Sony is looking to take back its e-book crown with the launch of a pair of brand-new Reader devices – but will they be able to tempt buyers away from Amazon’s new Kindle eReader?
According to details gathered by Sony watcher SonyInsider, the company is planning a pair of new Reader models featuring the traditional e-ink display – the PRS-350 and PRS-650. Both will feature similar specifications, but be placed at very different price points.
First, the similarities: both devices will be based around an electrophoretic display, which provides excellent outdoor readability and paper-like contrast with no backlight to drain batteries – at the cost of a lack of color support and a sometimes slow refresh cycle. Both will use Sony’s proprietary Linux-based operating system, but bring a newly-revised user interface which looks to bring the line a little closer to that offered by Amazon’s Kindle or the Barnes & Noble Nook.
Interestingly, both devices are said to feature a touch-sensitive display, allowing easy navigation of content and the ability to add notes and annotations – something which has only been available on the top-end Sony Reader models in the past, but which is a standard feature on competitors’ devices.
Format support is pretty much unchanged from earlier models: with the main format being Adobe’s Digital Edition DRM-encumbered e-books, support for the open ePub standard – missing from the rival Kindle – is included along with PDF, Microsoft Word, ACS4, and BBeB support.
While the sizes of both devices will be different, the form factor is thought to be the same – and includes a reduction in thickness to an impressive 10mm, making the new Sony Readers possibly the thinnest e-book readers on the market.
The PRS-350 will be the cheaper of the two, settling for a 5″ display in order to keep the costs down. Like previous Sony Readers, the PRS-350 won’t feature any wireless connectivity – if you want to transfer new books onto the device, you’ll either have to use the included USB 2.0 connectivity and a notebook or desktop PC or remove the optional memory card.
The PRS-650, on the other hand, increases the display size to 6″ and adds wireless support in an attempt to better compete with Amazon’s latest Kindle. Like the Kindle, Wi-Fi connectivity is included as standard – although there are rumours that a model will be released that includes free 3G connectivity for complete coverage when you’re out-and-about.
The PRS-650 has also been confirmed to feature 2GB of internal memory – up from the 512MB of previous models – as well as the option to add extra storage space via optional memory cards.
With the e-book market heating up, it remains to be seen if Sony can recapture the success of its original Reader device and grab the market back from the likes of Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
