Tor Egil Hoftun Kvæstad

Since I am very fond of reading, and quite interested in the e-ink technology, I bought a Sony PRS-300 ereader a few years ago. It has worked well, and been in frequent use when I have been travelling. This year, however, I discovered that there was a newer version of the ereader available, the PRS-350, which utilized the new "Pearl" e-ink.

I was planning to buy the aforementioned PRS-350 — but I did it in a brick and mortar store; where salesmen work. To make a long story short, instead of buying the PRS-350, which I had planned, I ended up with a Sony PRS-T1.

The PRS-T1 is similar to the PRS-300 physically, but is quite different in use. Apart from the newer screen technology, there is more space for the books, wifi access and a touchscreen.

I haven't compared them side to side, so I can't say for sure how the newer screen looks in relation to the old, but what I can say is that it updates substantially faster. When I used the PRS-300 I often looked away when the screen was updating, since it took its time and flashed black. When the screen on the PRS-T1 updates it happens fast enough that I am not bothered by it, it seems much more natural.

When I bought the PRS-300 there were some ereaders that utilized touch technology, but I thought it was unnecessary. After using the PRS-T1, though, I've changed my mind. Instead of pressing buttons to navigate through the menus and flip the pages, I merely point at the menu choice I want, or swipe the finger to flip the page. For me it makes it much easier to just forget about the device and concentrate on the reading.

Sony has provided a stylus you can use to navigate (or draw) on the device, but I found it to be very disappointing. There was nowhere to secure it to the device, and looked mostly like a bulky stick of cheap plastic. It seems to have been an afterthought, but fortunately you get by quite well without it. The drawing would have been easier with it, though.

Another thing I used to think was unnecessary, was wifi-access. After all, I can add enough books before I go to last for a long time, it's not like I'll suddenly have an irresistible craving to download some book directly onto the device. After staying in an apartment with wifi, but no phone smart enough to access it, I found out that the wifi-access on the PRS-T1 had its uses.

The browsing experience isn't the best due to the screen technology and (I suspect) the device itself, but it is good enough to check the weather or read the news. Fortunately, you can turn the wifi off when you don't use it, and thereby save power.

There are probably more things to say about the PRS-T1, but this is what I find to be most important. Read a review if you want more in-depth information.