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The Sony PRS-505 is just one from the Sony manufacturers and will definitely not be the last of the products.

This is another device that uses an E-ink display rather than an LCD screen, which has its own advantages and disadvantages, such as the ability to read in the sunlight but not at night without a light. However, the size of this E-reader is bigger than most others. It is an 8.1 inch display, which is about the size of a normal paperback book. Of course, this size does have a few drawbacks especially when it comes to comfort and handling.

The storage space is a little smaller on the E-reader than most others. However, there are USB ports available so you can add a memory stick or an external hard drive so you could have access to thousands of E-books. You can also add music and listen while you read. There are headphone slots to make sure that you do not disturb others while you listen.

The buttons are easy to use and you can navigate around the device in minutes. The device can also remember the page that you were last on and will help you find it. You can search for books with either the title, the author or even the date that it was added to the device.

The battery has a fairly long life. You are able to read continuously for around two weeks before it will completely drain. You should drain the battery completely before recharging to make sure that the battery lasts as long as possible.

The Reviews

Before you decide to pick up this E-reader and take it to the counter or just skip it completely, it is very important to consider the pros and the cons of the device. This will help you make a well informed decision and decide whether this will do exactly what you want.

The first positive aspect is the fact that it can handle most file types, especially the ones that are most popular like txt and PDF. Also, the device does not use a touch screen, which has been known to turn some people off. The buttons are all at the side or along the bottom and are very easy to use to be able to navigate around the device.

In fact, the whole device is very easy to use. There is no need to constantly pull out the user guide and you will not be overwhelmed like you could be with other devices. You can enjoy your E-books and music right away.

While the actual hard drive on the device is small, you can use a USB stick to hold on any extra books that you want. You can also enjoy it as a Mac user, which is not something that many other E-readers will allow without the use of the SD slot.

It is possible to turn the device off completely, unlike many other E-readers. This will prevent the battery from being completely run down and can also aid with when travelling on planes when you need to have electronic devices turned off.

The battery lasts a long time. When in constant sleep mode, you are looking at three weeks for it to completely drain. When in use, you could get two weeks out of it. There is no charger that comes with it and you will need to connect it to your computer through the USB lead. The battery takes a couple of hours to fully charge from completely drained. It is possible to recharge even when it is not completely dead but running it down completely every now and then is recommended.

However, there are a few negative aspects to the device, which is to be expected. The first is that while the size is bigger, this means that it is a little more awkward. While it remains light, the weight distribution is completely different to other E-readers and it can be it uncomfortable after a while.

It is designed for those who are right handed since all of the buttons are down the right hand side. While this is not a disadvantage to everybody, it does put some at a disadvantage. The storage space is also small and it means having an external device. You can only put on around 160 books.

The refresh rate of the screen is not excellent, which has been a common problem with a number of E-readers. However, with the PRS-505, it causes a few problems of not instantly knowing whether the page turn button has actually been clicked. There is also no confirmation on the screen that th page has been turned and the button is fairly difficult to push.

The size of the device is bigger than that of the original E-reader from Sony. This means that docks and covers that were bought for the original one are not compatible with this one. This does cause a few problems as it means to spend more money.

Even though PDFs can be read on the PRS-505, that does not mean that they are easy to read. Along with that, the price is well above most other E-readers, including some of the full color devices. This is not something to buy without really considering whether you will be happy with the device.

In Conclusion

While the Sony PRS-505 is able to play music while you read, the price is just too high for it. You are not getting the best value for money when there are other options out there that are much more affordable. This may be worth it when the price drops or if other abilities are added, but you are sacrificing far too much for the price; such as only being able to add around 160 E-books to the device rather than the 1000s that others are capable of.

PRS-505 specifications

• Size: 175 × 122 × 8 mm (6.9″ × 4.8″ × 0.3″)
• Weight: 250 g (9 oz)
• Display:
• size: 15.5 cm (6 in) diagonal (approx 1/4 area of letter-sized page)
• resolution: 170 dpi, 8-level gray scale
• portrait: 90.6 × 122.4 mm (3.57″ × 4.82″), 600 × 800 pixels | effective 88.2 × 115.4 mm (3.47 × 4.54 in), 584 × 754 pixels | for the Pictures application effective resolution is 600 × 766 pixels
• minimum font size: 6 pt legible, 7 pt recommended
• Memory: 256 MB standard (200 MB Accessible), Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo 8 GB, SD card up to 2 GB (some non-SDHC 4GB cards may work), or up to 32 GB with SDHC cards and version 1.1 firmware
• Lithium-ion battery, up to 6800 “page turns” per charge
• PC interface: USB port 2.0
• Available case colors:
• PRS505/LC: Dark Blue
• PRS505/SC: Silver
• PRS505SC/JP: Custom Skin (James Patterson Special Edition)
• PRS505/RC: Sangria Red (introduced in August 2008)