There.  I said it.  after using this ebook reader for only a few days, I have already decided to phase out paper and ink books.  This is no rash decision, mind you.  I am an avid book lover. I have shelves in every room in the house, boxes of books in the basement.  Add to that the fact I have spent the last few years decrying ebooks: there is no unified format, the screens are not good for reading, the screens are too small, the list goes on.  So, I admit to being a bit apprehensive about trying this one.  My apprehension, however, quickly turned to delight as I found that every concern I had previously raised was addressed in here.  It is light, easy to read, and the library is enormous.  But I am getting ahead of myself. 

The first thing I noticed was how skinny this thing is.  In fact, the whole thing weighs in at just 0.3 inches thick (err…thin) and a whopping nine ounces.

I mean, here it is next to the average book I typically carry around with me.  no comparison.  And it is so light, I hardly know I am carrying it.  Quite a change from carrying around a 500+ page hardcover book.

My biggest fear coming into the world of the eBook reader was the screen, so let’s just get right to that.  I like to read something that is roughly the size of a sheet of paper.   That is what I am used to and that is what I prefer.  Needless to say, the screen on my Dell Axim (no pictured), Sprint Mogul, or ipod Touch, while nice, did not even come close.  I found myself constantly scrolling, which became more trouble than it was really worth.

The screen on the Sony Reader is six inches about 3/4 the size of the average paperback book.  So, a little smaller than I might have preferred, but not noticeably smaller.  And it goes without saying that it was significantly larger than anything I had used previously. 

The other thing Sony has done is tossed out the backlit screen in favor of what they call “electronic paper.”  And boy did that work well.  One of my biggest problem with eBooks has always been staring at a glowing or backlit screen for hours at a time.  It gives me a headache.  It hurts my eyes.  The Sony Reader does not glow at all.  It is a stark grayscale screen with black “ink” on it.  The effect almost perfectly simulates the appearance of ink on paper.  No sore eyes and no headaches.  It also means that, unlike a computer monitor or mobile device, there is no screen glare or reflection.  Meaning it can easily be read, even in direct sunlight.

I did think it would have been nice if the Sony Reader could have incorporated some color into the screen.  Particularly for full color covers or books with illustrations or artwork.  But most of my books do not contains a lot of pictures, so that was not a real issue.  I also would have really liked a light on this for those times when I am reading in the dark or in a car.  Since the screen is not backlit, you are reliant upon an outside light source.  I was pleased to learn that the new PRS-700 includes a built-in light.  I wish this one did as well. 

OK, so let’s turn it on (just flick the switch on top).  The first time you turn it on, you will find yourself at the main menu.  After that initial use, every time you turn it on, the Reader will return to the last screen you viewed, which is awfully convenient.  I frequently get lost in a book and look up just in time to realize we have reached the train station.  You can return to the main menu by using the menu button.  Push it once quickly to jump back one menu level.  Push and hold to return all the way back to the main menu.

From the main menu, you can view your library organized by title, author, download date, or collection (like a playlist for books).  you can also view all of your saved bookmarks.  In addition to reading books, you can also listen to audio books or view pictures.  I really did not see much use for these options.  Viewing pictures seems a bit nonsensical on a black and white screen.  And there is no need for such a large device if all you plan to do is listen.  Sony makes a very nice line of mp3 players which you can use for that (nonetheless, I should point out that the volume control and headphone jack are on the bottom of the device.)  So, I stuck primarily with the device’s main purpose: reading.

To navigate through the main menu and sub menus, you can either use the numbered buttons running along the right hand side (these will correspond to buttons on the non-touch screen) or use the D-pad beneath the screen to navigate.  I found quite a few of these redundancies in the buttons, and I am not really sure why Sony designed the controls like that.  I would have rather they had left off most of these redundant buttons in favor of increasing the size of the screen.

Once you have selected a book to read you can control the size of the text on the screen by using the zoom button.  There are three sizes of text, however, I tended to read with the smallest size (though that may change if my eyes get any worse).  When you reach the end of the page, simply tap the arrow buttons on the right hand side of the screen to advance to the next page (or return to the previous page).  These buttons are in a nice recessed ridge which, shockingly, is roughly the same width as my thumb.  I thought this was a fantastic touch as it significantly improved the comfort of the device in my hand.  It felt very natural to hold the Sony Reader with my thumb resting in that ridge.  No movement required at all.  Just the slightest pressure of your thumb and off to the next page.

