the listing screen -- this lets you know which books you indeed have read and haven't read. The one huge downer for this reader is Sony's useless, buggy and mainly nonfunctional software. It is a waste of time to even install it. It does not handle collections (folders) correctly, frequently crashes and often screws up the reader content. If you buy any Sony reader just google for Calibre ebook management and you will be led to the most wonderful piece of freeware that does the job that Sony's crap software doesn't do. Calibre is almost all you could ask for in a commercial program, and is totally free.

That Screen!

Review Date: March 6, 2010

Reviewer: Amelie Bouvier, CA USA

Pros- dictionary lookup, pdf zoom, annotation, small bezel footprint, intuitive user interface Cons- screen, screen, screen, screen, screen Rather than being an asset, the touch screen is glare prone and annoyingly unresponsive.