Sony unveils a potential Kindle killer, and other e-books news

The choice of devices on which to watch books in digital format continues to expand, with Sony today announcing the company's first wireless e-book reader and another reader, from Irex, set to launch this fall.

Available in December, the new Sony Daily Edition has a 7-inch touchscreen and will receive content via a connection to AT&T's 3G data network. That wireless connection promises to duplicate what has been a key distinction to Amazon's Kindle e-book devices, which receive content over the Sprint 3G network. As with the Kindles, the new Sony's 3G connection comes at no additional cost and will allow the download of books, newspapers, and magazines, including some free e-book library rentals, says Sony.

At $399, the new Sony is priced higher than the Kindle 2, which costs $299 but has a smaller (6-inch) screen, but lower than the Kindle DX, whose $489 price tag and 9.7-inch screen have been criticized by some—including me—as a little excessive for most people. The Daily Edition will, however, share at least one welcome feature with the Kindle DX: The ability to view content either vertically or (as shown at right) horizontally.

Sony also confirmed the imminent availability of two previously announced Readers: the Sony Reader Pocket Edition, $199, the least expensive, if smallest-screen (at 5 inches), e-book reader yet to hit the market, and the Sony Reader Touch, $299, a touchscreen model that succeeds the Sony 700C. The Touch has a 6-inch screen and a capacity of 350 books. Now available for pre-order at Sony's website, these two models are expected to ship, and reach electronics retailers, on August 31. We plan to buy the devices by that date, and review them shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, we're also learning more about a new e-reader from Irex, the company that sells the pricey ($700 and up) Iliad e-book readers. The upcoming Irex will have an 8.1-inch display – larger than that of Amazon's Kindle 2 but smaller than the 10-or-so inch screens of the Kindle DX and Iliad 1000. The new Irex, too, will have a touch screen and 3G wireless connectivity (the carrier has not been disclosed.) While no prices have been announced, CNET predicts the new Irex will cost less than $400.

Irex this week announced [PDF] the new device will offer access to the Barnes and Noble eBookstore. B&N will also serve the Plastic Logic device, another e-book reader that will also connect to AT&T's data network. It's expected out in early 2010. —Paul Reynolds.