Since I really enjoyed the Sony software on the Sony PRS-700, and I was searching eBay for a Nook, I placed an impulsive last minute bid on a used Sony Reader Pocket Edition (model PRS-300) and actually won, for really cheap. As in $95 cheap! Which would make you think that this is a cheap reader, but both you and I would be wrong. The Sony Pocket Edition runs $149 new, $139 refurbished, but steals can be had on eBay right now, averaging $90-110, depending on what accessories are included.
My take on the Pocket after using it for for several weeks:
Design:
I enjoy the quality of the design - the metal front and back, responsive buttons that make nearly silent clicks, the perfect centering/balancing of the navigation buttons, make it a joy to hold and use.
Touchscreen:
Sorry, no touchscreen on the Pocket. I'm guessing it's one of the compromises that keeps it inexpensive. navigation is accomplished with the 5 rocker buttons on the side, and the 5 way center button on the bottom.
Contrast:
The contrast is lovely on this screen, especially compared to the PRS-700. It's not quite as white a background as the Nook, but not as murky as the PRS-700. Highly readable in any lighting. Both letters and artwork appear very crisp, and there is no glare.
Lighting:
There is no built-in lighting, which is standard for an e-Ink device. I have used it with a Lyra Light, an M-Edge eLuminator2 light (Kindle model), and a few cheap dollar store clip-ons. There is a tendency toward hot spots if you point any light directly at the screen. I get more even lighting by pointing towards it from above or the left side. I may consider purchasing PRSA-CL3, the Sony light cover
Speed:
Page turns are exactly the same as the nook, but a bit slower than the speedy PRS-600 (more on that later). There is a noticeably, but quick, screen flash as the e-Ink refreshes, and ghosting is non-existent. Turning on the device is nearly instantaneous, since it really goes into sleep, not off (unless you force it off by holding the power button for longer). I love being able to flick the switch and start reading in less than 2 seconds - take that Stanza and eReader on iPhone!
Connectivity
No WiFi or 3G on the POcket either. Again, keeps the cost down for a no-frills, get it done device. This is probably also one of the things that helps keep it speedy. I kind of missing the convenience of impulse purchasing, but for the tradeoff of Calibre tags, it might be worth it.
Software:
I would rate the Sony as above average, for the eReading device market. It doesn't do everything I wish it would od, but it does a heck of a lot more than all the others do in terms of organization. Just like the PRS-700 was laid out to provide a useful touch interface, the Pocket's software utlitizes the 5 toggle buttons and 5 way on the bottom efficiently. Books can be sorted by Title, Author or Collections. They can also be sorted by (loaded) Date, which I haven't found particularly useful, but its there. The best feature remains the Collections feature - the ability to utilize my meticulously tagged series from Calibre is awesome.
It does not include a dictionary feature, or a go to page feature. I miss the latter when I'm switching between readers or referencing something in a different book in a series. The dictionary isn't critical for me anymore, since Google on my iPhone is nearby. My only real complaints are that there is no clock (gotta have something to remind me when I'm caught up reading until 2am) and you can't have more than one book in the Continue Reading option - I often have 2-3 books going at one time, so I have to remember which ones they are. Sony should make this a menu, and you can select from the last 5 books opened, or up to 5 books that are open to midway pages, not the end.
The reading software reads ePub and PDF DRM formats. I believe it also uses LRF non-DRM, but I have not tried that format. The standard font is a serif and is attractive. There are 3 sizes - Small is almost useless, Medium is usually good, and Large is often too large. I'd like more options, but the ones that are there are serviceable.
The desktop software is Sony Reader. Just don't go there. It is buggy and slow on a Mac, crashing about every third time. I haven't even bothered using it with the Pocket, since it was so miserable with the PRS-700. Calibre does an excellent job. I'd say that Sony should just buy it, but then it would be hopelessly ignored, so I'll take that back!
Ergonomics:
I really enjoy using the Pocket one-handed. It feels great in hand, well-balanced, and with perfect placement of the buttons. I find it easy to hold and navigate using the bottom buttons without my wrist getting tired. It weights 7.3 oz according to Sony's website, and that seems about right - a few ounces heavier than my iPhone, but not the behemoth 12 oz of the nook.
I did try to use it in a propped position in an easel-style case, and didn't find that doable. The Pocket is so light, that pushing on the bottom button to advance the page requires enough force to almost knock it over.
Storage
This is the the Pocket's primary weakness, for me. There is only 500MB storage, and no SD slot. With my 500+ ebook library, I'd prefer to carry it all, and the Pocket just can't do that. I don't want to have to think about what is on a device, I want to search and read (or reread).
Conclusion:
I read in bed, I read in the car, I read at work, I read on the couch. All told, I think I have spent 50 hours reading on this device over a several weeks. Combined with the Sony PRS-CL3 light cover, and more memory, it could be my perfect reader to entirely replace my iPhone in all situations. Instead, I have to look elsewhere or use it as a secondary reader.
So now, the e-Reading collection enlarges further - I'm awaiting a Bookeen Cybook Opus, that I also got a steal of a deal on eBay. Those darn iPad owners are dumping their e-Ink devices left and right. Too bad Apple doesn't make a 6-7" iPad.
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