Sony Preparing New E-Book Reader to Challenge Amazon

[Flip Martian]

If they want any kind of market penetration, Sony had better come up with something good this time and price and market it aggressively - from recent conversations with people who no nothing about e-books, the work "kindle" is replacing the words "e-book reader" for the general public.

[yugami]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Trouble is that's just one of the usual "look at this wonderful new tech" company puffs (the page is dated 2010) rather than an announcement of things in production and use... ah well, one day...

Someone released a china only ereader with that display. everything I had seen about it says the colors are really washed out and its not really worth it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Funnily enough, there were complaints about the Sony and lrf files when changing font size and they were that people didn't want to wait while the reader recounted the page numbers based on characters/page count... you may get lucky but you're probably in the minority as things currently stand...

But those people chose to either use Calibre to manage LRF/LRX content or manually put them on the Reader. If they had used eBook Library, they would not had had to wait to change the font size. eBook Library (which became Reader Library) managed the pagination so the Reader did not have to do it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Squirsier

Kind of hoping the new Sony eReader would use this type of screen :

http://www.eink.com/display_products_triton.html

Which would warrant the more expensive price already "announced"...

I'd rather have the 300dpi eink screen that's in envelopment. I know it's not color, but it would be a nicer display (IMHO).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'd rather have the 300dpi eink screen that's in envelopment. I know it's not color, but it would be a nicer display (IMHO).

Do you think it'll make much of a difference? I really don't see any particular quality improvement between the current 167dpi 6" screens and the 200dpi 5" screens such as the PRS-350 has. I'm not at all sure that going to 300dpi will really change much.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Do you think it'll make much of a difference? I really don't see any particular quality improvement between the current 167dpi 6" screens and the 200dpi 5" screens such as the PRS-350 has. I'm not at all sure that going to 300dpi will really change much.

Have you seen the 1024x768 LG eink screen shots vs the 800x600 eink screen shots (iRiver HD vs. K3)?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Have you seen the 1024x768 LG eink screen shots vs the 800x600 eink screen shots (iRiver HD vs. K3)?

No, I haven't. Do you have a link?

[Wetdogeared]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, I haven't. Do you have a link?

There was mention of it on a MobileRead thread, which I cannot find, but it referred to the comparison images on the iRiver site:

http://www.iriver.com/product/view.asp?pCode=002&pNo=86

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But those people chose to either use Calibre to manage LRF/LRX content or manually put them on the Reader. If they had used eBook Library, they would not had had to wait to change the font size. eBook Library (which became Reader Library) managed the pagination so the Reader did not have to do it.

I don't remember that. I used to transfer books via eBook Library, and I seem to recall the spinning arrows when I would change font size on LRF/LRX files.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'd rather have the 300dpi eink screen that's in envelopment. I know it's not color, but it would be a nicer display (IMHO).

Me too. There is still room for improvement. I can read at smaller font sizes on my 350 than on my 950. I would also like for Sony to provide the capability to change font type, line spacing, margins, etc. like other brands. I would also like more font sizes with less increment between each.

[mcrmama]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

I don't remember that. I used to transfer books via eBook Library, and I seem to recall the spinning arrows when I would change font size on LRF/LRX files.



Me too. There is still room for improvement. I can read at smaller font sizes on my 350 than on my 950. I would also like for Sony to provide the capability to change font type, line spacing, margins, etc. like other brands. I would also like more font sizes with less increment between each.

My son has the new kobo and it is really nice to be able to load the fonts you want on the device and change fonts, line spacing, margins etc. on the fly. The last I saw it was only working on purchased books but it is definitely a start to have in the built in firmware. For him it is good because I can download a new book for him via wifi and the font etc. automatically is as per his preferences. Really nice. It would be nice if that could be built in and taken a step further to apply to all books.

[clashcityrocker]

Originally Posted by Flip Martian

If they want any kind of market penetration, Sony had better come up with something good this time and price and market it aggressively - from recent conversations with people who no nothing about e-books, the work "kindle" is replacing the words "e-book reader" for the general public.

Indeed, rather sad, the idiots of this world have let Amazon create the iTunes for books.

two reasons:

1/ Consumers are idiots and just buy what they see on the TV. If you don't advertises you won't sell. Only techy users will explore alternatives. This is why Apple sell iPads and iPhones and Amazon sell Kindles, none of them are top of their game, but most consumers are blissfully unaware. Sony NEED to advertise aggressively, or need to partnet with someone who will.

2/ Sony need to sack their entire PC software support. Sony make awesome hardware, but really if you can guarantee on anything in life, it will be that your Sony's products PC software sucks balls badly. If anyone had the mispleasure to "use" Sonicstage, which at version 9, still can't even copy a [edit] playlist without duplicating songs, they will know what I mean. Sony reader is marginally better, but still VERY frustrating to use.

[Joe563]

My son has the new kobo and it is really nice to be able to load the fonts you want on the device and change fonts, line spacing, margins etc. on the fly. The last I saw it was only working on purchased books but it is definitely a start to have in the built in firmware.

Version 1.9.5 of the firmware for the Touch included the ability to side-load fonts which can be used with both Kobo EPUBS and non-Kobo EPUBS. I have encountered one instance where the side-loaded fonts did not work with a non-Kobo EPUB. I am assuming that the reason for this was the way the publisher constructed the EPUB.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by clashcityrocker

1/ Consumers are idiots and just buy what they see on the TV. If you don't advertises you won't sell. Only techy users will explore alternatives. This is why Apple sell iPads and iPhones and Amazon sell Kindles, none of them are top of their game, but most consumers are blissfully unaware. Sony NEED to advertise aggressively, or need to partnet with someone who will.

Must be nice to so superior to all those idiots and as for Apple, well what a rubbish company, they're now capitalised as being worth more than Exxon, Microsoft and the rest in the US, what a second rate outfit they've only managed to set new records for those rubbish iPhones in the last quarter and as that Amazon and its Kindle, well... you've got a bit of a point there

Point about Kindle though, is that it's not just the ads, they wouldn't have done it on their own, it's the media coverage that's clinched their success... so many trendy articles about eReaders have ended up ill-researched and talking Kindle as though nothing else exists but that is typical of much reporting...

[mcrmama]

Originally Posted by Joe563

Version 1.9.5 of the firmware for the Touch included the ability to side-load fonts which can be used with both Kobo EPUBS and non-Kobo EPUBS. I have encountered one instance where the side-loaded fonts did not work with a non-Kobo EPUB. I am assuming that the reason for this was the way the publisher constructed the EPUB.

Yes, I stand corrected. I checked and my son's kobo just before I saw your post. I know I had checked it previously and it didn't work on the one I tested but it does work now. Perhaps the one I tested was just before that update. It was a little bit ago. Very nice. I would love it if my sony did that as well.

[EatingPie]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Do you think it'll make much of a difference? I really don't see any particular quality improvement between the current 167dpi 6" screens and the 200dpi 5" screens such as the PRS-350 has. I'm not at all sure that going to 300dpi will really change much.

Apple's Retina Display is somewhere in that ballpark (typing now, not googling!). It looks better than the original iPhone screen.

But as all things e-Ink, subtlety rules the day. Smoother fonts look better, but unless Steve Jobs himself announces it, most people probably wouldn't notice.

-Pie