San Diego
– Sony announced it’s first 3G wireless e-reader is available for pre-order at
and
; however, it is not clear
that the unit will ship prior to Christmas, as planned.
SonySyle.com said pre-orders of the Sony Reader Daily Edition
will ship to consumers between Dec. 18 and Jan. 8. A Sony spokesman said
details on which retailers will carry the product will be announced next month.
Also next month, Sony will announce newspaper and magazine partners for its
e-book store, it said.
The $399 Reader Daily Edition, unveiled
in August, is Sony’s first e-reader to offer over-the-air downloads of e-books. It has a 7-inch touchscreen and allows users
to take handwritten notes with a stylus pen or virtual keyboard that can be
exported or printed. It also includes an embedded dictionary so users double
tap on a word to access its definition.
The device holds more than a thousand e-books and has memory-expansion
slots for additional books. Wireless
service is provided at no charge, as on the Amazon Kindle and on the Barnes
& Noble Nook, which is currently offered for pre-order at BN.com with
shipment promised by Dec. 25.
