[meelk]

http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/01/stringer4.jpg
http://us.gizmodo.com/gadgets/sonyreader2.jpg
http://us.gizmodo.com/gadgets/sonyreader.jpg

This is the Sony reader that uses the display technology from E-Ink I’ve been hearing so much about. To give you an idea of just how good this display looks… I walked up to the counter, looked at the text on the screen and asked, “So when will you have working units to play with?” The reply: “This is a working reader.” I mistakenly though the text on the screen was some kind of plastic overlay—that’s how ink-like it looked. Then the PR rep increased the text size, searched through the table of contents and showed me some Manga comics. It is the first e-reader that seemed like I could sit down and spend hours on without experiencing eye strain. Part of the reason it works is that it does not have a backlight, so forget about reading in the dark. There is also zero flicker, as far as I could see. It’s small and lightweight too (.5 inches thick and smaller than a hardcover book). The reader accepts both Memory Stick and SD flash memory cards. It’s got a USB plug, and could be used to download and read websites, JPEGs or PDF docs. The battery life, as they are selling it, is equivalent to “7,500 page turns, avid readers can devour a dozen bestsellers plus War and Peace without ever having to recharge.”

The books will be available through the Connect Store, and there is some Connect software for managing your books (so far this is the only drawback). Random House, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin-Putnam, Simon & Schuster and Time Warner Book Group are all on board with titles, along with Manga publisher Tokyopop. Sony is promising to deliver this reader by Spring.


*impressions from CES - none of the above is my own text.

[Dakar]

Nice.

[starman]

/snore

[Mastrap]

The only possible benefit that reader has over and above a book is that you can take an entire library with you. That's the good thing.

But I read books in the bath, on the beach, on my way to work, in the kitchen while I am cooking. None of them needs batteries, if they get wet or stained they are cheap to replace. I can annotate them and flip through them quickly to find specific content. I like the way they look and feel a hell of a lot more than any reader I've ever seen.

And, to finish it all off, I am not buying anything Sony anymore.

[Goldfinger]

I'd be more interested in a newspaper sized screen that auto updates every day with the latest news. And from what I gather that would be possible. Could be expensive maybe.

[meelk]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

The only possible benefit that reader has over and above a book is that you can take an entire library with you. That's the good thing.

But I read books in the bath, on the beach, on my way to work, in the kitchen while I am cooking. None of them needs batteries, if they get wet or stained they are cheap to replace. I can annotate them and flip through them quickly to find specific content. I like the way they look and feel a hell of a lot more than any reader I've ever seen.

And, to finish it all off, I am not buying anything Sony anymore.

depends on your selection of ebooks..my selection is rather large. also, e-ink books only use power to update the screen, which is the beauty of e-ink. once the page is turned, theres no more juice used till you turn again. the battery life should be amazing. there is a huge market for this, regardless of your personal reservations. I find it tremendously exciting.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by meelk

there is a huge market for this, regardless of your personal reservations.

We shall see. So far all attempts to get the market excited about readers have failed. This has partly to do with the nature of books. Music is something we change on a whim, once we start reading a book we tend to stay with it. So there's little benefit of taking an entire library with you.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by meelk

regardless of your personal reservations.

He's not buying anything made by Sony because of the DRM fiasco.

[meelk]

Originally Posted by Person Man

He's not buying anything made by Sony because of the DRM fiasco.

ahaha. and Apple doesnt already use DRM, right? Every tech company with content is tremendously interested in drm right now, and will continue to be, I dont see that going away. Sony just got caught is all.

[meelk]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

We shall see. So far all attempts to get the market excited about readers have failed. This has partly to do with the nature of books. Music is something we change on a whim, once we start reading a book we tend to stay with it. So there's little benefit of taking an entire library with you.

I think it has to do with the crappy readers of the past and their insistence on reading their own ebook formats. pdf is pretty well standardized, and you can convert basically anything to pdf freely. I dont see that presenting the problem it once did. I dont see this taking the market by storm, no, but it could carve out a significant and healthy niche, and the tech will only improve.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by meelk

ahaha. and Apple doesnt already use DRM, right? Every tech company with content is tremendously interested in drm right now, and will continue to be, I dont see that going away. Sony just got caught is all.

