Sony has brought out a new widget – Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 (Silver), having dimensions like width 4.2in, depth 4in, height 6.2in, whilst its weight is 7.7oz. It’s being offered in Silver color, and offering a complementary packaging item like, protective cover.
This new series is much more compact than the Kindle 2 and fits comfortably in one hand when reading; font size is adjustable; decent battery life; Sony's eBook Library software is now both Windows- and Mac-compatible, with best sellers costing $9.99 (just like Amazon); Epub file compatibility lets you access thousands of free classic Google Books and loaner files from many local libraries; also displays Word and PDF files.
Few hitches it has are, no expandable memory; battery is sealed into unit; screen may be too small for some people; limited zoom function with PDF files; cannot display JPEGs or play back MP3 files; not as zippy as the step-up PRS-600; USB charging only works from PCs.
Sony’s this pocket edition has a basic feature set, USD 186.95 to USD 204.99 price tag, compact size, and Epub file compatibility make it an appealing e-book reader.
The consumers for this type of series were pretty much limited to choosing between 6-inch models from Sony, Amazon, and a few lesser-known manufacturers. But now new e-readers are cropping up in both larger and smaller sizes, and Sony's 5-inch Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300) is making a bid to capture a chunk of the nascent e-reader market.
This new string – that is comparatively diminutive has neither the touch screen that's found on the $300 PRS-600 Reader Touch Edition nor the built-in 3G cellular wireless connection of the $400 Reader Daily Edition and its archrival, the $300 Amazon Kindle. This model also lacks expansion slots for more memory, annotation and note-taking capabilities, a built-in dictionary, and the MP3 audio of its step-up siblings. But while the PRS-300 Reader Pocket Edition sticks to the basics, it has the most attractive price tag to date for a mainstream e-reader: $200. And unlike the Kindle, its use of the Epub file format opens the door to a variety of free content, including public domain Google Books downloads and titles that can be electronically checked out from many local libraries.
It is terribly hard to call it a true pocket device as the iPhone is, but it will slip into the inside pocket of most sports coats (we tried it with a blue blazer), as well as cargo pants pockets. The unit comes with an inexpensive yet functional neoprene black slip cover. Fancier covers are also available.