Sony quits the e-reader market

Sony launched the Librie back in 2004 as the world's first electronic ink reader. Unfortunately, last Friday the company announced that the Sony Reader PRS-T3 will not get a successor and they will exit the e-reader market once the stock of the Sony Reader PRS-T3 runs out.

Sony Reader PRS-T3 entered the European market last fall but never made it to the United States. Sony has left the North American ebook market at the end of March, but also abandoned Australia and Europe shortly after that. Some rumors claimed that Sony would develop a new e-reader together with Kobo, but now is certain that they will remain only rumors.

After pioneering the e-reader market with the Sony Librie, Sony were also the first ones to launch a mid-size such device, their 7-inch PRS-900 arriving in 2009, no less than four years before the 6.8-inch Kobo Aura HD.

The only e-ink device by Sony still in production which may get a successor is the 13.3-inch Sony Digital Paper DPTS-1, but this one targets the professional market and has a price tag of over $1,000 USD.