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The decision to refresh its line of Reader devices was probably an easy one for Sony. After all, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble recently stacked the decks in their favor by launching new, lower cost eBook readers, so sitting on the sidelines just wasn't an option, or at least not a very good one.
Sony gave its entire three-member Reader family a makeover, which includes the Pocket, Touch, and Daily editions. Each one has been retooled with an improved optical touchscreen, peppier page turns, and higher-contrast E-Ink Pearl displays, the same that is used in the new Kindle and Kindle DX.
Model numbers have changed, and so has some of the pricing. The Pocket Edition jumps from PRS-300 to PRS-350 and sells for $180, while the Touch Edition goes from PRS-600 to PRS-650 and comes priced at $230. Both are available now. The larger Daily Edition will ship sometime this fall for around $300.
For whatever reason, only Sony's flagship Daily Edition will ship with built-in wireless, a curious omission when the competition is cramming Wi-Fi modules into their lowest priced readers, both of which are priced at under $150. But on the bright side, early reports suggest Sony managed to noticeably improve both the touch screen responsiveness and the contrast.
Specs break down as follows:
Sony Pocket Edition (PRS-350)
$180
5-inch screen
5.64 oz
2GB onboard memory (up to 1,200 eBooks)
USB 2.0 connectivity
Text: ePub/ACS4, PDF, Microsoft Word, and other text file formats
Silver and Pink color options
Sony Touch Edition (PRS-650)
$230
6-inch screen
7.93 oz
SD and Memory Stick Duo Expansion slots
Headphone jack
MP3/AAC audio support
Black and Red color options
Sony Reader Edition (PRS-950)
$300
7-inch screen
8.99 oz
4GB memory
Wi-Fi
Image Credit: Sony Read more at....
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