Here is a very cool development from Japan. Apparently refurbished devices of Sony's first-generation e-book reader, the Librie EBR-1000, are
on sale. Now available for 29,800 JPY (~ USD 290.984) - not a bad price considering that Japan export dealers still
ask for USD 439.00 (down from USD 489.00).
Could this mean Sony is silently phasing out the EBR-1000 before announcing its successor?
The EBR-1000
went on sale in Japan in April 2004, and never made it to oversea countries. It utilizes Philips' remarkable electronic ink (E Ink) technology offering a truly paper-like reading experience. Alas, two of its biggest obstacles are a slow screen refresh and the hideous DRM format - bought e-books would self-destruct after 60 days (later 'scythic' published a
hack allowing you to convert your own e-book content).
We hope that Sony has learned from the past and will come up with a more sensible DRM policy for the successor model.
[news on sale via Akihabara News]