Sony just announced their newest eReader, the PRS-700. Improvements over their previous model include a built-in LED light (nice!), touch screen, and quicker refresh rates. It will sell for $400. While I continue to like the physical design of Sony's readers over Amazon's Kindle, I have to say all of these improvements are incremental at best and the price is completely ignoring Amazon as the gorilla in the room. (You can get a Kindle for $359... $259 if you sign-up for an Amazon credit card.) The Kindle's ability to buy and download books over a cellular connection remains the killer app in the eBook world.I just wish Amazon would take a design class from Sony or Apple. I was on the subway a couple days ago and got to see a Kindle for the second time. The man who had it loved it and let me see for a minute. I was nearly impossible to hold without accidentally turning pages. If/when I buy one, I'm sure I'd get used to that eventually, but am equally sure it would remain an annoyance. I hope the Kindle 2.0 comes out soon...
Sony is also working on making their reader capable of reading more formats and is redesigning thier web-based bookstore.
Read a hands-on review of the PRS-700 here.
2 comments:
I agree...the concept of the Kindle...esp. the cellular radio and online store...is brilliant.
The Amazon branding is great, too...because Amazon is the largest online retailer of books.
But the design is its weak point. If they hire a good industrial designer, they will really hit a home run.
Here's pictures of the Kindle 2:
Link to Enjoy
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