Faced with competition from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, Sony has slashed the prices of its electronic e-book readers. It’s the second price cut from Sony this year. The move comes after Amazon cut the price for the Kindle to $189 and Barnes & Noble cut the price on the WiFi-only Nook to $149 with the 3G/WiFi version $199.
The Sony Readers include the $150 Reader Pocket Edition (down from $170), the $170 Touch Edition Reader (down from $200), and the high-end $300 3G Daily Edition Sony Reader (down from $350).
The Sony readers require a PC to add content and use an iTunes Store-like interface to purchase books from Sony Connect eBook store (currently US and Canada only).
- The $150 Reader Pocket Edition has a 5 inch screen, no touch interface, no MP3 audio or expandable memory or WiFi.
- The $170 Touch Edition Reader has a 6 inch touch-screen with 512MB of internal memory, 380MB accessible, support for Sony Memory Stick Pro DUO and SDHC, but no WiFi.
- The $300 3G Daily Edition Sony Reader has a 7.1 inch touch-screen, 2GB, 1.6GB accessible memory, support for Sony Memory Stick Pro DUO and SDHC up to 32GB, and 3G connectivity.
Sony’s Reader Library program, a new initiative to support the work of public libraries, provides public libraries with training on digital reading devices, educational materials to help readers learn about the eBooks and digital texts available to them through their local libraries, and digital reading devices for library staff use.
The iPad’s success may have also compelled Amazon to introduce a larger, cheaper version of the Kindle DX to $379, down from $489. The Kindle DX features the same-size screen, at 9.7 inches diagonal, as Apple’s device along with a built-In PDF Reader.
The NY Magazine asks, is it The End for the book business as we know it?
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