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When it comes to travelling, people enjoying being able to read their books. However, carrying lots of books around with you can add a lot of weight. It has lead to companies creating a device known as the E-reader. However, these are still fairly big and can be uncomfortable to read. Sony has brought out an answer to this by introducing the Sony pocket edition PRS 300.

This device has a 5 inch screen, which can limit some people but it does mean that the whole device is smaller and lighter than many others. However, the memory storage reflects the size of the device. There is only 512 MB of storage, which allows for a small number of books. This is still plenty to read on one trip but it could mean that you are moving books a little more often than you would with some of the other devices.

Like the larger Sony versions of the E-readers, this pocket edition holds around two weeks of charge when you are reading so you are certain to get to the end of a good book or two. It will take between two and four hours to recharge the device fully, depending on the charging method that you opt for. You can also include books of a variety of formats, including ePUB, PDF and Txt; you can even read in Microsoft Word!

Like most other E-readers, the Sony pocket edition PRS 300 has an E-ink screen, which can be used in sunlight without a problem. It also does not matter what angle you have the screen on; you will still be able to read everything. However, the screen can become damaged easily and because of that, the Sony device comes with a soft pouch to put the device in to protect it.

The Reviews

Before you decide to buy the product based on the specification, you should consider the pros and cons of the device and whether it will do everything that you want it to. While the size may sound great, you will need to think about the problems with the size.

The battery life of the device is great, especially considering its size. You can get two weeks of reading out of the device. It does not actually come with an A/C charger but that does not mean that you cannot buy one. With this, the battery can be fully charged within two hours. If you opt for charging through the computer, you are looking at four hours of charging from completely dead to full charge.

You can read a variety of different formats, which means that you do not need to spend lots of money in converting your favorite books. You can also read in a Word, txt and PDF format. However, you may struggle with reading full PDF versions because the screen is so small.

You can bookmark the book that you are reading whenever you want to stop reading. You can also do this to a variety of books so you can have more than one on the go at once; that is if you really want to.

The size can be considered as a positive aspect. It is smaller than many other E-readers and much lighter. However, this means that the screen is also smaller, which can make it difficult to read without the need to glasses.

Also, everything is done through the use of buttons and there is no touch screen. This is not much of a problem until you consider that the majority of the buttons are on the right hand side and there are hardly any available for left handed users.

On a negative note, you may struggle if you are running on older operating systems. The device is only compatible with the 32-bit of Windows XP and Windows Vista or with Mac OS X 10.4.9 or above. The chances are that you will not be running on earlier versions of these but this is just a warning.

You will need a broadband connection to be able to download books and put them onto your device. This can be a pain if you are looking at using mobile Internet or a dial-up connection, which there are students that will choose this.

You cannot make notes on the books that are on your device, which is something that students like to have the device for. There is also no way that you can read in landscape, which can cause problems with textbooks.

The amount of space available on the device is much smaller than most others. There is only 512 MB available. While that means you will not be overloaded with books and then struggle to find what you want to read. However, it can mean needing to change what you are storing on the device regularly. There are also no SD or USB slots, which will mean that you can’t store any extras on those devices.

Unlike the larger Sony versions, you will not be able to listen to music while you read. Of course, this is not always a problem since many people will now have their own MP3 player or will be able to listen to music from their cell phone.

In Conclusion

The whole device is fairly easy to navigate around with the buttons. While it comes with a variety of user manuals, you are hardly likely to need them. You can find your books easily and just go straight to reading them.

However, this pocket reader is more aimed at those who like to travel and read, rather than for students, which is something that many of the other devices bear in mind. You cannot make notes and the screen is not big enough to be able to handle the larger types of books.

For its primary use, the Sony Pocket Edition PRS 300 is an excellent choice and definitely a good value for your money. It comes with a soft case to keep the screen safe and you will be able to read on all angles.