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Home > Computers > Digital Readers > Sony PRS-500

Sony PRS500 Portable Reader System - PRS-500

Abt Model: PRS500U2

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Sony PRS500 Portable Reader System - PRS500U2/ 6" Electronic Paper Like Display/Turn Approximately 7,500 Pages On A Single Charge/ Supports BBeB Book, Adobe PDF, TXT, RTF, Microsoft Word, MP3, ACC, JPEG, GIF, PNG And BMP Media Formats

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Discontinued (details)

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Customer Rating:

Read 26 Reviews | Write a Review

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Product Details

Sony Portable Reader System, Model PRS500U2

The Sony® Reader offers a new and convenient digital reading experience. It boasts an amazing screen with technology that rivals text on paper. Weighing less than 9 ounces² and at only 1/2” thin, it’s more compact than many paperbacks. Plus, it comes with software that seamlessly allows you to search and browse thousands of electronic book titles from the Connect® eBookstore and then easily transfer from your PC to your Sony Reader. With built-in memory and multi-format support, you can take many of your favorite titles and documents with you. So compact and convenient, you’ll want to take it everywhere.

Features:

Impressive, Paper-like Display
Experience reading in a whole new way with the Sony® Reader. It boasts an impressive six-inch display¹, utilizing breakthrough E Ink® Display technology, presenting text as clear as if it were on paper*. In addition, the screen can be magnified 200% making reading a joy, even for sight-impaired readers.
*Daylight readable, high contrast, high resolution (check PPI), near 180º viewing angle.
Ultra Portable
The Sony® Reader offers a unique, on-the-go reading experience. With a very compact and lightweight design, you can take it almost anywhere. More compact than many paperbacks, it weighs under nine ounces and is less than 1/2 ” thin. You can easily hold it in one hand while sipping coffee with the other. You can bring multiple titles to read while traveling without adding weight and bulk to your luggage. And with its rechargeable battery, you can turn approximately 7,500 pages on a single charge. Bring more, pack less... it's the perfect solution for people on-the-go.
Content Storage Capability
The easy-to-carry Reader can store a library of reading options with it's internal memory³ and slot for removable memory cards. You can take many titles or other supported documents for reading whenever, wherever. (Approximately 160 books with the 128MB of internal memory) Add to the capacity with optional Memory Stick® storage media or SD memory card⁴ (sold separately).
Multiple eBook Titles Available
The Sony® Reader will seamlessly allow you to search, browse and discover thousands of popular titles at the Connect® eBookstore. You can purchase and download these titles to your PC and easily transfer into your Sony Reader.
More than eBooks
The Sony Reader isn’t just about reading eBooks. Using the included CONNECT™ Reader PC Software, you can easily transfer Adobe® PDF documents, BBeB Book, and other text file formats to the Reader⁵. Seamlessly search, browse and download user-selected RSS Web content from CONNECT™ Store to the PC and transfer to your Sony® Reader. Take along your favorite Web newsfeeds, blogs and more to read⁵ where ever you are.

Specifications:

Display

Technology: E-Ink® "Electronic Paper"
Screen Size: Approx. 6" Measured Diagonally
Resolution: Approx. 170 Pixels Per Inch
Gray Scale: 4-Level Grey Scale
Residual image may show on display. This is due to the display characteristics and not a malfunction.

Media Formats Supported

Unsecured Text: BBeB Book, Adobe® PDF, TXT, RTF, Microsoft® Word (Conversion to the Reader-requires Word installed on your PC)
DRM Text: BBeB Book (Marlin)
Unsecured Audio: MP3 and AAC⁷
Image: JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP

Power

Battery Type: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion
Battery Life (Approx.): Up to 7,500 page turns²
Recharging Time: Approx. 4 Hours when using AC wall charger or Approx. 6 Hours with USB charging from powered Computer
AC Power: AC Charger requires 120 Volts 60Hz

