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Sony Reader announces new line of e-readers

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Today Sony announced its new electronic Reader line. The new Readers have more memory and improved screens.

The new Reader Daily Edition is able to download ebooks from Sony’s store without a cable and do limited Web browsing using AT&T’s 3G wireless network. The device has a 7-inch touch screen and comes with 2GB of memory, expandable to 32 GB. Its base price is $299.

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Sony, which was one of the first out of the box with an e-reader for books, has lagged behind competitors Amazon and Apple by not expanding its 3G wireless connection to all of its models.

The new Reader Touch Edition retails for about $229; it has a 6-inch touch screen, the same 2 GB of upgradable memory and can play audio files. It comes in black and red.

The new Pocket Reader is the smallest of the three, with a 5-inch touch screen and 2GB of memory. At $179, it’s still not quite competitive with Amazon’s Kindle, which has a $139 version. Then again, it’s the only major ereader to come in pink.

Sony also announced that it is improving its ebook store. If what readers can buy where is becoming a major factor in choosing an ereader, soon the navigability of store sites will become equally important. Sony has announced that it has integrated the N.Y. Times bestseller list, which is already in place at Amazon and Apple. But in a new twist, it will soon integrate Goodreads member reviews in its store.

The new Pocket Reader and Reader Touch are available now; the Reader Daily Edition is expected to be ready for the holidays.

[Corrected at 5:37 p.m.: An earlier version of this post said that 3G wireless had not previously been available on Sony Readers. 3G has been available on the Daily Edition Reader since August 2009.]

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-- Carolyn Kellogg

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