Sony Exits North America eBook Market

Sony Selects Kobo to Bring its World Class eBookstore to Sony Readers in the US and Canada

In a weird twist, both Sony’s eBook division and Kobo are led by Japanese. It used to be, respectively, an American and a Canadian.

What the hell. One last kick in the gut to Sony for botching the tremendous potential of the Reader and for not listening to those who said it needed wireless from the start. Let me link to my original four-part post from 2006:

Sony Reader: Part 1 (of 4)
Sony Reader: Part 2 (of 4)
Sony Reader: Part 3 (of 4)
Sony Reader: Part 4 (of 4)

Sony Keeps Reader, Dumps PCs

Sony sells its VAIO PC business, is splitting TV arm into a separate company

Meanwhile, in Japan:

Sony is a company that’s lost its cool factor. They might be doing some seriously exquisite tech that sets them apart from everyone else, but they don’t seem to be able to effectively communicate it in a way that excites people.

It’s a very strange world where I can get excited over Chinese tablets that will never be sold in American stores yet news of Sony products makes me yawn — and Sony’s prices make me think they’re delusional.

Same-day update: It looks like the Reader isn’t going to be around either:

Sony closing e-bookstore, migrating customers to Kobo.

— Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly) February 6, 2014