Electronic Paper — Paper Route
In January 2006, Sony unveiled the second generation LIBRIé e-book reader, renamed the PRS-500 Reader, or just the Sony Reader. The new Reader is about the size of a paperback, is just over half an inch (14mm) thick at its widest, weighs just slightly more than half a pound (250 grams), and supports BBeB, PDF, JPEG and MP3 file formats.
The Reader accepts external media such as Sony’s Memory Stick or SD flash memory cards via USB. Internally, its 64MB capacity can store about 80 books, and its rechargeable battery will last for 7,500 pages of viewing. In early April 2006, it was announced that the new Sony Reader would be sold in Borders Book and Music stores, in addition to Sony Style retail locations.
In October, the Sony Reader officially started shipping—and visitors to the Sony Style e-store were told that the device was “sold out,” but that supplies would be replenished in time for the holidays (as of December 5, the Reader was no longer “sold out”). Meanwhile, the partnership with Borders resulted in Sony Reader demonstration kiosks being set up in Borders retail stores, where users could evaluate the device and, should they be suitably impressed, even buy one. (The Sony Reader goes for $350.)
The Sony Reader got a good deal of press upon its release, and garnered generally positive reviews. Said The Wall Street Journal: “The contrast between the black text and the light-gray background isn’t as good as on a paper book, but it’s easy on the eyes and makes the Reader usable even in bright sunlight.”
Business Week liked the device itself, but had problems with Sony’s e-bookstore: “Even though the Reader has its flaws, it’s a vast improvement over various other e-book designs rolled out in the past decade. I can’t say the same for the clunky software that manages book purchases and Reader downloads on a Windows PC, or for Sony’s attempt at an online bookstore, which is reminiscent of its clueless efforts to sell music online.”
