The Sony Reader Touch Edition (PRS-600) is Sony's new flagship e-book reader, delivers one thing we have not observed in earlier Sony Readers: a touchscreen and stylus for navigating and for developing drawings and handwritten notes. Regardless of whether this innovation enhances the e-book expertise is open to debate, however the overall high quality of the product just isn't: Except for its absence of wireless connectivity for purchasing guides devoid of connecting to some Pc, the Touch Edition is actually a worthy competitor to Amazon's Kindles--and at this composing a important presence on our Best five E-Book Visitors chart.
This gadget seems to be like a refined model of Sony's previous full-size reader (the PRS-700), with a 6-inch, 8-grayscale E Ink screen framed by a metallic scenario (available in silver, black, or red). However it can be about the large aspect for a reader (at just more than ten ounces), it really is only several ounces heavier than its more compact sibling, the Sony Reader Pocket Edition. The stylus slides easily in and out from a slot inside the top rated right of the situation. Sony provides a neoprene pouch to safeguard the display in transit.
The incorporated USB cable attaches to a laptop or computer (Windows or Mac) to recharge the internal battery; connecting the system initiates set up of the needed E book Library software for managing and transferring content material with the cable.
Beneath the show are 5 thin silvery bar-shaped buttons. The 2 around the far left are for turning pages forward and back; the heart button (labeled using a house icon) provides up the main menu; the fourth button delivers a pop-up screen for changing font dimensions (from tiny to extra-extra-large). The fifth button--the one particular about the far right--summons context-sensitive on-screen menus containing various choices, based on no matter whether you're on a book web page or within the home display screen.
The principle display displays 4 big sq. icons and 3 more compact ones. The icon within the upper left, labeled 'Continue Reading', returns you for the web page you ended up studying whenever you previous left off; yet another icon provides up the record of textbooks about the device; a third big icon displays a listing of notes you've produced along with a fourth icon reveals books grouped by collection (as an example, all purchased textbooks are introduced as a selection).
The three more compact icons underneath go to text memos, which you create (laboriously) from an on-screen keyboard; handwritten notes and drawings (this icon is labeled 'Handwriting'); plus a checklist of other functions (this icon is labeled 'More'), which includes the audio player (for unprotected MP3 or AAC audio), photographs (.jpg, .png, .gif, or .bmp), as well as a lengthy settings menu. I located that I could navigate via numerous with the menus with out the stylus as the items were big enough to enable accurate fingertip input. Tapping a return icon on the top rated of any screen returns you to the next-higher-level menu, right up until you are back again at the home display.
Sony permits you to tweak numerous configurations, such as the smaller main-screen icons (by subbing in characteristics from your Far more menu). However you cannot modify the bigger main-screen icons. I especially appreciated getting able to alter the stylus gesture for turning pages: I preferred making use of a right-to-left swipe (in imitation of your web page flip inside a paper-and-ink guide) about the default left-to-right motion.
Ultimately, nevertheless, I used the hardware buttons on the lower left of the system to handle web page adjustments, and kept the stylus parked inside of its slot. I failed to need to need to be concerned about dropping the stylus, and I don't consider a great deal of notes as I read, anyway.
The Touch Edition has a great deal of good small extras. It is possible to set up a slideshow and even adjust the number of seconds each and every picture will stay on screen (I did not see an option for adding track record new music, even though). The built-in MP3 player was the most effective of any I've listened to on an e-book reader, with decent-quality audio along with a very good variety of volume over earphones (the Touch Edition incorporates a standard headphone jack). The player has repeat/shuffle options, and you also can keep the audio going while you examine. The Touch Edition comes with a dictionary, also, and you can annotate your publications and paperwork.
Like the Pocket Edition, the Touch Edition supports Adobe's ePub format with Adobe Subject material Server 4 encryption (as well as Sony's BBeB format), so you don't have to purchase textbooks from Sony's on the internet bookstore when you did with previously Sony Visitors. You should still set up the e book Library software package, but thereafter the Reader appears as yet another gadget while in the Adobe Digital Editions Pc software program for managing ePub content material, and also you can drag and drop a downloaded guide for the Reader when you would to another gadget.
The Touch Edition displayed ePub and BBeB volumes flawlessly, and it turned pages briskly. I discovered the 5 font measurements excellent: I settled on employing the middle 1, nevertheless the most significant one particular was large enough for any vision-impaired good friend to examine easily.
In short, Sony continues to be a category act within the digital e-book realm; and as it now supports ePub, it really should rival Amazon inside the breadth of available material. At $300 (as of October 5, 2009), it is pricier than several other e-book visitors, but it really is also one of the finest designed and most full-featured. Unless of course having to link to a Personal computer to accumulate subject material can be a major worry to suit your needs, the Sony Reader Touch Edition is nicely well worth contemplating.
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