Sony Listens to Us & Creates PRS-600 Touch eBook Reader

The electronic book market is starting to pick up some momentum and Sony is increasing its stake today. Remember before netbooks exploded there were only 2 real entrants. The same is true today with for eBook readers. Sony and Amazon are both knee deep in the nascent market and both have recently adjusted their offerings. Sony's latest top of the line model, the PRS-600 Touch Edition, keeps the touchscreen but drops the back-light. The e-Ink display has been upgraded to improve contrast and readability but the size has stayed the same (6 inches) as it's predecessor the PRS-505. They are also releasing a bare bones pocket model with only a 5 inch screen. Book selection and search are handled by a touch screen menu system and pages can either be flipped by a swiping gesture or with hardware buttons. The touchscreen is also useful for taking notes with the included stylus or alternatively with a touch keyboard. These can be downloaded and saved at will.

This release comes on the heels of the recent announcement that Sony had managed to merge Google's open book project with Sony's already large downloadable library. The combination of the free library and Sony's book market give it almost limitless content offerings. Books are easily uploaded via USB or stored on Memory Stick Duo cards which make carrying around a HUGE reference library extraordinarily simple. These should reach mass availability at the end of August for $299.