Sony Reader WiFi ups the bar for eBook Readers by adding a touch screen
Among the launches of Sony's IFA is one that could put a dent in the dominance of space Kindle eReader - 6-inch Wi-Fi Sony Reader. The new reader comes to only 168 grams, two thirds of the weight of the Kindle WiFi 3 and a number of advantages including faster page turns and smooth (we tried), and a double-sided touch screen for easy zoom.
The touch screen fits well with the form factor and slide a finger to turn the page, or pinching fingers and dissemination to zoom seems much more natural, especially if you have a tablet in your arsenal of gadgets .
You can also hold a word that does not recognize its significance to find and highlight text with a finger.
Comes with two English language dictionaries and ten dictionaries for students of foreign languages.
Unlike the Kindle, it will not bind an online bookstore (Amazon for the Kindle) as the sole supplier of reading material. The Sony Reader store now has over 2.5 million titles, but you can buy elsewhere, and is compatible with the public library e-book lending service that allows you to borrow books from public libraries (11,000 in last count, but only in the UK, USA and Canada at this stage). It is also cheaper and lighter than the model it replaces, but still more expensive U.S. $ 10 the Kindle in the U.S. $ 149.
The battery life of the new WiFi reader is somewhat smaller than the Kindle, and indeed almost all other ereader, but then three weeks with the WiFi is unlikely to pose too many problems unless you are planning a trip galaxies. If you're used to a tablet or a smartphone, any e-book will delight you with its frugal power consumption.
The internal capacity of 2 GB is not much compared to other electronic book readers, but is easily supplemented by the microSD card slot, if you want to supplement your reading with music or photos or audio books, which tend to occupy much more space for electronic books.
The reader of Wi-Fi comes in red, white and black and will be available in the UK, Germany and Austria in October.
Sony Reader WiFi ups the bar for eBook Readers by adding a touch screen