There's a huge difference between open DRM (Apple) and installing a rootkit that is a: impossible to remove without damaging your computer and b: opens you up to virus attacks from third parties.

[JohnM15141]

I for one will be first in line if this lives up to it's promises!

I've been reading on Palm Computers for years!

I've been longing for a dedicated reader that wasn't too small or too big. Has a decent screen and can read multiple formats! You know, book size! This looks very good!

I'll be watching, and I agree there is a huge untapped market for this.

I've been using my Treo 650 as my eReader. But lately I've needed to use the Adobe format for techinical books which is impractical on a Palm, and seems a bit extreme to buy a laptop for that purpose especially since battery life on a laptop is so short, I can read on my Treo for a couple weeks w/o a charge as long as I don't use the Cell phone portion which I frequently don't when travelling international.

I hope this is it!

[meelk]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

There's a huge difference between open DRM (Apple) and installing a rootkit that is a: impossible to remove without damaging your computer and b: opens you up to virus attacks from third parties.

1)untrue: you can remove it safely, you just have to have the proper instructions and ability.
2)it doesnt open you to viral attacks, it simply provides a safe haven for the code to run from, where it cannot be cleaned by antivirus.
3)virus safety is up to the user on any pc. simply put, there are a lot of dumb people who are going to get infected regardless.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

So there's little benefit of taking an entire library with you.

Uhm, and how about vacation or long business trips ?
I would *NEVER* travel wiothout my entire library

-t

[Leia's Left Bun]

The design of the device is uuuugly.

[Cubeoid]

seen it in Japan, 2 years ago. Tres cool.

[meelk]

I dont see a benefit of taking 10,000 songs with you anywhere either, since youll reasonably never be able to listen to them all on a trip, but people still buy ipods.

[production_coordinator]

Originally Posted by meelk

I dont see a benefit of taking 10,000 songs with you anywhere either, since youll reasonably never be able to listen to them all on a trip, but people still buy ipods.

The main difference is, when I went on a LONG road trip, I didn't take 100 books with me... but I would bring 100 CDs.

Perhaps I'm getting old, but this seems like a novelty...

[Mastrap]

Music and books are very different. I can listen to a lot of different music in a day, a book typically lasts me for a week. On holiday or on business trips I tend to buy the books I want, then either give them away or take them back home. So for me a reader doesn't make sense, neither financially nor logistically.

Of course YMMV and your needs might be very different to mine. You might simply read more or read more books at the same time.

Other reasons I like books for:
I can drop a book with no ill effect.
If a book is lost or stolen it is cheap and easy to replace.
I can use a book to prop up a table.
If you fall asleep reading a book it doesn't get damaged if you accidentally sleep on it.
If you like reading in the bath a book is far more useful. A couple of drops of water or high humidity won't kill it.
Books are much cheaper.
Books don't need a power outlet. Ever.

Oh, and re. Sony, the rootkit was not user removable. Even Sony's first uninstaller did not do the job properly and left your machine vulnerable.

[Tesseract]

Originally Posted by meelk

1)untrue: you can remove it safely, you just have to have the proper instructions and ability.

True.

Originally Posted by meelk

2)it doesnt open you to viral attacks, it simply provides a safe haven for the code to run from, where it cannot be cleaned by antivirus.

It is my understanding that the Sony rootkit made network connections and reconfigured the system in a way that made it easier for a remote attacher to gain access. Perhaps I'm mistaken about this. It is definitely true that malware was using the file-hiding feature of the Sony software to hide itself.

Originally Posted by meelk

3)virus safety is up to the user on any pc. simply put, there are a lot of dumb people who are going to get infected regardless.

But in the Sony case, a lot of smart people got infected as well. No one expected an audio CD from a fairly reputable corporation to be a vector for malware.

[meelk]

Originally Posted by Tesseract

True.

But in the Sony case, a lot of smart people got infected as well. No one expected an audio CD from a fairly reputable corporation to be a vector for malware.

