Sony Unveils Two New E-Book Readers

Sony is bringing out a pair of additions to its Reader series. One of these will be smaller and less expensive, while the other will be the latest in this line with a touchscreen.

In addition, e-books for these products are getting a price cut. New releases and New York Times bestseller titles in the eBook Store from Sony will now be available for $9.99.

Pocket Size
The Reader Pocket Edition will have a five-inch electronic paper display, making it smaller and more portable than previous models in this line.  It will be able store about 350 standard e-books and provide up to two weeks of use on a single battery charge.

It will be available for $199, making it the least expensive dedicated electronic book reader on the market.

Touch Enabled
The Reader Touch Edition will features a six-inch touchscreen with a menu-driven interface. This will let users turn pages, or highlight text with a fingertip or by using the included stylus pen.

They will also be able to take notes with the stylus or with a virtual keyboard. These notes can be exported and printed out for easy reference.

This Sony product will include an on-board Oxford American English Dictionary that allows users to look up a word by simply tapping on it.

In addition, it will offers five adjustable font sizes, as well as expansion slots for both Memory Stick PRO Duo and SD card for storing e-books.

Sony's Reader Touch Edition will retail for about $299.

Coming Soon
Both the Reader Pocket Edition and the Reader Touch Edition will be released at the end of August, at SonyStyle.com, SonyStyle stores, and select retail partners.

They will be available in a variety of colors.

"Our goal is to expand the market and provide greater access to what consumers want to read when they want to read it - whether they buy, borrow or get it for free," said Steve Haber, president of Sony's Digital Reading Business Division.

Source: Sony