Q & A with Ron Hawkins

Ron Hawkins is vice president of SONY Electronics.


Q: What is the genesis of the Reader and how long has the product been in development?
A: In Spring 2004, SONY Electronics launched an e-book product in Japan. The LIBRIe came with an associated content service and represented the first use of the innovative “electronic paper” display from E Ink Corporation. Following significant consumer and media buzz about the LIBRIe here in the States, SONY studied the possibility of creating a U.S. version of the device. We subsequently determined that there was sufficient interest and a market need for the product.

Q: Reader is a dedicated platform for e-books that makes it easy for users to take several books with them on trips, outdoors, and anywhere they may want to read. How will SONY attract interest from a generation that counts on electronic devices for mobile gaming, music, and communicating, but – before the launch of this device – not reading?
A: First of all, Reader has utility beyond digitized books, incorporating features that permit consumers to download and read personal documents and capture Internet content. As a result, users can carry around a wide variety of reading materials, including books, Internet content and personal/business files in one small device. We realize that today’s consumer has significant competition for his or her discretionary time, from all manner of electronic media. But no matter how many gadgets one has, one almost always has some kind of reading material as well. Most business people routinely travel with notebook PCs. Yet, they almost invariably print out long form documents (reports, market research, etc.) for convenience – and viewing a notebook PC for long periods is tiring on the eyes.

Q: What has been the primary barrier to wider adoption of digital reading devices?
A: The main obstacle to the widespread adoption of immersive reading on digital devices has been the lack of equipment tailored specifically for reading. SONY Reader fills this void with its electronic paper display, ideal size, and long battery life. SONY is planning to support content that is especially popular with today’s youth, such as Manga (Japanese comic books). This kind of edgy content, we feel, will make SONY Reader the “must have” device of 2006.

Q: Along the same line – what about Reader makes it useful and appealing to older consumers who may never have considered using e-books before?
A: Ease of use is the key factor for older consumers. And Reader allows users to magnify font sizes “on demand.” Large print books are limited in availability and expensive, so this feature could be significant for older consumers. It could also be particularly popular with aging baby boomers who find it increasingly difficult to read small type.

Q: One of the most groundbreaking aspects of Reader is the electronic paper display. How did SONY work with its originators to put this technology to practical use?
A: SONY has had a close working relationship with E Ink for several years, culminating in the development and launch of the LIBRIe device in 2004. SONY and E Ink engineers collaborated closely to implement this revolutionary display technology in the product. What readers will see is an electronic display that looks and feels like paper.

Q: What kind of input from users did you consider when creating Reader, and what features did users suggest that you ultimately provided?
A: SONY commissioned a quantitative Internet survey and conducted focus groups in New York and Chicago. We also took into consideration product reviews of the LIBRIe and reflected on customer comments about the device. We discovered that users wanted a compact, lightweight unit that could be easily operated with one hand. They found that the unit’s ability to vary font sizes and store multiple titles, including personal documents and web files, highly compelling and useful. They told us these features provided a meaningful advantage over physical books, and that they also greatly valued the E-Ink technology. They didn’t like the idea of disposable batteries, which prompted us to incorporate an internal rechargeable battery into Reader.

Q: How many titles can Reader hold, and how easy is it for a user to switch from one title to the next, or to go to a Word document, PDF or other type of document?
A: Reader’s internal memory can hold approximately 75 digital books and, with a large capacity memory stick or SD Card, this capability can be expanded to hundreds of books, allowing a user to transport an entire personal library. Usability was a top priority for us, so flipping a page or changing a title is as simple as pushing a single button.

Q: What is SONY’s strategy for rolling out updated versions of Reader?
A: SONY is committed to this product category and we plan to build a complete product line, including a wide complement of accessories and additional devices for specific applications. We are also considering the possibility of “special edition” Readers that incorporate specific literary themes.