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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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5

Sony Challenges Kindle With $199 E-Reader

Company angles for bigger share of fast-growing market

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(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.
A Sony Reader Touch Edition.   (AP Photo/Sony)
In this product image provided by Sony, a Sony Reader Pocket Edition is shown.
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.
Amazon cut the price of its Kindles to $299 last month.   (©Jacob B?tter)
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5 comments
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DarkFrancis
Aug 5, 09 2:38 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. Reply
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+3
Timinator2K
Aug 5, 09 7:54 AM 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. Reply
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+1
IN RESPONSE:
Timinator2K
Aug 5, 09 7:58 AM 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.
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+2
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ListenEllipse
Aug 5, 09 8:15 AM CDT
The first publisher to push for all digital publication will be the first to go out of business. Printed books are preferred by most consumers and even if it means higher profits for publishers, it will also mean much lower sales. Calm down, printed books will be the majority for a long time to come. And you can already rent college text books online, it's half the cost, but I've never heard of anyone doing it (since you don't save any money because you can't sell the book back when you are done).
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Cegorach
Aug 6, 09 3:19 PM CDT
I already have a 'Sony Ebook reader'... except i call it a PSP... thank god for homebrew apps Reply
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