Turns Out Sony E-Book Readers Sell After All
This tech blog has always been skeptical of digital e-book readers. Maybe because we think the feeling of a stiff hardback or welted paperback book is timeless. Or maybe it was because major e-book vendors such as Sony and Amazon.com never released how many units of the devices they actually sold.
This week, though, Sony for the first time disclosed that it sold 300,000 units of its Reader Digital Book globally since the device launched in October 2006.
Steve Haber, senior vice president of personal mobile and imaging divisionpresident of Sony’s digital reading business, says the unit growth is above Sony’s expectations. Sony’s e-book uses electronic ink technology that gives a paper-like feeling and doesn’t strain the eyes after hours of reading backlit computer screens. In addition, Sony said over three million e-books have been downloaded to the devices in that time.
“It’s strictly books, not to be confused with newspapers or blogs,” Haber says, implicitly referring to Sony rival, Amazon.com’s Kindle, which can wirelessly download newspapers and periodicals.
Amazon hasn’t released numbers on how many Kindles it has sold. The company says it is sold out of the device for the next 11-to-13 weeks, if that says anything.
The biggest difference between the Kindle and Sony’s e-book is that Sony’s device must be connected to a computer to download books. Brennan Mullin, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics, says wireless downloading for books “it’s not quite as important,” since most of us are on PCs all the time and it takes seconds to download books.
Still, people in the industry and consumers choosing between the devices count the tether as a drawback for Sony’s reader. So Sony says it plans to launch a wireless e-book device, though it won’t specify when.
To boost it’s e-book offerings, Sony in October launched a high-end version of its reader with a touch screen and built-in light. The company is also boosting the number of books it sells through its online e-book store to 100,000 by the end of the year from 57,000 currently. Avid readers can also download books from various e-booksellers and e-book Web sites, as well as the New York Public Library.
-Christopher Lawton
Image: Sony
its not it’s
Have had one for about 5 months now. This is a great product.
Bmoney
Fantastic when travelling - great product
can you download .pdfs to read on them?
I’ve never understood why it’s acceptable to have mp3 players needing to connect to a computer to obtain content but this is seen as a drawback for ebook devices. I’d much rather have a less expensive device that connects to the computer. The benefits of wireless access on the device do not justify the added cost.
I’ve had mine for almost a year. It’s a great product. I’ve read 50+ books. My only complaint is that I can no longer download books over the HughsNet Satellite service, which is my access to the internet. I have to go to my neighbor’s house and access the internet over their Wild Blue Satellite service. Sony says their sorry, but they can’t help me.
Yes, PDF is viewable. I think they are working on free-flow PDFs as well.
I’ve had my Sony e-book almost a year. Read 50+ books. 3 mths ago I could no longer access the e-book store to down load books over the HughesNet Satellite Network, my access to the internet. I have to go to my neighbor’s home and use their Wild Blue Satellite Network to get on the Internet. Sony said they were sorry, but couldn’t help me. Bummer.
This is one product that you have to try to break away from prejudice. I’ve had the Sony Reader (two different versions, actually) for two years now, and I have not bought a p-book ever since. I even wait for a book to appear as ebook, rather than buy the paper alternative. The device is comfortable to use, the screen looks like paper, and the interface is very simple.
Regarding the first comment by ‘Someone’, you are incorrect. The correct usage was with the apostrophe, since it was an abbreviation of “it is”.
“To boost it’s e-book offerings” hmm?
Is it possible to read regular pdf files on it, especially journal articles and stuff like that ? Any help will be appreciated.
I invented this and showed to Sony 5 years ago - they said not interested - i guess they were - I have a patent that just expired - Can I do anything? HELP
Just had a demo of the e book at the airport and Sony rep said yes, any PDF can be downloaded
I bought one of the first ebooks, a RocketBook years ago (it’s no longer available). I still use it and like it very much.
I can load it with stuff from the web, including newspapers, and I download free books from Gutenberg.org, usually history or classics. It is back lit which means you can read in bed without a light on and runs about 40 hrs. on a charge.
I would buy the Sony if it would accept more file formats like html, or provided a file converter program.
The best part of the e-book is that you can zoom the text and read it without glasses.
I purchased a PRS-700 about a month ago and I have done a number of tests. The most complex thing I put on it was a copy of a popular RPG manual that. It is full color, layered, with lots of large images, and it is around 400 8.5 by 11 sized pages. It does not load the pages very quickly, and the text is too small to read. The pictures are converted to very nice black and white. The thing that surprised me was that it actually was readable using either zoom controls or font resizing. It screws up the pagination, which means it wouldn’t be appropriate for actually using it during a game. I suppose I was simply surprised that it worked at all. I really expected that it would only read straight text or black and white graphics, and I certainly didn’t expect layer support. I think it’s a device that has a long way to go. The hardware is solid but slow, and improvements in processor speed will come over time. The thing that concerns me is the software. The device is pretty solid, but the iTunes-like database software they use for syncing is horrifying to use. I have crashed the program several times trying to move something from a card to internal memory or into “categories” (which are sort of like playlists if you continue the iTunes metaphor.) Anyway, I recommend it for the things it was designed for, basically reading books. I do not recommend it for replacing every book or document in your house. It’s a good first step, but they have a long way to go. I’d like to see them create crash-resistant software (even if I have to pay extra for it) with converters and utilities. I’d like to see them improve the touch interface to allow for handwritten notes (Wacom support?) and I’d like them to offer an 8.5 by 11 model with high resolution (and maybe color) to allow students like me to replace our textbooks with e-textbooks. I don’t think people should be in such a big hurry to get wireless access like the Kindle has. There’s a good chance that wireless access will come with more DRM, less flexibility, and possibly plagues, locusts, and a rain of frogs. I’m just saying…
Please don’t dismiss the wireless capability until you have lived with it some - I have a Kindle and was in a hurry today when I took off for the airport - no problem, had 15 minutes in the Red Carpet Club and within 4 minutes I had downloaded Outliers book (9$) and the New York Times (75 cents!, cheaper than Airport book store). Very convenient and no extra cables to carry or even a laptop required. Intl access is not available though so careful planning required.
