Live shot of The Reader, Sony's new e-ink e-book reader

Check it, Rick Wilking from Reuters snapped this pic the Reader, that new Librie-like E-Ink e-book handheld that Sony is set to introduce here in North America later this year. Still hunting for some solid details, like what it's going to cost, but we're hoping to hear something about this (and some other new gadgets) at Sony's press conference later today.

[Alex Brewer @ Jan 4th 2006 7:48PM]

I have waited for e ink readers to come stateside for a while and thought it funny that the book Eragon is on the page, when not ten minutes ago i was reading the sequel, Eldest! I can't wait for these to go on sail...

[matt t @ Jan 4th 2006 8:02PM]

that thing is looking awfully 1998.

[wxrman @ Jan 4th 2006 8:07PM]

why can't they make them rugged?



Is that so difficult to put a rubberized surround on them?



They WILL try to get schools to buy them... they will tout their "green environment/don't kill anymore trees for books campaigns"...





and they WILL get dropped.



Two years from now, they'll be hard to sell on Craigslist...

[Ben G @ Jan 4th 2006 8:10PM]

I think I'd have to see it in real life before I'd buy it. From thephoto it just looks like a monochrome LCD with some large font. What's the DPI supposed to be on it?

[jask @ Jan 4th 2006 8:14PM]

It may look old-fashioned but I think it's time for e-book readers to hit the streets. The technology is there and nature will thank us.

Besides, after a second view it looks really smart.

[Mike Weiss @ Jan 4th 2006 8:21PM]

^ I agree, why is this taking so long to devlope?

[rayk @ Jan 4th 2006 8:27PM]

I think the screen looks pretty damn dated considering the how amazing the PSP's screen is.



That aside, I'm really looking forward to seeing more e-book readers coming out. Having your whole library of literature and manga with you would be amazing. While my psp is ok for reading I'd really love a thin device with a nice big display and ability to read images and text (maybe internet for added functionality and touch display...)



Ahh...*starts day dreaming*

[google Nazi @ Jan 4th 2006 8:39PM]

ebook readers have been around for about a decade if not more. This thing is useless. It doesn't offer anything good compared to other ereaders. Unless they are speaking something cheap and affordable. Full color and high resolution ones are between $100-$300 (usually around $220 with backlight. There is a reason why ebook readers always fail.



Ultimately this one will also fail.

[Bob Ch @ Jan 4th 2006 9:21PM]

I already have an e-book reader. It's called a Palm TX. It works just fine, & fits in a shirt pocket. Not to mention that you can listen mp3's while you read. You can also play games, & watch video using TCPMP when you don't feel like reading.

[karmaghost @ Jan 4th 2006 9:24PM]

I thought it was already established that there's no market for these things, no matter how cool their technology is.

[Justin @ Jan 4th 2006 9:30PM]

Erf... why doesn't that screen look like the eInk display on the Japanese-market Libre? I'm hoping that ass-nasty green is just the backlight, and also hoping they change that color to, ya know, "book white"...



That being said, for now I'm delighted with my Nokia 770 and FBReader on it for reading eBooks. Crispest high-res, high-DPI screen I've ever seen in a handheld device. =)

[James @ Jan 4th 2006 9:51PM]

rayk and google Nazi: You guys missed the point that this doesn't use a conventional screen and instead uses non-volatile eInk. There shouldn't need a backlight because it's electronic *paper*.



karmaghost: I think there's a market if the technology evolves to the point where it isn't cumbersome.

[Shnugi @ Jan 4th 2006 9:59PM]

I'd buy one of these. Of couse not for more than $100

[Tim @ Jan 4th 2006 10:51PM]

E-paper (Sony uses E-inks imaging film) have around 150 dpi resolution. They also have pretty good contrast, and very low power consumption, comparitively, since you only need power to flip a pixel from black to white or vice versa.



The ideal market for these is maybe not books, but a subsidized version for newspapers. It would have to include WiFi or some sort of cellular connection chip. Then you pay the local newspaper a yearly/quarterly/monthly fee, plus a small fee for the device, and every day the news is downloaded to your reader; if done right you get good in-depth stories, to read at your leisure, like a good newspaper, but there's no real paper.

