In September 2006, SONY released their very first line of ebook readers, PRS-500. By October 2006, I had already got my hands on one, despite the fact that the product was at the time only available in USA [and I was living in Canada]. A few months earlier I had already come across the leaked specs for the device, and I knew I was looking at the realized version of something the need for which had been running around in my head pretty much since I started reading.

Hand held devices and tablet computers on which I could read eBooks weren't anything new, but this was something entirely different. Aside from the nice proper size, ease of use, and well, being able to carry around a whole library in my back pocket, on this device I could read for hours without tiring my eyes due to the E-Ink tech. Having come to the conclusion that in a life like mine I simply couldn't buy and carry around paperbacks, I moved to the ebook side long before that. But this was the first time I was well and truly freed of paper.

I can't begin to describe how much I enjoyed my first reader, and since then I have kept a very close eye on the development of ebook readers from different brand. I guess that part is obvious, given the number of posts on this blog on the topic. Another thing that's obvious from the posts on this blog, is that I've not up to this day found a reader that I've liked more than the Sony Reader line. [And yes well… for a time I was involved with the development… ]

I imagine by now I've made it pretty clear about the kind of dislike I have for Amazon Kindle, and the reasons. And I don't have much positive things to say [comparatively] about the other popular products out there either. But then it's not as if I've always liked how the Sony Reader has turned out.

Since PRS-500, I've basically tried every single Reader model that Sony has released [yes and I still have all of them =D], and not all of them have been so great. I loved PRS-500 since it was my first one. =) PRS-505 was very functional and very cool. PRS-700 was pretty much the love of my life. It was just beautiful, very smooth in every way, amazing performance, and it had back light. And then came PRS-T3. And every model that I haven't mentioned, it's because in some way or the other I didn't really like it.

But oh my world, PRS-T3! This is quite easily the best Sony Reader up to now, and in my opinion very much the best ebook reader currently available. And well, remember how I recently mentioned something about amazing Sony products somehow being constantly dissed by online reviews? That applies to this product too. I can't for the life of me figure out how it is that readers with terrible hardware, glitchie software and all sorts of limitations  are gaining name, while the Sony reader isn't even on the charts!! [Probably a question for marketing people.] I can't quite understand exactly how Kindle still exists, how it's still being produced and bought, when a piece of art like PRS-T3 exists.

The device, which runs a mini version of Android OS, simply functions very very smoothly. It supports a wide range of ebook and image formats, including ones that Kindle and the rest of them don't support, and you have no limitations as to where you get the books from. The note taking functionality works very well both with finger and a stylus. It's naturally WiFi connected and there are no browsing limitations [you can go wherever you like via the browser]. The device has an optional "light cover", where a very nicely designed reading light extends from the back of the cover. [And unlike the previous version, it doesn't require a separate battery. It uses a negligible amount of the reader's own charge.]

But I guess the most important feature of all is nothing new, the E-Ink is still there, and smoother than ever. The device's display is brilliant, and you can stare at it for hours without any pressure on your eyes, or at least no more than staring at paper [hint hint to Kindle Fire users].

Oh, and to explain the part about "stolen and repurchased". Well, originally I bought the T3 about 4 months ago. But less than a month after that I was robbed in the train, and the reader was stolen from me. So I had to repurchase it… well it was rather annoying seeing that for various reasons I purchased this one from Canada and I had to have my mom buy it again over there and send it to me… But yes, the new one's been here a few weeks now and all is back to normal.

Labels: Electronics, Reading, Reviews, Sony, Technology