HTuttle said: And which other proprietary software is this dead-end compatible with? Seriously, if I found one @$75, will this work with Amazon, B&N, whatever ?
HTuttle said: And which other proprietary software is this dead-end compatible with? Seriously, if I found one @$75, will this work with Amazon, B&N, whatever ?
It is a lot more compatible than Amazon Kindle. At least it supports epub so you can loan books from your local library.
Though, Sony Market is no way a competitor to Amazon Marketplace because of the higher prices and smaller selection. I recommend Calibre for book management.
Also with Sony reader you can read Google's Books. Google has close to million public domain books which can be read for free by anyone. They all are in epub format which Sony readers support.
While WiFi and 3G are nice, the lack thereof doesn't render an eBook reader useless. It's not like you can't download all the books you need on your computer at home and then transfer them onto the Sony reader. Trust me, if this drops to $50 I'll be getting one for my wife. Time to start keeping a watchful eye on them at my local Target's.
shallot said: Not worth it, especially since it doesn't support WiFi or 3G
I couldn't care less about WiFi or 3G. I wish there were more options out there without either to keep the cost down. There's very few occasions where I'm out in public or on a trip and spur of the moment decide I need to buy a book that I wouldn't have had the foresight to buy in advance.
I know a lot of people go to book stores with their Kindle or what not, browse the books, then buy the book on their Kindle instead of patronizing the store, but I'm fine with plugging an ereader into my computer for a 30 second transfer.
actually forbin, it seems that in fact this item is discontinued by Sony, and thus also by Target. Target will continue to sell the Sony Reader as long as it is made and they feel the shelf space is making the best profit. They are in the business to sell, not to dictate technology. forbin4040 said: christopher said: discontinued by Sony... interesting.Discontinued by Target, because they sell the Kindle now.
IMO, it is better than the old kindle or nook because it is a reader and only that. Supports pdf, epub etc. and they are not trying to sell books like kindle does.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Sony Corp, hoping to spur sales ahead of the holiday shopping season, has slimmed down its electronic readers and also given them touchscreen control.
The three new versions of its "Reader" line also feature an improved screen with better clarity, the manufacturer said on Wednesday.
Sony was first to the market with its Reader in 2006 but has struggled to keep up with rival Amazon.com Inc, whose Kindle e-reader is the top-selling device of its kind, according to analysts. Amazon does not disclose sales data.
In July, Amazon undercut competitors by offering a $139 wireless Kindle. The crowded e-reader market also includes traditional bookseller Barnes & Noble and electronics giant Apple, whose fast-selling iPad device has e-reader functions.
Steve Haber, president of Sony's digital reading unit, said the touchscreen was one of the top requests made by consumers, who are willing to pay more for extra functionality.
"Lowering prices to get cheaper and cheaper -- that's not our direction," Haber said in an interview. "Our plan is not to race to the bottom."
Haber said the company expected to sell more of its lower-cost pocket version last holiday season, but sales of its higher-priced touchscreen version outsold the cheaper one.
"People stepped up and spent another $100 to buy touch," he said.
Sony cut the prices of its last generation of Readers in July. [ID:nN06173858] Prices on the new versions are lower than their predecessors when first launched.
The new pocket version Reader retails for about $179. Sony's larger 6-inch screen version, which allows for extra memory, costs $229. Users of these two devices must plug in to a computer when it comes time to download content.
Both are available immediately.
Sony is also offering a $299.99 "Daily Edition," which, like the Kindle, is wireless. It has 3G and a larger screen. The Daily Edition rolls out in November.
Haber said overall sales of its readers are growing at three or four times last year's levels.
"We haven't seen any change in momentum," he said.
Sony said it is also offering dictionaries in its new Readers and has been adding titles to its e-book store.
It plans to include reader reviews through an integration with social network site GoodReads, and will launch applications later in the year to interface with Apple's iPhone and Android-based smartphones from Google Inc. __________________
this is a great ereader. Who really needs 3G and wifi on an ebook reader? You can't really "surf" and it's not like one buys and adds new books on a daily basis - I put 40+ books on my Sony reader a couple of months back ... and haven't had a need to mess with it since.
I'll have to check my local stores. With the new readers coming out I'm pretty sure prices for used ones are going to be around this price soon, that's if you don't mind used vs new.
thedeals
Shopaholic Member
posted: Sep. 2, 2010 @ 11:10a
30% off in Chicagoland area
plamlam
Member
posted: Sep. 2, 2010 @ 12:07p
Target off Touhy on Niles, IL has the 5'' for $75 and the 6'' touch for $85
Sony's are the most open format ebook readers on the market. They've been around longer than any other reader as well and were the first devices anywhere to sport eink tech. And yes, Sony has their own store http://ebookstore.sony.com/, not to mention every book google has available works as well.
They just announced the new line yesterday and discontinued the current line today. This is their 4th generation and is superior to anything else available for an ebook reader (ya it's not meant to surf the web, check your email, play games, etc.)
There is free software out there that will strip Kindle DRM. There is also a free program called Calibre you can download that will convert between various formats, ePub, Kindle, all of them. There's even FreeOCR, a free program that will convert PDF to text, which you can then convert to any ebook format with calibre. This may make some PDFs more legible on ebook reader screens.
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