Comments on: Wireless reader with seven-inch screen: A TeleRead report from Sony’s news conference in New York

By: Felix Torres

Felix Torres — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:59:39 +0000

I *am* however, very interested in the screen they’re using (source, resolution, actual aspect ratio) and who else might have access to it.
Competition is good and a new form factor is, at a minimum, intriguing…

By: Felix Torres

Felix Torres — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:56:19 +0000

The daily edition reader seems interesting enough (pricing issues aside) but since it won’t ship until december in the US (and who knows when elsewhere) I’d be a tad restrained in my expectations. It is, in effect a pre-announcement of a 2010 reader. There is no telling what the market will look like by late fall/early 2010. (Kindle DX at $399? iRex wireless 8″? Hanlin 10″? BeBook 2? Apple?)
If the Daily Edition were available for purchase today it might make a significant dent in the market. Three months away? Next spring?
I don’t know.
I don’t think Sony has the power to freeze the market with a press release, just yet.
In other words, there’s a bit *less* here than meets the eye…

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:48:28 +0000

Kindle Rules? With no backlight and which requires an external reading light? Nah. I’ll stick with my iPod Touch until the perfect reader (for access, cross platform, downloadability, ease of reading, etc.) comes out.

By: Alan Wallcraft

Alan Wallcraft — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:29:44 +0000

Sony only has an ebook store in the US/Canada. So it makes sense that a device with “free” 3G will be tied to that store.

The Daily Edition could presumably be sold by a Sony partner in other markets with the right infrastructure in place. Or a similar version could be sold without 3G, since the 7″ screen does add value over the 6″ after all.

By: K Sawyer Paul

K Sawyer Paul — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:11:46 +0000

So for $199 I can have a reader that will work in every country, but for $399 I can have a taller one that will only work in the US, but it means I don’t have to plug a cord into make it work? Is $200 really something people will pony up to go wireless?

By: borax99 (AlainC.)

borax99 (AlainC.) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:50:00 +0000

Personal experience – the only ebook software that blows worse than Sony’s own is Adobe Digital Editions. Mostly I go for ereader-formatted ebooks on tablets.

By: Liviu

Liviu — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:45:23 +0000

As mentioned above NYPL offers about 12000 pdf ebooks and 467 epub’s (as of yesterday though it seems all the new additions are epubs since no new pdf’s or prc’s have been added for a while, while epubs are added all the time) and they are already readable on my PRS 700 with transfer from ADE on your PC, though I agree that wireless is very useful as my iTouch reading shows…

I paid 399$ for my 700 for its touch and sidelights and I definitely would love to stick with Sony when the 700 dies, but I really need internal light – that and touch are my first two priorities with wireless a distant third…

By: stevenp

stevenp — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:14:42 +0000

Kindle isn’t “in the pole position.” Those free book sites are for public domain/copyright-free books, which a wireless Reader will have similar access to. But the simple access interface for e-library borrowing is huge for Sony. What would you rather have: free OTA book previews on your Kindle, where you then have to pay for each book, or wireless access to free borrowed e-books from your local library? (Note that Sony Readers can already borrow e-books, but you have to access libraries thru a pc web browser, and load books using Adobe Digital Editions. It sounds like the new Sony pc software will allow direct access to e-libraries along with Sony’s online store.)

By: Paul Biba

Paul Biba — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:01:37 +0000

Steve Haber specifically limited the announcement to the US so we don’t know. He refused to answer any questions about anything outside of the US.

By: Devini

Devini — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:51:55 +0000

Will it be available in Canada at the same time as the US?