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FAQ: General questions about Sony PRS-T1 and Sony PRS-T2 models. E-book Sony PRS-T1 Prs t1 formats

In October last year, Sony supported the trend to reduce the cost and simplification of new models by introducing the PRS-T1 e-reader. The manufacturer's previous models PRS-350 and PRS-650 were good for everything except the price. To increase the market share of a Japanese company, a budget reader was urgently needed. The manufacturer responded to the emergence of new products Kindle Touch, Kindle 4 and Nook Simple Touch, hoping to take away buyers from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and increase sales outside of Japan. The new T1 is certainly a serious challenge to the American market leaders in terms of price and features.

Equipment

Included with the device are only a Micro-USB cable for connecting to a computer (charging and downloading books through it) and a stylus. Sony adheres to market trends: the most simple packaging and minimum equipment. Accessory set ( , mains charger, memory card) sold separately.

Appearance and weight

The design will feel familiar to anyone who has ever held a Sony reader in their hands. The manufacturer has not abandoned the controls tested by old models: the context menu, return, main menu and page turning buttons are located in one line from the bottom of the screen.

But the power on / off button has moved to the lower end of the reader, where it is now adjacent to the micro-USB port, reset and headphone jack. It turned out to be a fusion of own developments and borrowings from the Kindle, and in general - a very successful control interface.

Another attempt to get around the competition was a non-standard set of body colors. In addition to traditional and boring black and white, the novelty is offered in a bright, red body color. None of the leaders of both the world and Russian market of electronic readers offers devices in a bright body color.

The new model Sony PRS-T1 is positioned as "the lightest 6-inch reader in the world." 168 grams of weight make the reader a nominal leader (the closest competitor weighs 169.5 grams). The previous 6-inch model Sony PRS-650 weighed 215 grams due to the solid aluminum body. The T1 has a plastic case, and the back panel is covered with a rubberized pad that is pleasant to the touch. The appearance has not suffered from the change of materials in any way - the reader looks stylish and is not at all cheap.

Of the minuses of the design of the reader, we highlight the inability to fix the stylus on the case. In previous models 350, 650, the stylus was very well placed in a special slot inside the case. In the case of T1, there are no mounts for it either on the case or on the original cover. Apparently, priority was given to the maximum reduction in the dimensions of the device, in particular, its thickness.

Screen

Like models 350 and 650, as well as a direct competitor, the novelty is equipped with a screen with touch glass or an infrared frame. The owner of T1 will be able to use the multi-touch function (zoom in and out with a pinch, respectively, when spreading and pinching fingers). The role of the screen in the management is great - it is impossible to flip through the book with the buttons holding it in one right hand (the paging keys are on the left), which means that you need to use the touchscreen to change hands and conveniently flip the pages. Flipping occurs both when you swipe your finger horizontally across the screen, and vertically.

The touchscreen provides additional control options. Clicking (and holding for a couple of seconds) on a menu item, a word in text, or a book in a collection opens a context menu with additional options. For example, a highlighted word in a text can be searched on Google or Wikipedia (provided there is a WiFi connection).

The touch screen is very responsive and has a good picture changing speed. excellent quality images are saved in bright sunlight. Of the minuses - a complete update of the image after each paging (press the button - the screen flashes brightly in black and the image changes). For example, Kindle Touch and completely update the image only after the fifth page and with virtually no loss of quality.

Reading

Reading books on Sony PRS-T1 is comfortable and pleasant. The context menu key opens the settings menu. They allow you to change the screen orientation to landscape, use the search inside the book, change the font size, adjust the image quality and text placement on the screen. Let's clarify the last two points. Image settings are given to the user rather for show. By default, the whitest background of the image and the most contrasting and saturated text are selected. Other options do not improve the picture quality in any way. The text placement setting allows you to sort in two or three columns, as well as rotate the image and fit it to the full width of the screen. These features are relevant for the texts of periodicals laid out in columns, as well as for viewing PDF files.

