Sony Reader has better screen contrast than Librie?

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By David Rothman

The gang at MobileRead beat me to a link to a Baltimore Sun article on E Ink. Check out Alexander’s round-up on e-paper tech and related matters such as the Sony Reader, about which a reviewer in the U.K. is raving.

In the Sun, something caught my eye–a Sony exec’s claim that the screen contrast is better than that on the Librie. True? If so, the Sony Reader would easier than the earlier machine to read indoors. On my Librie, since sold, indoor reading was impossible for me unless it took place near a sunlit window or under a strong lamp. From the Sun:

[Ron Hawkins, Sony Electronics' senior vice president for portable reader systems] agreed. It’s “very close to reading on a printed page,” he said.

There are no guarantees the Sony Reader will be a hit. The company first used E-Ink in its Librie electronic book device, which was released two years ago in Japan to a tepid reception.

Hawkins said the Sony Reader is a much-improved update. It has a rechargeable battery instead of C-cells, better contrast, more ports for memory devices and other design changes.

As I recall, the Librie uses batteries smaller than C cells. Still, if Hawkins is right about better contrast between letters and background, I, for one, will be appreciative–just so the improvement is noticeable enough. Now–if only Sony can get e-formats right.

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