Odds of Sony Staying in the Ebook Business?

[dmaul1114]

I can't see it. E-ink will never be able to do HD video etc. You're just not going to be able to move colored dust particles around at a rate and accuracy to do that.

And back lighting is a necessity for sharp video like HD movies, TV etc. Those look awful on a display with back lighting turned way down. Backlit or projected images in a dim room will always be the only way to go for getting top notch picture quality. While reflective screens with proper ambient lighting will always be best for reading.

So what I think what will happen is we'll see no screen tech--something like Pixel QI or Mirasol, but future much more advanced version than what they've shown will emerge that can do text without back lighting better than e-ink and HD video better than the best LCD or Plasma displays.

Then you get the best of both worlds in one display and everyone is happy, videophiles and bookworms alike!

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

My guess is that the price war will see them out of the e-ink/dedicated reader business in the next 2-3 years.

Though I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them take a stab at the Tablet market.

Sony, Samsung et all have been in the Tablet market for a long time. Remember UMPC?
Anyway, the problem is that the Tablet market got redefined by Apple. The goal posts have moved, so Sony and friends aren't scoring any goals at the moment. That's not to say that they are not in the game.

WTR Sony exiting e-reader market - I hope not! I love their gear!
Perhaps they could improve a bit by taking a page out of the Apple's handbook when it comes to compromising on product features. I think that page says "Don't do it" .

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by flyash

I agree. Who here wouldn't buy an e-ink monitor instead of an LCD monitor if the e-ink had color, could render pages just as quickly, and matched the lcd in all performance aspects and price? It's a long way off, but technology is improving faster than our eyes are evolving, so e-ink, or something at least as easy on the eyes, is the future.

Who wouldn't want to eat dirt if the dirt tasted of chocolate?

[DawnFalcon]

I think you mean "bistable screens" rather than "e-ink" might well take over in the marketplace. And to that, yes, I think it may well.

[nomesque]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

I think you mean "bistable screens" rather than "e-ink" might well take over in the marketplace. And to that, yes, I think it may well.

Gotta admit my doofus-ish state right now - I read that and thought, "What on EARTH is a bist-able screen? What's bisting???"

Yes, not quite 'bistable' in the sense of on-off or black-white, but non-backlit screens not using power to maintain a display, only to change it. I guess the definition of e-ink I was using probably does vary from the technical definition of a specific product.

dmaul - Why do you say that HD video can't work well without backlighting? What is it about video, in your logic, that requires the emission of light? (if that sounds snarky, it's not meant to. Seriously curious)

[nashira]

I think dmaul might have considered it a clarity/crispness issue? I'd think you'd need to light it somehow, and evenly to see a video properly.

[dorino]

Originally Posted by nashira

I think dmaul might have considered it a clarity/crispness issue? I'd think you'd need to light it somehow, and evenly to see a video properly.

You can't see videos in the dark.

You can't see most things in the dark, though.

Backlight for HD video isn't required, though it definately is nice. My LCD monitor plays 1080p HD flawlessly, and when the rooms all dark, the contrast is just stunning

[nashira]

Originally Posted by dorino

You can't see videos in the dark.

You can't see most things in the dark, though.

Backlight for HD video isn't required, though it definately is nice. My LCD monitor plays 1080p HD flawlessly, and when the rooms all dark, the contrast is just stunning

Well yes, I realize. Personally I like movies on LCD's or projected... I can't imagine that the current e-inks or e-papers are up to the job at all and it'd take a fair while for it to become so.

That's not to say they won't, though.

[dorino]

I'd be much more comfortable watching movies on a backlit LCD than an e-ink screen, even if e-ink was color and had the high refresh rates, and ghosting was eliminated

[DAG]

has anyone heard anything about a new Sony ereader.

[BenLee]

Originally Posted by DAG

has anyone heard anything about a new Sony ereader.

Not much Sony news recently, but I would love to hear what they're up to also.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Well, it seam that right now , sony is my only source for books from some US publishers. So I hope they stay around.

Dear Eowyn:

There are numerous good eBook strores for US publishers. Your Sony is formatted with Adobe Digital Editions. That means you can purchase eBooks in PDF or EPUB. I am NOT allowed to advertise on here so I can only tell you that three ideal sites for you are: Powell's Books, Books On Board, www.EZread.com. Compare prices and you will be quite happy! These are all reputable firms that want the Sony Reader eBook business.

[Lilly]

I thought instead of speculating, we can ask the Sony Rep on the Sony Reader Forum.

We have started a thread titled How Can Sony Fix Their "Lackluster" Ebook Division? here: http://sonyreaderboards.com/index.cg...lay&thread=591

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

I can't see it. E-ink will never be able to do HD video etc. You're just not going to be able to move colored dust particles around at a rate and accuracy to do that.

And back lighting is a necessity for sharp video like HD movies, TV etc. Those look awful on a display with back lighting turned way down. Backlit or projected images in a dim room will always be the only way to go for getting top notch picture quality. While reflective screens with proper ambient lighting will always be best for reading.

So what I think what will happen is we'll see no screen tech--something like Pixel QI or Mirasol, but future much more advanced version than what they've shown will emerge that can do text without back lighting better than e-ink and HD video better than the best LCD or Plasma displays.

Then you get the best of both worlds in one display and everyone is happy, videophiles and bookworms alike!

Dear dmaul:

The disparities between E-Ink and Backlit run deeper than you think. E-Ink gives you weeks of battery charge life, no eye strain, can be left on for weeks with no drain of power, and reads perfectly in bright sunlight but is awful in the dark.. Backlit can hurt some eyes to watering, gets about 9 hours to a charge, is fabulous in the dark but reflects like crazy in bright sunlight, and needs to be shut off.

While there are concepts like Pixel QI that try to blend the best of both... color is pretty bad from my perspective and they still get about 14 hours at most to a charge.

OLED is promising but years behind schedule on where it promised to be.

[SensualPoet]

re: Odds of Sony staying in the e-book Business?

Sony is a great company in many respects, with a fine history of both innovation and "getting it right" as a fast-follower, and it's e-readers -- which once led and laid the groundwork for the industry -- can stand tall by any price, performance metric.

Leaving aside their movie division, Sony is a CE company and this "e-book store requirement" does not fit with the broader corporate strategy as a savvy hardware brand and is the Achilles' heel of its e-reader division. Sooner or later, Sony must exit the e-reader market OR figure out a way to be profitable while handing over the bookstore to someone else.

Ideally: if Barnes & Nobles could manage to figure out how to make a profit, instead of playing the same end-of-the-line corporate game Blockbuster is pursuing, B&N might be a nice fit for the Sony bookstore, with Sony free to develop and manufacture devices that excel with ePub.

However, this is fantasy: Sony will not be a "significant" player in e-books / e-readers in 2011.