Sony Releases New Touchscreen e-Readers with Limited Connectivity
There are still three "editions" of the Sony e-book readers, but they have all been updated. That doesn't necessarily mean they're better than the competition though.
The biggest problem is that the Pocket Edition (PRS-350) and Touch Edition (PRS-650) don't have any kind of wireless connectivity, which is becoming a standard feature in e-book readers and is a must-have for mobile devices in general. Only the Daily Edition (PRS-950) has 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.
All three units have an improved digital ink screen , though, similar to the updated screen in the new Kindle. The Pearl e-ink display has better contrast and speed than the previous version. According to Sony, it has also improved the sensitivity of the tough screen.
One of the fairly unique things about the Sony e-readers is that they each come with a stylus to let you take notes on a page.
Despite all the perks, the pricing will undoubtedly be the biggest problem for the Sony e-readers . The 5-inch PRS-350 Pocket Edition is $179, the 6-inch PRS-650 Touch Edition is $229, and the 7-inch PRS-950 Daily Edition is $299.
That means the cheapest Sony e-reader has a smaller screen and no connectivity but is still $40 more expensive than the Kindle , which has Wi-Fi. In fact, the Kindle version with both Wi-Fi and 3G is only $10 more expensive than the Sony Pocket Edition and still cheaper than the other two.
