Sony revamps e-book Reader with reading lamp

Manuscripts illuminated

Having just released its second-generation e-book reader in the UK, Sony has now introduced the third version in the States.

Sony PRS-700 Reader: it was a .doc and stormy night...

The PRS-700 won't go on sale until next month, but when it does it will sport a 6in E Ink display and enough memory for 350 e-books - up from the PRS-505's 160-book capacity.

But the PRS-700's key new feature is an integrated LED reading light - handy for all those folk who like to read in bed without disturbing their partner.

That's probably not what makes the 700 heavier than its predecessor - 280g to 260g - that'll be the expanded battery, which offers a life of "7500 page turns", up from the 505's 6800.

Time to learn to read without using your finger as a guide?

The 700 can take MemoryStick Duo and SD memory cards, as before, and supports a range of e-book formats, including PDF, MS Word, BBeB, EPUB and text files. It's compatible with Adobe Digital Editions software, Sony said.

The new Reader will cost around $400 (£240/€290).

Sony PRS-505 Review

Sony PRS-700 Photo Gallery