Sony Adds Touch To Entire Reader Family

Sony revamped its line of Reader digital books and introduced the new Reader Pocket Edition, Reader Touch Edition and the wireless Reader Daily Edition. The new generation of Readers has been restyled and is now lighter and smaller in comparison to previous generations. All of the new Readers also have touch screens and E Ink Pearl electronic paper displays.  Other new features for the line include content zoom, adjustable contrast and brightness control, and automatic multiple page creation. Among the included dictionaries are the New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English eDictionaries, and 10 translation dictionaries in languages such as French, German, Spanish, Italian and Dutch.

The new Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350) features a 5-inch touch screen and comes in silver and pink. It has 2GB of onboard memory which Sony says is capable of storing up to 1,200 of books. The Reader Pocket Edition will sell for about $179. 

Sony PRS-350 Pocket Edition

The new Reader Touch Edition (PRS-650) sports a 6-inch touch screen and 2GB of onboard memory. In also has dual expansion slots for up to 32GB of additional memory and the ability to play MP3 and AAC audio files. It’s available in black or red for about $229.

The Reader Daily Edition (PRS-950) has built-in wireless capabilities so you can connect to Sony’s Reader Store via AT&T’s 3G network. It will also provide Wi-Fi and basic Web browsing capability on its 7-inch touch screen. The Reader Daily Edition has 2GB of memory and expansion slots for up to 32GB of additional memory. It comes in silver and will sell for about $299.

The new Reader Pocket Edition and the new Reader Touch Edition are currently available while the new Reader Daily Edition is expected to be available in time for the holidays.

Sony PRS-650 Touch Edition

In addition to the new generation of Readers, Sony also made several changes and improvements to its Reader Store. The store offers more than 1.2 million titles and Sony says you can expect even more titles soon. The store also has a Library Finder application that provides access to your local public library so you can borrow eBooks for free.

In an attempt to extend the Reader experience to multiple portable devices, Sony also announced a set of applications for iPhone and Android. Later this year, Sony's Reader Desktop Edition (formerly Reader Library) for Apple’s Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows and Reader Mobile Edition for Apple iPhone and Google Android-based smartphones will enable users to synchronize their reading among multiple devices. These applications will be free and will also enable you to manage content with non-wireless Reader models.

Sony PRS-950 Daily Edition