The main menu of the reader consists of two pages, the first of which is entirely devoted to reading. AT quick access here is the book you recently read and the last three books loaded into the reader. Also on the main page are the icons "Collections" and "Periodicals". The second page contains a set of additional features. In the Russian version of the reader, some menu items were removed (for example, "Books from Google" and "Purchases" in the ReaderStore branded online store), since it was obvious that these offers were not particularly relevant for Russian users yet. Those who are interested in books in foreign languages are likely to choose the Kindle and the richer Amazon.com service.

Of the interesting and desired functions select an audio player that plays music files in MP3 and AAC formats, and plays tracks while reading (Fyodor Butyrsky can be read under Mikhail Shufutinsky). In addition, we note the handwriting function, which allows you to draw on the screen with a stylus. For example, you can draw a route map on the display, save the picture as a JPEG file, and then send the image by e-mail directly from the reader.

Internet access

The Sony PRS-T1 model is the reader in which the presence of a WiFi module is really justified. Of course, one should take into account the features of electronic ink technology, which has not yet been characterized high speed image updates. However, thanks to the touch screen, navigating the web pages is quite convenient - with tasks such as checking your mailbox and browsing news feeds the reader copes with a bang. You don't need a big one.

Multi-touch also works in the browser, and to navigate small web links, it is better to use the stylus that comes with the device. You can bookmark, set your home page, take screenshots, and view your browsing history.

FB2 format support

The Sony PRS-T1 model began to be sold in Russia in December 2011, and initially read only EPUB, TXT and PDF formats. The official software update that Sony released in February this year to read FB2 files can be installed on the device. Thanks to this, the functionality of the model is significantly expanded, offering the user the opportunity to use the two most popular types of e-book files - EPUB and FB2. The T1 version released for the Russian market does not offer any additional functions, but the user receives an official Sony warranty for 1 year and the opportunity to carry out warranty repairs at branded service centers.

The overall popularity of Sony on Russian market leads to the fact that many buyers prefer the devices of the Japanese company to many competitors (primarily American) with similar parameters. And many potential buyers of models, for example, Nook Simple Touch from Barnes & Noble will be scared away by the non-Russian interface of this American reader, and they will prefer to buy PRS-T1. Sony wins here.

conclusions

In conclusion, we list the disadvantages and advantages of the reader for those who consider it as an option for purchase.

Minuses:

full screen refresh after each flipping;

the inability to fix the stylus on the case;

inconvenient arrangement of keys for turning pages;

Pros:

successful and necessary in all functions of the touchscreen;

support for the most popular e-book formats;

the ability to choose a bright color of the case;

best speed operation and response to user commands, among other models with a touchscreen;

software focused specifically on the use of touch control;

curious additional features (player, handwriting);

justified presence of the WiFi module and the convenience of accessing the Internet.

Of course, the position of the model as a sales leader is hardly very important to the user, because he is primarily concerned about ease of use. But Sony, it seems, has come up with a successful formula and responds to both the consumer and competitors: the reader satisfies the needs of the buyer, who prefer it to many similar models, and increase the sales of the Japanese company. In terms of price-quality ratio, the Sony PRS-T1 model has already become the number one for the youth audience, who are interested in additional advantages in the form of a player, Internet access, stylish appearance and affordable price.

The new Sony book, on the one hand, is similar to the old models, but, in fact, is the ancestor of a new direction. It's strange, but there are no other readers on the American website of the company (we are talking about the PRS series), only T1 in different variations. Actually, they call the Reader Wi-Fi model, apparently, they decided to make life easier for users. This is good practice. And the book itself evokes extremely positive emotions, if you do not take into account some of the roughness inherent in Sony books, first of all, this concerns formats.

Design, construction

Recently, more than a dozen books have passed through my hands, you can find reviews on the site. I said and continue to say, if you like good things, then you should choose Amazon and Sony readers, everything else can support a bunch of formats, work longer and be better than Kindle or PRS in all respects. But you will not get the feeling of a thing in your hands. This is a harsh market reality, the design of readers is mostly absent as a class, the same gray crafts. In principle, an e-book has long been a household tool, and you are unlikely to think about the appearance of a microwave - but the reader is probably in your hands more often. Accordingly, I personally would choose the best that is on the market, and in appearance as well.

