There have been a lot of reports that the launch of the Sony Reader has been very successful, and that already the first batch of readers available on the SonyStyle web store (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7719) is sold out. According to the web store, new orders will be shipping in mid-November (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7770).

Our reader, Greg G, has indicated (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=38739) after talking with a Sony customer service rep, that the rep told him on Tues 9/26 that "they had around 130 ready to ship and that there where around 50 left as of 2:30pm EST. They also told me that the retails stores would not be getting any for a couple of weeks." But unless Sony is different than every other company in the world, the information that is provided casually this way by a customer service rep over the phone is frequently wrong. It may not even be intentional, as it might be that they are just looking at local numbers, or they may be misinterpreting a number that is shown on a customer service computer screen, or it might have been incorrectly passed to them in the hall, etc. Or.... it could be right!

So my question for the poll is how many you think Sony sold on the first day? Let's say the first 24hrs after selling started. The web store started taking orders sometime very early in the morning of the 26th. Do you think 130 is the right number, or does that seem remarkably small for a major product rollout from Sony, even as a first run?

Use the comments in this thread for discussion, of course, because that's the most fun part!

By the way, I don't know the number, so this is purely for fun. Sony is unlikely to ever announce the number publicly.

Way Way Way more than 130 Readers

Way Way Way more than 130 Readers

PVI shipped (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=7769) ~10'000 E Ink displays in August, and most of them to Sony? Dudes do the math!

PVI shipped (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=7769) ~10'000 E Ink displays in August, and most of them to Sony? Dudes do the math!


y = a*x^3 + b*x^2 + 10.000 + c*x + d + e*(-1)^x = 180 - 130 = 50......hey you're right! :D

Maybe it would be more interesting to keep a running count of 1) how many people have ordered & 2) how many have received a Sony Reader. :scholar:

No you did it wrong! Geez what are schools teaching kids these days? It's...

y = a*x^3 + b*x^2 + 10.000 + c*x + d + e*(-1)^x = 181 - 130 = 51

Maybe it would be more interesting to keep a running count of 1) how many people have ordered & 2) how many have received a Sony Reader. :scholar:
Yup! Everyone who ordered should immortalize him- or herself on the Wiki: http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Sony_Reader_Owners

I think the math is more like this.

Librie sales, as best as anyone can estimate: 5,000 units

My estimate is they got green lighted to run off 20% of that as a first run "and we'll see from there". They likely had to buy 10,000 panels from PVI to get the price point needed to make the $349 retail price (with $50 towards ebooks.)

I'd estimate the split as:
Online Store: 250 units
Borders: 250 units
Sony Retail: 300 units
Reserve: 200 units

My order was placed 6:36 PM PDT and was initially scheduled to ship 9/28. On 9/27 it was bumped to 9/29. My guess is that on 9/27 a meeting was held and things got reallocated.

Online Store: 500 units
Borders: 250 units
Sony Retail: 200 units
Reserve (DOA stock): 50 units

So that's my guess, 500 units sold the first 24 hours, with another 450 being thinly spread through retail stores for those that can find them and get them.

Supporting evidence: if they had 10,000 units on hand? The folks from MR that visited last week would have been offered units during their visit instead of having to buy them this week via the online store (ditto for Engadget.) :)

I just spoke to someone at customer service at sonystyle. Could not get the sony store in nyc on the phone. Borders did not know what the device was. I was told that they only made 500 of these and that each Borders store was getting 1 device :huh:. The stores, borders and sony, are not supposed to get them until late November. I would dearly love to know if someone receives their order before Nov. because he claims that they are only accepting preorders now. Was the official release just a tease? Will I still be w/o the eink device that I want? Say it isn't so!