[LC @ Jan 4th 2006 11:12PM]

I wouldn't go by the poor lighting from that photo. THe screen is supposed to be like the Librie. here is a better shot.



http://products.sel.sony.com/pa/PRS/reader_features.html

[google Nazi @ Jan 4th 2006 11:41PM]

@ LC



Thanks for that picture! It really makes a difference with those pictures. Yes, Epaper is cool though when can we buy it?

[porovaara @ Jan 5th 2006 3:24AM]

Unfortunately e-ink is something you have to see in person to appreciate. People who are comparing PDA screens to something like a Libr?ave obviously never seen the latter in person. I've read numerous books on PDAs but after getting a Libr? can't force myself to read anything longer than a few pages on even my Nokia 770 which has an amazing screen. E-ink is so easy on the eyes, the batteries last forever and the clarity is startling. Here's a good comparison to make in your own head, remember the difference in quality between dot matrix printers and laser printers when lasers were brand new? That's e-ink versus traditional LCDs.

[flipper @ Jan 5th 2006 6:42AM]

I am really looking forward to this - my tx can be used as an ereader but just isn't bit enough for many of my work docs. To be able to carry them all on a single device that is readable would be wonderful (rather than getting eye strain or back strain from the weight). Please tell me sony havn't crippled it!

[Gwyn @ Jan 5th 2006 6:46AM]

What this thing needs is the ability to rotate the screen 90 degrees to landscape view. Then you'd actually get a decent typographic measure (ideally ~66 char. per line - these pics have about 30-35).



What they're showing here, the line length is too short for the typeface, making extended reading of large blocks of text (eg. a novel) a bit of a strain for most people.



Since the text they show is justified with a short measure, you can see what typographers refer to as 'rivers of space' running down the column of text. It's quite unsightly. Landscape view would be so much better.

[E1934 @ Jan 5th 2006 9:59AM]

It can also display pictures. A shot of the Librie:



http://www.t-castelo.com/e1934/Japan2004/images/0555-Tokyo-Ginza-Sony_Building.jpg

[Tim @ Jan 5th 2006 1:27PM]

The librie looks so much cooler and nicer than the reader.. What's up with that?

[kareem @ Jan 5th 2006 2:32PM]

There's a shot of a japanese prototype here:

http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=14152651&size=o&context=set-353965

[Tolstoyevsky @ Jan 5th 2006 4:14PM]

The ultimate market for digital readers is all print formats. For instance, I've run out of space in my bookcases & a new one costs $380 for a 30"w x 85"h. That money could go toward a reader and I'd never hurt for shelf space again.



It'll be fun to see the manufacturers duke it out. Check out the competition:



http://www.irextechnologies.com/home.htm



http://www.jinke.com.cn/Compagesql/English/

[Mr_g@dgeTT @ Jan 5th 2006 11:19PM]

I think this looks very cool!



I find myself using my laptop to "read" bunches of stuff a lot of the time instead of actually "creating" content or performing complex calculations, etc. When I'm in "read" mode, I really don't need, or desire, all the power, heat, weight, and size of my laptop or tabletpc.



I have become very fond of the Zinio digital magazine service but can only stand to sit in front of a monitor (or juggle my ~4 pound laptop or tabletpc around) for so long. Many times I've tried to "curl up" with my tabletpc and read a digital magazine in Zinio but find it to be too bulky, heavy, and short on battery life to bring out the best experience of electronic reading (not to mention viewing angle and lighting limitations).



I think the Sony Reader, or a device similar to it, would be a good fit for those situations.



I do however wish the Sony Reader would allow you "jot down notes" on the screen so you could capture thoughts that might be inspired during your ebook reading. (looks like the iRex iliad will let you do just that? too bad the Sony one will probably have a better content avenue structure at release).



I'm an electrical engineer and design electronic hardware. I often find myself in situations where I need to reference an electrical schematic in PDF format, maybe cross-reference a handful of semiconductor datasheets in PDF, recall some formulas from an old text book and then jot down some conclusions (while escaping into some sci-fi fiction over lunch). I think some sort of eInk eReader hardware would be very useful for that purpose (could have all those schematics, datasheets, textbooks readily available... now just for the jotting part).