The book in question comes in a very compact package, literally not a single extra millimeter. No big boxes. Everything you need is included, unfortunately, there is no AC adapter, no cover. But there is a stylus, although when working with the screen it is quite possible to do without it. The first thing you pay attention to is that the book is very small, it can easily fit in a jacket pocket. Winter is coming soon, and everyone in Russia will be wearing outerwear. When the reader is in sleep mode, the cover of the book you are reading is displayed on the screen. The body is made of glossy black plastic, the back is velvety material, it is very pleasant to hold the gadget in your hands. Under the display there is a metal insert, the case does not creak when compressed. On the bottom end there is a microUSB connector, a minijack, on the left end there is a slot for a microSD memory card, covered with a flap.

I want to praise the Sony designers, on the one hand, there are similarities with the old models. On the other hand, oddly enough, the PRS-T1 has its own face, the book is unlike anything else, it is pleasant to hold it in your hands. The thing is as it is. Not so thin, it's more of a visual effect due to beveled edges, but even the buttons here are made wisely, even the PRS-T1 somehow resembles Sony Ericsson smartphones.

Dimensions 111 x 172 x 9 mm, weight 168 grams. The screen is made flush with the body, the glossy plastic around, of course, gets dirty, but it's not very noticeable. Apparently, they decided to strengthen the area under the display with metal, since there are buttons there. In addition to the black book, there is also a red, white, white with rhinestones. There are several branded accessories on the official website, these are illuminated cases, chargers, gift cards.

Display

The diagonal of the display (Pearl is used here) is six inches, the resolution is 600 x 800 pixels, 16 shades of gray, Clear Touch Infrared Technology is supported. What is it and why is it necessary. For example, already familiar gestures for zooming in are supported, it is enough to “push” the page with your fingers. True, there is a pitfall here, in the lower right corner there is a page symbol, an increase icon, and to get rid of this, you need to press the menu button. You can also “tap” and hold your finger on a word, a link to a dictionary with a transcript will appear at the bottom of the screen, plus a search menu in “Wikipedia” or Google, add a note, highlight.

In my opinion, the screen is close to ideal. Not big and not small, contrasting, there is a wide choice of font size and type. For example, if in old books with sizes everything was military, one or two and ready, then there are already eight “divisions”. At the same time, by playing with the types of fonts, you can easily achieve the perfect display for your loved one.

Control

At the bottom there is a power button and a Reset hidden in the case. Under the screen there are buttons for scrolling, switching to the main menu, going back, calling the menu for a particular program. There are no volume buttons. The screen is very convenient to use, handwriting is supported, here you will need a stylus from the kit. You can type site addresses on the keyboard with your finger without any problems, the delays are minimal. In general, the impression is created as from working with a smartphone. Interesting experience.

But for a book, the convenience of flipping when you hold the gadget with one hand is more important. Not everything is obvious here. For example, if you hold the PRS-T1 in your right hand, it is more convenient to navigate from page to page by swiping your finger across the display. The pages turn very quickly, it is difficult to make a mistake, so everything is fine. But if you hold the book in your left hand, then it will be more convenient to use the buttons, I really liked the precise, soft move. It can be seen that they pored over the buttons and over the pressing force.

There is a miniature light indicator next to the power button, it does not hurt the eyes, and in general it is practically not noticeable.

Browser and WiFi

The book has Wi-Fi and, accordingly, there is a browser. Not only is there a browser, but this browser is quite possible to use. It quickly scales sites, loading does not require a moment of silence with a cigarette and coffee, information is displayed correctly, thanks to multitouch support, it is easy to “spread” the page to look at something more carefully. The book quickly detects access points, remembers passwords, automatically connects to a familiar network when it is in the access zone. In principle, Wi-Fi support is needed, it seems, in order to go and buy books in the proprietary Reader Store, for Russia this is not particularly relevant. But there are links to public libraries, Google Books.

Additional features

The book has a player, covers are displayed, everything is like the old Sony readers, typical functionality. I do not think that the owners will constantly listen to music. Also note-taking, a program for drawing or writing any plans to take over the world - writing is best with a stylus. Dictionary, image viewer, everything like the old books.

