Borders press release - Carrying Sony's New Reader PRS-700 and Expanding E-books

[kacir]

Here is the page with press releases
http://investor.borders.com/phoenix....ws_other&nyo=0
and here is the press release:
http://investor.borders.com/phoenix....235&highlight=

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Borders(R), the first retailer
beyond SonyStyle(R) stores to carry Sony's Reader Digital Book beginning in
2006, has deepened its support of Sony and e-books, announcing today that
nearly all of its over 520 superstores nationwide will carry the just-unveiled
Reader model PRS-700 beginning this holiday shopping season. Borders will also
continue to carry Sony's Reader PRS-505 model currently available in its
stores.


(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/...08/BORDERSLOGO )


"E-books are a part of our business now and will be a part of our future
as a bookseller," said Borders Group Chief Executive Officer George Jones.
"That's why we were the first retailer outside of SonyStyle stores to align
with Sony and carry the Reader back in 2006. We've continued to build on our
relationship with Sony through a co-branded e-book store, and now, with
demonstrations of the Reader in our stores as well. Our company's mission is
to be a headquarters for knowledge and entertainment, and we believe that
embracing technology is key to achieving that mission. We are pleased to team
with Sony to bring e-books and the Reader to Borders customers."


The new PRS-700 model features an interactive touch screen display that
allows for the most intuitive digital reading experience to date. A sizeable
six-inch display with the new touch screen capability allows readers to flip
pages with the slide of a finger. In addition, readers can easily search terms
within a document or book, create notes using the virtual keyboard and
highlight text with the included stylus pen. Five pre-set text sizes are
available so readers can find the one most comfortable for them and for those
that need a closer look, zooming in is as easy as tapping the screen. And, at
about 10 ounces, the new Reader PRS-700 is the perfect way for readers to
carry all of their favorite books with them wherever they go.


The device still features high-resolution, high-contrast electronic paper
display technology, which provides a reader experience very much like
ink-on-paper that is highly readable even in bright sunlight. For low light
situations, the new Reader PRS-700 features a built-in LED reading light,
which Sony is the first to offer. Expanded memory offers enough capacity to
store about 350 average size digital books and can sustain up to 7,500 pages
of continuous reading on a single battery charge. Using optional removable
Memory Stick Duo media or SD memory cards, the Reader can hold literally
thousands of books and documents.


In addition to carrying the Reader, Borders last year announced it has
teamed up with Sony on a co-branded e-book store at
http://ebooks.borders.com . The store is being redesigned this month by Sony
to offer more prominent book cover art that will enhance the visual appeal of
the site. A streamlined check-out process along with updated search and
discovery make finding and purchasing an e-book a breeze. Customers who
purchase a Reader at a Borders superstore or online at Borders.com can
download free e-book Library software at the site and can then immediately
begin purchasing e-book downloads of titles written by bestselling authors
such as Stephenie Meyer, Dean Koontz, Khaled Hosseini and Michael Connelly,
among thousands of others. Each month, thousands of new titles are being
added. Customers who register their Reader on Borders.com receive a credit
for 100 free e-book classics upon registration.


Approximately 200 Borders stores nationwide are also hosting "Reader
Revolutionaries" throughout the next three months who will demonstrate the
Reader for customers and share information about Sony's "Reader Revolution"
campaign. The campaign helps promote reading with Sony pledging to give over
15 million e-book classics to schools and educational institutions nationwide.
Visit sony.com/reader to join the cause and learn more.



About Borders Group, Inc.


Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP), is a
leading retailer of books, music and movies with more than 28,000 employees.
Through its subsidiaries, the company operates more than 1,100 stores
worldwide primarily under the Borders(R) and Waldenbooks(R) brand names and
recently launched Borders.com for online shopping. For more information, visit
http://www.borders.com/aboutus .



SOURCE Borders




I have found this press release on
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/s...g,569704.shtml
when I was looking for PRS 700 on google news
Then I have used google to find press releases on the borders.com

[HarryT]

I'm a little puzzled by this:

A sizeable six-inch display with the new touch screen capability allows readers to flip pages with the slide of a finger.

The word "sizeable" means that you can change the size of it, doesn't it? I don't see how that applies to the Reader.

[HarryT]

To answer my own post, I see that "sizeable" can also mean "of a considerable size", so I guess that's the meaning intended here.

[jerryleejr]

I guess I am a little confused, I went to the link for the bookstore and it will be using the Connect Software as well. So how does Borders tie in with that? Can I use my Borders bucks, or Rewards card?? I guess we will have to wait and see.

JJ

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jerryleejr

I guess I am a little confused, I went to the link for the bookstore and it will be using the Connect Software as well. So how does Borders tie in with that?

It has the borders logo on it. That's about the only difference.

Originally Posted by jerryleejr

Can I use my Borders bucks, or Rewards card?? I guess we will have to wait and see.
JJ

No and no. Unless they are changing something with the re-vamped store.

BOb

[MerLock]

Originally Posted by kacir

Each month, thousands of new titles are being
added.

Are they talking about the sony store? I didn't know connect was adding thousands of new titles each month. If that is the case, I guess sony is doing a good job on content! Perhaps partnering with Borders has helped.

What I'm hoping to see more out of print items added in electronic form. Since it's probably realistic to reprint them but I'm guessing it would be easy enough to just make an electronic file and sell it.

[Mycropht]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The word "sizeable" means that you can change the size of it, doesn't it?

Not really, that would be "resizeable". According to the M-W:

: fairly large : considerable <a sizable donation>

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sizeable

To be honest, variable size came also accross my mind when I saw it.

Btw, just you wait for devices which will let you unroll just so much of the screen as you are able to handle.