Sony issued a firmware update this past week for the Sony PRS-650 and PRS-350 ebook readers.

To update, all you need to do is plug your ereader into your computer with the USB cable and then open Sony’s Reader Library software if it doesn’t automatically launch when you plug the device in.

Filed under: News, Sony | Tags: firmware update, prs-350, prs-650 | 3 Comments »

If you’ve tried to get your hands on a new Sony PRS-650 recently you probably know that they are very hard to find these days.

Most retail stores don’t have them in stock, most online retailers that sell Sony Readers only sell the PRS-350 and sometimes the PRS-950, but the PRS-650 has been hard to come by for the past several months.

Filed under: Sony | Tags: prs-350, prs-650, prs-950 | 18 Comments »

The Sony Touch Edition, a.k.a. the PRS-650, is back in stock in both red and black at Sony Style.com after having sold out a few weeks before Christmas.

Other retailers still aren’t showing them in stock yet, at least not at a reasonable price. Even the Sony UK site and other international Sony sites are showing them as temporarily unavailable.

Filed under: News, Sony | Tags: prs-650 | 4 Comments »

This post is updated daily to list all the ebook reader sales through the 2010 holiday season, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and any other promotion retailers can think up between now and the end of December that involves ereaders.

I’ve added this page toward the top of the main navigation list on the left so it’s easy to find quickly to check for updates. I’ll also post each new item that is added to this list on Twitter for those of you that want to keep updated on all the latest sales and deals as soon as they are posted.

Please feel free to contribute to this list by leaving comments if you notice an ereader sale that isn’t listed, or if you happen to notice that one of the sales is no longer active.

Filed under: Sales and Discounts | Tags: libre, literati, nook wifi, pandigital novel, prs-350, prs-650, prs-950 | 18 Comments »

In an odd marketing twist that appears to be a big middle finger to those of us who bought a new Sony Touch or Sony Pocket when they were first released, there are suddenly a couple of really good deals on the Sony PRS-650 and PRS-350.

First, some of Sony’s retailers like B&H Photo and Borders are giving away a free cover that has a built-in light with the purchase of a PRS-350 Pocket Edition or PRS-650 Touch Edition. The cover costs about $50 if purchased separately. The Borders offer appears to be valid in-store only, and just a few stores have them in stock so call ahead. The offer ends 10/30/2010.

A separate deal, Sony Style isn’t offering a free cover with the purchase of a new ereader, but they are giving away $50 gift cards for ebooks from the Reader Store. This offer ends on October 31st and does not include pre-orders on the PRS-950 for some reason. Perhaps next month . . .

The last promotion is a chance to win a new Sony Reader or a $2,000 gift card. It’s unclear which Sony Reader is being given away because in true Sony fashion, there’s a typo on the contest description page. It says “win a PRS-350SC Reader Touch Edition”. The last time I checked the PRS-350 was in fact the “Pocket Edition”. From the subtle clues, it does appear that they meant to say Pocket Edition, since there is no silver 650 in the US.

Anyway, if you sign up to receive Sony emails then you get entered into a series of weekly drawings to win a Sony Reader, and a chance to win a $2,000 Sony Style gift card for signing up.

Filed under: Sales and Discounts, Sony | Tags: prs-350, prs-650 | No Comments »

This post is a list of shortcuts for the Sony PRS 650 Touch Edition and PRS 350 Pocket Edition, along with some helpful tips and tricks.

Here are links to some earlier Sony Reader posts that you may find useful as well: How to get free news feeds for a Sony Reader with Calibre’s news fetch feature; How to change fonts on a Sony Reader.

Please feel free to leave comments about any other PRS 650/350 shortcuts, hot keys, or hidden features that you may happen to discover.

Filed under: How To, Sony | Tags: prs-350, prs-650 | 10 Comments »

During the initial reviews for the Sony PRS-650 and PRS-350, I said that I liked the PRS-650 better because of the larger screen size and memory card slots. But after using them both for a few weeks, I’m not sure which one I like better.

As far as the user interface goes, they are pretty much identical. They both have all the same touchscreen features and functions, with the exception that the PRS-650 has an audio player.

So other than the size and price, there’s not a whole lot of difference between them. But still . . . that doesn’t make choosing one or the other any easier. So I decided to make a list comparing the differences between the new Sony Touch and Sony Pocket, and then listing the advantages of each device specifically compared to the other.

PRS-650 vs PRS-350: The Differences

Text Size

Aside from the technical differences, the main thing to consider when trying to decide between the PRS-650 and PRS-350 is the amount of text shown on-screen. Click the picture at the top of the post for a close-up comparison of the difference in the amount of text between the two devices. Both use the same exact text sizes.

The picture shows the text on the medium setting. If you like reading with a larger text size, then the PRS-650 is probably the better option. The PRS-350 is more suited for those that like to read smaller text.

Construction

One quick thing to point out, the PRS-350 has a plastic edge along three sides—probably to make it even lighter—whereas the PRS-650 uses aluminum all around.

PRS-650 vs PRS-350: Conclusion

Trying to decide between buying the PRS-650 and PRS-350 is not easy, hopefully this post has helped you decide which one is the best fit for you. Here’s a summary of the advantages of both:

Advantages PRS-650

• Memory card slots
• More text on-screen, less page turning
• Larger screen size is better for viewing PDF files
• Audio support
• Slightly stronger build

Advantages PRS-350

• Extremely light and easy to hold
• Diminutive size makes it highly portable, even pocketable
• Costs about $50 less than the PRS-650

Filed under: Reviews, Sony | Tags: prs-350, prs-650 | 11 Comments »

This Kindle 3 vs Sony PRS-650 review outlines all the differences between two of the most popular ebook readers on the market.

Trying to decide between getting a Kindle 3 or Sony PRS-650 is not an easy task (I’m glad I don’t have to choose). Hopefully this post can help you make the right choice for your specific ereading needs.

Filed under: Amazon Kindle, Reviews, Sony | Tags: kindle 3, prs-650, sony touch | 52 Comments »

This is a quick note to mention that the review for the new Sony Touch is now finished and can be found on the dedicated Sony PRS-650 Review page.

Also, here is the link for the PRS-650 PDF review. The PDF review includes several large close-up pictures of the Sony Touch.

I plan on updating both reviews later next week to add more information.

As usual, feel free to ask any questions below.

Filed under: Reviews, Sony | Tags: prs-650, sony touch | 11 Comments »

For whatever reason, the PRS-650 Touch Edition shipped about a week and a half after the PRS-350. So now that I’ve had plenty of time to test the Pocket Edition, it’s time to get on with the PRS-650 review.

First off, I will admit that I like the PRS-650 better. Partially it’s because I’m used reading on a 6-inch ereader; I like the amount of text on the screen versus the smaller 350. Reading on the PRS-350 makes me feel . . . claustrophobic, for lack of a better term. The small font setting is just too small for my personal preference and the medium setting appears cramped and closed-in, like I want it to zoom out just a little more.

Messing with the font hack and changing the settings using Calibre helps to get a better font size for the PRS-350′s screen, but just using the regular medium setting on the 650 feels “right”. The font sizes are exactly the same on both devices, so the extra real estate on the 650′s screen makes a big difference.

I’ll do a proper comparison of the two next week with a video. For now here’s the PRS-650 video reviews. I’ll have the written reviews up shortly; the main review will be posted on the existing PRS-650 review page when it’s finished.

PRS-650 Touch Edition General Review

Touch Edition PDF Review

Filed under: Reviews, Sony | Tags: prs-650, sony touch | 6 Comments »