The menu has links to purchased periodicals and books, the covers of books and the last opened book are displayed on the desktop, at the top there are indicators of battery charge, Wi-Fi turned on, it's a pity that the time is not displayed. When reading, the indicators are not visible at all, which is strange. If you want to read the instructions for using the book, then look for the manual right among the books, it is not included in the kit.

Formats and books

I got an American sample without the Russian language, I think the craftsmen will soon take care of it. The virtual keyboard is English, and so on. ePub, PDF, TXT formats are supported, I tried uploading some ePub books downloaded from the net. As you can see, covers and titles in Russian are displayed correctly, and there are no problems with reading. The formatting, as is always the case with Sony's readers, is a bit odd when it comes to displaying content. In short, everything is fine. You can do without conversion - of course, only if you do not have a huge library in FB2. I also tried loading a PDF into memory, a large instruction manual for Casio watches. The size is small, as you can see, in the menu you can switch the view to landscape, then the instructions are much more convenient to read. Only it is difficult to read something, drawing is not to say that it is very fast, it takes time. There is no position sensor in space, which is not very good. After drawing, you can read small letters, but then suddenly you can’t return to horizontal mode. And this applies only to PDF, with ordinary books in ePub everything is in order. In my opinion, T1 is not ideal for PDF, especially if you are interested in reading and using various documentation.

Memory

About 1.3 GB of memory is available for the user, microSD cards up to 32 GB are supported. In my opinion, for most users, the built-in storage will be enough for the entire time of using the book, especially if you do not clog the memory with music.

Working hours

They promise a month of “life”, in my opinion, this is a good indicator - moreover, it is quite close to reality. The menu has an option to completely turn off the book, there is also a sleep mode when the cover is displayed on the screen.

conclusions

Book settings are simple, there is nothing special. On average, a book in Moscow costs about nine thousand rubles. In the USA about 150 dollars. While we have a typical overpayment for a new product, then prices will settle down.

The most important part of the review, summing up. I enjoyed the book very much and am impressed with the work done at Sony. One of the few devices where everything is very smooth, smooth, fast and pleasant. Let's look at the pros:

original design, good materials, assembly. The book fits easily into a jacket pocket, at least mine does.
Great display, multitouch supported
Long battery life
For the first time I see a normal browser in a book - moreover, it is not difficult to download a book from the network and open it in the “reader”. Wonderful
The book is “fast”, this applies to turning over, and working with the menu, and everything else - delays are imperceptible
Everything is in order with the controls, you can scroll using the buttons, and using the capabilities of the touch screen
Handwriting is implemented well, it is quite possible to write short notes, notes, draw up action plans
You can read files in ePub format without conversion, Russian language is supported

There are also cons:

Time is not displayed in the indicator line, the battery charge indicator is not visible during reading
Reading PDF is not implemented very well
Not all book formats are supported
The package does not include a power adapter, a case
Still, the plastic (both front and rear) is easily soiled, keep in mind

It is with great pleasure that I recommend this book to you and I want to say one thing, Sony was able to collect all their many years of experience in one device. Simple menu, convenient format, cool design, great paper, the PRS-T1 is a pleasure to use. This little book is likely to give you a whole new look at eReaders, especially if you've used any Inchi and other inexpensive similar devices before.

Sergey Kuzmin ()

The latest Sony reader has already visited and produced good impression. The device turned out to be unique to some extent - this is one of the lightest and thinnest touch 6-inch e-book readers on the market, Sony refused to support the proprietary format in it LRF in favor of the more common EPUB, used the Android OS, and it is completely different from other readers of the company - this is not a "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, there would be a desire, but it is. Let's improve!

I, as a great admirer of electronic paper in general and Sony readers in particular, PRS-T1 evoked ambivalent feelings. I got acquainted with this kind of products of a Japanese company back in 2007, when, with considerable difficulties and for a lot of money, I got 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, other readers of the company have also been in the hands, they all pleased with their design, but somehow I didn’t really think about functionality. Fortunately, enthusiasts have created very convenient tools for converting the folk 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 the year 2011 came, Amazon held, arranging a collapse in prices in the market for e-book readers (for the second time), and a Japanese competitor appeared, which is cheap compared to its predecessors, it also looks cheap and, in general, looks somewhat disappointing . I wanted to exclaim: “Sony, shove the PRS-T1 into the case from!”.

