Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition - Red (PRS600RC)
by Sony
List Price:
Our Price: $139.00
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Category: CE
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Digital product summary information
Manufacturer: SonyModel: PRS-600RC Red
Color: Red
Product features:
- 6" display with touch screen navigation
- Holds up to 350 books
- Wide variety of content available
- New Oxford American Dictionary, Second Edition Built in
- Memory Stick PRO Duo and SD Card compatible
Digital camera reviews of Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition - Red (PRS600RC)
Digital camera Review: A Tale of Two (+) Readers. ; Aluratek Pro Vs. Sony 600.
Summary: 3 Stars
Like the featured reviewer, my main concern was pdf's which the SONY is very good at. I have been searching for PDF conversion options though, and the down-loadable freeware pdflrf ( easy to use e reader Sony format conversion tool) lets you keep your formatting, which for some pdf's is essential.
The SONY download store is pretty good; can't compare to Amazon, the best new, and some excellent obscure, book down loadable store out there- or even the Barnes and Noble. But found some excellent, somewhat obscure titles, for 5$ or less. However, not having access to the Amazon store is, imo, is really the only negative. I buy lots of Amazon Marketplace books, in an ideal world wouldn't it be great to download books from Amazon Marketplace. I do plan to buy a Kindle, maybe an older or refurbished model, when the prices go down within a year or two- and maybe sooner if they add SD capability.
Some people complain about the glare and the software, but the interface is very nice and the glare issue is overblown, After struggling with yucky Vista for 2 years the software is a snap and actually pretty nice and relatively easy to use.
Haven't really used a lot of the other functionality yet, but I do like the touch screen, and the note taking. mp3 player and a lot of other features will be useful down the road. Also that it will recognize the .doc format is pretty cool as well.
Now, I did a lot of looking, and as I said the Kindle will definitely be a future purchase, and it finally came down to the Sony e-reader vs. the Aluturek Pro. So I bought both with the intention of either sending one back of giving it Let me give my comparison here to possibly aid you in your decision.
Price: No comparison, bought the Aluratek for under $100 on sale (there are huge discounts periodically).The Sony (overpriced at $300 list), I got it for $200 with a nice cover and light thrown in.
Build: The Aluratek is ok but seems a little like a toy with its hard plastic body; in comparison the Sony seems sturdier and more professional (seems like metal but sometimes it's hard to tell) and looks, imo, nicer. Also there are more ports for external connections on the Sony. But probably the greatest difference is the 6" screen of the Sony vs. the 5" of the Aluratek (similar to the Sony 300 in size). It doesn't seem that different, and if you have really good eyesight it isn't a big deal, but my eyesight isn't that good so the 6" is important to me. Also both readers allow you to use SD cards which is a draw- one freason I put off the Kindle for now and didn't consider the higher rated lower priced Sony 300.
In the Box: The Aluratek wins here but not substantially. The Aluratek comes with a 2 gig SD card with 100 classic public domain books. Also the Aluratek has a wall charger which the Sony doesn't. I don't think the SD card is a real big deal because these days a 2 gig SD card can be found for 5$, and you can get the books at Google books or elsewhere. However, the wall charger does give a plus to Aluratek. The documentation for both is pretty lousy. The Sony box is much nicer but that is a very minor point. They both have carrying pouches and I would say they are about the same. The Sony does have a big advantage in the optional accessories like covers...I couldn't hardly find any Aluratek accessories on line, and most importantly no cover.
Support: Sony seems better here, although I got the Sony first. My initial call to Sony support wasn't great when I had to spell my email address 3 times before the support person got it right, but I got support on the phone almost immediately , a rarity, and they, on 2 occasions, were very helpful. Also the online manual is very helpful with Sony. Couldn't find a good Aluratek manual on line but the FAQ's on the website, although sparse, were good; haven't tried Alrutek tech support but I imagine its not as good.
Usability; I think this is the deal maker, for me, for the Sony. I liked the E-Ink screen of the Sony vs. the good, but still LCD, screen of the Aluratek, and the Sony has higher resolution. The controls are vastly different, reflecting the more complex nature of the Sony. At first, the simplicity of the Aluratek controls is a little more straight forward, but I've noticed as I get the hang of it the Sony has a lot more features and the controls are relatively intuitive. Also I do like the touch screen stylus of the Sony.
