New York Times technology columnist Davie Pogue has a
quick write-up on the status quo of reading e-books in which he also discusses the highlights of the Sony Reader. His verdict:
Quote:
Is that it, then? Is the paper book doomed? Was it only a transitional gadget, a placeholder that came between stone tablets and e-books?
Not any time soon. The Sony Reader is an impressive achievement, and an important step toward a convenient alternative to bound books. It will make certain niche groups very happy: gadget freaks, lawyers with massive document stashes, doctors and pilots who check hefty reference texts, high school students with 35-pound backpacks and anyone who likes to read by the pool for 20 weeks at a time.
The masses, however, may continue to prefer the more established portable-document format. Those older reading machines never run out of power, cost about 2 percent as much and don’t break when dropped. You know: p-books.
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Meanwhile, Walter Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal has a
mixed verdict on the Reader. He favors the paper-like display and seemingly endless battery life, but more work is needed to improve format compatibilities and the "poorly organized" online bookstore.
Related: Links to fresh Sony Reader reviews