PubWeekly: E-Comics on Sony's E-Reader

E-Comics on Sony's E-Reader - Publishers Weekly reports: "Senior New York publishing executives were out in force last week at the official launch of the Sony Reader, the latest entry in the development of a secure handheld device for the convenient digital distribution of print content. The likes of HarperCollins CEO Jane Friedman, Random House Ventures president Richard Sarnoff and Penguin USA president David Shanks were at the W Hotel, where Sony announced that Borders Books and Music will be the exclusive holiday retailer for the device, selling the Sony Reader in 300 Borders stores, outfitted especially to sell them.

Sony v-p Ron Hawkins said Sony's publishing partners have made about 10,000 titles available to buy and download to the device, including more than a dozen comics titles, all of them either Tokyopop original manga or Harlequin’s romance manga titles. While comics are not the focus of the device, Hawkins and every speaker at the presentation were careful to mention 'graphic novels' very loudly at every opportunity. These days comics manage to get some sort of acknowledgment even when they're a throw-in item.

The new device is small (5'x7'), half an inch thick, weighs about 9 ounces and can hold approximately 80 full-text books that can be purchased online through Sony's proprietary Connect Store. The device will cost $350, and Sony is hoping to lure consumers by offering a $50 credit toward the purchase of e-books. The black and white reading device can also be used to view .jpgs and Adobe documents and can be used to download Sony-selected RSS feeds and blog content for free."

I'm not sure I get it. 350 bucks, black and white, 5 x 7... this feels like the e-book readers that flopped a few years ago. Am I missing something?