2.5
1 reviews
50

Sony PRS-700


$400.00 Released November, 2008

Product Shot 1 The Pros:Solid build quality--sleek black metal finish. Built-in LED backlighting for night time reading--something often missing from e-ink readers. Includes a stylus for easier text selection.

The Cons:Backlighting requires a glass overlay over the e-ink display which is distracting and picks up glare easily. Can only load on books via USB connection to a Windows PC rather than via WiFi or 3G. Books are pricier at Sony's ebook store than the Amazon store with fewer available titles.

The Sony PRS-700 is a E-Book reader at the upper end of the market.  For the price, it delivers not only a sleek, well designed frame, but also notable usability improvements over it's predecessors by including a touch screen, and built in lighting.

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While these features make interacting with the PRS-700 much easier, it moves it away from the concept of a virtual book, and much closer to that of a cleverly shaped lap-top.  While it boasts the same e-ink as it's competitors, the added layers of screen required to facilitate the touch features and lighting effects make the text look flatter, and introduce some issues with glare.  The trade off of screen quality for added features makes the Sony PRS-700 a go for people who wanted an e-book reader that doesn't just imitate a book.  The consumer who cut and pastes, and highlights the work they are reading, will find it's added features a boon, those consumers who simply want to read a book would be better served elsewhere.

Features

  • 6" display screen
  • Built in LED lighting
  • Audio-out port for MP3 playing
  • E-Ink paper-like display
  • Lithium Ion Battery, chargable from AC or USB
  • Integrated Touchscreen
  • 512 MB memory
  • Weighs about 10 oz.

User Reviews (1)

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50
ProScore
Pros
  • 1

    Solid build quality--sleek black metal finish.

  • 1

    Built-in LED backlighting for night time reading--something often missing from e-ink readers.

  • 1

    Includes a stylus for easier text selection.

  • 1

    Comes with a travel cover for greater travel safety.

Cons
  • 1

    Backlighting requires a glass overlay over the e-ink display which is distracting and picks up glare easily.

  • 1

    Can only load on books via USB connection to a Windows PC rather than via WiFi or 3G.

  • 1

    Books are pricier at Sony's ebook store than the Amazon store with fewer available titles.

  • 1

    Limited onboard memory basically requires that you purchase a microSD card.

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