Well, it's been about a year since the original Sony Reader debuted, so it seems about right that Sony today announced Reader 2.0, the PRS-505, coming later this month for $300. The revamped Reader promises more memory, faster response time and better contrast, though the most striking new feature is probably its optional silver finish (the old one came in black only).
Now able to store 160 e-books on the internal memory, the new Reader also has a Memory Stick slot for even more. The upgraded display is said to be better at approximating the look of paper, with more intuitive controls, though the life of the built-in battery is rated the same, getting you 7,500 page turns. Weight is unchanged as well, at 9 ounces (or about two iPhones, which have Web browsers and touchscreens that are actually really cool to read and use — I'm just saying).
Good to hear the nascent technology of e-readers is evolving, but these upgrades are pretty by-the-numbers and unexciting. When are you going to come out with a color e-reader, Sony? Huh? How about that? I want to read my Battlestar Galactica comics on a handheld, dammit!
Via Sony Style
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editor@dvice.com
By TheAdlerian at 8:24 PM ON 10/03/07
Here's a comment written in 21st century English.
I was going to buy one of the first gen readers, which I saw in Borders. I love to read and thought it would reduce the amount of physical books that I collect and end up storing.
Before I did an impulse buy I decided to head home and research what books were for download. None of my favorite authors were available, and there was no philosophy section, or much of anything that a bright person would like. Most of the books were like cheap ones you'd find in a drug store.
I find it puzzling as to why the publishing industry isn't totally into this concept. The books cost as much as those in a store, and yet they require no materials or construction, and that's pure profit. Perhaps they're afraid of copying.
Anyway, I'd buy one in a second if they offered an equal selection to what's in something like a Borders.
By fourlocks at 7:44 AM ON 10/04/07
As a person working in the environmental field, any technology that reduces the huge volume of paper we manufacture and discard seems, at first glance, like a good idea to me although I'm still waiting for computers to produce the "paperless society" we were once promised. On the other hand, I'd like to see a life cycle analysis comparing the resource extraction effects, energy & materials used and hazardous waste generated by manufacturing the Sony Reader, and the environmental effects of its ultimate disposal, to those of a book. Then there's the energy use and battery disposal issue for the Sony Reader. I guess it comes down to how many books the Sony Reader can "eliminate" although if there aren't many good book titles available, will it really eliminate that many?
By dbrahm at 8:17 PM ON 10/04/07
Talk about beating a dead horse. This is really Sony's third attempt at doing a book reader. The first was called "Data Discman", which used 3" discs. It failed because of a small screen, almost no support from the Publishing Industry.
(I am a former Sony employee that sold "Magic Link", "Data Discman", MMCD and first generation GPS unit, all of which failed, which is partially why I am a former Sony employee)
By robocoastie at 1:14 AM ON 10/05/07
If the books are DRM'd forget it. I bought a bunch for my old Sony Clie in palmreader format a few years ago. I liked it really, especially with its integration with a dictionary but the whole digital media craze has me turned off due to DRM. Let me turn the DRM rights over so I can resell it or trade like a used book when I'm done and then I'd be interested. Until then though DRM is simply an attempt to kill once and for all the second-hand market.