Specs

This includes weight and dimensions. Dimensions barely matter in itself ; except when you dont like anything voluminous. In fact , you can easily adjust the font size so it would not matter if you a somewhat smaller screen. Nevertheless some file layouts like PDF works better in devices such as the Amazon Kindle DX, which happens to be some inches broader than its counterparts. Some electronic book readers e. G the Sony Pocket Edition and the Astak Pocket Pro weigh only six ounces while some like The Kindle and the Sony PRS-600 weighs around 11 oz.. If you are about to do plenty of dragging around, you will want one that is easy to carry.

Features

You may also have to have a look at features related to device support, memory, display and navigation ( touchscreen or keyboard ). You might need one with files which you can get access to using other gadgets like iPads and Android telephones through the installation of applications. You also need to glance at the e-book reader’s memory. You would need one with decent capacity. Memory ranges from 512 MB to 4GB. Ebook readers usually use the e-ink technology, except for the Pandigital Novel reader which uses TFT-LCD. Another gadget that has LCD technology which can also be used for ebook reading is the iPad. If you are about to do lots of reading, it is best that you go for this with minimum glare, which is mostly the case with ereaders employing e-ink technology.

Battery Life

This is one of the most important aspects you can look at, when you go visit web sites for EBook Reader Comparisons. You would not wish to lose battery right smack in the climax of a great book. If you’re going to bring it along for a lengthy trip, battery time would also matter. In product catalogs, battery life is mostly stated in pages. Some batteries run out at 7,500 page turns and some runs out at 9000 pages.

Content

Yet another critical aspect to look at would be the content-related information. Under this class is the info about the file types supported, as well as the ebook reader’s Internet capabilities. You might want one that has 3G connectivity, such as the Kindle and the Kindle DX, particularly if you’re always hunting for new stuff to download and read. Some units,eg the Bebook Neo, the Sony Reader PRS-600 and the BtN Nook, have WiFi connectivity ( the second is also 3G capable ), which, while not permitting your electronic book reader to connect independently, can connect to WiFi hubs, such as those in Starbucks.

With these EBook Reader Comparisons, you surely now have an idea about the players in the electronic book reader market. Begin looking at ebook readers apropos directions, features, battery life and content and you will soon find one that would suit your needs or wants completely.

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The US press won’t be getting their mitts on Sony’s latest eReader until tomorrow in NYC, but our friends to the north have been slobbering over the PRS-600 for the last few days. Verdict: wicked fast page turns, but too much glare. Hit the jump for a side-by-side comparison with the 505.

via Slash

The $299 PRS-600 has an improved touch screen.

(Credit: Sony)

After enduring a couple of rumors and leaks that took the lid off its latest e-readers a little earlier than it would have liked, Sony’s officially announced the two new models: the Reader Pocket Edition ($199) and Reader Touch …

Originally posted at Crave

The PRS-300 has a 5-inch screen, while the larger PRS-700 is a 6-inch model.

(Credit: Sony)

A couple of days ago I posted an item on how I’d heard whispers of a new Sony digital reader potentially hitting the market in August. Well, now some images and details of …

The PRS-300 is going to come equipped with a 5-inch screen and 440MB of storage. The PRS-600 however sports a 6-inch touchscreen along with audio outputs for what we can only assume is a text-to-speech or MP3 player. Neither service manual mentions anything about wireless connectivity which was the buzz a few days ago. Both models will be available in black, silver, and red whenever they are released.

I’m just curious to know if anyone in the CG audience has either of Sony’s eReaders: PRS-505 or PRS-700. Enjoy those classics!

SAN DIEGO, July 29, 2009 – The eBook Store from Sony, together with Google, today announced it is providing access to more than 1 million free public domain books – from classics such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island to biographies, historical texts, romance novels and hundreds of other genres. The announcement reinforces Sony’s commitment to providing consumers with the largest, most comprehensive selection of eBooks available. These titles, which Google has digitized as part of its Google Books project, are available in EPUB format and are optimized for current models of the Sony Reader Digital Book.

“We are committed to ensuring our customers have the freedom to discover and read content from the widest possible range of sources,” said Chris Smythe, director of the eBook Store from Sony. “We’re proud to offer access to the broadest range of eBooks today – from hot new releases, to New York Times Best Sellers, to classics and hard to find manuscripts such as those available for free from Google.”

From Sony’s eBook Store (ebookstore.sony.com), Reader owners with a U.S. location can download and transfer any of these titles to their PRS-505 or PRS-700 Reader. New eBook Store users can access available titles after setting up an account and downloading Sony’s free eBook Library software.

“As more and more people discover digital reading, it’s important to build an open platform to help them access and read books online,” said Adam Smith, product management director at Google. “We’re pleased to continue our collaboration with Sony so that more people around the world can discover and enjoy these books.”

Eighteen months and 2 hardware releases later there seems to be no sign of any imminent worldwide launch in the offing. US sales of the reader are strong – demand often exceeds supply and the device is out of stock quite often. Kindle book sales are also excellent (accounting for 35% of total sales when there is a Kindle edition on offer alongside the conventional printed versions) and the market for Kindle accessories is growing on a daily basis.

However, as impressive as current sales numbers are, it seems improbable that a company like Amazon would be satisfied with dominating the North American market whilst ignoring the possibilities on offer in the global arena. The fact that the Kindle’s main rival, (for the moment at least) the Sony PRS reader, is available worldwide and is enjoying an opportunity to establish brand loyalty in countries where the Kindle is unavailable must be a matter of some concern for Amazon.

Part of the problem seems to be the method of connection to the Amazon store. In the US, Amazon furnish a fee free 3G download service – by the name of “Whispernet” and provided by Sprint. It’s an attractive option for customers who perceive themselves to be less committed – albeit the cost of this service is reflected in the initial price of the hardware, the reader itself.

Recent discussions between Amazon and European telecoms service providers – T-Mobile and Vodafone – ended with Amazon suggesting that the service provider’s demands were “unreasonable”.

Considering that Sony have recently partnered with Google to make the search engine giant’s huge collection of public domain electronic books available free of charge to Sony PRS customers, and also bearing in mind that Apple will be releasing a tablet based notebook (perfect for reading ebooks) – it does seem reasonable to wonder how much longer Amazon can afford to wait before entering the global arena with its Kindle ebook reader.

On the other hand, it’s probably worth remembering that the Kindle was a pretty late edition to the ebook reader scene – the devices have been available since 1999 in various formats. It doesn’t seem to have done Amazon any great harm thus far and they may be confident that the time will be right when they say so and not before.

Royalty collector PRS for Music has cut its online streaming rate from £0.0022 per song to £0.00085 per song, which is music to the ears (punilicous) of struggling online music services. The decision comes after a lengthy consultation with music industry heavyweights and new media professionals who argued that by making music more readily available the publishers and artists stood to make more money in the long run. We7 CEO Steve Purdham, said: “On first glance, this looks like a good step in the right direction and it is pleasing to see that the PRS has listened to many of the consistent views from the consultation period. It is these minima which significantly affects the evolution of new digital businesses and the PRS have done a good job in going some way to address this problem.” PRS is, however, authoring new Online Music Licenses which will replace the old Joint Online License, meaning PRS is sticking to the notion that the artist should be paid everytime their song is played. Even it is Flo Rida. Seriously who is listening to Flo Rida – whoever you are, will you ruddy stop please. He’s just awful.