Sony PRS-505 or 500?

monka · 10-31-2009, 12:03 PM

Hi guys,

I know that Sony PRS-505 is better than Sony PRS-500

The question is - how much better? If the PRS-500 is $50 cheaper than the 505 (both are used), which one should I buy? Or, to put it in another way - for which difference in price is it worth buying the 500, if money is pretty tight?

LoganK · 10-31-2009, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monka

I know that Sony PRS-505 is better than Sony PRS-500

The question is - how much better? If the PRS-500 is $50 cheaper than the 505 (both are used), which one should I buy? Or, to put it in another way - for which difference in price is it worth buying the 500, if money is pretty tight?

Perhaps $75 better? The PRS-500 wasn't particularly good. It is hard to see the screen, the controls aren't laid out nearly as well, it is slow to do just about anything, it is no longer supported by Sony (although they claim they'll issue an update when their store switches formats), the USB is slow, and it doesn't support ePub (DRM or otherwise).

$50 may seem like a lot, but it really isn't in this case.

kennyc · 10-31-2009, 12:43 PM

Go for the 505 unless something is wrong with it. I personally think it is still the best Sony Reader (provided you don't need touch-screen or annotation.

wyldkit · 10-31-2009, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoganK

Perhaps $75 better? The PRS-500 wasn't particularly good. It is hard to see the screen, the controls aren't laid out nearly as well, it is slow to do just about anything, it is no longer supported by Sony (although they claim they'll issue an update when their store switches formats), the USB is slow, and it doesn't support ePub (DRM or otherwise).

$50 may seem like a lot, but it really isn't in this case.

I'm still using my PRS-500 daily, and I don't find it hard to read or slow at all. However, I would say the PRS-505 is definitely at least $50 better, probably more, if only because of the ability to read library books natively.

HarryT · 11-01-2009, 04:31 AM

Another point to consider is that any PRS-500 is now going to be at least 3 years old, meaning that its battery will be "in its twilight years", and rapidly losing capacity.

monka · 11-01-2009, 07:14 AM

Thanks to everybody! I'll consider it

gwynevans · 11-01-2009, 06:19 PM

While you can always convert using Calibre, the fact that the PRS-500 doesn't support EPUB would be something that would give me pause for thought.

Harmon · 11-01-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monka

Hi guys,

I know that Sony PRS-505 is better than Sony PRS-500

The question is - how much better? If the PRS-500 is $50 cheaper than the 505 (both are used), which one should I buy? Or, to put it in another way - for which difference in price is it worth buying the 500, if money is pretty tight?

Is there anything comparable to the 505 currently available? I don't know much about the universe of eReaders other than Sony, Kindle & now B&N. But what strikes me is that the 505 is a convenient size, has the SD drive (which, incidentally, is recognized by the Sony Library software when plugged in via a flash drive - i.e., you don't have to attach the 505 to load it) and is apparently the most open of the Big 3 - and does ePub. My 300 is more convenient, but the 505 - particularly at a discount - seems to me to be a very good value.

HarryT · 11-02-2009, 03:46 AM

The BeBook (and clones) are also a very good choice, if you're after a 6" device.

gwynevans · 11-02-2009, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harmon

has the SD drive (which, incidentally, is recognized by the Sony Library software when plugged in via a flash drive - i.e., you don't have to attach the 505 to load it)

The problem is to stop the Sony Library software thinking that various flash drives (and network drives) are fair game for writing to!

Harmon · 11-02-2009, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwynevans

The problem is to stop the Sony Library software thinking that various flash drives (and network drives) are fair game for writing to!

But aren't they?

gwynevans · 11-03-2009, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harmon

But aren't they?

Not when it creates a "Sony Reader" or whatever it was folder on the root of my corporate network drive!

I think it was that my Reader appeared on drive F:, and my network shares included drive G: (I'm on a Mac now, so don't have the same problem).

10-31-2009, 12:03 PM	#1
monka Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	Sony PRS-505 or 500? Hi guys, I know that Sony PRS-505 is better than Sony PRS-500 The question is - how much better? If the PRS-500 is $50 cheaper than the 505 (both are used), which one should I buy? Or, to put it in another way - for which difference in price is it worth buying the 500, if money is pretty tight?

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10-31-2009, 12:43 PM	#3
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Go for the 505 unless something is wrong with it. I personally think it is still the best Sony Reader (provided you don't need touch-screen or annotation.

11-01-2009, 04:31 AM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Another point to consider is that any PRS-500 is now going to be at least 3 years old, meaning that its battery will be "in its twilight years", and rapidly losing capacity.

11-01-2009, 07:14 AM	#6
monka Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	Thanks to everybody! I'll consider it

11-01-2009, 06:19 PM	#7
gwynevans Wizzard Posts: 1,402 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: iPad 2, iPhone 6s, Kindle Voyage & Kindle PaperWhite	While you can always convert using Calibre, the fact that the PRS-500 doesn't support EPUB would be something that would give me pause for thought.

11-02-2009, 03:46 AM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The BeBook (and clones) are also a very good choice, if you're after a 6" device.

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