Sony Reader Daily Edition
During a press event held at the New York Public Library, Sony "unveiled" the $399 Reader Daily Edition that has a touch screen and 3G connectivity. It supposedly will go on sale "by December."
The Daily Edition will have the capability to wirelessly download content. This is a first for a Sony e-Reader device. Clearly, a direct shot at Amazon's Kindle and a move to counter whatever Apple may have up its sleeve when the expected "tablet" is announced in early September.
The wireless downloading comes courtesy of AT&T (the wireless provider of the iPhone). Steve Haber, the head of Sony's reading division said that Sony will absorb the cost for wireless access. That model matches what Amazon is doing with Kindle and Sprint.
Why the New York Public Library?
A key differentiator is the fact that the Daily Edition reader will be able to download "loaned" e-books from local libraries that expire in 21 days.
It's Open.
In fact, a bigger difference is that Sony is claiming its e-reader is "open," which means readers can view copy-protected books from a number of sources. Plus, the books can be moved to and read on other devices (i.e. cell phones). Being "open" is another first for Sony as anyone using a VAIO or digital video camera can tell you. Sony loves its "proprietary" technology (Memory Stick anyone?).
Why Amazon Should Worry.
According to Jaren Newman in his post at PC World, the five reasons Amazon should worry about Sony's e-Reader are as follows:
- More Choice
- Touch
- It's Cheaper
- Open Format
- Cool Features
Why "Unveiled" is in Quotes.
The Wall Street Journal write-up about the announcement was interesting because twice it pointed out that the screen on the demo unit was blank.
The Daily Edition prototype that Sony showed off at its New York launch displayed a blank screen without any text, and the company did not make a version available for hands-on handling. In contrast, when Amazon released its newest Kindle in May, it used a working version to demonstrate features and let reporters handle prototypes.
Three paragraphs later:
Sony's Daily Edition can be held vertically to display one page of a book or turned horizontally so that it shows two pages, which Mr. Haber said makes it feel "more like a real book." The sample Daily Edition that Sony showed at a press event Tuesday had a blank screen.
You can interpret that any way you want. My sense is that Geoffrey Fowler and Niraj Sheth are implying this may be vapor-ware and probably a last gasp by Sony to be relevant before Apple makes its move in September.
Should Apple Worry?
Seth Weintraub offered his thoughts in a blog post ("Will Apple's tablet be a good e-book reader?") appearing at ComputerWorld.com. He makes an interesting point about how Amazon is trying to approach the education market with the Kindle DX. He wrote:
...Apple won't let them do this without a fight. I think Apple has no choice but to enter the ebook market to protect its current markets and continue market growth in other areas.
Where does that leave Sony?
This feels a lot like the video game console wars with three strong players in the mix. It will come down to pricing, content and the intangible "cool" factor (AKA what lead Nintendo's Wii to a leader position).
The e-Reader space will be an interesting one to watch in the next several months and through the holiday season.
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Comments
Annie, interesting about the WSJ emphasizing the vapor-like 'display'...Peter Kafka also lamented that reporters weren't allowed to handle the device and it wasn't put through its paces.
One thing: re "Sony will absorb the cost for wireless access. That model matches what Amazon is doing with Kindle and Sprint."
It actually doesn't match it, as Sony will connect only to the Sony store -- a direct connection -- and then through the store to a search/connect with users' local libraries and w/other affiliates.
The Kindle has 24/7 free direct access to the entire Web. It's slow but it works and it has been getting better as it goes.
Most never calculate the cost of 24/7 cellular data access like this, used anywhere, no hot-spots needed. I can look up anything on the Net anywhere I am - usually choosing mobile-optimized versions of yelp.com and google. And It's a great feature that is normally quite expensive.
- Andrys
kindleworld.blogspot.co
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