Sony finally set to open Reader ebook store

Sony has revealed it will open its delayed Reader ebook store in the UK this spring.

The electronics firm promised in September that the store would arrive in the UK by the end of October, allowing owners of Sony Readers to download books directly to their device. However, the store has yet to open some five months later.

In an email sent to customers over the weekend, Sony said the store would arrive this spring, but didn’t specify an exact date.

“We are working hard to bring you the best store possible,” Sony said. “We do understand that some of you have been eagerly awaiting its launch and we thank you for your patience.”

At the moment, there’s a Reader store for US and Canadian customers, while European Reader owners need to download from bookshop websites, such as Waterstones. The Reader uses the widely offered ePub format.

While it is apparently possible to download ebooks directly to the Sony Wi-Fi Reader from some stores, with others the books must be downloaded to a PC and then transferred to the Reader.

Angry customers

Sony has yet to get back to us with an explanation for the delay, which has angered owners of the devices.

“I bought my PRS-T1 in November so that I could use the Wi-Fi feature without hooking up to a computer,” wrote user Iggiles on the Sony forums. “I was told by the Sony store where I bought my PRS-T1 that the Sony online store would be available by Christmas – I was even shown an email from Sony to the store to that effect.”

“I feel that I have bought a device under false [pretenses] – it will not do what it claims to do,” the customer added.

“I bought the PRS-T1 reader pretty much as soon as it came out having been given the impression the Reader Store would follow shortly after,” added ColR2012. “Some four months or so later I’m still waiting. Could I ever imagine Apple doing this, would Amazon do this? No, they’re switched on to providing the customer with a full service straight out the box. Sony needs to wake up!”