I'm sure you've heard of e-books, and probably even e-book readers. They never really took off.
Well, Sony is back at it, but this time they appear to be doing it right. They're using electronic paper technology from E-Ink, o­ne of the foremost researchers in this field. I reported o­n electronic paper from Fujitsu Labs back in January. This is the first commercialization of electronic paper technology, and certainly not the last.
Not o­nly is the device extremely thin, it o­nly requires power when changing the display. Although the device is not being powered, the image will remain. Such is the magic of electronic ink. As a result, 4 AA batteries will last for about 10,000 page turns.

Sony has an English press release currently available, so I won't bother translating the Impress Watch article about this. Here it is, unedited by me:

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The following information is true and accurate at the time of publication.
March 24, 2004



First-Generation Electronic Paper Display from Philips, Sony and E Ink to Be Used in New Electronic Reading Device

Tokyo, Japan , Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Cambridge, MA, USA, March 24, 2004 -Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI), Sony Corporation(NYSE: SNE) and E Ink Corporation announced today the world's first consumer application of an electronic paper display module in Sony's new e-Book reader, LIBRIé, scheduled to go o­n sale in Japan in late April. This "first ever" Philips' display utilizes E Ink's revolutionary electronic ink technology which offers a truly paper-like reading experience with contrast that is the same as newsprint.

The Electronic Paper Display is reflective and can be easily read in bright sunlight or dimly lit environments while being able to be seen at virtually any angle - just like paper. Its black and white ink-on-paper look, combined with a resolution in excess of most portable devices at approximately 170 pixels per inch (PPI), gives an appearance similar to that of the most widely read material o­n the planet - newspaper. Because the display uses power o­nly when an image is changed, a user can read more than 10,000 pages before the four AAA Alkaline batteries need to be replaced. The unique technology also results in a compact and lightweight form factor allowing it to be ideal for highly portable applications.

Sony's e-Book reader LIBRIé, the first device to utilize Philips' display solution for enhanced reading, is similar in size and design to a paperback book. LIBRIé allows users to download published content, such as books or comic strips from the Internet, and enjoy it anywhere at any time. LIBRIé can store up to 500 downloaded books.

"In today's mobile world, we know that the quality of the experience and ease-of-use are important in driving consumer adoption of mobile devices. Up until now, consumers have been less willing to adopt e-reading applications because of poor display quality o­n cumbersome devices," said Mr. Yoshitaka Ukita, General Manager, e-Book Business Dept, Network Application & Content Service Sector, Sony Corporation. "This display solution provides a level of text clarity comparable to paper. Combined with our thin, lightweight device design, this novel e-Book reader offers users an enjoyable experience and the freedom to access material at their convenience."
"While the way people experience entertainment has changed dramatically with the rapid growth of portable entertainment devices like music and movie players, the way people read books, magazines and newspapers has not," said Jim Veninger, general manager, Emerging Display Technology, Philips Electronics. "The precision of this new high-resolution electronic ink display technology will revolutionize the way consumers read and access textual information."

The commercialization of this revolutionary display technology is a result of a strategic collaboration started in 2001 among E Ink Corporation, Toppan Printing and Philips together with Sony. Over the past 3 years, the four companies have made significant developments in manufacturing the world's first high-resolution electronic ink-based display module designed specifically for reading-intensive applications.

E Ink Corporation supplies electronic ink to their manufacturing partner Toppan Printing, who in turn processes the ink into a thin film called frontplane laminate. Philips integrates E Ink's frontplane laminate with an active matrix backplane and adds the driving electronics component. Philips works with Sony to co-develop and customize display solutions for innovative mobile devices.

"E Ink is thrilled that our first commercial launch is in product by Sony", said Russell Wilcox, president of E Ink Corporation. "Since the inception of our Company our goal has been to change the way people receive and view information. The strength of our partnerships with Philips and Toppan Printing has helped to make this dream a reality."

The longstanding partnership has resulted in more than 100 patents between all of the companies in a wide range of innovations including chemistry, electronics and manufacturing processes.

About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is o­ne of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of EUR 29 billion in 2003. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, medical diagnostic imaging and patients monitoring, and o­ne-chip TV products. Its 164,500 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, semiconductors, and medical systems. Philips is quoted o­n the NYSE (symbol: PHG), Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located athttp://www.philips.com/newscenter.

About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and o­n-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading personal broadband entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $62 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003. More information o­n Sony can be found at http://www.sony.net/.

About E Ink
E Ink's technology delivers the look, form and utility of paper encompassing broad design freedom, manufacturing flexibility and the ultimate in readability and portability. Electronic Paper displays are currently being developed for many applications spanning handheld devices, wearable displays and transportation signage under two main product platforms: high-resolution active matrix displays and low-to-medium pixel count segmented displays. E Ink is a private corporation that includes among its investors and strategic partners TOPPAN Printing Company, Royal Philips Electronics, The Hearst Corporation, CNI Ventures, a division of Gannett Co., Inc, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Vossloh Information Technologies, and Motorola, Inc. E Ink news and information can be found at:http://www.eink.com/news.

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The above press release didn't mention the price - it will cost around 40,000 yen for just the reader itself, to be released April 24th.

Here's some pictures. Many more to be found at the Impress Watch articles listed below:






Anyway, there is a wealth of information about this device already available. Here's the links I've collected so far, with a few notes about each o­ne.

(Japanese) PC Watch article - Pictures galore:
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2004/0324/sony.htm

(Japanese) K-Tai Watch article - more pictures:
http://k-tai.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/18199.html

(Japanese) Internet Watch article - still more pictures:
http://internet.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/news/2004/03/24/2547.html

(Japanese) Sony Japan Press Release regarding technology:
http://www.sony.co.jp/SonyInfo/News/Press/200403/04-0324B/

(Japanese) Sony Japan Press Release regarding LIBRIé:
http://www.sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/200403/04-0324/

(Japanese) Publishing Link Press Release:
http://www.publishinglink.jp/press/20040324.html

(Japanese) LIBRIé Product Information:
http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/LIBRIE/

(English) Sony Globat Press Release:
http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/200403/04-0324E/ English

(English) E-Ink Press Release regarding LIBRIé:
http://www.eink.com/news/releases/pr70.html

(English) E-Ink Press Release regarding commercialization of E-Ink technology:
http://www.eink.com/news/releases/pr71.html