Hi, I am new as a member, but I have browsed the forums and the site for some time. I have in particular been interested in the Sony reader for some time. Here are my thoughts on the question at hand.
1. I suspect it is not going to be a new alliance with a publishing house. If that was the case, it would in their interest to announce it as soon as possible.
2. I also suspect that it is not going to be an announcement for support of a new format. Again, I suspect that if they were supporting another format, they would just announce a new firmware release and push it out.
So, what might it be?
1. It might be a new device. Unlike others here, I don't believe that it would be a disaster for Sony to launch another device as long as the device was not replacing the 505. An Iliad sized device for example would not necessarily make 505 owners feel like their machines had been made obsolete if it was sold in parallel with the 505. Those who want to read novels would find little need for the larger screen. Likewise a color device, if they could get it out the door for around $350-$400 and drop the 505 price to $250 might well be a good move.
2. I think it could be an announcement about a redesign, reworking of their book store. A web based, cross platform system that would allow both purchasing and reading books on any internet capable device would not be a bad move on their part. This would particularly be true if the books then could be downloaded to your 505. With the new netbooks literally exploding as a segment of the notebook computer market, and macs gaining market share, the consumer OS market is more fractured than it has been since Microsoft and IBM teamed up for DOS 1.0. Cross Platform, or platform neutral book stores and software are the way to go.
3. Alliance with Google? --- seems unlikely, but with Google doing what Google has been doing lately, you never know
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Bill