System Requirements

Operating System: Windows® XP (Home Edition/Professional, Media Center Edition, Media Center Edition 2004, Media Center Edition 2005)
Processor: 800MHz Celeron® class processor or better
RAM: 128MB Minimum
Hard Drive: 20MB Minimum availible Hard Drive space
Optical Drive: Optical Drive capable of reading CD-ROM
USB Port: USB 1.1 or faster port
Internet Connection: Broadband suggested³

What's Included:

PRS-500 Portable Reader System
PC Management Software
Black Soft Case
USB Cable
AC Power Adapter
Quick Start Guide

Optional Accessories:

Optional Charging/Synching Cradle-BCRRU1
Optional Book Covers-PRS-500LC/R, PRS-500LC/T, PRS-500C/G

Approximate Dimensions:

Height: 6.9"
Width: 4.9"
Depth: 0.5"

Approximate Weight:

Unit (Without Soft Cover): 9 oz
Shipping: 2 lbs

Warranty Information:

Manufacturer Warranty (authorized online retailer): 90 days labor / 1 year parts

Footnotes:

Screen Size measured diagonally.
Non-metric weights and measures are approximate.
Memory Capacity: Actual user available memory is approximate. A portion of memory is used for data management functions.
File Sizes: Based on average un-illustrated eBook file size of 800 kilobytes. Actual file sizes vary by title.
Formats natively supported: Adobe® PDF, JPEG, BBeB Book and plain text formats natively supported. HTML and other text formats require conversion using included software.
MB means one million bytes when referring to memory capacity. Accessible capacity may vary. A portion of memory space is reserved for operating system and other system functions.
Un-encrypted MP3 and AAC format audio files only. Not compatible with most Digital copyright formatted audio file content. Headphones not included.

Manufacturer Model Number: PRS-500U2

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Product Review Summary

4.0 (based on 26 reviews)

81% of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Lightweight (19)
Compact (18)
Long Battery Life (18)
Easy Controls (16)
Bright Screen (11)
Useful Features (11)

Cons

Incompatible (3)

Best Uses

Home (15)
Travel (15)
Office (8)
School (6)

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Showing 1-26 of 26 Reviews

5.0

Amazing Product

Reviewed by MRF (Getting started) from Fort Myers, FL on Oct 08, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

Very user friendly, compact size makes it easy for traveling or carrying in your laptop case or purse. Great product!

Best Uses:	Image Storage, Digital Capture
Pros:	Strong Construction, Reliable, Convenient Interface, Lightweight

Was this review helpful to you? Yes / No

5.0

Sony e-Reader

Reviewed by Traveling Tigers (Professional) from Columbia, MO on Sep 23, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

We are pro-Sony products, owning several computers and cameras. Increased travel, especially internationally, caused us to look at electronic readers for convenience. We could not find another single product that offers what the e-Reader offers. The e-Reader is easy and comfortable to use. It comes in a cover that protects it well, and makes it easy to carry in purse or carry-on bag. The 'print-on-paper' lighting is comfortable, outside in daylight or inside by lamp. My flights to and from Europe and Asia will be much more rewarding now. My hope is that Sony will work with other electronic book providers to increase the array of selections available to e-Reader users.

Cons:	Availability of books
Best Uses:	For travel
Pros:	Lightweight, Size

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4.0

Hardware good, but book selection poor

Reviewed by Danaidh (Tech Savvy) from Chicago-Norwood Park on Aug 27, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

Only the books you buy from Sony's Connect Store will work on the reader (without substantial, time-consuming work-around). The selection is poor compared to other ebook sites. It isn't just a DRM-issue. Other formats' (e.g. MS) licensed DRM files will not work on this machine. You can load Adobe pdf files, but font size is too small comfortably to read. You have to redesign pages to a smaller size before loading the files. An online guide on how to do this is available, but the process is time-consuming. Word files also must be on smaller-sized pages, and the .doc format is changed to RTF format in the transfer to your reader. But the hardware itself is excellent--5 stars. I really like the design and the clear, readable, page print. Storage hasn't become an issue yet, but if it gets tight on the reader, you can just move some files back and forth between your computer and the reader. There is also the card slot. I just wish there were more content you could use with this machine.

