2 years ago 0

Clear display. Visible in any light + super sensitive sensor. You don’t even have to touch it - it works + quality. In a year of use it froze only once. + light. + battery. Lasts 2-3 weeks. When reading about 1 hour a day

2 years ago 0

does not slow down, is sensitive touch screen, reads almost all formats, battery lasts a long time, not a bad design, also Wi-Fi. It’s not that expensive and would be a good choice for those starting out using E-Ink readers.

2 years ago 0

Excellent readability, gorgeous materials, excellent ergonomics, built-in browser with the ability to download books from free libraries, handwritten notes directly in the text, fast screen refresh.

2 years ago 0

1) Full set of settings 2) Reaction speed corresponds to devices of this class, in comparison with a pocket book - noticeably faster 3) Touch screen, with the ability to control both a stylus and a finger (a light touch is enough). 4) I easily upgraded to the new official version and the device began to support FB2 without problems. Errors in old firmware have been fixed. 5) Everything works smoothly without glitches 6) Player, Wi-Fi without connection problems, browser like on a computer, downloads without problems, drawings with a finger and stylus delighted the child.

2 years ago 0

Gorgeous design for an e-book (I used the white version); - Lightweight and compact; - MicroUSB connector and card slot MicroSD memory, while the built-in memory is sufficient for books - 2 GB; - Headphone jack; - Wi-Fi and touch screen; - Regarding the white version, the case is visually the least easily soiled, in my opinion.

2 years ago 0

Excellent book. Good menu. Capacious battery and 2G memory. The text is easy to read, the eyes do not get tired.

2 years ago 0

Build quality - Convenience - Great screen - Long battery life - As well as all the other advantages described above.

2 years ago 0

This is my second reader from Sony (the first 350 - my mother took it to read and could not part with it, and before that she only read paper). I love them. They are very healthy. Both convenience and aesthetics are at the highest level. This model was imported. I flashed it MYSELF according to the instructions of our craftsmen, THANKS SO MUCH TO THEM FOR THIS!!! Now it is Russified and it (the book) downloads books for me without connecting to a computer. Very satisfied and highly recommend!!!

2 years ago 0

Pearl display - Price - Touchscreen with multi-touch (I didn’t think I’d write this down as a plus for the reader, but it’s actually a very convenient thing, especially for dictionaries) - Good native software - There is the so-called. reflow for PDF, i.e. text PDFs in which there are not very many tables and tricky formatting can be read without problems - Android with all that it implies - Support for SD cards (but the built-in memory is more than enough) - Collected with high quality, pleasant to hold in your hands - Very light, even with a cover - Despite 800 MHz processor, Wi-Fi and Android on board has very good times battery life- in two weeks, while reading about 2 hours a day, I was discharged by 3/4, then I couldn’t stand it and charged it :)

2 years ago 0

Thin body - relatively light - the ability to scroll both with buttons and by pressing on the screen. - holds a charge for a long time - Wi-Fi and the ability to access the Internet - after flashing it is possible to download games for androids (requiring infrequent screen updates, e.g. chess, Sudoku, etc.)

2 years ago 0

Almost no: there is no magnet on the case, that’s all, really.

2 years ago 0

Expensive accessories (cases, illuminated cases)
- not "omnivore".
- no distribution of books inside into folders

2 years ago 0

Firmware is needed to make it an omnivorous reader.
The case and screen get noticeably dirty from touching, but fortunately they can be wiped off just as easily.
The reflective surface of the screen border prevents normal reading in the sun.
It is difficult to read large magazines due to the small screen.
Low sound level. This is explained by the fact that manufacturers care about our hearing, but apparently more about battery charge.

2 years ago 0

Multi-touch here is more of a prank - after scaling the text in a book, it is not adjusted to the new format. You have to change the font through the font size menu, then everything is fine. Lack of update for Mac OS.

2 years ago 0

1) There is no charger included, but there is a USB cable for charging from a computer.
2) You will have to buy a cover, it is not included.

2 years ago 0

Like a person who picked it up for the first time similar device, I did not find any significant shortcomings.
The touch screen is not very convenient, but in email. For a book with a b/w screen, this is rather a pleasant and optional addition, so don’t pick on it.
There is no mains charger included, just a USB cable.

2 years ago 0

The cover and charging adapter are a bit expensive!

2 years ago 0

There is only one - a glare frame around the screen. It’s really not clear why it had to be made glossy. But I bought it in white and, in principle, it only glares if you read at night with the flashlight built into the case.

