Sony is stepping up its efforts to compete with Amazon’s Kindle. In fact, they’ve made some significant changes lately that might have Kindle
users wondering whether they should switch. By the end of this year, Sony will be offering all their digital books in ePub format instead of Reader format. Developed by IDPF and now used for Google’s public domain books, the format is compatible with Sony readers, iPhones, Android handsets, and quite a list of other readers. Actually, Sony provides a link to Google’s books on their website. Sony’s also ditching its own anti-copy software and picking up Adobe software instead. The new software limits how often e-books can be shared and copied, so when you buy from Sony’s store, you can use your purchases on other supported readers, like your iPhone.
Sony’s goal is not only to compete with Kindle , but to keep a one-company domination of the e-book industry from happening (re: Apple iPod with digital music). By attempting to standardize e-publishing and reader platforms, they might accomplish their goal…and win over some Kindle users. They aren’t scrapping anti-piracy software completely, but they seem to have a much firmer grasp of what people want and what methods don’t work than does Amazon.
Just this month Sony announced price cuts on its e-books from 11.99 to 9.99, now matching Amazon’s. They launched two new readers priced at $199 and $299. I’ve got to admit that their new readers are definitely sleek and attractive (anyone else thinking iPod when they see those?). This piece from the New Yorks Times expounds the price wars and the future concerns for authors caught in the middle.

