Read a book & play music; headphones not included

Sony and IRex Technologies are introducing Digital books that have the same resolution as the printed document, and also can make the “page” look like a real book, newspaper, etc. As we mentioned back during CES, the Sony®Reader, (PRS-500) plays MP3′s but headphones aren’t included. The Reader has a six inch screen and the font can be enlarged up to 200%. According to Sony’s specs on the device, the rechargeable batteries (recharge time is 4 hours) will allow 7,500 page turns and holds 80 average sized e-books. Books and more can also be stored on Sony’s MemoryStick or using an SD storage card.

The PRS-500 will be available this spring. The price is not specified on their web site, but the devices are expected to initially cost $250 to $400. I remember a few years back they tried to introduce a similar device, but the resolution on these early devices was not the same as the paper in real books. It was reported that the screens caused eye-strain and headaches. With the new screens, this should not be an issue.

Let me see… I pay about $35 per month ($420 per year) for a daily newspaper. Why I pay for it I’m not sure. Most of it can be viewed on the internet, but there is something about sitting on the couch or eating cereal while I read the paper. I could purchase the Sony Reader and pay it back in a little more than a year. Sounds like a great future for the Reader. Add all iPod-type audio and video features, a cell phone, and internet capabilities and you have it all.

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