2 years ago 0

As many have already written here - a super expensive original cover and a super sensitive screen (in the subway and in the car the pages can jump on their own)

2 years ago 0

Glossy screen edge. Firstly, it is easily soiled, and secondly, at a certain position towards a source of bright light it can glare very unpleasantly. But I won’t exaggerate; in fact, it causes almost no inconvenience, but aesthetes and bores need to be careful when choosing this device
- The price of the original cover is fabulous
- The software does not support folders. I understand that this is a proprietary Sony feature, but it’s very unusual. Although there is a positive aspect here, if on my previous device I threw tons of books of which I read at most 10%-20%, here I approach the choice of books more consciously, so as not to get confused
- Despite the fact that the native software is not bad, there are some oddities. 1. When you navigate through a footnote and back, arrows remain at the bottom of the screen that cover part of the

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	110 mm (millimeters) 11 cm (centimeters) 0.36 ft (feet) 4.33 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	173 mm (millimeters) 17.3 cm (centimeters) 0.57 ft (feet) 6.81 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	8.9 mm (millimeters) 0.89 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.35 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	164 g (grams) 0.36 lbs 5.78 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	169.37 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 10.29 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	Black Red White

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, GPU, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their functioning.	Freescale i.MX508
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	65 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	ARM Cortex-A8
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7-A
Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache memory is slower than L1, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing caching more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	256 kB (kilobytes) 0.25 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core performs program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	1
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	800 MHz (megahertz)
Volume random access memory(RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	512 MB (megabytes)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	E Ink Pearl
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	6 in (inches) 152.4 mm (millimeters) 15.24 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	3.6 in (inches) 91.44 mm (millimeters) 9.14 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.8 in (inches) 121.92 mm (millimeters) 12.19 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.333:1 4:3
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.	600 x 800 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail.	167 ppi (pixels per inch) 65 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	58.77% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch
	Screen shades - 16 Clear Infrared touch screen

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

I've already visited Sony's latest reader and made a good impression. The device turned out to be unique to some extent - it is one of the lightest and thinnest 6-inch touch devices for reading e-books on the market; Sony refused to support the proprietary format in it LRF in favor of the more common EPUB, used Android OS, and it is also completely different from other readers of the company - it is not “Sony-style”, rather something akin to solutions from Sony Ericsson. Not everyone likes the new appearance, and the proprietary software, to be honest, leaves much to be desired. But everything can be changed and improved if there is a desire, but there is one. Let's improve it!

As a big admirer of electronic paper in general, I Sony readers in particular, PRS-T1 caused ambivalent feelings. I became acquainted with this kind of product from a Japanese company back in 2007, when, with considerable difficulty and for a lot of money, I got hold of the legendary one. Yes, by modern standards it is heavy (about 300 g), but at the same time it is very thin, all-metal, stylish - a real Japanese Thing with a capital letter. Since then, I have owned other readers from the company, all of which pleased me with their design, but somehow I didn’t think much about functionality. Fortunately, enthusiasts have created very convenient tools for converting a popular format into a proprietary LRF and even software for creating collections from ordinary folders (proprietary software for this was, to put it mildly, inconvenient).

But then 2011 came, Amazon carried out a price collapse in the market for e-book readers (for the second time), and a Japanese competitor appeared, which is cheap in comparison with its predecessors, it also looks cheap and, in general, is somewhat disappointing in appearance . I wanted to exclaim: “Sony, put the PRS-T1 in the case from!”

Yes, the device turned out to be lightweight - this is undoubtedly good, but without a case it is still not advisable to use it on the road: the display in modern readers is very delicate, and replacing it costs almost the same as a new device. That is, we can safely add to the price of the gadget the cost of the case, which was included in the previous models (a chic book case in the PRS-500/505 and a neoprene “bag” in subsequent models). Now we have a choice of what to buy and add to the mass of an ultra-light reader.

We tested two accessories of this kind from our own experience, one of which pleasantly surprised us by returning the same Sony style to the reader, the second was kind to the wallet, but first things first.

Unnamed leather cover: cheap, cheerful, thick and nondescript, but reliable

Modern readers are cheap, but branded cases for them are expensive. It's like inkjet printers, when the hardware itself is obtained for essentially ridiculous money, a little more than the price of a complete cartridge, but manufacturers then make money by selling consumables. With the gadgets in question, the situation is somewhat more complicated. Supplies They don’t, on the contrary, they save paper and save forests. But there is a fragile display, and its protection is not cheap. At least when it comes to the national market and branded accessories. And in their native lands they are offered at a price of a third, or even half, of the cost of the reader. Original accessories are undoubtedly good and attractive in appearance, and we will see this a little later, but for now we will consider an inexpensive and completely unoriginal alternative.

The cover does not have a specific name or trademark, and it is made from the skin of an unknown creature, perhaps even artificial. Nevertheless, the material is durable - it endured a month of very harsh use stoically, plus it does not have the sharply negative smell that nameless Chinese accessories often suffer from. The inside is lined with soft fleecy fabric, which elegantly collects dust, but does not scratch the reader’s body. There are even two flat pockets and a place for a stylus. To accommodate the latter, the manufacturer made the cover considerably wider than the body PRS-T1. A controversial decision, since the stylus is practically not used in everyday use, but the dimensions of the case increase significantly.

The reader is held in place by a pair of leather loops and two panty elastic bands. It sounds funny, but this is exactly the association I had after placing the device inside. Although, the main thing in this case is that PRS-T1 sits securely inside the case, does not dangle, and certainly will not fall out of it, even if the gadget is dropped. Moreover, when closed, the cover is held in place by a strap with a magnetic clasp, mind you - a very strong magnetic clasp.

