1st: purchase a minimum 2GB SD or Sony pro duo card (I got an 8GB unit off eBay from China for $20 and yes, it works just fine).

The readerplates subscription ($10/month) can be cancelled at any time so I was only putting $10 at risk.

Takes a good while to get the file unless you are on a nice corporate or T1 connection to get the 1.3 GB of download.

All the IAPs, SIDS & STARS are in there and are easily placed on the 2GB card that you have purchased, either with the card in the Sony Reader or in an adapter connected to your computer for transfer.

A little fiddling with the PRS-505 to get the buttonology down but it gets you there to any state, city and airport combination you navigate to. Speed of page turns is decent and the battery life on the thing is quite a few hours (how many I don't know, but I played with the unit for a couple of hours and the battery did not move off full).

The screen technology uses encapsulated ink that is turned on and off (creating a pixel or not) by some sort of electrical pulse, therefore, once you hit the ink capsule with energy you're done using power. So energy use only occurs during page "turns". The encapsulation technology is an area that I am working with my client so we had one of these units on hand.

Readability in office conditions and outside was good for me. In low light conditions you'll need an overhead light or flashlight pretty much as if you were using a paper chart.

Your near vision eyesight will need to be in good shape. I do not think that 20/40 near vision will get you there BWTHDIK......My eye doctor keeps me well tuned and with my glasses (20/20 near vision) the reader plate size was no problem in the full view and in the larger section view. With my contacts and cheater readers I was not too keen on relying on for a critical frequency or DH number. This is about the only caution I would have on this unit is the near vision eyesight for those of us who have passed into that eyesight change, needs to be in very good shape. <vbg>

This unit won't change my SOP of having 8.5 x 11 paper printed charts for my destinations and possible alternates, however, for $10/month I have every US chart at my fingertips in a device that does not cost several AMU (~$250), does not rely on a rotating hard drive, does not use a Bill Gates OS and has a battery life that exceeds the endurance of my 136 gallons useable fuel.

Here are thumbnails of the PRS-505 Reader w/ReaderPlates on my Cygnet Flight Desk. Click any image for the full high resolution image:

                         Reader Screen Off                                        Full Portrait Plate                                

 Landscape Top of Plate                         Landscape Bottom of Plate                          Back to Full Plate View

All in all, I'm inclined to give this EFB system the CSOB thumbs up!

Here's another pirep from Bo owner and Beech Lister Tim R.: