Sony Preparing New E-Book Reader to Challenge Amazon

cgk · 07-14-2011, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Sony Corp., Japan’s largest exporter of consumer electronics, plans to introduce a line of upgraded digital book readers in the U.S. as early as next month to challenge Kindle-maker Amazon.com Inc.

The Sony Reader, priced from $180 to $300, will probably be offered with hardware and software improvements in August, Phil Lubell, vice president of digital reading at Sony Electronics, said yesterday in an interview in San Francisco.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/201...ge-amazon.html

jrnemanich · 07-14-2011, 02:26 PM

Yes! This is great news. I'm about to enter the e-reader market and I love Sony's hardware. I was dismayed when people were talking about the end of the Sony reader. I thought I would have to go to Nook with their second class treatment of user's own content. I can't wait for more information to be released.

ranma · 07-14-2011, 02:54 PM

$180 for lowest model is pretty high if compared to nook 2 and kindle 3.
Both of them are lower than $140.

jrnemanich · 07-14-2011, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranma

$180 for lowest model is pretty high if compared to nook 2 and kindle 3.
Both of them are lower than $140.

Yes, I agree that the price, if true is too high. If Sony want's to complete on the mass market they need to get their lowest model down to at lest $140 USD or even better $130 USD.

According to Mashable,

Quote:

A Sony rep says the Bloomberg story is inaccurate. “We have not released any pricing, timing or features of a new Sony Reader,” the Sony rep says.

http://mashable.com/2011/07/14/sony-ereader-august/

jrnemanich · 07-14-2011, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranma

$180 for lowest model is pretty high if compared to nook 2 and kindle 3.
Both of them are lower than $140.

Yes, I agree that the price, if true is too high. If Sony want's to complete on the mass market they need to get their lowest model down to at lest $140 USD or even better $130 USD.

According to Mashable,

Quote:

A Sony rep says the Bloomberg story is inaccurate. “We have not released any pricing, timing or features of a new Sony Reader,” the Sony rep says.

http://mashable.com/2011/07/14/sony-ereader-august/

EBookBro · 07-14-2011, 03:43 PM

The market is saturated with E-readers. Does Sony really need to do this?

[spam edit - moderator]

SeaBookGuy · 07-14-2011, 03:54 PM

We don't yet know what one is getting for the extra outlay? A 350 is a bit small for wifi to me, but who knows!

bumblesby · 07-14-2011, 05:08 PM

Great to hear - finally! I think the article meant the CURRENT prices of their eReaders. It says "The current Sony Reader, now priced from $180 to $300, will probably be offered with hardware and software.."

Quote:

The market is saturated with E-readers. Does Sony really need to do this?

I don't understand this comment. Sony has been in the eReader business for many years. It is not just entering the market. IMHO they still have the best software on the reader from what I have seen on the new touch models coming out from other brands. Well, at least features that I enjoy anyways.

jswinden · 07-14-2011, 05:12 PM

I like my 350, and I liked most of the sony readers I've owned. (Although the 600 and 900 sucked due to their fuzzy screens.) However, given their track record in the USA market I'll never buy another one. This last round of readers were difficult to find as were their accessories. I don't see that changing.

Halk · 07-14-2011, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EBookBro

The market is saturated with E-readers. Does Sony really need to do this?

Perhaps Sony want to produce premium devices? Sony stuff isn't usually the cheapest and they do alright.

It's broadly said (and of course there are exceptions) that the Sony ones are the best, apart from not having Amazon's backing and not having the wifis. If they can take on both of those fronts then I think it'll be a winner.

jswinden · 07-14-2011, 07:47 PM

Sony is definitely a legend in their own mind, and perhaps the minds of some fanboys. But I really don't buy that argument about their readers being better built than all the other brands. Their desktop software and device apps are the worst in class. They have no wireless syncing capability due to lack of WiFi, at least on the 350 and 650.

elcreative · 07-14-2011, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jswinden

I like my 350, and I liked most of the sony readers I've owned. (Although the 600 and 900 sucked due to their fuzzy screens.) However, given their track record in the USA market I'll never buy another one. This last round of readers were difficult to find as were their accessories. I don't see that changing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jswinden

Sony is definitely a legend in their own mind, and perhaps the minds of some fanboys. But I really don't buy that argument about their readers being better built than all the other brands. Their desktop software and device apps are the worst in class. They have no wireless syncing capability due to lack of WiFi, at least on the 350 and 650.

