TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home

Sony Reader comes to The Netherlands

By Paul Biba

I received the following email from reader Jeroen van Duffelen. The press release is quite long and I’ve placed a Google translation after the break.

Some interesting news for the site. Yesterday Bol.com organized a big media event with Sony to announce their e-reading innitiative.

Some highlights from the event:
- Customers can pick their own device, Bol.com sells its e-books in the ePub format and allows customers to use their ebooks on 4 devices at the same time.
- Bol.com partners with Sony and sells different devices (http://www.bol.com/nl/m/elektronica/e-readers/index.html)
- Over 10.000 English books, starting with 3000 Dutch E-books.
- Price model is variable, but most of the books will be 20% cheaper than the paper versions.

I dont have the time now to translate the press release so I quickly point you to it now. Maybe with google translate you’ll be able

http://www.bol.com/nl/m/persberichten/pers-bolcom-sony-breken-digitale-boekenmarkt-in-nederland-open/index.html
Digital read: renewal of the first since the invention of printing books read
Bol.com in Sony digital break open book in Netherlands

Digital read today is a fact. In a crowded Ketelhuis bol.com announced this afternoon in Amsterdam with their plans to manufacturer Sony on “Digital Reading”. They do so with an initial digitization of the book in the Netherlands, the first innovation in the way of reading since Gutenberg’s printing press inventions go. Besides the fully equipped bookshop bol.com Sony introduced digital – even for the European launch – its latest generation of e-readers: Touch Sony Reader Sony Reader Edition Pocket Edition. Although e-readers in Great Britain to America in the most natural thing in the world, and some digital reading with some one hundred copies sold in its infancy. With the introduction go attractively priced Sony Readers availability in the tens of thousands of digital books via bol.com will Popularity or digital reading of the coming months a huge take flight, says the media store.

After delivery of the first copies of Sony Readers Daniel Ropers, CEO of bol.com, bol.com explained with Sony in digital books to read how they break into digital especially for a wide audience to make accessible. From media giant electronics store focus on ease of use in consumer-friendly prices. So Sony Readers in bol.com available starting today from € 199, a much lower price than previously paid for a consumer e-reader. The big book wide range of Dutch International Writers is available worldwide within seconds. The digital books are about 20% cheaper on average than a physical copy. So now everyone reading digital play. All participants received after the presentation of the new Sony Reader Touch or Pocket Edition to “Digital Reading ‘for yourself.
Bol.com think this year a thousand e-books to readers in digital sales. In the United States created by the e-reader at a significant development. In Europe earlier versions of the Sony Reader were to be available in several countries, including Britain, France and Germany. Rick Londema, managing director of Sony Benelux: “In the Netherlands our latest generation long awaited Readers. The desire to read digital bol.com Netherlands want to make really big, with all our ideas came about. This collaboration provides an excellent addition to our electronic readers and the ability to read open wide for the Dutch consumer. We have the product, be it in content or interactive platform for Consumers. ”

Traditional conventional break

From media shop mobilized all parties from the book industry for the introduction of digital reading. Besides the agreement with Sony to supply its latest generation of readers bol.com works with many writers and publishers in their distribution channels the Central Book House. So now they can read digital gear towards giving users that it deserves.
Ropers: “A new phenomenon and digital read widely in introducing Netherlands is not good from one day to another. For everything new you with traditional conventional break in Consumer business partners. You do not just. This release intensive preparation is preceded two years. Bol.com provides a platform that today serves as the liaison between all parties necessary. In terms of hardware, we have looked for a partner who has repeatedly proven Ensure successfully combined with new technology content in the market to turn. In so that’s Sony. ”
Tens of thousands of digital books

Sony sought bol.com Besides working with writers to publishers to start with a critical amount of available titles. Ropers: “This is a prerequisite for a successful launch. Without any hardware digital books, but no one without buying a digital e-book reader.” Book lovers can from today to tens of thousands of Dutch bol.com in English-language digital books to buy and read their e-reader, including by Arnon Grunberg bestsellers, Sophie Kinsella in Marion Pauw. There are also free to download stories include Herman Koch, Susan Smit, Adriaan van Dis in Kluun. Bol.com this works together with the PCM Uitgevers at NDC | VBK and with a large number of independent publishers.
Bol.com hopes for the end of the next several years are making digital newspapers to offer. From Media Store allows users of the Sony Readers now have a trial for the NRC Handelsblad, itself already experimented with digital read.

E-reader: read like a real book

Sony Reader Sony launches Touch Edition Pocket Edition. Where Pocket Edition of Sony Reader is handy Klein, Touch Edition outperforms all other e-readers with the 6-inch touchscreen. Sony Readers to use E-ink technology, thus no longer has flickering screen. This provides a reading experience which is comparable with printed paper, both inside and outside. Besides reading a book Readers Sony offer more functionality: they can contain other files, such as PDF, viewing and storing in the Touch Edition is even possible to use the stylus (handwritten) notes. Also pictures belong in music possible.
From Readers thanks go to their ideal size. The space for memory cards in 320 books can be extended with additional memory: dragging piles of books on business or on holiday is past. Internet access worldwide via bol.com allows easy fast anywhere in a new book to buy and download: within seconds of the new book is eight p.m. to Reader. Sony Readers to guarantee a fully charged battery 8000 pages of reading pleasure, what is normal for two weeks long read.

On September 2 is the official launch of Sony Reader Touch Edition Pocket Edition in Europe. As of today, the Sony Readers to be ordered at bol.com: Pocket Edition for € 199, € 299 for Touch Edition. When you buy a Sony Reader provides 57 of the Dutch-English-speaking free digital media store in 76 books.

Digital read: Global trend in advance

Digital read in countries like the United States in several European countries in fact. In America, the sales in the first quarter of this year a growth of more than 200%. After the public endorsement from Oprah Winfrey on her e-reader or Available copies were sold within the shortest times.

In the Netherlands there are piecemeal initiatives in recent years in the field of digital reading. So far lacked a central platform for the digital book store to buy. That time is over.

For more information: www.bol.com / digital read www.sony.nl