Sony Reader to go unwired!

[Alexander Turcic]

Folks, it's official (well kind of): A Sony Reader with wireless capabilities is in the works! Our friends at Gizmodo have the scoop:

Stan Glasgow [COO of Sony Electronics], at dinner tonight with a few journalists, told us that Sony plans to network 90% of all of their products, thousands of models, by 2010. ... Speaking of connectivity, Glaslow also mentioned that a Sony Reader E-book with wireless connectivity was being developed.

Not only is Sony continuing their plans to revolutionize the world of e-books (we haven't heard much else from Sony of late, have we?), but, better even, they probably understood that wireless delivery of content is what has made the Amazon Kindle undoubtedly so successful.

You opinion? Do we want a wireless Sony Reader?

[HarryT]

I think it's more likely to simply mean WiFi networking capability than a true wireless content delivery service like Amazon's Whispernet, but we'll have to wait and see...

[Alisa]

Probably, IMO. Still, it's exciting to see a new model coming out and continuing competition.

[TadW]

WiFi rather than Whispernet wouldn't be such a bad thing. At least it would get around the geographical limitations of the Kindle. What would be important for the Reader to be successful is the wireless shopping experience... if they just added a WiFi option without offering a wireless shop, it'd be rather pointless to have.

[jerryleejr]

Now the turmoil begins for those still shopping, Do they buy now or wait for the new stuff, I can hear the questions now. Let me go check the which one should I buy forums!!

[Hadrien]

Originally Posted by TadW

WiFi rather than Whispernet wouldn't be such a bad thing. At least it would get around the geographical limitations of the Kindle. What would be important for the Reader to be successful is the wireless shopping experience... if they just added a WiFi option without offering a wireless shop, it'd be rather pointless to have.

And if they add a wireless shop, they need a keyboard or touch screen technology...

Well, they should focus on releasing DE on the PRS-505 first, they should have released this update months ago !

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by TadW

What would be important for the Reader to be successful is the wireless shopping experience... if they just added a WiFi option without offering a wireless shop, it'd be rather pointless to have.

I wouldn't call it *entirely* pointless; I'd like being able to get to my ebook collection remotely through FTP or a web interface or something like that directly from my ebook reader. But then, I'm capable of setting up the remote end of something like that; in fact, I already have. To Joe or Jane Sixpack having just the WiFi would indeed not all that useful, I think.

[HarryT]

WiFi capability on its own is nothing more than a communications "channel"; it would certainly need some sort of application on the Reader to support it, perhaps to download books from the user's Connect account.

[Walk Broad]

I'd go with it.

I've always liked the look of the Sony over the Kindle. Add to the fact that most people can walk into their local BestBuy and get one gives them a leg up over the Kindle.

I'd imagine they would have some sort of WiFi purchase option, even they wouldn't be that dense not to Especially seeing as the iLiad has this feature.

Now, how soon will be the real sticking point. It would be foolish to announce so early without a model coming (very) soon unless they are really getting beaten up in the sales department by the Kindle

And if sales have really plummeted because of the Kindle, adding WiFi without some other spiffy new features (such as some type of fold out keyboard or touch screen, ability to make notes, Digital Editions, ePub) may not be enough.

They'd also have to keep the price low, or at least no higher than the current model.

(I'm still of the opinion it isn't DRM that is keeping folks away from e-book readers, it's the high prices)

[tonyofla]

Originally Posted by TadW

WiFi rather than Whispernet wouldn't be such a bad thing. At least it would get around the geographical limitations of the Kindle. What would be important for the Reader to be successful is the wireless shopping experience... if they just added a WiFi option without offering a wireless shop, it'd be rather pointless to have.

I have to agree with this. I have the Iliad v2 with great wifi built in, but with no wireless shop and no english language newspapers, I hardly ever use it.

[Alexander Turcic]

Considering Whispernet vs. WiFi, I would personally prefer the latter, given that it's highly unlikely that either Sony or Amazon will offer a Whispernet-like feature that would work in all European countries.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by HarryT

WiFi capability on its own is nothing more than a communications "channel"; it would certainly need some sort of application on the Reader to support it, perhaps to download books from the user's Connect account.

Of course. I assumed something like a basic Web browser or FTP client or somesuch.

[TadW]

Yes, you don't get Whispernet everywhere; but where you do, it sure beats WiFi for our purposes.

[rickprez]

I would trade that WiFi Whispernet stuff for the much delayed and often looked for upgrade for the PRS505.

The biggest disappointment of my PRS505 is lack of native (no vodoo dances please) support for readable PDF formated documents. That was a selling point and I feel like I got ripped off, because it does not work quite right for 8x11 documents.

RickPrez

[doctorow]

Originally Posted by rickprez

The biggest disappointment of my PRS505 is lack of native (no vodoo dances please) support for readable PDF formated documents.

I’m personally going to set up a little voodoo shrine for the next Sony Reader. There will be needles and fire and possibly goat parts. Am I forgetting something?