I dont know, maybe its just me, but I dont know a knowledgeable person who runs windows all the time that allows autorun to function. Autorun has been repeatedly proven to be evil, its simply a risk. I remember when record companies started talking about their grand new protection schemes years ago. They were all defeated by turning off autorun. This would indicate to anyone who can think for themselves that the discs were installing *something* to accomplish their drm tasks. Perhaps I expect too much out of normal people. I understand mom and pop and little jimmy just 'dont get it' when it comes to that kind of thing, but avid users should.

[slugslugslug]

I want it, though I don't know if I wanna pay the 300-400 dollars Gizmodo thinks it'll cost. But I'm the kind of person who drags 4 or 5 books to the coffeeshop because I can't decide what I'll want to read when I get there. This also seems like an excellent idea for people writing research papers, assuming they can get a lot of their sources in digital format.

Folks have mentioned reasons previous ebook attempts have failed, but I think they're forgetting that very few have had this e-Ink tech, which is drastically different from LCD. It looks like a printed page. I don't think I'm the only one who prefers the look of paper when reading something long and involved.

Apparently some other companies will be coming out with similar products this year. If I can find one that costs < $300 and works well with a Mac, I am so on it.

[meelk]

agreed. at $300 or less, I'm in. It is VERY well worth it to me for the amount of material I have at that price.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by meelk

I dont know, maybe its just me, but I dont know a knowledgeable person who runs windows all the time that allows autorun to function. Autorun has been repeatedly proven to be evil, its simply a risk. I remember when record companies started talking about their grand new protection schemes years ago. They were all defeated by turning off autorun. This would indicate to anyone who can think for themselves that the discs were installing *something* to accomplish their drm tasks. Perhaps I expect too much out of normal people. I understand mom and pop and little jimmy just 'dont get it' when it comes to that kind of thing, but avid users should.

Yes, and a smart, knowledgeable person knows that *something* needs to be installed for ANY DRM. They still expect a "reputable" company to install something that will be

A) *EASY* to uninstall completely. (yes, it's possible to uninstall Sony's software, but to completely remove it required intimate knowledge of Windows).

and

B) Does not resort to tricks to hide itself, thus opening up computers to another virus attack.

I consider myself a "smart, knowledgeable person" (using your definition above), and Sony HAD enough of a reputation that I would have trusted their DRM software. Fact is, they've REALLY hurt their reputation among us "smart, knowledgeable people" that is going to take YEARS to fix (if they don't screw it up again).

[meelk]

DRM is outright evil at its core. The current feeling of entertainment companies is that you dont own the music or movies you buy. I believe the DMCA effectively removed the consumers right to 'fair use'. This is bluntly a horrible thing to do and has only pissed off more people than its possibly prevented from pirating. I dont know why anyone would WILLINGLY install DRM in ANY form.
Need proof of this purely evil use of DRM?
http://itch.in/imager/coldplay-xy-leaflet/
the new Coldplay cd booklet. Nice. Of course all these restrictions are only visible AFTER you open the disc, including the no return/exchange.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by meelk

I dont know why anyone would WILLINGLY install DRM in ANY form.

Not all DRM is evil. Apple's DRM is a perfectly workable solution that preserves most of the fair use rights.

I have "willingly" installed iTunes and bought $250 worth of music from the iTMS over the last few years, when I could have bought the real albums and ripped them myself with no DRM. Nobody forced me to do it.

DRM, in and of itself, is not inherently evil. The "evil" is in the restrictions placed on the content, and in the intent of the companies that use it.

Eventually, the proper balance will be struck between fair use and the right to protect content from copyright infringement. Currently the balance is way too far in the content providers' hands, but as public awareness grows (thanks to Sony's "little trick"), things will come back towards more fair use rights.

Now, enough "off-topic" chat in here.

[OreoCookie]

Finally?
I've seen that two years ago in Osaka (Sony Tower) – you could buy a similar reader already

[Tomchu]

While I will never buy a Sony music CD again, boycotting an entire company and its technology for something unrelated is just stupid. Right now Sony has the best eBook reader available -- when it is released, and if it's priced well, I'll be getting one.

Why settle for something inferior just because "OH I HATE SONY OMG!!1!1!"?

[OreoCookie]

The one I've seen had 200 dpi: very pleasing, even for kanji (which obviously need a lot more detail than roman letters).