I did notice, however, that turning the page is hardly seamless.  Each time you advance to the next page, the screen flashes momentarily to a black background with gray text and then returns to its normal state on the next page.  I found this to be extremely annoying and wish the page turns could be made smoother.

The other thing I noticed is that the Sony Reader is not good for my skimming habit.  I am the kind of person who is constantly flipping ahead to see how many pages are left in this section or chapter.  There is no way to do that here.  While the pages are numbered, and you can tell how many pages are left in the book, there is no way to determine how close you are to the next chapter.  In the name of finding a good stopping point while reading, I wish they would add a feature which could show you the next chapter or break.

Of course, all of this begs the question of what to do when you need to stop reading.  With a normal book, you would ordinarily grab a piece of paper or bookmark and cram it between the pages.  Barring that, you might fold down the corner of the page (shudder).  With the Sony Reader, that task is made even easier.  just tap the bookmark button.  The corner of the page will be digitally turned and added to the bookmarks list on the main menu.

Now, let’s take a look at where you can find new books for your Reader.  And I have to say, I think this was the weak point of the process.  In order to download the books, you must access the Sony Reader store, which is part of the included software.  I found this store to be slow and difficult to search.  Additionally, while there are a lot of books in the store, they were not necessarily the books I was looking for.  It would be nice if Sony would team up with Barnes and Noble or Borders so you could download books from those sites.

I will say, however, that the prices were generally excellent, coming in at 25-50% lower than the paper and ink version of the book.  It was also incredibly easy, after a purchase, to transfer the books to your device.

I was also impressed by the size of these books.  Many of the books are under 2 MBs.  The largest one I have downloaded so far was just over 5 MB, (because it contains a lot of photographs.)  With 192 MBs of built in storage, that means you can store well over 100 books on your Reader at a time. 

If that is not enough for you, the reader also contains two memory card readers on the top of the device.  The Sony Reader ebooks can be stored on either an SD card or a Sony MS Pro Duo card (both not included).  This gives you virtually unlimited storage for books.  I was really impressed to find the SD card in the Reader.  The MS Pro Duo card is Sony’s proprietary memory card format.  This is the first Sony device I have ever seen which utilizes any other format.  So, Kudos on that to Sony.

Finally, just a quick note on the battery.  Because there is no backlight or glow on the screen, it requires almost no power at all.  In fact, the only thing that really taxes the battery at all is turning the page.  According to the box, the battery on the Reader will last for 7500 page turns.  Which is a lot of  books.  Seeing as how I am only about 250 pages into my first book, I have not even come close to testing this rating.  But I can tell you that after 250 page turns, the battery meter still reads full.  So, unlike reading on any of my other devices, I no longer feel like I am racing against the battery to finish.

I have to say, I was a bit of a skeptic going into this review.  I am not a fan of reading things on a computer screen, and I love to collect old books.  So, how could this collection of “0”s and “1”s ever compare to the alluring aroma of a pen and ink book, the heft of the book in your hand, or the crackle of the spine as you crack it open for the first time.  The truth is, it can’t.  It doesn’t even try to do all of that and it does not need to. 

You simply cannot beat the absolute convenience of this device.  If you travel or commute via public transportation, you will be amazed by the size, weighty and storage on this device.  I take it almost everywhere I go now, and my only regret is that it took me this long to find it.

What I liked:

• Great Screen
• Comfortable grip
• Easy to Use controls
• Enormous storage, including two memory cards
• Battery lasts forever
• Bookmarks are easy to add and find again later

What Needs Improvement:

• No light
• Grayscale screen does not offer color images
• No indication of how many pages remain in a chapter
• Screen “flashes” when page is turned
• Redundant controls unnecessarily take up space that could have been used by the screen
• Sony Reader eBook store is slow and difficult to search

Where to Buy: Sony

Price: $299

Related posts:

1. New Sony Reader PRS-700…Now With Touch Screen
2. Updating The Sony Reader eBook Store
3. Meet David Farrow and the Sony Reader Marathon
4. No More Dead Tree Books… Ever! The Sony Reader Is Awesome!
5. Specs & Thoughts: New Sony eReader – Reader Daily Edition