| When the Sony Digital Book Reader arm of the | | | | was probably impractical to extend their own offering |
| consumer electronics giant announced the introduction | | | | to anywhere near the reported 350k titles Amazon |
| of three new digital book readers to their stable, | | | | hold in digital format so they have achieved this by |
| nestled in there was the yet to be released Daily the | | | | firstly including the most popular file format for |
| flagship of their Edition range, the companies first | | | | eBook freebies, the Adobe PDF, and then allowing |
| attempt at a truly portable eBook reader. | | | | downloads from many of the independent |
| It has taken them a couple of years to get their act | | | | booksellers like and Waterstones.co.uk. Just with the |
| together but at long last Sony Corp have realized the | | | | inclusion of PDF support they have enabled readers |
| potential, and the massive market, of the wireless | | | | access to Google Library's 1M plus free titles..neat eh. |
| reading device. The soon to be released Daily, a | | | | With the release of the Touch Screen, Wireless Daily |
| wireless model that slots into their Edition range as | | | | Edition along with their other Edition models, the |
| the flagship model,should hit the stores in early | | | | Reader and the Touch, they have covered all bases |
| December and retail about $100 more than the Kindle | | | | and got themselves right back in the game. Sony |
| 2 at approximately $399. Saying that, don't be | | | | have extended their potential customer base. Yes |
| surprise to see it come in at a figure closer to the | | | | Kindle do offer a touch screen enabled, wireless |
| Kindle's $299, given what's been going on recently | | | | model with a large screen, the clumsy, desktop |
| and the fact that price would have been decided on | | | | calculator like DX, but this retails well above the |
| when the Kindle was retailing for $349. | | | | expected Daily price and supports far less file |
| It will utilize the AT&T 3G wireless network to | | | | formats. It seems the DX will be confined to a |
| connect to the online Sony-eBook-store and other | | | | business application only, namely 1:1 A4 document, |
| comparable book-shops to download magazines, | | | | plan or drawing reading, in the very near future. |
| newspapers, electronic books and other printed | | | | Another handy feature on this Sony digital book |
| media. This will be similar to the Kindle that uses the | | | | reader is the ability to access, wirelessly, the nascent |
| Sprint wireless network but unlike the Kindle the Daily | | | | electronic book services at your local library. With a |
| will support file formats such as ePub, which is used | | | | library card, you can tap in your Zip code with the |
| by many online or e-libraries for electronic versions of | | | | touch screen keyboard and this Portable eBook |
| popular titles they lend out, that will allow you to read | | | | Reader will connect you to your chosen branch. At |
| not only eBooks they sell. This sends out the | | | | the time of writing, there are no plans by Sony to |
| message, to buyers of these digital book readers, | | | | charge directly for their wireless service or any |
| saying yes they would like them to buy from the | | | | definite list on exactly which newspapers or |
| Sony-eBook-store but if they choose to buy | | | | periodicals will be available to download. Nor will users |
| elsewhere then that's fine and the Sony Digital Book | | | | be able to access the web like they can with both |
| Reader will allow them to do that. This openness is a | | | | the Kindle models or change text to speech, which if |
| far cry from past attitudes where companies have | | | | you have heard the results of that on a Kindle is no |
| tried to tie purchasers of their models to having to | | | | great loss. |
| buy their books too. | | | | What the release of this Sony digital book reader |
| A big part of the Kindle's appeal has always been the | | | | does to the digital book readers market is to be |
| ability to 'buy on the fly'. In my eyes, it seems to me | | | | seen, but it will at last give the Kindle some stiff |
| Sony have finally realized that to get on terms with | | | | competition in the portable eBook reader sector, |
| Kindle sales they have to offer a comparable | | | | which they have dominated for so long. As they say; |
| numbers of titles, so readers have a real choice. It | | | | watch this space. |