So you planned on getting the reader on your list a Nook, the new eBook reader from Barnes & Noble only to find out they're backordered. You still like the idea of giving that special someone an eBook reader but you're not sure where to turn next. There are a a growing number of options on the market and it can be confusing at times. Should you go with Amazon's Kindle? What about one of the eBook Readers from the Sony family?
This summer I became a Kindle 2 owner and I've found the conversion to eReading to be an easy one and have come to quite enjoy it. A month ago, I received a Sony Pocket eReader and I've spent the past few weeks kicking the tires on it. For the purpose of this review, I'm going to do my best to ignore my membership in the Kindle club. This review is going to focus on the strengths, weaknesses, and general experience of the Pocket eReader. We'll save the comparison for another day.
The greatest strength of the Sony Pocket eReader is its simplicity. You don't have to have a PhD in technology to operate the device. Purchasing books, transferring them to the device, and navigating from one book to another or from page to page are all intuitive processes. Bookmarking and changing font sizes are also simple.
Using the Pocket device requires installation of software that can be downloaded from Sony's web site and is available for Mac and PC users. The majority of users will get the majority of their books through Sony's eBook Store. The eBook Store is integrated into the software download. For those of you who own iPods, think of the relationship between your Pocket eReader and the Sony software the way you do your iPod and iTunes. You can manage the content of your device in the software and also connect to the store through it, provided you're connected to the internet. Similarly, purchased books are moved to the device in a drag/drop manner when the Reader is connected to your computer via the included USB cable. Trust me when I say that all sounds a lot more complicated than it really is. The learning curve is gentle. Buying books, transferring them to the Reader, and reading are all simple. The native support for Adobe's PDF format is another major plus for the Reader.
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