Seem to have been supply problems in the US but here in the UK my local Waterstones has had them available almost continuously, currently 20+ each of 350 and 650 in various colours in stock, cases have been a little irregular but both lighted and basic generally also available.

As for Wi-Fi, no interest personally as I've never had to buy a book standing in the street, in a coffee shop or a book shop and I have a cable permanently ready for reader use... their software lets me buy books and use a library when I wish and for the rest, well I've always found calibre better for my use than any readers' software...

Different strokes for different folks...

Japes · 07-14-2011, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jswinden

Sony is definitely a legend in their own mind, and perhaps the minds of some fanboys. But I really don't buy that argument about their readers being better built than all the other brands. Their desktop software and device apps are the worst in class. They have no wireless syncing capability due to lack of WiFi, at least on the 350 and 650.

Spoken like someone who has certainly never owned one, and likely never even held one. Take it from someone (me) who OWNS two of them, as well as a PB360+, K3, and Nook STR....they are ALL inferior (significantly) in terms of fit and finish to the Sonys. In fact, I hardly (if ever) read on anything other than my 350 or 950.

AlbertaCowboy · 07-14-2011, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcreative

Different strokes for different folks...

This is the best comment on the subject.
I love my Sonys, and will continue to buy them as long as they are available. If the Kindle were available here in Canada when I first began ereading, I might be singing a different tune.
We've got fans of all of the various eReaders here on MR, and some, like myself are infected with a bit of fanboyism for their own preferred devices.
As far as I'm concerned, every new dedicated eink reader on the market only increases the spread of ereading on the whole.

Vive la différence!

mcrmama · 07-15-2011, 01:30 AM

I am in Canada too. I think they will likely have to lower their prices, at least some to compete. We now have the Sony 650 and the new Kobo touch at our house and I have been impressed with the new Kobo. It is really nice to be able to download books on the device, especially for my 10 year old and then change the font on the fly to anyone I've copied on to the device and then still have the touch screen. My son also likes the reading statistics and awards section which as a parent I like too since I can check it and see if he has done his reading for the day. Pretty neat.

Anyways, I'll be curious to see what Sony does as they are quite popular here in Canada as they are actually available in stores here where most other readers are not.

07-14-2011, 03:43 PM	#6
EBookBro Banned Posts: 9 Karma: 1906 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Kindle	The market is saturated with E-readers. Does Sony really need to do this? [spam edit - moderator] Last edited by dreams; 07-15-2011 at 02:48 PM.

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07-14-2011, 02:26 PM	#2
jrnemanich Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2013	Yes! This is great news. I'm about to enter the e-reader market and I love Sony's hardware. I was dismayed when people were talking about the end of the Sony reader. I thought I would have to go to Nook with their second class treatment of user's own content. I can't wait for more information to be released.

07-14-2011, 02:54 PM	#3
ranma Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: none	$180 for lowest model is pretty high if compared to nook 2 and kindle 3. Both of them are lower than $140.

07-14-2011, 03:54 PM	#7
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,015 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	We don't yet know what one is getting for the extra outlay? A 350 is a bit small for wifi to me, but who knows!

07-14-2011, 05:12 PM	#9
jswinden Nameless Being	I like my 350, and I liked most of the sony readers I've owned. (Although the 600 and 900 sucked due to their fuzzy screens.) However, given their track record in the USA market I'll never buy another one. This last round of readers were difficult to find as were their accessories. I don't see that changing.

07-14-2011, 07:47 PM	#11
jswinden Nameless Being	Sony is definitely a legend in their own mind, and perhaps the minds of some fanboys. But I really don't buy that argument about their readers being better built than all the other brands. Their desktop software and device apps are the worst in class. They have no wireless syncing capability due to lack of WiFi, at least on the 350 and 650.

07-15-2011, 01:30 AM	#15
mcrmama Addict Posts: 239 Karma: 16806 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kobo Aura One	I am in Canada too. I think they will likely have to lower their prices, at least some to compete. We now have the Sony 650 and the new Kobo touch at our house and I have been impressed with the new Kobo. It is really nice to be able to download books on the device, especially for my 10 year old and then change the font on the fly to anyone I've copied on to the device and then still have the touch screen. My son also likes the reading statistics and awards section which as a parent I like too since I can check it and see if he has done his reading for the day. Pretty neat. Anyways, I'll be curious to see what Sony does as they are quite popular here in Canada as they are actually available in stores here where most other readers are not.

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