Yes, the device turned out to be light - 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 its replacement costs almost like a new device. That is, we boldly 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 weight of the ultralight reader.

On our own experience, two accessories of this kind were tested, one of which pleasantly surprised, returning the same Sony-style to the reader, the second was merciful to the wallet, but first things first.

Nameless leather cover: cheap, angry, thick and nondescript, but reliable

Modern readers are cheap, but branded cases for them are expensive. It's like with inkjet printers, when the piece of iron itself goes for essentially ridiculous money, a little more expensive than the price of a complete cartridge, but manufacturers then earn money by selling consumables. With the gadgets in question, the situation is somewhat more complicated, Supplies they don't, on the contrary - save paper, save forests. But there is a fragile display, and its protection is not cheap. At least when it comes to national market and branded accessories. Yes, and in native land they are offered at a price of a third, or even half the cost of the reader. The 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 non-original alternative.

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

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. However, the main thing in this case is that PRS-T1 sits securely inside the case, does not hang out and certainly will not fall out of it, even if the gadget is dropped. Moreover, when closed, the cover is held by a strap on a magnetic clasp, mind you - a very strong magnetic clasp.

The cover itself is tough - you don't have to worry about the safety of the display and the rear panel of the reader. A point impact (for example, against the corner of a table) is especially dangerous for the screen, and the accessory will withstand it easily, and pressure over a large area, which can be experienced in a flea market. public transport, he will also transfer. In a couple of such situations, personal PRS-T1 visited - "alive and well", it works and pleases the owner.

This cover is worth 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, there are often discounts on such goods. The only problem is that in most cases sellers do not send this product to Ukraine. As a result, a good budget alternative comes out, it will protect the reader.

In addition, in this case it is quite convenient to hold the device in one hand precisely due to the increased dimensions. It's like holding a pocket book. Plus, in this position it is easy to flip through the pages with a standard gesture. And for an accessory you can hook a book lantern like this:

By the way, the cover weighs a lot, about 120 g, and this is a pretty decent disadvantage of it. Together with the reader, almost a 300-gram piece is obtained. It cannot be said that it strains the hand very much, but much depends on the physical condition of the user, which everyone has their own.

PRS-T1 Standard Cover: Sony-style leather and plastic

A month later, the nameless cover is boring. Yes - reliable, yes - strong, yes - it copes with its duties, but I wanted something more compact and at the same time no less reliable, something lighter and more beautiful. The branded case turned out to be the most attractive PRS-T1 Standard Cover. In Ukrainian realities, this is offered for $50-60 . For this money (and if there is access to foreign flea markets, then half the price) you can make a real Japanese reader from PRS-T1 in corporate identity Sony.

It is worth noting that the first impression was rather negative than positive due to the plastic base - it does not repeat 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 cunning shape hides the real dimensions.

You should never jump to conclusions. As soon as you put the device in a case, pick it up, open it, close it, feel it, turn it around and study 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 the hands.

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

And the third is a decent stiffness Standard cover. Thinner than in the nameless cover, the front cover made of leather refused to be no less dense, and the lower part is made of strong plastic with additional stiffening ribs, inside it is lined with some kind of soft material such as felt.

The reader is held in the cover with the help of the sides protruding from the plastic base on the left and right. It is quite easy to place it, it is enough to put it in on one side, lower it and press it on the other, but it will be more difficult to remove it. It is necessary to take the device in both palms, as if holding a joystick in your hands, and put your thumbs on the analog sticks, in this case it will be 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 serious efforts, but the accessory is strong, so it is unlikely to be broken), the gadget will be freed from the plastic bottom.

Outside, the entire case is covered with leather. In the back and a third of the front, some kind of tricky dressing is used, creating a matte, rough and pleasant to the touch surface. It improves the grip of the device.

The front is made up 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:

You can’t attach a standard book flashlight to such a cover, but there is a cover option with a built-in lighting device (though this one costs absolutely crazy money on the national market, comparable to the price of the reader itself). But the accessory is very easy to use and, as mentioned above, light.

