I understood that this this required the software to be opened up. And if so why are they making a big thing of saying they are opening up the format. Bein Linux should open the source code anyway.

As far as lending or transfering books to someone else – I saw who cares? I don’t exist to provide free media for my friends. They can buy their own damn stuff.

The question about the “6″ devices is more critical. iTunes makes it incredibly easy to de-authorize and re-authorize your limited number of computers. WIll Sony’s mechanism be similar, or will it be like Microsoft Reader’s where when you reach your limit, that’s it, you’re done, you don’t get no more? (I change computer hardware rather frequently as a side-effect of my job, so this issue is critical to preserving my content investment.)

As far as re-wrapping PDF files when zoomed, the answer right out of the gate is “it depends”. Image pdf files will not, obviously. Tagged files are capable of it, assuming the reader implements the feature. Sony would be incredibly stupid if they did not.

• browse the webread and write email
• play some games

• run an essential app or two

• read and write Word documents and/or Excel spreadsheetsoccasionally
• listen to music
• even more occasionally watch video

Let me emphasize that this is my individual preference, much as I think it makes sense for others.

That said, I want to acknowledge that the Sony Reader website photos show a crisp screen with a full page that looks like it will be a pleasure to read.

It’s a winner if you use a single-feature comparison: page for reading.

If I could buy an e-reader with this kind of display at a price I can afford without wincing (lower than I’d care to acknowledge , I would.

I expect an Internet Tablet with a larger screen by that time, however, and if I’ve migrated to that maybe I won’t need to. But that sounds like hedging. Nice screen. I can see why people — especially e-book/e-text enthusiast readers of this blog — would want to use it.

Perhaps a company like Sony wants to make sure that major publishers offer commercial content for their platform. Fine, I have no problem with that. But I suspect the consumer interest is generated not by whether you can download bestsellers but whether consumers can find lowcost or no cost content for it.

http://ces.engadget.com/2006/01/04/live-shot-of-the-reader-sonys-new-e-ink-e-book-reader/

Among the comments to the item (mostly the predictable “How wonderful!” and “E-readers will never take off!”):

“That thing is looking awfully 1998.”

“Erf… why doesn’t that screen look like the eInk display on the Japanese-market Libre? I’m hoping that ass-nasty green is just the backlight, and also hoping they change that color to, ya know, “book white”…”

“I wouldn’t go by the poor lighting from that photo. The screen is supposed to be like the Librie. Here is a better shot:

http://products.sel.sony.com/pa/PRS/reader_features.html

“Here’s a good comparison to make in your own head, remember the difference in quality between dot-matrix printers and laser printers when lasers were brandnew? That’s e-ink versus traditional LCDs.”

“It can also display pictures. A shot of the Librie:
http://www.t-castelo.com/e1934/Japan2004/images/0555-Tokyo-Ginza-Sony_Building.jpg

“the specs presumably will still be in control of just one company”

I don’t see how that is a problem, unless the ereaders built-in software somehow gets upgraded without your consent or knowledge (by Sony? never!).

“you will not be able to transfer or lend those protected books”

Please don’t call it protection when you mean exact opposite. Books are protected when there is no bar to their complete dissemination. DRM and copyright protect the interests of publishers, and authors, but not books. Books are burdened by this sort of “protection”.