Sony PRS-505 Reader

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Review

Electronic books (or electronic book readers, to be pedantic) with displays indistinguishable from the printed page have long been a pipe dream, but technology is now at the point where such gadgets are not only possible, but also affordable.

Sony first dabbled with the e-ink screens necessary for such a device back in 2004, with the Japan-only LIBRIe, and then launched the much improved PRS-500 Reader in the US two years later. The PRS-505 Reader followed in 2007, and this slightly revised model is now available in the UK for the first time. So, does it spell the end for paper? We doubt it, but not for the reasons you might think…

The PRS-505 Reader is a little shorter and a little wider than a typical paperback book, but it’s only as thick as about 110 pages. As you might expect for a Sony product, it’s a sleek and stylish device, and one that feels sufficiently well-made to withstand being knocked about in a bag all day. You’ll need to keep it clipped into the supplied wallet to stop the screen and silver metallic case from getting too battered, but this is tan leather rather than the usual naff vinyl, and lets you hold the Reader like a book.

Design obviously doesn’t count for much if the display doesn’t live up to expectations, and that’s where previous e-book readers have fallen well short. No matter how sharp they are, traditional LCD technology simply isn’t up to acting as ‘electronic paper’, but electrophoretic technology is.

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