Finally, new Sony rumors

[simplyparticular]

Originally Posted by Rebo

Since the B&N ebooks are formatted as such that they can be read by the newer version of ADE, it seems that is the plan of B&N all along. The nook might lose some of its advantages but at the end, B&N is selling more ebooks. This is the battle of the ebooks, not necessarily the ereaders. According to Jeff Bezos, the ereader device is just temporary to fill a gap.

B&N has already partnered with the Pandigital Novel, so they aren't against their store feeding other devices, but notice they don't sell the Novel in THEIR stores.

I suspect B&N wouldn't be too fond of working with Sony because of their relationship with Borders. The Borders culture was VERY anti-B&N, and I've heard from B&N booksellers that the animosity is encouraged on their side, as well.

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by simplyparticular

I suspect B&N wouldn't be too fond of working with Sony because of their relationship with Borders. The Borders culture was VERY anti-B&N, and I've heard from B&N booksellers that the animosity is encouraged on their side, as well.

Sony's "relationship" with Borders is just as close as Mighty Bright's relationship with Borders, or the publishers' relationship with Borders. Borders sells their readers, and not very successfully - that's the whole relationship. Sony wanted to sell readers at B&N years ago, but B&N claimed then that there was no market for ebooks and ebook readers.

I don't see why wouldn't B&N be willing to sell ebooks to owners of other ebook readers. The real margins are in the content after all. They push their software onto iOS and Android, so they are happy just to sell ebooks and forget the hardware.

[simplyparticular]

Originally Posted by porkupan

Sony's "relationship" with Borders is just as close as Mighty Bright's relationship with Borders, or the publishers' relationship with Borders. Borders sells their readers, and not very successfully - that's the whole relationship. Sony wanted to sell readers at B&N years ago, but B&N claimed then that there was no market for ebooks and ebook readers.

That is the case now, but Sony used to run the Borders e-Book shop until they went with Kobo.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by HarryT

We have already discussed this earlier in the thread. A resistive touch screen, such as the current Sony Readers have, affects image quality. A capacitive touch screen (such as the iPad has) or a Wacom touch screen (such as the iRex devices and the BeBook Neo use) has no impact at all upon image quality.

One thing to bear in mind, resistive does not automatically imply worse image quality than capacitive, it is simply that the most common version of it resistive has the touch layer on top that leads to the image degradation.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I agree that including B&N support would be a big plus, and it is now easy to do with mobile ADE, but I don't see Sony doing this. If I am wrong, then it will illustrate that Sony is more interested in selling ebook readers than selling ebooks. This is the right strategy for Sony, although it makes them vulnerable to price wars on reading devices between Amazon and B&N.

Look at their approach everywhere except north america and you will see that selling hardware is very clearly what they are most interested in doing.

[ginalola]

Didn't even notice the way I phrased that....too funny!

[ginalola]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

Wow. That's older than I would have guessed.

Sony was the leader......the first one was made of stone

[dhume01]

The only Sony rumor I want to see is full justification for ePubs on the PRS-505.

[SkyDream]

Waiting for a 9"/10" or bigger ereader from Sony.
But that will be a dream for the next 5 years

[igorsk]

Another indication Sony is not going to kill off the Reader division:
http://blog.discover.sonystyle.com/o...pter-challenge

[roger the rabbit]

Top of the list has got to be a shatter-proof display.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by roger the rabbit

Top of the list has got to be a shatter-proof display.

Yes! I've been reading about plastic screens for a long time (or is that plastic substrate?), and I believe that we have yet to see one.

[igorsk]

Actually, Sony readers (especially the latest models) seem to be the more robust ones.
Quoting a guy who runs a screen replacement service in Moscow:

I can definitely say which are the reasons for screen fracture in Netronix devices, which are in Sonys, Amazons or L-Books.

Netronix is the champion in getting stripes on the screen - diagonal cracks from corner to corner.
It's just torsion! The PCB and plastic [body] bends and the glass cracks.
PRS-600s break only from impacts at the center [of the screen].
The 300s almost never break - the non-working screens are mostly caused by decoder [chips] dying, unlike PocketBook 360s, which mostly suffer from corner cracks.

People use the readers in the same way, some bear the loads and some don't. Make your own conclusions.

[khalleron]

Originally Posted by igorsk

Actually, Sony readers (especially the latest models) seem to be the more robust ones.
Quoting a guy who runs a screen replacement service in Moscow:

Thanks for the info, igorsk - I always point out the metal construction of my 505 when bystanders ask me the difference between it and the Kindle.

I not only dropped mine on concrete but fell on top of it with the only damage being the power switch knocked loose (easily repaired) and a very slight, almost unnoticeable 'ding' in the top strip.

It's nice to have professional opinion backing up one's own experiences, though.

[fafaforza]

I constantly walk around with my 505 in the back pocket of my jeans. No issues at all. And I can only assume that it is subject to bending forces. None of the other readers would fit like that, and I don't much fancy being one of those people with a cover that makes the reader the size of a hard cover.