The Sony Digital Reader is the new love of my life

July 27, 2008

Before I tell you about my awesome Sony reader, I have a confession to make. I am completely in love with Sony and their products. I have had Sony cameras for years. And until mine recently met an untimely death when meeting the concrete sidewalk, I carried my camera with me every where. So when I was approached to review the Sony Reader, I jumped at this amazing opportunity.

Two of my favorite things combined into one: A Sony product and reading. I imagine this must be a bit of what heaven would be like for me.

The Sony Reader is a wonderful Digital Reader. In fact, one I have had my eye on for quite a while. And, yes, when it showed up on my doorstep I did do a happy dance. I immediately ran to my laptop to hook it up and see what wonderful new reads I could download. Not only did I get 100 free classics with my Reader, I was able to download some of the most popular new releases (as well as some that have been out for a while).

The new Reader (model PRS-505) features a svelte body design and is available in two colors - silver and dark blue. I received the very stylish and cool silver model complete with a beautiful brown leather cover to protect it. Which is definitely a good thing seeing as I have stashed it in my purse many times as I race out the door to many appointments. The controls mimic paper page turns and allow for quick, intuitive navigation. I have never felt as if I had to wait to turn to the next page. In fact, when I am reading in bed (or in tight quarters such as on an airplane) it is actually much easier to navigate through the pages than a paper book would be. With just a touch of a button, the page is turned silently (a bonus when your spouse is a light sleeper) and swiftly. The electronic display delivers fast response and a higher contrast ratio for easy reading even in bright sunshine. By the same token, when reading at night, the display does not have any glare when using a book light. (The Reader is not back-lit but that actually works in its favor as it saves a lot in battery life. I like knowing my battery will last longer not to mention, the Reader is very easy to use with a book light.)

In my excitement to download as many books as I could and to have as many choices possible at my fingertips, I worried that I would run out of room on my reader. I had no need to worry. With the capacity to store up to 160 typical eBooks, the Reader has become my own personal mobile library. Let me tell you something, with as many books as I read, this has been the perfect solution for me. I have as many books at my fingertips as I could possibly read. And, yes, I still find myself downloading even more every week.

But how long can you read before recharging? A very long time. In fact, many books worth of reading.

A single battery charge provides up to 7,500 pages of continuous reading. The option to magnify the text in three sizes offers a distinct advantage for sight-impaired readers. Switching the Reader to landscape mode offers yet another level of magnification as well as a wider page view.

Even more than books, the Sony Reader can also store and display personal and business documents in Adobe PDF format (best when formatted for the Reader’s display), RTF, text and JPEG images. Bliss!

It came in handy when I recently flew across the country. When I fly, I always carry a book with me. Being such a fast reader, I usually finish at least one book (usually two) on a trip and end up toting books that I have already read for the duration of the trip. This time, I was able to read as much as I wanted to knowing that I had several other books waiting for me when I completed one. And I didn’t have to carry anything extra!

The best sales pitch for the Sony Reader, is the Reader itself. On each flight my seat mates asked what it was and asked if they could check it out. On one flight (as we sat at the gate for over an hour) even a flight attendant stopped by and asked if she could see it and browse through its features. Of course I agreed. Not only were they impressed, the each asked where they, too, could purchase one. The Reader really does sell itself.

Now that I have had it and read through several books, I cannot imagine not having it with me everywhere I go. It has become as attached to me as my 7 year old daughter!

If you read a lot and want to keep at least one book with you at all times as I do, this is most definitely the product for you. I am absolutely in love with mine. If you are interested, be sure to visit the Sony Store and purchase your own. If you are not totally sold by now, check out the titles in the eBook store. That will surely seal the deal for you. I guarantee you, too, will love yours as much as I love mine.

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