The cover itself is hard - you don’t have to worry about the safety of the display and the back panel of the reader. A targeted impact (for example, on the corner of a table) is especially dangerous for the screen, and the accessory will withstand it easily, and it will also withstand pressure over a large area, which can be experienced in a crowd on public transport. In a couple of similar situations, personal PRS-T1 visited - “alive and well”, works and pleases the owner.

This cover costs within 130-150 UAH, which in comparison with the branded case, which will be discussed below, is not expensive. On the other hand, for comparable money you can find the original somewhere on Amazon; they often have discounts on this kind of product. The only problem is that in most cases sellers do not send this product to Ukraine. As a result, it’s a good budget alternative that will protect the reader.

In addition, this case makes it quite convenient to hold the device in one hand due to its increased dimensions. It's like holding a pocket book. Plus, in this position it is easy to turn pages with a standard gesture. You can also hook a book light like this onto the accessory:

By the way, the cover weighs a lot, about 120 g, and this is a pretty decent minus. Together with the reader, the result is almost 300 grams. This is not to say that it strains the hand very much, but a lot depends on the physical conditions of the user, which are different for everyone.

PRS-T1 Standard Cover: “Sony-style” made of leather and plastic

After a month, I got tired of the nameless cover. Yes, it’s reliable, yes, it’s strong, yes, it copes with its responsibilities, but I wanted something more compact and at the same time no less reliable, something lighter and more beautiful. The most attractive was the branded case PRS-T1 Standard Cover. In Ukrainian realities, this is offered for $50-60 . For this money (and if you have access to foreign flea markets, then half the price) you can make a real Japanese reader from the PRS-T1 in Sony’s corporate style.

It is worth noting that the first impression was more negative than positive due to the plastic base - it does not follow the shape of the reader and makes it visually thicker, although in fact it practically does not increase the thickness of the PRS-T1, but its tricky shape hides the real dimensions.

There is never a need to rush to conclusions. As soon as you put the device in a case, pick it up, open it, close it, touch it, turn it and examine it from all sides, all doubts disappeared. The shape and design of the reader in the case resembles a book, a very cool, expensive and high-quality book - it looks simply gorgeous and feels the same in your hands.

The second thing that attracts attention is the almost imperceptible change in the weight of the gadget. The cover is very light, weighing approx. 60 g and its presence does not transform PRS-T1 into something heavy and cumbersome.

And the third is decent rigidity Standard Cover. Thinner than in the nameless case, the front cover made of leather is no less dense, and Bottom part It is made of strong plastic with additional stiffening ribs; the inside is lined with some soft material such as felt.

The reader is held in the cover with the help of edges protruding from the plastic base on the left and right. It is quite easy to place it, just insert it on one side, lower it and press it on the other, but removing it will be more difficult. You need to take the device in both palms, as if you were holding a joystick, and place your thumbs on the analog sticks, in this case these will be the two plastic corners of the cover, its leather part hanging down. Then you need to simultaneously press on these corners with two thumbs (you will have to make a serious effort, but the accessory is strong, so it is unlikely to break), the gadget will be freed from the plastic bottom.

The outside of the entire case is covered with leather. In the back and third of the front, some kind of clever processing is used, creating a matte, rough and pleasant-to-touch surface. It improves the grip of the device.

The front part consists of as many as four layers, partly has a more traditional finish and bears the company logo “ Reader».

Inside the front cover there is a stylish recess for hardware buttons:

A standard book flashlight cannot be attached to such a case, but there is a version of the cover with a built-in lighting device (however, this one on the national market costs absolutely crazy money, comparable to the price of the reader itself). But the accessory is very easy to use and, as mentioned above, lightweight.

Packed in a cover PRS-T1 It is convenient to hold with any hand and at the same time turn pages with standard gestures. You can even hold the reader in your left hand by the corner to turn pages using the hardware keys.

On this moment Standard Cover is one of the best cases for this reader on the market and practice confirms this. In addition, it gives PRS-T1 that same mythical “Sony style”, although this is a matter of taste.

Android is freedom...and new reading software

Sony already accomplished a lot when it abandoned its proprietary e-reader format LRF in favor of the most common now EPUB, and the Russian font in texts is supported right out of the box. There is no need to Russify or redo anything, as with previous models.

The company did even more for the reading and software modernization community when it decided to use a standard kernel Android 2.x instead of our own solutions based on Linux. If desired, from PRS-T1 you can make almost a tablet with an E-Ink screen, or limit yourself to a good, in general, original interface with the new reading software fully integrated into it. I personally am an adherent of the latter method and will mainly be discussed, but the path for more severe modifications will also be indicated.

It is worth noting that there is an official version PRS-T1 for the CIS countries, which comes with an initially Russified interface and in the near future will receive support for the “folk” format FB2(Sony promises to release new software this month). It uses firmware 1.0.00.11041 , on which alternative software cannot be installed. Accordingly, everything written below applies to European and American models that come with firmware 1.0.00.09010, 1.0.00.09270, 1.0.02.10280, 1.0.03.11140 And 1.0.04.12210 inclusive.

There have not yet been any cases of irreversible damage caused to the reader due to modification of the original software, but anything can be broken if there is a desire. It should be understood that any experiments with the device’s software are done by users at their own peril and risk, and the authors of alternative software do not bear any responsibility for harm caused to gadgets, nor does the author of this review. In addition, it is advisable to have a free microSD card in stock. With its help, the reader is restored in the event of a total pogrom of the internal software.

So, what will alternative software give to an inquisitive person who wants to expand the capabilities of his PRS-T1? The most important thing is support for the vast majority of modern e-book formats, including FB2, FB2.zip And djvu. Also included is Russification of the interface, Russian screen keyboard, additional dictionaries, viewing MS Office documents ( DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, PPS, PPSX) and other “goodies”. There are a lot of goodies and amenities; it makes sense to strain a little, worry a little and upgrade your favorite gadget.

I will not describe in detail the process of installing alternative software; the authors of the modifications outlined everything in the forums of the The-eBook portal. I will dwell on my own experience of working with revised firmware.

There are two main options for alternative software for Sony Reader PRS-T1: from a friend with a nickname beard and from an enthusiast with an online pseudonym amutin. The first turns the reader into that same tablet with an alternative launcher reminiscent of the standard Android interface and a lot of different software, including two programs for reading books: CoolReader And FBReader. Here is a discussion thread about this software, where there are all the instructions and a description of the functionality of the package.

It was this that I tested first due to the fact that at the time the reader appeared, I had access only to OS X, and the software from boroda is practically not tied to the platform and can be installed without Windows (the firmware files are unpacked and rewritten in PRS-T1 in data transfer mode, after which the process starts on the device itself).

The firmware provides a huge field for experimentation, and even the month-old version behaved quite stably. You can use the original launcher or an alternative one, select one of them by default, and similarly with reading programs. But, after all, the original software is modified too much, or you will need to spend a lot of effort to customize everything for yourself.

I’m not a big fan of unnecessary gestures, except as part of work experiments, and on my personal device I didn’t want to have anything more than what was needed for comfortable reading. Accordingly, when I was able to get to a PC with Windows on board, the first thing I did was change the alternative reader software to a less aggressive firmware from amutin. Her discussion thread is at this address.

To successfully upgrade the software, you will need to install the latest version of proprietary firmware ( 1.0.04.12210 ), which can be downloaded from the official Sony website ( 104 MB). In turn, before flashing the reader, you need to install proprietary software to interact with it, which is located in internal memory device and is available when it is connected to a PC in data transfer mode ( Data Transfer Mode). Upgrading the original firmware is carried out in the same mode and takes no more than 10 minutes. All that is required is to run the executable file with the reader connected to the PC.

Installing alternative software from amutin(and from boroda too) is not very different from flashing the reader, with the exception that you first need to unpack the self-extracting archive (the author recommends doing this to the system disk, usually “ C:\"") and run the executable only after disabling UAC ( User Account Control) V Windows Vista or Windows 7.

The developer offers several packages to choose from. For example, Standard includes and alternative launcher, and the ability to add and change the composition of packages for yourself, and a lot of other features for lovers of experiments and adventures with gadgets. With version Minimal a little more complicated: 1.xx (1.65 at the time of writing) is a compact package that differs from the Standard version in the absence of an alternative shell and installation mechanism own programs. 0.xx (0.25 at the time of writing) is the lightest version: Russification of the interface and keyboard, CoolReader, file manager, plus a couple of other goodies that I personally don’t use.

With version 1.xx There was an incident a couple of times when the reader froze during operation, and the content update arrows constantly rotated on the screen. A soft reset of the device using the Reset button at the bottom of the gadget (press and hold for a couple of seconds) helped. I’m sure this problem has now been solved, but after another gadget freeze, about a month ago, it was decided to switch to the software version 0.xx and during the entire period of operation no difficulties arose with it.

Moreover, after the recent update of CoolReader, the author of which began to actively implement support Sony Reader PRS-T1 in the application, as well as after making a number of modifications by an enthusiast with the nickname horn into alternative software, it actually received full integration with the original reader shell. Actually, it was this moment that prompted the creation of this material.

At the moment, a device with alternative software works perfectly: it does not freeze, does not slow down, is well integrated into the shell, although there is nothing special to integrate there, mostly small things, but these little things affect the experience of using the gadget. So when PRS-T1 goes into standby mode, the book cover is used as a screensaver. Example in the image below:

Before adapting CoolReader for a reader, in order to display the cover of a book read in an alternative program on the screen saver in standby mode, you first had to open it once standard program for reading. If several people use the device, then it was generally inconvenient; the screensaver was always there at random. Plus, for her sake, I had to select a reading application every time I opened a book:

But now there is no such problem. CoolReader is integrated into the standard Sony launcher and automatically displays the cover of the current book on the screensaver. Naturally, the alternative reader is designated as the default book reading application. Moreover, horn got the Sony shell to recognize and display book covers from files FB2 And FB2.zip- this is full-fledged and very high-quality support of this format CoolReader works well with it:

Now let's compare the text in the alternative and original reading programs. First, the solution from Sony (in the first screenshot small font, on the second - a couple of points larger):

From the perspective of an inexperienced E-Reader user, everything seems to be fine. But clearly visible different distances between words, that is, there is no support for hyphenation in the Russian language, and there is no clock yet. Both of these nuances are annoying if you are used to reading not only on a specialized device, but also on a smartphone. Plus, after a year of working with the PocketBook reader, I also somehow got used to the presence of transfers. Together with this function, the e-book really looks like a real one on the E-Ink screen.