The Sony Reader looks like it would be a great fit for my complete needs if I could jot notes on it.



*SONY*... what's up with not being able to jot notes!?!? Haven't you ever highlighted text or scribbled notes on what you were reading? LOL! How about Zinio support too?

[pfriedel @ Jan 6th 2006 12:40AM]

What has killed ebooks time and time again is the stupid asinine media lockdowns that the hardware providers force you in to. Usually it boils down to only being able to get DRMed books at HIGHER THAN HARDCOVER prices from some awfully shady and creaky site. Blow that noise. This one, however, supposedly will read a bunch of non-DRM formats in addition to the big DRM formats. Yay! This makes me happy because I have basic versionf of a good chunk of my paper library. I think my Tungsten E has, like, 40 or 50 books on it by this point.

[thorak @ Jan 6th 2006 2:32PM]

I love the idea. I want one. I'm even willing to give up my vacation for one. However, I want to know - is the cost of downloading a book gonna be as expensive as buying a hardback? 'Cause if it is - it ain't gonna get me hooked until that price comes down. Now if the cost to download the book comes down to a reasonable fee, like equal to or less than the cost of a paperback in a wholesale club like BJ's or Sam's - then that's a deal I can live with!!!!!!! After all, we're cutting out a lot of costs - the paper, distribution, warehousing, etc.

[Gareth @ Jan 6th 2006 4:41PM]

Price looks to be $350.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?&ProductSKU=PRS500



And as for title availability... http://products.sel.sony.com/pa/PRS/reader_features.html

"The CONNECT� Store puts thousands of eBook titles online. You�ll find all the latest bestsellers as well as a deep catalog of books in every category � fiction, non-fiction, business, self-help and more, with free first chapters available, plus author bios and reviews. Most titles cost less than their print versions, and CONNECT� offers additional specials for even deeper savings."



The Connect Store doesn't look like the titles are listed yet. I WANT this to be a success. I love the idea of tiny power consumption, and no flickering screen. I could see me using one of these if my likely titles were available and cheap enough (sounds like Connect will be doing an AudibleListener type program if you read a lot)

[Robert @ Jan 7th 2006 8:55AM]

$350 is a little price but it's cheaper than the Japanese version Librie ($500) and looks very different too.

[Kenny @ Jan 7th 2006 1:07PM]

I have been using the Rocket ebook reader, which has terrible power consumption, for the past five years. I am glad that the Sony device addresses this problem. I wonder if it will be able to display image-based pdf files (which eliminate possibility for the numerous OCR errors that riddle other public domain content)? If so, this device would be perfect for carrying around, say, Zoega's Dictionary of Old Norse.

[Joseph @ Jan 9th 2006 12:01PM]

I've got many paper-based books, and I don't want to pay the price to convert. Is it likely that Sony or book publishers will accept trade-ins? I'd trade my whole paper collection for an electronic collection if I could.

[Robert @ Jan 11th 2006 10:39PM]

What are some of your thoughts on an E-Book reader that has the capability to not only display books, but to access your favorite blog feeds, magazines, and newspaper subscriptions? The device will be mobile as well, using cellular network and WiFi.



So many good things will come out of E-Inks paper, considering it's virtually dirt cheap. Once color displays are introduced, I think things will take off quickly. -> http://www.polymervision.com/



The fun thing about E-Ink is that you can roll it up - it's just as flexible as paper! Imagine having a PDA or "BlackBerry"-like device that's the size of marker, only to roll out the larger display when needed.



The only problems I see so far is backlighting for such devices.

[Paulo @ Jan 23rd 2006 11:35AM]

For me this Sony Reader gadget is very good news. I can't wait to get my hands on one and be able to confortably read books and web articles on my bed.

I can see that lots of people talk down on the eText reader concept because you can only read and there's no possibility to write or take notes or whatever. Well, for one thing this new reader will be able to play mp3, although I couldn't care less for that feature. What people seem to forget when they mention this lack of features is that when reading a real paper book, like say, some romance or scifi, people most times just read. Usually there's no note taking. So the ability to store tens of ebooks and other articles on a single device, with the announced batery autonomy of 7500 page turns makes this Sony Reader something extremely interesting. Let's just hope they don't make a mess with the DRM policy chosen.