Pros:	Easy To Use, Compact Design, Adequate Storage
Cons:	Limited Compatibility, Slow

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4.0

Very easy to use

Reviewed by Mike (Multimedia Professional) from Fairfield IA on Aug 20, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

the most wonderful thing about the Reader is that it's legible in sunlight, unlike LCD screens

Pros:	Compact Design, Long Battery Life, Good RTF display, Fantastic screen - eink, Sd card compatibility, Easy To Use
Cons:	Digital rights management, Terrible pdf display, price too high
Best Uses:	Reading ebooks

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5.0

Great item!

Reviewed by Chris (Tech Savvy) from New York city on Aug 17, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

Great toy for avid reader.

Pros:	Adequate Storage, Easy To Use, Compact Design
Cons:	No backlit feature
Best Uses:	Syncing With Computer

0 of 1 customers found this review helpful.

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4.0

Sony PRS500 easy to use ebook reader

Reviewed by Meira (Tech Savvy) from Pittsburgh, PA on Aug 16, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

The Sony PRS500 is a nice, easy to use product for storing large amounts of reading material. The reader is very much at the mercy of retailers who decide what to offer in eBooks. I was pleased to see that it could read pdf files, but disappointed to find out that this compatibility was limited to only certain pdf files.

Pros:	Easy To Use, Compact Design, Long Battery Life, Adequate Storage, Fast
Best Uses:	leisure time reading
Cons:	Limited Compatibility, Poor Software Bundle

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3.0

New Technology To Get Used To

Reviewed by Greg (Tech Savvy) from Durham, NC on Jul 13, 2007

BOTTOM LINE No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

Changing pages has a noticable lag. Shadow shows on the screen when changing pages or when turning off. Still trying to learn the naavigation and deleting bookmarks. Overall, not bad. Would be interesting to have two side-by-side screens to be more "book" like.

Pros:	Long Battery Life, Compact Design
Best Uses:	Pleasure reading
Cons:	Slow

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4.0

Started Reading again with this product

Reviewed by M (Tech Savvy) from Richmond, VA on Jul 03, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

Great device for those with problems reading. My husband needed larger print. He had stopped reading and missed it very much. I wish he could get the printing on some of the books to go up larger. All in all this product has him reading again!

Cons:	Better backlighting, Zoom wld be good, Need print to be larger
Pros:	Great Software Bundle, Good Compatibility, Fast, Easy To Use, Adequate Storage, Compact Design
Best Uses:	Read wlarger print, Mobile Communication

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4.0

love it!

Reviewed by Kris (Frequent Traveler, Practical) from Renton, WA on Jun 25, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

I love this book reader! As a frequent traveler, half my luggage is always books, so this allows me to carry a bunch of books around...without all that paper to deal with.

Best Uses:	School, Travel, Home
Pros:	Useful Features, Easy Controls, Compact, Lightweight, Long Battery Life

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4.0

Almost there

Reviewed by Spliviano (Practical) from New York, NY on Jun 25, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

The Sony Reader is easy to use, has great storage capacity and more than adequate battery life, and on the whole has the features one would want it to have. My only real objection is the contrast, which is decent but not great. In bright light, such as outdoors or under a reading lamp, this is not a problem, but when reading in a dimmer setting, the digital ink appears as dark grey on light grey, rather than as black on white. Still, I do love my Reader.

Cons:	Dull Screen
Pros:	Good Compatibility With Other Devices, Easy Controls, Lightweight, Useful Features, Compact, Long Battery Life
Best Uses:	Office, Travel, School, Home

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4.0

Great Device

Reviewed by Bill (Frequent Traveler) from Sterling, VA on Jun 24, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

Reader met all expectations. Despite it's high cost, it's convienience, size, capacity, and compatability make it a worthwhile purchase.

