The screen is not as readable as previous Sony eBooks, sadly
Can you charge this without plugging it to a PC?
It should charge from the mains with a USB plug converter, Krista, and you can pick up said plugs pretty cheaply on Amazon. http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=usb+plug&x=0&y=0