Packed in a cover PRS-T1 it is convenient to hold with either hand and at the same time flip through the pages with standard gestures. You can even hold the reader in your left hand around the corner to flip through the pages with hardware keys.

At the moment Standard cover is one of the best covers on the market for this reader and practice confirms this. In addition, it gives PRS-T1 the same mythical "Sony-style", although it's a matter of taste.

Android is freedom...and new reading software

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

The company did even more for the community of readers and software upgrades when it decided to use a standard kernel. Android 2.x instead of own solutions based on linux. If desired, from PRS-T1 you can practically make a tablet with an E-Ink screen, or you can limit yourself to a good, in general, original interface with new reading software fully integrated into it. I personally am an adherent of the latter method and it will be mainly 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 will receive support for the "folk" format in the near future 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 that is written below refers 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.

Cases of causing irreversible harm to the reader due to modification of the original software have not yet been recorded, but you can break anything you want - there would be a desire. It should be understood that any experiments with the device software are done by users at their own peril and risk, and the authors of alternative software do not bear any responsibility for the harm caused to gadgets, nor 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 the support of the vast majority modern formats e-books, including FB2, FB2.zip and djvu. Also included is Russification of the interface, a Russian on-screen keyboard, additional dictionaries, viewing MS Office documents ( DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, PPS, PPSX) and other "buns". A lot of goodies and amenities, it makes sense to strain a little, get a little worried and upgrade your favorite gadget.

I will not describe in detail the process of installing alternative software, the authors of the modifications have stated everything in the forums of the The-eBook portal. I will dwell on my own experience with reworked 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 a net alias amutin. The first turns the reader into the same tablet with an alternative launcher that resembles the standard Android interface and a lot of software, including two programs for reading books at once: coolreader and FBReader. Here is a discussion thread about this software, where there are all instructions and a description of the functionality of the package.

It was I who tested it first due to the fact that at the time the reader appeared on my hands 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 to 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 version of a month ago behaved quite stably. You can use the original launcher or an alternative one, choose one of them by default, similarly with reader programs. But, nevertheless, the original software is modified too much, or it will take a lot of effort to customize everything for yourself.

I'm not a big fan of unnecessary body movements, except perhaps as part of working experiments, and on a personal device I didn’t want to have anything more than what is needed for comfortable reading. Accordingly, when I was able to get to a Windows PC 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 update the software, you will need to install the latest version of the 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 for interacting with it, which is located in the internal memory of the 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 on the system drive, usually " C:\"") and run the executable file only after disabling UAC ( User Account Control) in Windows Vista or Windows 7.

The developer offers several packages to choose from. For example, standard includes an alternative launcher, the ability to add and change the composition of packages for yourself, and a lot of other features for fans 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 by the absence of an alternative shell and a mechanism for installing your own programs. 0.xx (0.25 at the time of this writing) is the easiest version: Russification of the interface and keyboard, CoolReader, file manager, plus a couple of other goodies that I personally do not use.

with version 1.xx a couple of times there was an incident when the reader hung during operation, and the content update arrows constantly rotated on the screen. A soft reset of the device helped with the Reset button at the bottom of the gadget (hold for a couple of seconds). I am sure that 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 with it for all the time of operation no difficulties arose.

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

On the this moment the device with alternative software works perfectly: it doesn’t freeze, it doesn’t slow down, it’s well integrated into the shell, although there’s nothing special to integrate there, mostly little things, but these little things affect the experience of using the gadget. So when PRS-T1 enters standby mode, the book cover is used as the screensaver. An example in the image below:

Before CoolReader was adapted for the reader, in order to display the cover of a book read in an alternative program on the screensaver in the standby mode, it had to be opened once with a standard reader. If the device is used by several people, then it was generally inconvenient, the screen saver was all the time whatever. Plus, for her sake, every time you open a book, you have to choose an application for reading:

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 splash screen. Naturally, the alternative reader is assigned as the default application for reading books. Furthermore, rupor made the Sony shell recognize and display book covers from files FB2 and FB2.zip- this is a complete and very high-quality support for this format, CoolReader works well with it:

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

In the opinion of an inexperienced E-Reader user, everything seems to be fine. But different distances between words are clearly visible, that is, there is no support for hyphenation in Russian, 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.