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by Tomchu

While I will never buy a Sony music CD again, boycotting an entire company and its technology for something unrelated is just stupid. Right now Sony has the best eBook reader available -- when it is released, and if it's priced well, I'll be getting one.

Why settle for something inferior just because "OH I HATE SONY OMG!!1!1!"?

How can we be sure that Sony isn't inserting "hidden" stuff in other products, without our knowing about it?

The only way we can really "send a message" to big corporations is to stop buying their products. Period.

I don't "hate" Sony. I'm not one who would avoid Sony just because it's Sony. But if there are comparable (key word: comparable) products available, I won't buy the Sony.

As I said before, it will take Sony a long time to earn back the trust many people once had for them, and only if they don't pull another stunt like this one.

[meelk]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie

Finally?
I've seen that two years ago in Osaka (Sony Tower) – you could buy a similar reader already

not with e-ink (i think), since e-ink is just coming to market globally afaik

[meelk]

Originally Posted by Person Man

and only if they don't pull another stunt like this one.

heh. well, there is that VERY nasty rumor being repeated in many places that sony has somehow managed to "marry" ps3 discs to their machines, effectively killing off both the rental market, and used market in one blow. essentially, once you play a disc in a machine, it wont work in another. I have no idea how this is technically feasible, or if its just bs floating around from an unknown source, but I have yet to see Sony deny it, and I wouldnt put it past them. I guess we will see as that machine nears launch.

[deomacius]

Originally Posted by meelk

heh. well, there is that VERY nasty rumor being repeated in many places that sony has somehow managed to "marry" ps3 discs to their machines, effectively killing off both the rental market, and used market in one blow. essentially, once you play a disc in a machine, it wont work in another. I have no idea how this is technically feasible, or if its just bs floating around from an unknown source, but I have yet to see Sony deny it, and I wouldnt put it past them. I guess we will see as that machine nears launch.

That seems like either an extremely boneheaded thing to do or a quick way to extort cash from gamers. So if my PlayStation dies or is replaced, (As I had to do with both my original PlayStation twice and my PlayStation 2) I have to repurchase all of the games I bought for the system? Sounds like suicide to me. Gamers would raze Sony headquarters.

[Tomchu]

Originally Posted by Person Man

How can we be sure that Sony isn't inserting "hidden" stuff in other products, without our knowing about it?

The only way we can really "send a message" to big corporations is to stop buying their products. Period.

I don't "hate" Sony. I'm not one who would avoid Sony just because it's Sony. But if there are comparable (key word: comparable) products available, I won't buy the Sony.

As I said before, it will take Sony a long time to earn back the trust many people once had for them, and only if they don't pull another stunt like this one.

We're talking about an eBook reader here. This was most likely designed by a completely different department than those who were responsible for Sony's DRM fiascos.

Unless you're one of those paranoid Slashdot morons, I don't need to tell you that it's just an eBook reader. What is Sony going to do? Spy on the titles of the books you read, and then use the secretly-implanted WiFi module to access a wireless network and report back to Sony? :-P

[Leia's Left Bun]

This is the problem with Sony.

They make some of the best products I have ever owned. BUT, the company is so big and each department is essentially self contained Sony's left hand doesn't know what its right is doing. This is one of the problems the new CEO said he would fix.

Sony Music has never called the television department, nor has the Playstation ever worked with the cell phone department.

When one part of the company makes a stupid mistake people reflect that on the company as a whole.

I don't touch Sony music but I love their, Playstation, Camera, Television and Cellphones.

So get over this whole DRM thing.

[slugslugslug]

Originally Posted by meelk

Originally Posted by OreoCookie

Finally?
I've seen that two years ago in Osaka (Sony Tower) – you could buy a similar reader already

not with e-ink (i think), since e-ink is just coming to market globally afaik

What OreoCookie saw was probably the Librie, the Japan-only predecessor to the Reader. That thing had some ridiculous short-expiry proprietary DRM on it (though I think someone may have hacked it to view PDFs or at least ASCII). It definitely had some kind of e-paper tech, if not the Philips eInk used in the Reader. The Librie's display was supposedly awesome as well..

[meelk]

yep. the librie was indeed e-ink (googled it). amazing it hasnt made it out to the world market faster, that was april of 2004. oh well, at least we know the bugs are all ironed out by now