After reading the same text in both screens I like the Sony slightly better, and IMO this is the is very important. Also the user interface for the Sony has a more professional look than the Aluratek, although the Aluratek is pretty good and intuitive as well. A negative for the Sony here is possibly future repair issues for the Sony because it does so much more. Holding each has it's pluses and minuses: the compactness of the Aluratek is nice but the metal feel and, for me, the more "book-like" size gives a slight advantage to the SONY. Also the Sony software loads a little faster, but with the Aluratek you don't get the E-Ink page turn flash that you get with the SONY. So anyway, after thinking about it for a few days, I decided to go with the Sony 600. All around it seems like a somewhat better product. Does it justify double the price of the SONY, for a lot of people probably not, but for myself, who is a somewhat scholarly and heavy reader with OK eyesight, the Sony seems slightly better because of the screen size, readability, additional functionality and support.
Also SONY has a pretty good online store, while with the Aluratek you have to rely mostly on public domain. Also, I think with the metal vs. hard plastic case the SONY may last somewhat longer. However, this is an "apples to oranges" comparison of really different class readers (high-end, vs. mid-range). However, I may have wished I kept the Aluratek because the SONY could seem dated in a year while, with the Aluratek's much lower price, it wouldn't really matter. I guess I would call the Aluratek, even at 25$ more, "The "Best Deal:" and the Sony, with the cover thrown in, "The best Value." Also, I kind of like having the SONY brand. (the whole "pride of ownership thing" sneaks in here a little) that I have mostly had good experiences with, rather than the Aluratek brand that I haven't heard of but they do make other products as well. Here I would rate the Sony 4 and a half and the Aluratek 3 and a half, but if I was not doing a comparison I would rate the Aluratek, on it's own terms, 4 and a half as well. Finally, I think the Aluratek will make a great birthday or holiday gift
Update June 30
Well, "Changed my mind on this one." At half the price (I paid), I decided to send the Sony back. Although I found the Sony a more feature rich product by far, the actual reading experience is marginally better on the Aluratek. Also I like the size of the Aluratek better as far as portability is concerned. I guess the reflection, that many people refer to, that one gets on the Sony was annoying to me. But the price was the major factor. I really like the Aluratek a lot.
Also with Amazon lowering the price on the Kindle to below the Sale price on the Sony I would take the Kindle over the SONY.
If you want PDF's you can get them on the Kindle and putting more memory on isn't as big a deal as I thought, because, as far as pdf's are concerned you can store them elsewhere and load them on the Kindle.
I think the IPAD is turning the whole market upside down for now. And Amazon, Sony and others need to see a new standard is emerging. I tried a Pandigital Novel, "7" color inch screen, with wifi connection. If it worked right (opening icons was difficult and the mine wouldn't allow you to insert an SD card properly)for 200$ it would be great. Think they released it too soon. The only long term negative was with the "readability" of the color LCD (that could be an IPAD issue too), like a computer monitor it did cause eyestrain. So again for the $ I would still go for the Aluratek.
I'm just about done with my second book on the Aluratek, and I actually like it better than reading the paper based
book. Changing my rating to the Sony to a 3 and the Aluratek to a 4. As far as PDF reading is concerned, they are about the same, but the Aluratek screen is still easier to read. As far as accessories the SONY is much better, but, as is usually the case, the Sony accesories are overpriced.
Summary of Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition - Red (PRS600RC)
The Reader Touch Edition features a 6"display with simple, easy-to-use touchscreen navigation. Turn pages with the swipe of a finger and enjoy fast and intuitive navigation of your favorite books. Take freehand notes and highlight sections of text you want to revisit later, just as you would in a real book, using the included stylus. If you prefer, a virtual keyboard is also available for entering quick notes or searching your eBooks. If you want, you can even export your notes to your computer using the eBook Library software. Enjoy access to a wider number of books from a wider number of places. By supporting both industry standard formats, ePub and PDF, you can access books at Sony's eBookstore, check out books from public libraries, access over 500,000 free public domain titles from Google, as well as sharing sites, online aggregators and personal publishers (Internet access is required). Not sure which books to bring on your trip? With the Reader Touch Edition, you will never have to make that choice again. 512MB of onboard memory lets you carry up to 350 of your favorite books at a time. Whether you're venturing across town or across the country, the Reader Touch Edition makes an ideal travelling companion. Measuring just 0.4" thin and weighing less than 9 ounces, the Reader Touch Edition is thinner and more lightweight than almost any book, and even many magazines. The Reader Touch Edition utilizes E-Ink screen technology to deliver an amazing, paper-like display that's more like ink on paper and fully readable in direct sunlight. Enjoy up to two full weeks of reading (7,500 continuous page turns) on a single battery charge. Paper-like display for easy, natural reading Two full weeks of reading on a single battery charge Built-in Oxford American English eDictionary Intuitive eBook Library software for PC and Mac 5 adjustable font sizes to customize yourCategories
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