And here is what it offers coolreader:

Not just the presence of support for Russian hyphenation, but also hanging punctuation, when punctuation marks and hyphens at the end of a line are taken out of the text block, as well as font kerning and its 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 as shown in the original reader above:

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

The only minus of the minimum assembly amutin consists in the absence of a dictionary, and if it is necessary, then you will have to install a standard package or 1.xx from the simplified ones.

Funny experiment with a big smartphone

It so happened that in addition to the pumped on their own PRS-T1 There was also a Samsung smartphone. A very good reading smartphone with a 5.3-inch Super AMOLED HD display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. Naturally, CoolReader is also installed in it and a unique opportunity compare both devices in almost identical conditions and with similar software. The display size does not differ much, the text is typed in the same way - the difference is only in the screen technology and, in fact, the devices themselves.

What can I say - Sony Reader PRS-T1 simply tore the "competitor" to shreds for several reasons. First, size does matter, and even the extra 0.7 inches feels good. Plus, the reader has a pocket book format, which makes it even more related to paper counterparts.

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

And then he returned to electronic paper. Because with it, the eyes still strain much less. Someone feels this especially sharply and sensitively, someone, like me, for example, only in direct comparison. Together with the Galaxy Note, this was done, since the first enthusiasm for the devices had passed, and nothing prevented a balanced comparison. Bottom line - for reading better E-Reader can only be another E-Reader.

The third reason for losing a smartphone (as well as a tablet) is somewhat funny and implicit. After all, this is a multifunctional device: you can make and receive calls, work with mail, communicate on social networks, surf the web, play, after all. As a result, due to such functionality, it is far from always possible to focus on reading, to immerse yourself in a book 100%. The boundaries of reality are just beginning to dissolve, the letters disappear before their eyes, and the reader dives into the fantastic world with his head, when he is rudely pulled out of there into real world a call, notification of new tweets or mail, a sudden desire to read the news and see if anything interesting appeared on, etc.

But when you take it in your hands PRS-T1 or any other reader based on electronic paper, 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 bit.

Universal reader

Sony Reader PRS-T1 This is, of course, 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, with a small amount of 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 with the price of the Kindle, if we are talking about gray supplies.

Only 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 pumped Sony Reader PRS-T1- this is an almost perfect reader.

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of a particular device, if any.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, suggested colors, 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 4.33in
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 6.81in
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	8.9 mm (millimeters) 0.89 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft 0.35in
The weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	164 g (grams) 0.36 lbs 5.78oz
Volume Approximate volume of the device, calculated from 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.	The black Red White

SoC (System on a Chip)

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

SoC (System on a Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Freescale i.MX508
Technological process Information about technological process on which the chip is made. The value in nanometers measures half the distance between the elements in the processor.	65 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is the interpretation and execution of instructions contained in software applications.	ARM Cortex-A8
Processor bit depth The bit depth (bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance than 32-bit processors, which, in turn, are more productive than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands by which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7-A
First level cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently accessed data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small and 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 them in the L2 cache. With some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes)
Second level cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but in return it has a larger capacity, allowing more data to be cached. 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 RAM.	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 many instructions to be executed in parallel.	1
Processor 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 when the device is turned off or restarted.	512 MB (megabytes)

Built-in memory

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

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 image quality of information directly depends.	E Ink Pearl
Diagonal For mobile devices, the screen size is expressed in terms of its diagonal length, measured in inches.	6 in 152.4 mm (millimeters) 15.24 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate Screen Width	3.6in 91.44 mm (millimeters) 9.14 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate Screen Height	4.8in 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 indicates the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper 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 shown on the screen in clearer detail.	167 ppi (pixels per inch) 65 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen space on the front of the device.	58.77% (percentage)
Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen.	capacitive Multitouch
	Screen shades - 16 Clear Infrared touchscreen

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for short distance data transmission between different devices.

USB

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

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, which is 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 the device.

