Finally, new Sony rumors

[Dave Berk]

Originally Posted by astra

Do you think if the size was any different they would keep series number as 9xx? I think not. If they ever make the proper 8" 4:3 it will have a different series number.

Then let's hope for PRS1000 With better PDF support.

Originally Posted by HarryT

Let's hope they've switched to using a capacitive touch screen (such as the iPad uses) rather than the resistive screen of the current Sony models. Capacitive touch screens have no impact on image quality like resistive screens do.

Originally Posted by astra

Hmm. Then I am wrong. Let's hope Sony adopts it?

If it has no impact on battery life then why did Sony go with resistive touch screens?

(Unless it has that terrible property of both the Irex and the iPad: it severely drains the wallet...)

[astra]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Wacom screens do use a small amount of power, but not really enough to noticably affect battery life - for one thing, the touch screen is always powered off when you put the device into standby mode.

For argument sake, let's imagine my PRS-505 has the wacom screen.
I read a book for 1 hour. Is the wacom screen on all the time during the reading session?
I switch off PRS-505, in fact we know it doesn't power off, only clears screen and engages lock buttons feature (unless I perform a full shutdown that I never ever do). What about wacom screen? Would it be still on in this situation?

[astra]

Originally Posted by Dave Berk

Then let's hope for PRS1000

[Logseman]

Well, Sony has an ebook store, albeit a badly built one. If their wi-fi capable model works well in the sense of allowing a convenient access to that store (Sony has to revamp its ebook store anyways), they can make a big dent in the ePub-leaning market.

I guess the touchscreens could have a matte finishing like the ones in the most recent Pocketbook 302 shipments, so the glare won't be an issue anymore.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Logseman

I guess the touchscreens could have a matte finishing like the ones in the most recent Pocketbook 302 shipments, so the glare won't be an issue anymore.

I am worrying that given Sony's past blunders, it might get very strong headed and draw a line in the sand on the issue.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by astra

iRex products?

The main issue with them and battery life (at least in the initial models, which is when I was looking at them) was that they didn't/couldn't implement a proper sleep mode, so the device continued to drain power at all times.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by astra

I read a book for 1 hour. Is the wacom screen on all the time during the reading session?

It depends. On some devices, the screen is only powered on when you take the stylus out of its storage slot. On others, it's on all the time. Take iRex devices, for example: on the original iLiad, the touch screen was powered off except when you took the stylus out. On the DR800 and DR1000, iRex decided that this wasn't worth doing, and the screen is powered on all the time the machine is "awake", but it turns off when it's suspended. This is also what the BeBook Neo does.

I switch off PRS-505, in fact we know it doesn't power off, only clears screen and engages lock buttons feature (unless I perform a full shutdown that I never ever do). What about wacom screen? Would it be still on in this situation?

It should be switched off.

[astra]

Originally Posted by HarryT

This is also what the BeBook Neo does.

So, BeBook Neo, can go to a suspended mode like any Sony Reader, that requires 1 second to come back from, and it uses wacom screen? How long can it go on one charge?

[HarryT]

I turn mine off between sessions, because it doesn't have a very long "suspend mode" battery life (I think it's about a week), and it's quick to boot; there's no "library scan" like the Sony does when it boots. The poor battery life in suspend mode, though, has absolutely nothing to do with the Wacom touch screen.

[astra]

I see. Thanks.
Let's hope Sony has improved its technology.

[Zetmolm]

Originally Posted by astra

So, BeBook Neo, can go to a suspended mode like any Sony Reader, that requires 1 second to come back from, and it uses wacom screen?

Yes.

Originally Posted by astra

How long can it go on one charge?

I charge mine approx. once per week. It's switched on several hours per day, and most of that time I actually use it. However, if I know that I'm not going to read the next hour or longer, I switch my reader off completely rather than keep it in suspended mode. It does lose some power while in suspended mode, but not because of the Wacom screen.

