http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=17839600&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=-e-book--will-spark-a-revolution-in-how--we-read--says-sony--name_page.html
E-book' will spark a revolution, says Sony Sep 29 2006 Molly Watson, Western Mail APPLE'S iPod might have changed the way we listen to music, but electronics giant Sony claims its latest product is set to change the way we read. The company, which is headed by Welshman Howard Stringer, is this week launching in America the Sony Reader, an e-book that it claims will do for books what the iPod did for music. It is thought the product might help to boost the company's fortunes which have fallen over past few years as it has struggled to adapt to the changing digital environment. The company hopes that the launch will be smoother than that of its much anticipated PlayStation 3. The console has become something of a flagship for Sony in recent years but the latest incarnation has suffered delays. The new Sony Reader, which at around six inches long is the same size as a paperback, has memory that is capable of storing around 80 books, and hundreds more with the help of an extra memory stick. Previous e-books have not been successful because their electronic screens have caused eye strain, but Sony's latest model uses new technology which it claims is as clear as ink on paper. The technology is also more efficient, only using up power when the display is changed, which means reading time isn't limited by hours but by how many times you turn the page - the battery lasts for about 7,500 page turns according to Sony. The company is also accompanying the launch with the opening of an online book store, where customers can choose from up to 10,000 electronic books. This is similar to the way Apple - which Sony has lost ground to in the portable music market - sells music through iTunes. The device, which weighs just nine ounces and is only half an inch thick, costs around £190 and could be made available in the UK as early as next year. But Mike Reddy, an expert in technology at the University of Wales, Newport, said he thinks it is unlikely e-books will emulate the success of iPods. He said the success of iPods lies in the breadth of their capability. As well as storing and playing music, they also play audio files such as podcasts, can display pictures and some text, and also enable the user to store files on a hard drive as well. In comparison the e-book is more limited, and is bulkier to carry around. He said, "£190 is a lot of investment just to have a completely blank book considering how many books you can buy for that amount of money, or the fact that books are available for free at libraries. "Even with improvements looking at a blank screen will always be more of an eye strain than looking at a proper book especially as there is a temptation for people to read them in the dark. "It's also just another thing to carry around especially given that people have very powerful palm pilots and that most of these have an e-book function. "I think fundamentally e-books are useful: less trees killed, less petrol wasted from books being transported round the world. But a PDA [personal digital assistant] which does that as well is more likely to survive. "If you had an e-book where you could browse for recommendations, or if you like an author, look up interviews with them, in the same way that DVD extras work, then that would be useful." Mike Cooper, online editor at technology magazine T3 agreed. He said although e-books will become more widely used, it is unlikely they will ever be able to rival the traditional book. He said, "Books and music have a very different delivery method. There is always a romanticism about leafing through a book which you can't replicate on a screen. One of the shortcomings of e-books is that reading is a far more interactive experience than listening which is a bit more passive. "There's an immediacy with music; you can download a track and listen to it there and then and you might listen to 100 songs a day whereas a book you might read over a week or two." To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
