Sony has announced a challenge to the Amazon Kindle with its new line of e-book readers. Last week at the New York Public Library, Sony unveiled the Sony Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300, $199) and the Reader Touch Edition (PRS-600, $299), both of which support the EPUB format.
EPUB support is big news because Google has made a million titles available for free in the EPUB format, and the Kindle—until now the market leader in the product category—can’t natively read EPUBs. (Google’s offerings are classics and public-domain titles.) Sony reader users will also be able to “check out” books for free from libraries that offer lending in the EPUB format.
Sony rounds out their reader line with the soon-to-be-available Reader Daily Edition, featuring a 7″ wide screen and 3G wireless, which gives users instant access to newspapers and magazines, as well as all the usual books. Like the Touch Edition, the Daily Edition includes a touch screen.
