The company has dropped prices and now claims this is the most affordable reading device in the market
The company has dropped prices and now claims this is the most affordable reading device in the market
Once, two people carrying backpacks and wearing leather shoes were walking around in a forest when they saw a savage bear in the distance, which was rushing towards them. One of them immediately threw his backpack down and pulled out some running shoes from them and started putting them on.
"You can't race that bear even with running shoes," pointed the other, to which the first man said, "Who cares about racing the bear? All I care about is running faster than you."
As a joke, this is crude and callous, but there is a point and this is relevant when you consider how Sony has timed the release of its new Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300). Sony claims that this product is the most affordable dedicated reading device on the market, and while we don't know how true this is, at $200, it is cheaper than the Kindle 2, which costs $299 after Amazon cut its price by $60 last month.
|
|
Priced right: Sony's new e-reader is poised to give the Kindle a run for its money Pic/Sony.com |
Small brother is watching you
Another thing that may help Sony is the recent snafu that Amazon underwent when it faced so much embarrassment over inclusion of George Orwell's book 1984. When Amazon deleted the books from its e-reader without the readers' consent, it faced a lot of bad blood. While people who have bought Kindle may undoubtedly continue with the device, people who were contemplating buying an e-reader but didn't until now because of price considerations may jump to the Sony bandwagon. After all, it is cheaper, and people may assume that, given the recent bout of bad publicity that Amazon is facing, Sony might be a better bet.
Round two
Of course, there is nothing to stop Amazon from reacting by dropping prices further, or by releasing a cheaper version of the Kindle to compete with the PRS-300. But the problem of the 1984 debacle may continue to haunt it for some time.
One of the woes that Amazon is currently facing concerns the court case filed by a Michigan high school senior called Justin D Gawronski, who has alleged that he took notes on the Kindle concerning the book, which have now become obsolete because Amazon deleted the book. While the outcome of the court case is anybody's guess, as long as this news lives on in the public's memory, it will give Sony a slight boost. A pity for Amazon surely, they are wishing that this issue will go down an Orwellian memory hole and disappear for ever!
QUICK TAKE>>Sony has released a new e-reader
>>It is $99 cheaper than the Kindle 2
>>It will get a big boost because of Amazon's 1984 snafu
Sony Reader Pocket EditionPrice: $199u00a0
Availability: End of August
Screen: 5" electronic paper display
Capacity: Around 350 standard eBooks
Battery backup: Up to two weeks on a single battery charge
Source: www.sony.com