Here's what it offers CoolReader:

Not only does it have support for Russian hyphens, but also hanging punctuation, when punctuation marks and hyphens at the end of a line are moved outside the text block, as well as font kerning and hinting. All this has a very positive effect on the visual perception of the text. Actually, here is the result on the same part of the book that is shown in the original reader above:

By the way, there is also a clock, plus the battery charge level and related information. In general, this line can be flexibly configured, like many other aspects of the program, including the indentation from the edges (in my case, 40 points on the left and right and 20 on the top and bottom).

The only disadvantage of minimal assembly amutin lies in the absence of a dictionary and if it is needed, you will have to install a standard package or 1.xx from the simplified ones.

A fun experiment with a large smartphone

It so happened that in addition to the one pumped on our own, we have in stock PRS-T1 turned out to be samsung smartphone. A very good smartphone for reading with a 5.3-inch Super AMOLED HD display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. Naturally, it also has CoolReader installed and there is a unique opportunity to compare both devices under almost identical conditions and with similar software. The size of the display is not very different, the text is laid out similarly - the only difference is in the screen technology and, in fact, the devices themselves.

What can I say - Sony Reader PRS-T1 simply tore the “competitor” into shreds for several reasons. First, size still matters and even an extra 0.7 inches feels good. Plus, the reader has a pocket book format, which makes it even more similar to its paper counterparts.

The second reason is the E-Ink display. I have never complained about my eyes or any particular strain on them when working with LCD or AMOLED screens. I read from such without special problems and with great pleasure. Moreover, in 2010 he abandoned it in favor of iPad, on which I liked reading much more at that time, and so the practice continued until the end of last year: at home - a tablet, on the road - iPhone.

And then I returned to electronic paper again. Because it makes your eyes strain much less. Some people feel this especially sharply and sensitively, others, like me, for example, only with direct comparison. Together with Galaxy Note This was done, since the first delight from the devices passed, and nothing prevented a balanced comparison. The bottom line is that the only thing better than an E-Reader for reading is another E-Reader.

The third reason for losing a smartphone (as well as a tablet) is to some extent funny and implicit. This is a multifunctional device: you can make and receive calls, work with mail, communicate via in social networks, surf the web, play, after all. As a result, because of this functionality, it is not always possible to concentrate specifically on reading and immerse yourself in a book 100%. The boundaries of reality are just beginning to dissolve, the letters disappear before the eyes, and the reader dives headlong into the fantastic world when he is rudely pulled out of there into real world a call, a notification about new tweets or mail, a sudden desire to read the news and see if anything interesting has appeared on, etc.

But when you pick it up PRS-T1 or any other e-paper-based reader, you clearly understand that now is the time to read, the time to travel to other universes, to empathize with your favorite characters and let the rest of the world wait a little.

Universal reader

Sony Reader PRS-T1- this, of course, is not ideal. All people are different, everyone has their own preferences, habits, wishes. But this is one of the few universal devices on the market that, if you have a little free time, can be customized. In this regard, it is even more versatile than PocketBook solutions, which have always been famous for their high-quality software, and is not very expensive. It may well compete in price with the Kindle if we are talking about gray supplies.

Only one has similar software modification capabilities, but it is larger, thicker and heavier. Although, the devices are comparable if the hero of the article is used with a branded case, however, the latter, in this case, is physically more protected and this is the same “Sony style”. For me it's pumped up Sony Reader PRS-T1- this is an almost ideal reader.

Website about e-books and tablets

How to flash Sony PRS-T1. Detailed instructions.

Resources describing firmware and alternative packages, in addition to download links, usually contain instructions for installing the corresponding firmware. This applies to both Sony firmware updates and alternative packages from boroda, amutin and rupor. In our opinion, these instructions are quite detailed and understandable. However, judging by the questions sent by readers via e-mail or through the Hotline form, as well as by the content of search queries, this is not entirely true. Many readers do not understand what “run as administrator” or “turn off User Account Control” (UAC) means and do not know how to check the Reader disk for errors file system and how to correct these errors. To meet the wishes of the workers, we decided to compile the most detailed instructions for flashing the Sony PRS-T1 e-reader firmware.

Let's make a few important comments. Not all points in this instruction are required to be followed. For example, if you are sure that the Reader disk of your ereader does not contain file system errors (you meticulously use the function of safely disconnecting the device before disconnecting USB cable), then there is no need to check and fix this disk before flashing the firmware. If User Account Control is already disabled on your system, or you are using the Windows XP operating system, then you also do not need the option to disable UAC. If you constantly work with administrator rights, then there is no need to run programs as an administrator. You can check whether you are working with administrator rights as follows. Go to the "Computer Management" snap-in ("Control Panel" - "Administrative Tools" - "Computer Management"), expand the "Users and Passwords" item, right-click on the user you are currently using, select "Properties" and see if this user is included in the Administrators group. Please note: if you fail to flash your book the first time, then on the second try, be sure to check whether UAC is disabled, reboot the computer, check the Reader volume for errors (even better, format the Reader disk) and run all programs as an administrator.

