New Sony Reader PRS-300 and PRS-600 details leaked

You know the drill -- service manuals get posted for new / unannounced products, the kids in the forums pounce, and then Sony makes 'em disappear (the documents, that is -- Sony doesn't rub people out, at least not yet). In this case, user 'berboris' over at The Electronic Book found details for two Sony Readers as yet unheard of: The PRS-300 features a 5-inch display, roughly 440MB storage after system files are accounted for, and that's about it -- no touchscreen, no audio output, no card slots. The PRS-600, however, sports a 6-inch touchscreen, audio output (presumably for MP3 audiobooks and the like), SD/MS slots, and 380MB storage when all's said and done. The manuals don't mention any sort of lighting for the units or any kind of wireless connection, although both models will apparently be available in silver, red, and black -- which you can peep, conveniently enough, after the break.

[Via Mobile Read]

Read - Forum post
Read - More info and PDFs at Sony Insider

[quillaja Posted Jul 31st 2009 4:14AM]

here's my main problem: e-book formats. Sony's reader doesn't support Amazon's stupid proprietary type, and Amazon made the stupid proprietary format in the first place. This is why I won't get an e-book reader yet, either from Sony or Amazon. I want to buy my books from Amazon and use them on any damn device I please, not just ones blessed by Amazon.

An a $200 price for the touch-screen version would be nice too.

[charlied Posted Jul 31st 2009 10:56AM]

actually Amazon purchased the proprietary format but yeah that is the issue. Its not Sony' doing it's Amazon that wont allow any device supporting another drm format to support Amazon's formats. So screw them. Buy a device that supports epub/Adobe DE and then you can buy from many e-book stores, or right from the publishers sites in many cases and dowload the free stuff from Project Gutenberg and Google. And yes to someone's query about conan doyle http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/results

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 31st 2009 7:09PM]

There are many free programs that translate the formats. I use calibre on a mac. Also works with Linux or BSD. The user interface could use work, but since most reading is done pushing the page button all of these units work fine. I tried for two years to get questions answered before I finally just jumped in. I love mine. Bought one for Mom & Girlfriend. Buy the cheapest one with a matte screen and you won't regret it.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 31st 2009 7:09PM]

There are many free programs that translate the formats. I use calibre on a mac. Also works with Linux or BSD. The user interface could use work, but since most reading is done pushing the page button all of these units work fine. I tried for two years to get questions answered before I finally just jumped in. I love mine. Bought one for Mom & Girlfriend. Buy the cheapest one with a matte screen and you won't regret it.
Ignore Comments by people who have not used one. This is a leap of faith gadget. You have to use one vor several hours before you get it. I wasted two years shopping. Should be noted every manufacturers first unit sucked. Sony took until the 3rd try the 505 before getting it right. The 4th try the 700 is iffy. The new 300 & 600 look like they're back on track.

[babya Posted Aug 2nd 2009 4:22AM]

Sony Insider has now removed the manuals due to a request from Sony-but they don't state which Sony department asked them to.

Probably it's their "Sony Reference Library" team that asked them to remove the files, as these came from the "Sony Reference Library" download servers.

[babya Posted Aug 3rd 2009 7:11PM]

Sony is finally aware of the leak-here is a statement they sent to me via their @sonyelectronics twitter account:
"These docs were meant for our service centers specifically, not for public consumption They took the links down as a courtesy to us"