Just wondering, why does everyone need to know how many Kindle’s Amazon has sold? I believe the best evidence that it has been wildly successful is that almost all bestsellers are available on Kindle - would publishers do this for a low volume product? And…little known secret that you can read/write emails and view websites/blogs for free on the Kindle. Finally, Amazon is offering some books free (to introduce author?).
Hope you like your Sony and the end result is the same, read more books/mags/newspapers for less!
With the Sony Reader, eBooks can be shared among up to *five* devices — so PC + 4 Readers.
Try that with your idiotic Kindle. Whoops! Can’t!
All in favor of ebook readers and ebooks. Text zooming. Instant access to (potentially) any book. Takes all that money out of printing and distribution and puts it where it belongs: in marketing books so more people enjoy them. And most important, it saves natural resources. Make one for $99 with a subscription to the WSJ included and I’m there ;-).
There are many different eBook readers on the marker available. Ectaco jetBook is one of them:
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23953
I prefer something more like the readius
http://metaprinter.com/?p=286
10,000 books in-home, and that and more in electronic format make the ebook phenom very welcome. An old hand with a Franklin reader eight years old, the utility is still fresh even though the genre flexes and shifts in what is ofered and how in the marketplace.
A sci fi futurisdt at heart, I’ll say look for a just longer than a cigar tube sized reader with pocket clip featuring a screen that unrolls from the tube and back in to be stored. Touch sensitive, low power drain, email in and out and wi-fi direct to HDD.
But I am still the weird one when I go to dinner and order appetizer and wine to sit reading “in the dark” for an hour.
Warren Buffet’s theories, Oscar wilde’s wildness, shakespeare, Faust all in a sportsjacket pocket make no time a wasted time.
Many school texbooks are now offered in digital format to purchasers if they so choose.
I personally record audio books some ebook readers will play. Read AND listen at once. Ability to learn, learn, learn.
Just have one with batteries you can access, store it empty of batteries, and rediscover it often.
The Sony Reader is better for me than the Kindle — I can download books from my local public library, and they disappear from the Reader when the loan period is up. Perfect for commuting, and allows me to borrow books just like with physical ones. Can’t do that on the Kindle…
I have owned both Sony and Amozon readers and prefer the Sony. Please compare the cheap-feeling white plastic Kindle with the gorgeous stainless steel Sony Reader. Not even close. The Sony is a joy to hold (and smaller), the Kindle feels like a kludge. Wireless downloading is nice but KILLS your battery. You end up charging the Kindle way more often. Not that convenient.
Sony’s software is crap, to say the least.
Get this software: CALIBRE. It’s free, and works like a charm, even downloading from newspaper feeds.
And supports rtf, html, lit, pdf, a couple others.
How can a company like Sony not support its product with good software? Good recipe for failure …
“With the Sony Reader, eBooks can be shared among up to *five* devices”
Kindle shares with up to 6 devices on the same account.
“stainless steel Sony Reader.”
Sorry, I’ve had it with silver and black shiny devices I have to keep cleaning because they show every spec of dust and fingerprint. Kindle doesn’t need constant cleaning to keep it looking nice.
ive had my kindle for a year now, and ive bought (and read) 124 books for it. so yes, the readers (and the ebooks) do sell. welcome to the 21st century.
I got a WIndows mobile PDA instead. I can by books from all the independant e-book sites. It does PDF, mobipocket, microsoft reader (so-so on MS reader) as well as MP3 and MS Office mobile.
I agree with goodreads. Get Calibre. It’ll turn your Reader into a much better device. You’ll be able to download junk food (what I call newspapers and magazines) and put it into your Reader. Plus don’t forget to go to http://www.mobileread.com for tips and games to put on it.
I love to read current newspapers and magazines on my Sony Reader. You may want to check out this free service at
Http://www.News2PDF.com
I purchased my Reader for the fun of reading only and also portability. I don’t care which .com or gadget are better. I think it’s the book’s content that we are reading are more important.
regarding the comment by someone else:
Someone else, you are a moron. Someone is correct. “Its” is the possessive, which is the appropriate usage. “It’s” is incorrect.
However, it’s rude to correct grammar, which is why I don’t do it. :)
wots rong with correctin grammer ? we all wont to elern don’t we? Best to teach us of r misttakes. anyway this sony 505 book I ve got worksa treat and I av been able to download loads of pefectly legible pdf books whith no security restrictions from scribd.com for free. Beats any airport newsagents.
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