Best Sony Ebook Reader

The range of Sony Ebook Readers is pretty big. Choosing the best Sony Digital Reader can be quite daunting. Sony of course is a trusted brand and maker of personal electronics of the highest quality for many years, so choosing an ebook reading device made by them should be a sound investment. But which one is the best for you?.

You might think buying the most expensive must mean getting the best product. But to be honest the technical capabilities offer such a wide range of options the most well equipped could well mean paying for things you simply do not need.

The Sony Daily Edition may well be the best reader if you must have a daily digital newspaper to read, or must be able to work on business pdf files for example. But if those are things you are happy to go without maybe the Touch or Pocket Readers would be far more appropriate (and of course cheaper too).

In this article we will look at the best three types of Sony Ebook Reader available today, to help you determine which device is best for you.

The Sony PRS-300 Pocket Edition Digital Reader may be the smallest of the Ebook Readers we are looking at, but don't let that put you off. At around $100 less than either the Sony Touch, the Kindle 2 or nook it should certainly be considered.  

Now there is also the newer PRS-350 Pocket Reader from Sony with full touchscreen and a more sleek redesign.  

If your priority is to get a reliable, easy to view, handheld Ebook reading device perhaps you need look no further than the Sony Pocket Edition. It uses the same E Ink^® Vizplex^™ screen as the Touch, Kindle and nook. There are only 8 shades of gray rather than the Kindle's 16 so images will be less defined. But with only a 5" screen most buyers are looking to replace their paperback novels rather than study photographs or pictures so that difference should be of little concern.

It looks a little more old fashioned than the Touch as it uses simple navigation rather than a touch screen or stylus. But coming in 3 bright colors it really does offer younger readers a sense of style too.

Unlike the readers already mentioned this one does not come with any way to make notes or highlight text and there is no built in dictionary. But with 3 font sizes to choose from and the ability to read in either landscape or portrait format it offers exactly what an electronic reading device needs. Easy to use, easy to read and economical, this is the best priced Ebook Reader and really if what you want is to read rather than research, study or work, it's pocket sized nature and equal memory capacity to store around 350 titles makes it a realistic option for many.

The Sony Touch Digital Reader is still keeping readers and gadget fans happy with its intuitive touchscreen technology. View any of the customer reviews at amazon and you will see just how happy people are being able to turn the page with the swish of the thumb. Since the success of the iPhone it seems we all want to be able to use such simple andsatisfying touch screen electronics.

There is now a newer PRS650 version of the Sony Touch Reader too.

There is no wireless connectivity, so downloads do need to be done via a PC or MAC. But with Sony's decision to keep the multiple format support as a key feature you have the widest choice of sources from which to download new titles and that is a key factor in making all the Sony Readers so popular. Add to that a choice of colors to ensure your reader suits your design sensibilities and you can see why it is in such stiff competition with the Kindle 2 regardless of its lack of wireless capability.

Again the E Ink^® Vizplex^™ screen ensures glare should not be an issue and tired eyes a thing of the past. This is a mid-priced reader coming in at around $260 putting it in the same price bracket as the Kindle 2. Of course amazon's cheap booksales and loyal following are pretty stiff competition. But if you want a device that makes reading electronic books comfortable and allows you the flexibility to shop around for titles the Sony Touch Edition is looking like a safe bet. But, you must really like touchscreen technology to pay for this reader. If not the slightly smaller, and much cheaper Pocket Edition could be a safer bet.

The newest of our Sony Readers to review is the long awaited Sony Daily Edition (also known as the Sony PRS-900BC Digital Reader). This is the first Wireless Reading Device presented by the manufacturer. Hot on the heels of the success of both the Kindle 2 and the nook wireless reader, this offers a similar 'instant' download capability provided by a free wireless connection.

For some, the ability to download new material without needing to log on to the pc is a great leap forward, and is particularly useful for daily downloads of newspapers or journals. This is the key point that the makers have pushed, creating the Daily Edition that sends new material to you without you needing to do very much at all. Great if you must have a digital copy of your morning paper. But, if not, this could be an extra option simply not required.

The wireless connectivity is only currently available for use when ordering new material from Sony's own Digital Bookstore, and this is where one drawback is obvious. They simply do not have the range of titles that can be offered by Barnes & Noble or amazon.

Of course the great thing about all the Sony readers is that they are compatible with ebooks in many formats meaning you can buy from many sources, and of course download a wide range of out of print (and copyright) material from google's online bookstore and public libraries. But, none of this can be done wirelessly, so bear that in mind if you really want the convenience of a wireless reading device.

Of course another key feature is the large 7.1" display, making it one of the larger readers available (and currently cheaper than the Kindle DX). This could make it the best option with anyone with sight issues and of course invaluable for easy viewing of large format material. This puts it in a similar category to the Que Reader for those who need to view large reports and so on.

They are all great, and all have a loyal fanbase of satisfied customers (check out the amazon reviews). The key thing to remember is that each of these Sony Ebook Readers offers something slightly different, and discovering which is best really depends upon your needs:

• If you want to read your usual paperback novels while you commute, in something easy to read yet small enough to fit in your cargo pants, the Sony Pocket Edition is all you need.
• If you must annotate, highlight or simply cannot live without a touchscreen choose the Sony Touch Edition.
• If you have to read your morning paper on the go in an electronic format, or always need to view your work reports on the way into the office I am afraid you will need to spend a little more and pick the Sony Daily Edition.

• Click to View the Full Range of Sony Digital Readers at amazon

Don't get caught up in the 'need' to have the latest, most advanced Ebook Reader. Most of us simply want something that is easy to use, easy to see and will store multiple titles, in which case spend $160 and choose the Cheapest Sony Digital Reader! One last piece of advice, choose silver or blue unless you really are a 13 year old girl!

This article was written for the original pocket, touch and daily editions of the Sony eBook Reader range.  Since then each has been upgraded, offering improved displays, the addition of touch-screens and a sleek new look.

Still, the newer pocket edition is my favorite, for its sleek, small design and ease of use.  The addition of a touch-screen is a vast improvement and even the new pink color is good, much better than their old version!