Goodbye Paperbacks Hello Sony Reader

E-books have always been something I really find intriguing. I remember loading up Microsoft Reader on my Pocket PC years ago and trying to read The Time Machine by HG Wells on it. I think it was a free ebook but I never really got that far into it as the screen was really too small and the experience just unpleasant. The clear-type technology that was developed for the reader was cool so at least something came out of it.

I now have a Tablet PC and have posted an article about my plans to use ebooks this semester. I have even blogged about the experience now and then but I still think the idea of ebooks going mainstream and really causing us to ditch the paperbacks is still a ways off.

Well once again reading my Zinio copy of my PC Mag magazine before I go to bed I once again stumbled upon something of interest. (I really need to stop this so I can start getting to bed on time) I wanted to post it now while the idea was fresh in my head and also I will probably forget about it in the morning. Anyways there was a topic with head line E-books, Round 2 : Can innovative new designs convince people to chuck their paperbacks? (Rupley, Sebastian PC Mag, 3/21/2006) that really got my interest. Maybe its because it made me remember my days of using Microsoft Reader on my Pocket PC or my current relationship with ebooks as digital textbooks. It could also be that I finally listened to Podcast #3 and #4 from Tracy and Eric today (which was a very good listen by the way) so the idea of going paperless was already floating around in my head. Regardless it was a cool article and if you subscribe to PC Mag you should check it out. They usually post many of the articles in the magazine a few weeks later on their website but I can't find it there yet, but it may show up in the next few weeks so be on the look out if your interested.

The article centered around the Sony Reader, which supposably has worked else where and has Sony hoping it will persuade many others here in the US to jump on the digital ebook train. The reader is completely dedicated to serving the purpose of a ebook reader and even has very similar dimensions. A quick google of it let me here and its a very cool site displaying the many features of the Sony Reader.

It is definitely a cool gadget but with a price of around $300 and an already reluctant crowd I really wonder if Sony's Reader will have us curling up by the fire with an ebook.

posted by Jason Dorko at 1:10 AM 0 comments links to this post