Sony Developing Large-Screen eBook Reader

On the whole, there are things about the Sony eBook reader we like better than the Kindle. Sure the Kindle has all the benefits of setting trends and making others follow (as you can infer from the headline) but Sony does do a few things right and that's why we're excited that, if the rumors play out, we'll see a large-screen Sony eBook reader giving the newest Kindle DX some competition in the near future.



According to DigiTimes, the same company makes the screens for both the Kindle and the Sony eBook readers. Prime View International (PVI) has said Sony is expected to have their competition to the Kindle DX out later this year. Really exciting because we think it'll probably have a touchscreen. The only problem will be price. Where Amazon's device can look like a plastic toy, the Sony PRS-700 is sleek and sexy - but you pay for it. We estimate a larger screen version from Sony will probably come in around $550, about $60 more than the Kindle DX. But it'll have a touchscreen, which would probably end up being infinitely better for college students and their textbooks. If Sony can get their device on market before the school year starts, they have a prime market.

Sad news from PVI is that their development of a color e-ink display is on hold until 2010. It sounds like they're close but it's not quite right yet. So we'll have to wait until they perfect the process. Since you have some time to kill (while you're waiting for the color displays to show up) take a chance to peruse our offering of the best eBook readers currently available (sorry, DX isn't available yet) on the market and keep up with the latest tech news with these other blog posts:

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