PC Mag has a video review of the new Sony reader that *should* be available in the October or November timeframe.  I have always questioned the creation of such a device.  I think that the E ink solution is a very, very great solution and I can see a lot of good uses for that technology.  I do not think that a dedicated reader is one of them.  The only exception to this is if they have a lot of great content at the start.

The Sony reader will use (yet another) Sony proprietary DRM through their Sony Connect service in order to get content on the reader.  The reader will also support private content such as .pdf and .doc files.  It is also rumored to have a built in rss aggregator as well.  It will have 128 megs of internal memory with expansion slots for SD and (of course) Memory Card.  It will have support for MP3 playback as well.  The price point is said to be around $300 - $400.

I do not know how many people will use a dedicated e-reader to start with.  My opinion, I already carry a phone, MP3 player, and tablet with me on my flights.  Do I really want to carry another device with me just to read books?  No, I would just use my tablet to read/listen to books and magazines.  There are several advantages that a dedicated (specifically the Sony Reader) has over a tradional tablet, origami, laptop device.  Here is my list of advatanges of a dedicated e-reader:

• Battery Life - Sony claims that there reader will last 7500 page turns on one charge.  This is a result of the E ink technology that only requires power on a page flip.  Since notebooks would require power at all times, the battery life on a dedicated reader would be greatly enhanced.


• Readability - Again, the E ink technology is great for readability.  You should be able to read books on the e-reader in the brightest of sunlight.


• Size - The Sony Reader will only weight about 9 oz and be about 7 x 9 inches.  Compare that to the lightest of tablets being around 2.5 lbs with a 10 inch screen.


• Instant On - Who wants to wait around to start there reading on a book?  That is another advantage of a dedicated reader.


• Price - The rumored street price is around $300 - $300.  That would be great if you only bought an origami device ($800 - $1100) just for reading (not likely).

Conversely, here are the advantages of a laptop/tablet/oragami device over a dedicated reader:

• Additional functionality - The price above obviously does not take into account all the functionality that a full blown computer would give you.


• Color - The Sony Reader will only be able to display black and white books and pictures.


• Connectivity - The Sony Reader will not have any type of connectivity and the only way to get content on the device would be to plug it into, uh, a computer.  Using a tablet or laptop as a reader would allow you to get content on the go.


• Navigation - The navigation on the Sony Reader does not look that user friendly.  You basically have to press a button each time to scroll, etc.  This is because the E ink has to refresh.  Most tablets come with scroll controls that allow the user to scroll by holding down a button.


• Storage Space - You can store a lot more content (books, documents, blogs, and MP3s) on a full blown PC.

I just don't see the advantages of a dedicated e-reader for the given price point.  I would, I think, pick one of these up if they cost less than $200 and the content was good.  I think that these are not going to sell enough unless the content is there and knowing Sony's past (who owns a Sony walkman MP3 player), I don't think that will be there.  Who knows though?  Who would of thought that Apple creating a MP3 player would allow them to sell more Macs?