Sony e-Reader News: Eight articles on this page
Sony Daily Reader finally
reaches homes before Xmas
From Product Reviews News, Dec 22, 2009 the Sony Reader Daily Edition has been taking pre-orders since November but finally this week it is shipping out this week It is thought for those of you who pre-ordered your device before December 20th, you should receive the unit before Christmas.
Just to recap some of the more impressive features the Daily Edition offers include, wireless access to Sony’s Reader Store, access to The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, also the device will be 7 inches wide with a full touchscreen interface and will operate in landscape and portrait modes
Just to recap some of the more impressive features the Daily Edition offers include, wireless access to Sony’s Reader Store, access to The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, also the device will be 7 inches wide with a full touchscreen interface and will operate in landscape and portrait modes
Subscribe newspapers on the Sony Daily Reader!
From the Daily Telegraph UK, Dec 19th, 2009 -US users of Sony's Reader range of e-book readers will soon be able to download the latest news from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post to their device, Sony has confirmed.
The Japanese electronics giant has signed an exclusive deal with News Corporation, owned by Rupert Murdoch, to give Reader users subscription-based access to publications through the e-book reader. A monthly subscription to the Wall Street Journal will cost users $14.99, while access to the New York Post is priced at $9.99 per month. Robert Thomson, editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, said that they would receive more than the 30 percent share offered by Amazon's subcription package.
Sir Howard Stringer, Sony's chief executive, said the company believed the move would help it compete more closely with Amazon's Kindle. "We obviously fell behind Amazon, but it's a long war, a long race," he said."We'll win the hardware war."
According to analysts at Forrester Research, Amazon's Kindle accounts for about 60 per cent of the US e-book reader market, with Sony's Reader range enjoying a 35 per cent market share.
The Japanese electronics giant has signed an exclusive deal with News Corporation, owned by Rupert Murdoch, to give Reader users subscription-based access to publications through the e-book reader. A monthly subscription to the Wall Street Journal will cost users $14.99, while access to the New York Post is priced at $9.99 per month. Robert Thomson, editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, said that they would receive more than the 30 percent share offered by Amazon's subcription package.
Sir Howard Stringer, Sony's chief executive, said the company believed the move would help it compete more closely with Amazon's Kindle. "We obviously fell behind Amazon, but it's a long war, a long race," he said."We'll win the hardware war."
According to analysts at Forrester Research, Amazon's Kindle accounts for about 60 per cent of the US e-book reader market, with Sony's Reader range enjoying a 35 per cent market share.
Sony plans to win e-Reader battle
with cheaper content
From the Financial Times, Dec 19th, 2009 - Sony yesterday vowed to win the e-reader device wars by offering content owners a better deal than Amazon's Kindle. "We feel we're riding to the rescue of all of you," Sir Howard Stringer told reporters as Sony announced an agreement to carry content from three News Corp-owned news brands on its Reader devices.
Sony plans to announce other publisher partners "in the next few days", said Steve Haber, president of its digital reading division.
Robert Thomson, publisher of the Wall Street Journal said "You can assume we're getting a better deal (than with Amazon) and our concerns about customer information have been addressed," he said. "Sony has been very understanding about these concerns."
Sir Howard said Sony shared publishers' concerns about the diminishing value of content, having watched other parts of its business suffer from falling sales of CDs and DVDs in response to digital competition.
Sony plans to announce other publisher partners "in the next few days", said Steve Haber, president of its digital reading division.
Robert Thomson, publisher of the Wall Street Journal said "You can assume we're getting a better deal (than with Amazon) and our concerns about customer information have been addressed," he said. "Sony has been very understanding about these concerns."
Sir Howard said Sony shared publishers' concerns about the diminishing value of content, having watched other parts of its business suffer from falling sales of CDs and DVDs in response to digital competition.
Sony wages war on Apples' iTunes
From Daily Mirror, Uk, Nov 20, 2009 Sony is set to release its own iTunes-battling download store to sell music, movies and – sensibly given its line of ebook readers – books. The service is currently known as Sony Online Service. Sony plans to make the Sony Online Service tie-in with its consumer electronics brands including the Sony Walkman range and its ebook readers like the Sony Reader Touch Edition.
Sony Online Service will resemble the current Playstation Network and will also integrate with the Playstation 3 and the Sony PSP Go. The big difference between iTunes and Sony’s new service appears to be the ability to store your own content in an online account.
The new Sony Touch Reader is here
From the Washington Post, Nov 3, 2009 With the addition of ePub support, the Sony Reader Touch Edition shapes up as a formidable competitor to Amazon's Kindle for those who want a sturdier and more elegant reader
The Sony Reader Touch Edition (PRS-600) is Sony's new flagship e-book reader, offers something we haven't seen in previous Sony Readers: a touchscreen and stylus for navigating and for creating drawings and handwritten notes.
Whether this innovation enhances the e-book experience is open to debate, but the overall quality of the product is not: Except for its lack of wireless connectivity for purchasing books without connecting to a PC, the Touch Edition is a worthy competitor to Amazon's Kindles--and at this writing a significant presence in the market.
