Sony Unveils Reader Digital Book in Canada

    Features Ground-breaking Technology and Access to More Than 40,000 Book
    Titles

    TORONTO, April 14 /CNW/ - The wish of avid readers and technology buffs
comes true this month with the debut of the Reader Digital Book from Sony in
Canada.
    The Reader (PRS-505) fulfills the promise of electronic reading in a way
that no other device does; coupling an innovative electronic paper display
with simple on-screen controls and stylish design. The Reader's controls
closely mimic paper page turns and allow for quick, intuitive navigation. The
high-resolution electronic paper display with its fast response and high
contrast ratio, delivers a realistic print look that rivals traditional paper
and results in crisp text and graphics that are readable even in direct
sunlight. And the option to magnify the text in three sizes offers an easy to
read experience.
    Travelers can carry as much as they want to read whether they are
traveling across the globe or just around the corner. With the capacity to
store up to 160 typical eBooks, and expansion slots for Memory Stick Duo(TM)
media or SD memory cards, the Reader acts as a practically limitless mobile
library. And with battery life equivalent to approximately 7,500 continuous
page turns, readers can devour multiple bestsellers without having to
recharge.
    "The Reader allows people on the go to carry a wide variety of reading
materials whether they are on a flight, in a waiting room, or outdoors," said
Gabrielle Holmes, Director of Marketing, Portable Audio, Sony of Canada Ltd.
"The Reader can handle a stack of books as well as other documents, yet offers
a 'book-like' reading experience unavailable with other electronic devices."

    The eBook Store from Sony

    Sony's online eBook store offers a broad and growing selection of fiction
and non-fiction, bestsellers, well-known authors, classics and more, with rich
descriptive content in the form of author biographies, expert book reviews and
reader commentary. Close to 40,000 eBook titles are available to download to
the Reader via the companion PC software, with new ones added daily. Explore
the eBook Store at ebookstore.sony.com.
    In addition to electronic books, the Reader can also store and display
personal and business documents in Adobe PDF format, RTF, text and JPEG
images. The USB-based mass storage capability allows the device to be used as
a portable drive for the direct transfer of documents, images and other files.
An auto sync feature also lets users set up folders with books and documents
that can be automatically synchronized when the device is connected to a PC.

    Pricing and Availability

    The Reader comes complete with USB cable, soft protective cover, and
eBook Library software and will be available for sale at the end of April at
www.sonystyle.ca , and at Sony Style retail stores across Canada (excluding
Quebec) for an MSRP of $299.

    About Sony of Canada Ltd.
    -------------------------
    Established in 1955, Sony of Canada Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Sony Corporation, of Tokyo, Japan, a world leader in High Definition. Sony
provides end-to-end solutions through products that include the market-leading
Blu-ray Disc(TM) players, BRAVIA(R) televisions, Cyber-shot(R) digital
cameras, Handycam(R) Camcorders, VAIO(R) computers, broadcast cameras, IPELA
security cameras and video conferencing and many more products that deliver
the true entertainment experience.
    Sony is one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the
world with a portfolio that includes electronics, music, movies, games and
online businesses.
    With headquarters in Toronto, sales offices in Vancouver and Montreal and
distribution centres in Coquitlam, British Columbia, and Whitby, Ontario,
approximately 1,200 employees support a network of more than 500 authorized
dealers and 79 Sony Style retail stores across Canada.
    Sony Canada is proud to support the communities in which it operates
through corporate sponsorships of organizations that include the
Make-A-Wish(R) Foundation Canada, the United Way of Canada and Earth Day
Canada.

    /NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available on
    the CNW Photo Network and archived at http://photos.newswire.ca.
    Additional archived images are also available on the CNW Photo Archive
    website at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited
    members of the media/

For further information: Sony of Canada, Candice Hayman, Public
Relations Specialist, (416) 718-5408, Candice_hayman@sony.ca