Cons:	Cost
Best Uses:	Home, Travel
Pros:	Useful Features, Easy Controls, Long Battery Life, Lightweight, Bright Screen, Compact

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4.0

Easy on the Eyes Ebook Reader

Reviewed by Gbald (Gearhead, Practical) from Tallmadge, Ohio on Jun 22, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

I have used my Sony reader for 8 months now, and have read 10 large novels with no problems. The quality of the e-ink print is great, and the standard cover is very durable. I keep all sorts of files on this device and in my opinion it is very user friendly. For reading in the dark a simple clip on led book light does the trick. I have owned Palm PDA's, Franklin Bookman E111, and pocket PC's, and this Sony is by far the best reader I've used. Highly recommend, but a tad expensive.

Pros:	Bright Screen, Easy Controls, Long Battery Life, Compact, Lightweight
Cons:	price too high
Best Uses:	Travel, Office, Home

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4.0

Take your bookshelf on the road

Reviewed by George (Gearhead, Frequent Traveler) from Washington DC on May 25, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

I wish it had support for the Mac, but I can work around that. I hope this device catches on! Sony, you almost killed the MiniDisk, killed Beta, don't mess this one up! I like reading wherever I am, [...].Right now I have 30 books in it and the number is increasing. It is also easy to create content from my own writing into the reader, and I transferred many reference docs I use daily. The idea of not killing trees to read the greatest books, and have 50lbs of books in my pocket is just too cool. As is the savings: popular new titles are about [$] cheaper from the online source, than from a bookshop. With the [$] book buying credit, and my own book buying habits, I figure that this purchase will pay for itself in less than a year. I don't see any reason why NOT to get one of these. Don't just do something, sit there and read a great book!

Best Uses:	Home, Office, Travel
Cons:	Lacks Mac support
Pros:	Lightweight, Easy Controls, Long Battery Life, Compact, Bright Screen

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5.0

Works as described

Reviewed by sammythelammy (Practical) from Uruguay, South America on May 16, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

No surprises, works perfectly

Cons:	Dull Screen
Pros:	Lightweight, Easy Controls, Good Compatibility With Other Devices, Useful Features, Compact
Best Uses:	Travel, Home

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5.0

Best purchase I ever made

Reviewed by Sylvia (Practical) from Columbia, SC on May 10, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

I love my reader. I take it everywhere. I no longer have to carry several books in my luggage. I just wish that your book store would add a Bible that I could download.

Best Uses:	Home, Travel
Pros:	Long Battery Life, Compact, Easy Controls, Lightweight, Useful Features

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4.0

I like it, carry your library with you.

Reviewed by Skye Spy (Frequent Traveler, Practical, Gearhead) from Virginia Beach, VA on Apr 24, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

A little expensive, but worth it if you want 80 books at you finger tips without lugging 100 lbs of books. The selection of books is growing and I'm adding books I want as I find them. Handy size for frequent flyers. Low power consumption. Yes, I want more books and features, but the size is just right for me. Check out the Sony Connect Bookstore to see if the titles you want are available. I use it when traveling on vacation and business and it is great. Saves luggage and briefcase space. I also use the reader at lunch. Beats PDA and laptop reading hands down.

Pros:	Bright Screen, Compact, Long Battery Life, Lightweight, Easy Controls, Useful Features
Best Uses:	Office, Travel, School, Home

1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.

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5.0

Best vacation item purchased!

Reviewed by Sharon (Practical, Frequent Traveler) from New London, CT on Mar 30, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

I recommend it to everyone who reads. It's light weight to hold - at the beach, in bed or in a chair, fits in my purse, saves on the bulk of bringing books when traveling, and was easy to download. One of the most interesting gagets in ages.

Pros:	Easy Controls, Long Battery Life, Lightweight, Compact
Best Uses:	Travel, Home

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4.0

Excellent Product

Reviewed by Fredo (Practical, Frequent Traveler) from Beaumont, TX on Mar 13, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

Fun to use, easy to use. Adding new material is easy.

