Still a good ereader for 2018? Yes, for special users
If you use it right, the Sony PRS 600 can be a great ereader at a great price. It has no built in wifi, and the built in software and desktop reader software is a bit out of date, don't rely on them to collect and transfer ebooks to your device.
So what good is it? It only has 500MB of internal storage but since one cannot easily transfer files with the mini-USB (not microUSB) cable to/from your pc or mac, the best alternative is using a standard SD card to load your ebooks (many formats are compatible, I prefer ePub).
Since I have all my ebooks stripped of any DRM, I can read my ebooks on any ePub compatible device. I copy my ebooks onto an SD card (up to 8GB works-but copy them under a folder named 'library'), and when you insert the card and turn on the reader, it will read (not load them into internal storage) and list them as available books. Even if you remove the card, to add more books, the ereader will remember your reading position when you reload the book.
You can change the font size (but not font style) with the magnification button, and change the orientation from portrait to landscape via the options button. Turn pages via the two page turn buttons.
In terms of the software of the reader, the only thing missing for me is the sorting feature of my onboard books. You can sort by title or by author or date of pub, but not by recently opened, as most epub reader apps can do. That would be convenient if you are reading a few titles concurrently.
The screen is not backlit, but if you happen to find the original sony case, it has a built in light, and just insert a new AAAA battery.
The Ereader is a sustainable design, as batteries can still be found on Ebay/Amazon, and it's very easy to remove the back cover to replace the battery. Just two screws removed and you're in business.
Another plus, add some relaxing instrumental music to your SD card, and you can listen to them (headphones only) while you're reading.
There is a built in stylus, and the screen is the old fashioned resistive screen, not glass capacitive like smartphones today, which is good as it adds extra screen protection - more durable.
Tip, don't charge with the USB cable - it won't work unless connected to a pc as opposed to a power supply - design issue there. I recommend using an old Playstation portable compatible power supply (it's the same size as many power supplies for things like routers, etc), or if that's too bulky, get a $3.00 usb-psp cable and use it with a USB wall charger and it will charge fully in about 2 hrs.
For someone who wants to access and read their own collection of books, don't care about WiFi access or connecting to Amazon or BN etc.'s ecosystem, then this can be a great device.
Just read it with the usual lighting you would for a real book, and you'll be fine.
I was lucky to find a mint PRS 600 with case (no charger) for $15 total, on Ebay, so I'm a happy reader, er, camper. It's nice to be able to use an older device without needing to buy something new, and thus keeping one piece of electronics out of the waste management stream. I imagine as long as the screen works, and ePub formats stick around, this can be a reader that I can use for many years to come.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