The Sony Reader Touch Edition (PRS-600) is Sony's new flagship e-book reader, offers something we haven't seen in previous Sony Readers: a touchscreen and stylus for navigating and for creating drawings and handwritten notes.
Whether this innovation enhances the e-book experience is open to debate, but the overall quality of the product is not: Except for its lack of wireless connectivity for purchasing books without connecting to a PC, the Touch Edition is a worthy competitor to Amazon's Kindles--and at this writing a significant presence in the market.
The Sony Pocket Reader: it really fits in my pocket
From the Chicago Sun-Times, Dec 19th, 2009 - I like what Sony’s doing with their Reader line. Whereas Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s goals seem to be to become juggernauts of electronic distribution, the signature theme I sense from Sony is the desire to simply sell a reader to anybody who wants one.
So they make them in a wide range of sizes, they all support the ePub file format (the most important format for both free and commercial ebooks) and Adobe Digital Editions DRM (the most platform-agnostic standard for selling copy-protected commercial content), and it’s easy to move files onto the device. The Pocket Edition is one of the standouts.
It's cheaper than the competition but more significantly, it’s a very convenient size. It’s as big as an ebook reader can possibly be and still fit in a shirt pocket; nearly all other readers are about the size of a hardcover
So they make them in a wide range of sizes, they all support the ePub file format (the most important format for both free and commercial ebooks) and Adobe Digital Editions DRM (the most platform-agnostic standard for selling copy-protected commercial content), and it’s easy to move files onto the device. The Pocket Edition is one of the standouts.
It's cheaper than the competition but more significantly, it’s a very convenient size. It’s as big as an ebook reader can possibly be and still fit in a shirt pocket; nearly all other readers are about the size of a hardcover
Some Sony Daily Readers & Nooks may not
ship until after Xmas
If you had your heart set on a Barnes & Noble Nook or a Sony Daily Reader 900SC this year, you may not get your wish.
According to AP reports, Barnes & Noble underestimated the demand for it's very popular Nook & may not be able to ship some of their devices until the last week before Christmas (Dec 18th approx). Many pre-orders may not be fulfilled until early 2010 so a few consumers may be disappointed if B & N does not come through with their order fulfillment. If you are still waiting for your Nook but placed your order few weeks ago, you likely receive your shipment in early December.
Meanwhile, Sony postponed the launch of it's latest model, the Daily Reader, until December 19th, 2009. No word on whether enough supply on the shelves will be available or whether Sony will make their revised launch date. Book lovers who want this device should also put in their order ASAP.
Around the industry, Sony's Pocket Reader 300 and Touch Reader 600 are still available for immediate shipment,
According to AP reports, Barnes & Noble underestimated the demand for it's very popular Nook & may not be able to ship some of their devices until the last week before Christmas (Dec 18th approx). Many pre-orders may not be fulfilled until early 2010 so a few consumers may be disappointed if B & N does not come through with their order fulfillment. If you are still waiting for your Nook but placed your order few weeks ago, you likely receive your shipment in early December.
Meanwhile, Sony postponed the launch of it's latest model, the Daily Reader, until December 19th, 2009. No word on whether enough supply on the shelves will be available or whether Sony will make their revised launch date. Book lovers who want this device should also put in their order ASAP.
Around the industry, Sony's Pocket Reader 300 and Touch Reader 600 are still available for immediate shipment,
Sony gives a variety of eReader Choices
From the NY Times, Dec 2nd, 2009 - Sony, a veteran player in this space, offers three options: the Pocket, the Touch and the soon-to-be-available Daily. The Touch PRS-600, made of aluminum, has a sleek design with a 6-inch touch screen. Its features include the ability to highlight, make annotations and print notes. You can write directly on the screen using a stylus or your finger, or employ the touch screen as a keyboard. A swipe of a finger also turns the page.
Sony’s e-readers support the e-pub format, and material can be checked out for 14 days from public libraries, including the New York Public Library. The selection of e-pub content isn’t comprehensive, but more libraries are beginning to adopt this standard. Sony says its e-bookstore carries about 200,000 titles.
In December, Sony will start selling its wireless edition, the Daily, which has a 7-inch touch screen display. It will have the same built-in extras as the Touch, but it will maximize the landscape view, said Valerie Motis, a spokeswoman for Sony Electronics. The Daily will allow two pages to be viewed side by side, and its new user interface will provide improved navigation. Content for the Daily will be available for wireless purchase from Sony’s e-bookstore.
Sony’s e-readers support the e-pub format, and material can be checked out for 14 days from public libraries, including the New York Public Library. The selection of e-pub content isn’t comprehensive, but more libraries are beginning to adopt this standard. Sony says its e-bookstore carries about 200,000 titles.
In December, Sony will start selling its wireless edition, the Daily, which has a 7-inch touch screen display. It will have the same built-in extras as the Touch, but it will maximize the landscape view, said Valerie Motis, a spokeswoman for Sony Electronics. The Daily will allow two pages to be viewed side by side, and its new user interface will provide improved navigation. Content for the Daily will be available for wireless purchase from Sony’s e-bookstore.