Before flashing your reader with one of the alternative packages, you need to make sure that you have the latest version of the proprietary software installed (at the time of the last revision of this article - 1.0.05.11130). If this is not the case, then before installing packages from boroda, amutin or rupor, update the firmware to version 1.0.05.11130.

Before flashing your book, it must be fully charged (until the red indicator goes out). Be sure to remove the memory card if it is inserted into the device. You also need to clear some space on the Reader disk where dictionaries and installation files will be copied. If you are going to install PRS-T1 Flasher minimal version 1.71 from amutin (or later), then you must have at least 300 MB of free space. For other packages, you can leave less free space.

To successfully flash the firmware, you must first disable User Accounts Control (UAC). Just remember to turn it back on after successful completion of the firmware and reboot your computer. It is necessary to disable UAC in the Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. In Windows XP, there is no UAC function, and there is no need to disable it.

Windows Vista. Go to "Control Panel" - " Accounts users" and click on the link "Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off". In the window that opens, uncheck "Use User Account Control (UAC) to protect your computer", click "OK", and then be sure to reboot the system:

Windows 7. Go to "Control Panel" - "User Accounts" and click on the "Change User Account Control settings" link. In the window that opens on the left side, lower the slider to the very bottom (“Never notify”), click “OK”, and then be sure to reboot the system:

Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable. Use the cable that came with the Sony PRS-T1 e-reader. Do not use extension cords or hubs. In the computer's energy saving settings, automatic transition to standby/sleep mode must be disabled (or the delay before entering these modes must be set to at least 30 minutes). If you are going to flash the device by connecting it to a laptop, power the laptop from the mains.

A few seconds after connecting the device, the message “Data Transfer Mode” should appear on its screen. Tap directly on this inscription.

Click the "Start" button and select "Computer" ("My Computer" in Windows XP) or double-click the corresponding icon on the desktop. A list of available disks will be displayed in the window that opens. In the "Devices with removable media" section, find the "Reader" disk and remember (better write it down on a piece of paper) what letter you assigned operating system this disk. In the example below, the Reader drive is assigned the letter "K":

Next, you need to check the Reader disk for file system errors and fix them. Errors could occur when the device was disconnected from the computer incorrectly (without using the Safely Disable Devices feature). If you have ever previously turned off a device “just like that,” then it is necessary to check and correct errors. To carry out the test, run the command line as an administrator. Click "Start" - "All Programs" - "Accessories". Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator":

In the window that opens, type the disk check command - “chkdsk X: /f” (without quotes), where “X” is the letter assigned by the system to the Reader disk (previously, you looked at what letter was assigned to your Reader disk and wrote it down on a piece of paper). The "/f" option means that any errors found will be corrected automatically. Press the "Enter" key. Here's what it should look like (in our case, the Reader drive was assigned the letter "K"):

After the check is completed, the window command line will look something like this:

Close the window with the cross in the upper right corner or type the command "exit". Now you can start flashing the firmware.

To update Sony firmware from one of the versions 1.0.00.09010, 1.0.00.09270, 1.0.02.10280, 1.0.03.11140, 1.0.04.12210 to version 1.0.05.11130, you must have the previously downloaded file PRS-T1_Updater_1.0.05.11 130.exe. To update the firmware from version 1.0.00.11041 to 2.0.00.14070, you must have the file PRS-T1_UPDATER_2.0.00.14070.exe.

Close any programs that may be accessing the Reader drive. Reader for PC, if you have it installed, should also be closed. It's best to close all programs altogether. Open "Computer" ("My Computer" in Windows XP), right-click on the executable file and select "Run as administrator":

Follow the instructions that appear in the program window. The duration of the firmware is approximately 10-15 minutes. Upon completion of the firmware, a message should appear on the computer screen stating that the firmware has been successfully completed, and the indicator of your device should either turn off or glow solid red. Disconnect the device from the cable (in this case, use " Safe shutdown" is not necessary) and check the result by accessing "Settings - About - Device Information - Version".

Next, we will tell you how to flash a device with proprietary software version 1.0.05.11130 to alternative packages from boroda, rupor and amutin (what are the differences between these firmwares - read the article Comparison of firmware from amutin, boroda and rupor). In case you want to install the Apps2SD package from rupor, first flash your device with one of the alternative packages “Absolutely minimal root” from rupor, “Minimal Root Set” from boroda or “PRS-T1 Flasher minimal” from amutin. Links to pages where you can download alternative application packages can be found in our section Firmware, installing applications.

The procedure for installing firmware from different authors is practically the same. Packages from boroda are distributed in zip format archives, packages from rupor are distributed in 7z (7zip) format archives. A suitable archiver, for example WinRar, must be installed on your system. After unzipping, in both cases you need to run the flash_reader.bat file. Packages from amutin are distributed in self-extracting archives (files with the .exe extension). After unpacking the archive from amutin, you need to run the RunMe.exe file.

To install, for example, any package from rupor, open "Computer" ("My Computer" in Windows XP), find the file you downloaded containing the required firmware, right-click on it and select "Extract files":

As the location where you should extract files from the archive, specify the root of drive C (type "C:\") and click "OK":

Close any programs that may be accessing the Reader drive. Reader for PC, if you have it installed, should also be closed. It's best to close all programs altogether. Open "Computer" ("My Computer" in Windows XP), find the unpacked archive on the C: drive in the "rupor-minimal" folder, open the folder, right-click on the flash_reader.bat file and select "Run as administrator" :

Be patient. The duration of the firmware can be up to 15 minutes. Have lunch, watch the news on TV. During this time, your device will reboot several times. Upon completion of the firmware, the device screen will display home page(Home), and the indicator will either remain solid red or be extinguished. Disconnect the device from the computer (in this case, you do not need to use "Safe Disconnection"), check the version of the installed package ("Settings - About the device - Device information - Version", section "Root & Mods") and its functionality.

If you decide to install the PRS-T1 Flasher minimal package (or the PRS-T1 Flasher recovery package) from amutin, do the following. Open "Computer" ("My Computer" in Windows XP), find the .exe file you downloaded and double-click on it. The "Self-extracting WinRar archive" window will open. Specify the root of the C: drive ("C:\") as the destination folder and click "Extract":

When you finish unpacking, be sure to close all programs that may be accessing the Reader disk. Reader for PC must also be closed. It's best to close all programs altogether. Open "Computer" ("My Computer" in Windows XP), find the unpacked archive on drive C: in the folder "PRS-T1_Flasher_minimal_1.71" (instead of "1.71" there may be other numbers, depending on the version of the package you are installing). In the case of a recovery package, the folder name will be different - “PRS-T1_Flasher_recovery_1.0.05.11130”, open the folder and right-click on the RunMe.exe file. Select "Run as administrator":

The duration of the firmware can be from 10 to 20 minutes. The process takes the longest when installing versions of PRS-T1 Flasher minimal 1.xx family, since ColorDict dictionaries, which occupy a significant amount of space, are copied into memory. Do not click anything on your device or computer until the flashing is complete. During this time, your device will reboot several times. Upon completion of the firmware, the Home page will be displayed on the screen, and the indicator will either be constantly lit in red or will be extinguished. Disconnect the device from the computer (there is no need to use "Safe Disconnection"), check the version of the installed package ("Settings - About the device - Device information - Version" in the "Root & Mods" section) and its functionality.

After installing all the necessary packages, the folders created during unpacking to the C: drive can be deleted. You also need to restore your User Account Control settings and reboot your computer.

I would like to hear readers' opinions about this article. Is the firmware procedure described in sufficient detail? Do you understand everything? Which points should be expanded, which terms should be deciphered? Are there any errors in the procedure descriptions? Send us feedback by email [email protected], or use the Hotline form below this article.

Gabriel Chitalkin, 07/01/2012
Last revision: 12/02/2012

Are you asking a question for the first time? Read "How to ask the right question." Be sure to indicate the model name, firmware version, name and version of the application package. Describe what actions led to the device not working correctly.

Possibilities

A Russian person will hardly be able to appreciate the “breadth” of Sony’s soul - the reader supports as many as three book formats. These are ordinary text files, as well as ePub and PDF. The last two may also have DRM. The reader itself is not officially sold here, and therefore we did not localize the interface and a number of features. Well, at least books in Russian, as a rule, are displayed without problems. It’s even better if the book has the right font included. Books can be thrown directly into the device’s memory - it will automatically recognize them and pull them out necessary information like title, author and cover. On a PC, the reader is defined as a regular removable drive.

The last opened book is displayed large on the title screen, the three most recently added books are displayed just below, and at the very bottom there are four buttons for accessing the list of books, collections, periodicals and the store. Everything is sad with the store. On the one hand, Sony clearly hints where exactly the reader should shop and subscribe to periodicals. On the other hand, the average Russian is somehow not very happy that all this wealth, albeit paid and trivially fenced (aka with DRM), is not presented on the great and mighty.

A similar story with the service. free access To electronic versions books from public libraries. It’s unlikely that many people have an annual subscription accidentally lying around in one of the libraries in the UK, Ireland, Canada or the USA. And a solid set of built-in dictionaries is also, as luck would have it, entirely in English.

Please note that the keyboard only supports input in Latin characters, so in some cases it will be of little use. For example, in the same search.

There are no localization restrictions for other features. Books are displayed either as cover thumbnails or simply as a list. Both search and sorting by date added or opened, author's name or title, or simply by file name are available. Books can be organized into collections. The reader does not perceive the structure of folders in memory and adds everything in a row. Collections serve just to replace folders. You can create and fill them directly in the reader by bulk checking the boxes next to the selected books.

Both ePub and PDF open quickly, and there are no problems with flipping either. There are, of course, particularly “heavy” PDFs with very complex formatting - the PRS-T1 can think about them for a while. There are no particular problems with text formatting; footnotes and other attributes work as they should. In general, there are no complaints about the device in this regard.