Even when the reader is on and not in suspended mode, the wacom screen hardly uses power while you are not actively using it.

[SkyDream]

Originally Posted by Dave Berk

Then let's hope for PRS1000 With better PDF support.

Better PRS-1200 as 10" with all the good options incl. a clock on all pages.
No more hacks

[Juliette]

5" + touchscreen? Well, if the touchscreen is not like the PRS600 or the PB302 (and I would also add isn't a Wacom, because of, you know, the stylus), and if it's about 150$/£/€, I think we got a real winner.

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by charleski

Sony will never be able to compete with Amazon's ecosystem, so the whole issue of wireless connectivity is moot - the Kindle will always be a better choice for those scared of computers.

Sony is a MUCH larger company than Amazon and has deep, deep experience in content, as well as home electronics. Sony must have started out with a vision to lead the market when it launched, leveraging its ability to partner in diverse markets around the world. The reality is it dropped the ball, sidetracked by the Blu-ray and PS3 divisions, no doubt, who had a larger voice at the table at the time. Those running the ereader division may have been very well-intentioned but they did not get corporate executive mindshare to invest aggressively enough to create the industry.

Amazon did. It has its own views about what makes a customer-centric experience the best possible, and a vision on why connectivity must lie in the very DNA of the product. In an age dominated by the Internet and, at the time (2006), 12 years since the explosion of broadband began, leaving connectivity out of the equation was short-sighted on Sony's part.

It's great to hear something of new models and once more details arrive we can evaluate these better. The units themselves, the distribution model, the value add they bring over the other players in the market, and the ability to add and share quality content -- to say nothing of how they treat their existing base -- will all be crucial to win a second chance to stay in the game.

And, Sony could partner with a variety of players in co-branding or shared ownership or technology or customer base. But Sony's tendency to insist on doing everything inhouse suggests it probably will not.

BTW, Best Buy still sells PRS 505s on its Canadian website for those interested. The fact they are still trying to get rid of a model discontinued a year (or was it two years) ago, speaks volumes.

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

Amazon did. It has its own views about what makes a customer-centric experience the best possible, and a vision on why connectivity must lie in the very DNA of the product. In an age dominated by the Internet and, at the time (2006), 12 years since the explosion of broadband began, leaving connectivity out of the equation was short-sighted on Sony's part.

<...>

BTW, Best Buy still sells PRS 505s on its Canadian website for those interested. The fact they are still trying to get rid of a model discontinued a year (or was it two years) ago, speaks volumes.

The 505 in BestBuy Canada is probably just a fluke, like that recent sell-out of 505's on BaM. Perhaps a few units were found at some warehouse somewhere and put on sale. Already sold out. I don't have any numbers to prove it, but my suspicion is the 505 model was more popular worldwide than Kindle, and sold more units around the world. It still commands decent prices on eBay.

As far as Amazon's ecosystem is concerned, I do agree that Amazon made a few right choices. It was early то the game of online bookselling (paper books), and it acquired a lot of user input in its rating and review system. That's what makes up the major part of its ecosystem - ratings and reviews. They make the books sell. IMDB would be a great partner for someone who wants to be in business or renting or selling movies and TV programs - it owns ratings and reviews, the content more valuable than "The Content" itself.

As far as online connectivity is concerned, it doesn't matter so much. iPod didn't have it, and it was a major hit. Sony tried to copy the Apple's system for book distribution. Amazon came into the market a year later, and it learned from Sony's mistakes.

It's hard to imagine anyone being able to compete on Amazon's terms now-a-days. Give away the reader, make money on accessories and content. Sony is fine with readers and accessories, but its content delivery system would require a major revamping. And Sony's markets are not necessarily the same as Amazon's. I suspect that outside the U.S. Amazon loses a lot more money than it makes despite all that content it owns. In places where people don't normally buy ebooks someone like Pocketbook/Netronix would be much more popular than Kindle.