Cons:	books should be cheaper, Incompatible
Best Uses:	good anywhere
Pros:	Long Battery Life, Compact, Bright Screen, Lightweight, Good selection of books, Easy Controls

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5.0

Very usefull gadget for e-books reading

Reviewed by Julian (Practical, Frequent Traveler) from Walnut Creek, CA on Mar 08, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

I bought it for my wife a moth ago. This device has extra large screen with good contrast and cool E Ink technology. SD card slot is very convenient and the battery is good enough. Just eyes keeper gadget.

Pros:	Lightweight, Long Battery Life, Compact, Useful Features
Best Uses:	Travel, Home

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5.0

Easy to use, easy to read. Ideal product

Reviewed by Intellect (Practical, Frequent Traveler) from West Florida on Mar 02, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

Nifty

Best Uses:	Travel
Pros:	Very easy to read, Good Compatibility With Other Devices, Long Battery Life, Bright Screen, Lightweight, Compact, Easy Controls

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4.0

Easy for poor hand dexterity

Reviewed by Bookworm (Practical, Frequent Traveler) from Chicago IL on Feb 09, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

I love this product! My disability makes holding books more difficult. I prefer the flexibility of being able to read anywhere away from my computer. The page resolution, battery life and antiglare screen are excellent! The downside is don't count on using it to read e-books purchased from anyone other than CONNECT. Photos are in black and white.

Best Uses:	Home
Cons:	Incompatible
Pros:	Long Battery Life, Bright Screen, Compact, Easy Controls

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4.0

Great advance

Reviewed by Big Reader (Practical, Frequent Traveler) from Los Angeles on Jan 29, 2007

BOTTOM LINE Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

Great advance on previous readers.

Cons:	Incompatible
Best Uses:	Travel, Office, School, Home
Pros:	Useful Features, Lightweight, Bright Screen, Compact

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4.0

Can't go wrong!!

Reviewed by Laura (Practical, Frequent Traveler) from WQakefield, Ri on Jan 01, 2007

Got this as Christmas present. Absolutely love it! I have tons of PDF files that I want with me to reference as needed. Bought a 1 gig SD card for $20 bucks and now have them all with me. Plus, lots of free Ebooks out there and this little gem supports the format. Much cheaper than the Iliad, too. One wish- color! Pictures in B/W are not the same. If you love to read- like me- and hate toting books with you, buy this great little toy!

Pros:	Easy Controls, Bright Screen, Compact, Lightweight, Long Battery Life, Useful Features
Best Uses:	Home, Office, Travel
Cons:	Where's the Color

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1.0

No back light

Reviewed by a father (Practical, Frequent Traveler) from Hinsdale, IL on Dec 26, 2006

I bought this product for my daughter who devours books and really wanted on. However, it is not like an I-Pod. By that I mean it is not backlit so you have to be in just the right degree of light. You can not use it in a dark room or on a dark plane. Unfortunately we are returning the Book. I am sure at some point in time it will be backlit and have other features but for now!!!!

Pros:

Easy Controls, Lightweight, Compact

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4.0

Wonderfull product... [...]

Reviewed by Jibberish92 (Practical, Frequent Traveler) from PA on Dec 22, 2006

I love my reader! I am truly enjoying it. This is the only site I could find that carried this product

Pros:	Bright Screen, Lightweight, Easy Controls, Long Battery Life, Compact, Useful Features
Best Uses:	Office, Travel, School, Home
Cons:	Small Memory

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5.0

Great product -- I love it

Reviewed by Micki (Practical, Frequent Traveler) from Chicago on Nov 27, 2006

Cuts down on book storage - -can read and carry several books/articles at one time etc. Even stores pictures

Pros:	Compact, Easy Controls, Bright Screen, Useful Features, Long Battery Life, Lightweight, Good Compatibility With Other Devices
Best Uses:	Home, Travel, School, Office

1 of 2 customers found this review helpful.

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