All main features in reading mode are accessed from the menu. There are quite a lot of these possibilities - rewind to the desired page, view the table of contents, add notes (by hand or with virtual keyboard), font and image settings, search, screen rotation and text display settings. Bookmarks are added by long pressing on the upper right corner of the screen, and at the same time you are prompted to create a note. True, without a stylus it’s difficult to get into the very corner.

A long press on any other part of the screen highlights the word closest to the point of contact, with the ability to expand this selection to even the entire page. By default, the word is searched in the dictionary, and if a definition is found, it is shown at the bottom. You can also search for the highlighted word throughout the text of the book, in English Wikipedia and on Google. Well, again, we are offered to either simply highlight this word, or add a note.

Adding handwritten notes is a separate item. All “add-ons” that you have added to the book are displayed separate list with the ability to filter by type. You can also turn off the display of all this stuff on the screen in the settings.

The view settings offer eight font sizes and seven typefaces. By the way, some Cyrillic ePub files begin to be displayed normally only when you change the typeface.

Among the useful options is the ability to manually adjust brightness and contrast or select from six preset values. In fact, even with the default settings, reading from the screen is comfortable.

The most interesting and useful thing, of course, is the different modes for displaying the book on the screen. There are two options here - breaking it into pieces and cutting around the edges. In the first case, the page is divided into four or six parts, and only one of them is displayed on the screen. In this mode, scrolling occurs in a different order - first down, then up to the right and down again. This feature comes in handy when viewing materials laid out in two or three columns. Well, don’t forget that we can easily scale the image by “pinch” and move around it as we please. The last item in the menu actually changes the orientation to landscape and adjusts the text width.

In the trimming mode, the reader will either try to cut off empty fields itself or offer to do it manually. Cropping is applied to all pages of the document. For some PDF files this feature is very useful.

These are all the functions of the Sony PRS-T1 related to the direct purpose of the device, that is, reading books. There don’t seem to be many of them, but at the same time they are all quite useful. In addition, you can take handwritten notes on the reader or simply draw in a separate application.

The reader also has a good browser. However, due to electronic ink, working with it is obviously inconvenient.

There is also a traditional picture viewer with a music player. Also, by the way, not bad.

Finally, let’s go over the main settings, of which there are not very many. Most operations are still performed in separate applications (reader, player, etc.), in which you can quickly call up a menu with settings.

Also included with the reader Sony app Reader for PC, the installer of which is loaded into the device’s memory. I just want to point out that this is almost the only complete software from Sony that is both useful and pleasant to use. If you have not yet created an account in the Sony bookstore, then when you first launch you will definitely be prompted to do so. In principle, registration there does not oblige you to anything, but you will have access to free books from the store or Google Books.

After logging into the reader itself, if Wi-Fi is available, you can download books, newspapers and magazines directly from it. Well, the Reader for PC program itself allows you to easily manage your books (add, delete, create collections), music, pictures, notes and newspaper subscriptions. And, of course, synchronize all this in both directions.

Finally, it remains to be said about the battery life of the Sony Reader PRS-T1. On average, you can count on a couple of weeks of active book reading with periodic connection to Wi-Fi and browsing websites or working in the Sony online store. By default, the reader turns off the wireless connection if it is not used for 5 minutes to save battery. If you suddenly intend to continuously surf the web, then the battery will last for less than a day. Fully charging the battery takes about 2-2.5 hours.

For dessert we have a pleasant surprise. Sony Reader PRS-T1 actually runs a stripped-down Android versions. In the sense that the developers cut out everything that is not required for the reader. But no one is stopping you from installing everything you need yourself. For example, a reader that understands more book formats, email and RSS clients, a different browser, and so on. Of course, the device is not powerful enough to run games like Angry Birds, but with an E-Ink screen it would be a dubious pleasure to play anything other than leisurely logic games or something like that. If you are interested in this opportunity, please follow here and here.

⇡ Conclusion

So, let's summarize. Sony Reader PRS-T1, in the opinion of the author of this review, is an almost ideal e-reader. Lightweight, attractive, with an optimal set of capabilities, which is further expanded by modifying the firmware, good time battery life, excellent screen and other amenities. Even the software turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. A conditional disadvantage is the lack of localization and access to some services, but here we must make allowances for the fact that this product is not yet sold in Russia.

The Sony Reader PRS-T1 is in some way a competitor to the Kindle Touch (in the ad-free version) - it is $10 cheaper, but only supports its own book format and is not hackable. By and large, Sony is trying to follow the path of Amazon - to offer potential buyers an inexpensive and high-quality e-reader, and make money by selling content. The Amazon empire is, of course, still a long way off, but the first steps in this direction seem right. Now regarding the price. In the States, the recommended price is $150. Naturally, after crossing the Russian border, it almost doubles for gray sellers. But even in this case, this is not the worst offer compared to the mass of other rootless readers. In general, if you want to buy yourself a good e-reader with a 6-inch screen, then be sure to take a closer look at the Sony Reader PRS-T1.

We thank the Reader-Sony.ru store for providing the device for testing.