Sony Challenges Kindle With $199 E-Reader

Company angles for bigger share of fast-growing market

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 5, 2009 2:36 AM CDT

(Newser) – Sony plans to fire up competition in the E-reader market with a pair of affordable releases next month, Bloomberg reports. The Sony Reader Pocket Edition, with a 5-inch screen, will be priced at $199. A touch-screen version will sell for $299. Amazon dropped the price of its Kindles to $299 last month in an effort to dominate the market.

Sony, which expanded the size of its E-bookstore to 600,000 titles under a deal with Google earlier this year, says it is cutting the price of new releases and bestsellers to $9.99, matching Amazon's prices. The new Sony reader models, unlike the Kindle, aren't wireless, but company officials say they're committed to bringing out a wireless E-reader in the future.

A Sony Reader Touch Edition. (AP Photo/Sony)

In this product image provided by Sony, a Sony Reader Pocket Edition is shown. (AP Photo/Sony)

Amazon cut the price of its Kindles to $299 last month. (©Jacob B?tter)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 4 comments

Timinator2K

Aug 5, 2009 12:58 PM CDT

Did I mention that publishers are also thinking that you won't actually BUY their e-books as much as RENT them for a finite time...and no sharing, copying or, printing pages. Cute, they're taking cues from their BFF's the RIAA and their DRM scam.

Timinator2K

Aug 5, 2009 12:54 PM CDT

Book publishers are stuck between strong arming the public into buying and using crappy e-readers that will tremendously BOOST publisher's profits and alienating readers to traditional book printers and sellers. College & HS textbooks are headed to e-readers in a hurry...AND the publishers will soon be including paid-for ADS in their e-books..with even HIGHER profits and no printing, no distribution/shipping.

NxBigmouthery

Aug 5, 2009 7:38 AM CDT

The day you give me a tiny electronic reader with a big memory for songs etc. is the day I...actually no, I'd still just read books.

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Sony Challenges Kindle With $199 E-Reader

Company angles for bigger share of fast-growing market

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Sony • consumer electronics • Kindle • Amazon.com • ebooks • e-readers • Sony Reader

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Kindle Users Borrow 300K eBooks Monthly

Ebook publishing program expands lending library

Guess How Many Kindles We're Buying a Week?

1M!

E-Books Now Pricier Than Real Books

Publishers set own prices, and set them high

Amazon Loses Money Every Time a Kindle Fire Is Sold

...and it's totally OK with that

Amazon Opens Lending Library for Kindle

But it's only for those who belong to its Prime program

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Company angles for bigger share of fast-growing market

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Sony • consumer electronics • Kindle • Amazon.com • ebooks • e-readers • Sony Reader

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Kindle Users Borrow 300K eBooks Monthly

Ebook publishing program expands lending library

Guess How Many Kindles We're Buying a Week?

1M!

E-Books Now Pricier Than Real Books

Publishers set own prices, and set them high

Amazon Loses Money Every Time a Kindle Fire Is Sold

...and it's totally OK with that

Amazon Opens Lending Library for Kindle

But it's only for those who belong to its Prime program

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