Browser

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

Capabilities

It is unlikely that a Russian person will be able to appreciate the "breadth" of Sony's soul - the reader supports as many as three book formats. These are regular text files, as well as ePub and PDF. The last two can be with DRM. The reader itself is not officially sold with us, and therefore they did not begin to localize the interface and a number of features. Well at least, books in Russian, as a rule, are displayed without problems. It is even better if the desired font is sewn into the book. Books can be thrown directly into the device's memory - it will recognize them and pull out the necessary information, such as the title, author, and cover. On a PC, the reader is defined as a regular removable drive.

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

A similar story is with the service of free access to electronic versions of books from public libraries. It is unlikely that many people have an annual subscription in one of the libraries in Great Britain, Ireland, Canada or the USA that has been lying around. And a solid set of built-in dictionaries, too, unfortunately, entirely in English.

Please note that the keyboard only supports input in Latin characters, so in some cases it will not be of much use. For example, in the same search.

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

Both ePub and PDF open quickly, there are no problems with turning over either. There are, of course, especially "heavy" PDFs with very complex formatting - 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 this device.

All the main features in the reading mode are called from the menu. There are quite a few of these possibilities - rewind to the desired page, view the table of contents, add notes (by hand or using the 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, along the way it is proposed to create another note. True, without a stylus it is difficult to get into the very corner.

A long press on any other part of the screen highlights the word closest to the touch point, with the ability to expand this selection even to the entire page. By default, the word is looked up 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 the English Wikipedia and in Google. Well, again, we are invited to either simply highlight this word, or add a note.

A separate paragraph made the addition of notes by hand. All the "add-ons" that you have added to the book are displayed in a separate list with the ability to filter by type. Also in the settings you can disable the display of all this goodness on the screen.

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

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

The most interesting and useful of all, of course, are the various modes of displaying the book on the screen. There are two options here - splitting into parts and cropping 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, the flipping goes in a different order - first down, and then right up and down again. This feature will come in handy when viewing materials laid out in two or three columns. Well, do not forget that we can easily scale the image with a “pinch” and move around it as we please. The last item on the menu actually changes the orientation to landscape and fits the text to the width.

In cropping 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 seem to be not so 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. True, due to electronic ink, working with it is obviously inconvenient.

There is also a traditional image viewer with a music player. Also good, by the way.

Finally, let's go over the main settings, which are also not very many. Most operations are still carried out in individual applications(reader, player, and so on), in which you can quickly call up a menu with settings.

Together with the reader, the Sony Reader for PC application is also supplied, the installer of which is uploaded to the device's memory. I just want to play around that this is almost the only bundled software from Sony, which is both useful and pleasant to use. If you have not yet created an account in the Sony bookstore, then the first time you start you will 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 authorization in the reader itself, if Wi-Fi is available, it will be possible to download books, newspapers and magazines directly in it. Well, the Reader for PC program itself makes it easy to manage your books (add, delete, create collections), music, pictures, notes and newspaper subscriptions. And, of course, to synchronize all this in both directions.

Finally, it remains to say 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 occasional Wi-Fi connection and browsing sites or working in the Sony online store. By default, the battery-saving reader turns off the wireless connection if it is not used for 5 minutes. If you suddenly set out to continuously surf the web, then the battery will last less than a day. Fully charging the battery takes about 2-2.5 hours.

For dessert we have a pleasant surprise. The Sony Reader PRS-T1 actually runs a stripped down version of Android. In the sense that the developers cut out everything that is not required for the reader. But after all, no one bothers to install 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 power of the device is not enough to run games like Angry Birds, but with an E-Ink screen it would be a dubious pleasure to play something other than leisurely logic toys or something like that. Interested in this opportunity, please follow here and here.

⇡ Conclusion

So, let's sum up. Sony Reader PRS-T1, in the opinion of the author of this review, is an almost perfect reader. Lightweight, cute, with an optimal set of features, 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 drawback 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 rival of the Sony Reader PRS-T1 is in some way the Kindle Touch (in the version without ads) - it is cheaper by $ 10, but it only supports its book format and does not "hack". By and large, Sony is just trying to follow the path of Amazon - to offer a potential buyer an inexpensive and high-quality reader, and earn money by selling content. Of course, the Amazon empire is still far away, but the first steps in this direction seem to be the right ones. Now as for the price. In the US, the recommended price is $150. Naturally, after crossing the border of the Russian Federation, 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 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.

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