Measuring 12.2cm wide by 17.5cm tall by 0.8cm thick, Sony’s Reader PRS-505 is aimed at those who find e-book readers as a device to carry large information wherever they go. The device weighs 260g and comes with a brown leather pouch. The pouch protects the device from scratches and any other kind of damage. Magnets are provided at the top and bottom of the pouch and they keep the pouch closed. Although the device is small but it is not possible to fit it in your pocket unless your pocket are large. The device sports a 6-inch screen which is a trade off between portability and usability. The screen size is less than the page size of a paperback book.
As far as the design is goes, the PRS-505 has got the best looks in its category. The front and back of the device have matte silver look with shiny top and bottom. A large number of buttons are provided to control the device. But the navigation is pretty simple and easy. The top edge features a power switch with ports for Memory Stick and SD cards. A USB port, standard 3.5mm headset jack, volume rocker and a charging connector are located on the bottom edge of the device.
The PRS-505 comes with a software CD which contains a quick start guide and 100 e-books, and USB connectivity cable is provided for charging. But no AC adapter is provided with the package.
The PRS-505 supports various file formats like RTF, MS-Word, TXT and PDF. It also supports Sony’s BBeB and EPUB formats. It can also display images with JPEG, GIF, PNG and BMP formats. You can also listen to the MP3 and AAC files but you need to use the headphones as the device lacks built in speakers.
The software supplied with the device works only with Windows XP and Vista. Moreover, simply copying the files to the SD card will not allow you to read files which a bit frustrating. This also means that you can’t take files from the computers that don’t have the Sony’s software installed on them. The built in 192MB memory is sufficient for around 160 eBooks.
The E Ink screen of PRS-505 does not put any kind of strain on your eyes and you can read on the device as long as you can read a conventional book. The lack of backlighting also eliminates the glare produced by the screen.
