Sony e-readers get exclusive Dow Jones, New York Post content
By Donald Melanson 
posted December 17th 2009 11:52AM
posted December 17th 2009 11:52AM
Hoping to read the New York Post on an e-reader anytime soon? Then your choices just got quite a bit more limited, as the newspaper has signed a deal that will see Sony offer the only version of the paper for digital reading devices. Joining it are various exclusive offerings from Dow Jones & Company, including The Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch, which won't be completely exclusive to Sony readers, but will be available in special editions only available on Sony readers -- that includes The Wall Street Journal PLUS, a digital edition of the morning paper that also features an update of the day's events after the close of the markets. Owners of the Sony Reader Daily Edition will also naturally be able to get the day's papers wirelessly delivered to their readers, with subscriptions running between $9.99 and $19.99 a month.
Dialing up the e-reader competition up a notch - no NYT on the nook or Kindle, then.
But how many folks read the newspaper on these, anyway?
@ECVOICE
Who can afford e-readers and subscription more than wallstreet guys? And who need something that can be frequently updated more?
@ECVOICE I do. Read the Chicago Tribune on the train every morning. Seems kind of an odd choice for Dow since only the newest Sony readers have wireless access. The legacy readers would have to hook the reader up to their PC daily.
laptops
@ECVOICE It's the "makes the National Enquirer look good, while delivering a big blob of right wing nuttiness" Post, not the Times. And the Wall Street Journal material being offered here is also the lunatic ravings of Murdoch's most vile editorial staff.
In other words, Sony gets an exclusive on the folks who watch Glenn Beck for their primary source of news but need an extra infusion away from home.
@Devilstower
So much hatred you have. Forever Padawan you will be.
@RafterManFMJ
Nothing he said wasn't true.
@Devilstower I'm a subscriber to the WSJ. I'm also as much an avid reader of Engadget as I am an avid hater of Glen Beck. I am a leftward-leaning college student majoring in finance.
@ECVOICE
there's a difference between new york times and new york post
WSJ are such a dumb crowd.
@Wwhat
Ya, have you seen the economy lately?
I think they've been trading on Speak n Spells.
But Sony readers don't have wifi built in as far as I know? How can it be available for 'em?
@ArtBlakey
3G!
@ArtBlakey Download it to a computer, transfer.
but yeah it would make more sense to be able to quickly and frequently do it with wifi, every portable device should have wifi in 2009-2010 and wifi is cheap and easily implemented.
Doesn't sony have a deluxe model with wifi though? They seriously have no e-reader at all with wifi? Man that is lame and stupid if true..
@Wwhat
The new Sony Reader Daily Edition will have wifi included. But the software for the Sony readers already have the subscription page feature added (they upgraded the software on Dec. 11). So I will presume that folks with no wifi on their readers will just download and upload to their reader if they want this service.
@barbtx The Reader Daily doesn't have WiFi, it has a 3G radio (using AT&T).
@Wwhat
Why would you want Wi-fi on a device that has free 3G access?
It would be ok for areas with not a great reception, but that would only decrease battery life and increase the price of the device.
@Arkv2
Because wifi is more private since your location isn't always immediately transferred to systems that can be tracked live by many many sneaky little fascist bastards in government buildings.
New york post is a right wing tabloid...meh...could care less on what sony does...Its a dying company trying to stay relevant with their terrible products other than the ps3.
@(Unverified)
Don't really agree with u on that. Sony proffesional equipment is still one of the best video tech out there. And what about the Bravias? Magnificent!
@ArtBlakey Bravias used to be amazing. As of recent, they have been poor quality. You can get a samsung that looks way better at a cheaper price than a sony.
The economy/wallstreet is run by rightwingers (in as far as it runs), so that fits nicely you see, brokers and investors want gossip and ideas from rightwingers to keep up with the trends, if they all buy gold or pork or steel or apple stock you want to know as investor and you don't care if they have right-wing ideas even if by some miracle you are in rich investor who isn't right-wing (as if).
Oh, Sony Daily Edition, didn't catch that one. Anyhow, European users don't use 3G technology that much, so Sony has to go with 2.4 Ghz wifi here.
@ArtBlakey
Yeah they are all into 4G now in the north of europe I hear, 3G is so yesterday.
@Wwhat I hear they got a whole mess of 3G's and Internets out Californi' way
Actually I'm pretty sure the whole of the EU is kneedeep saturated in 3G by now, it was already pretty widespread a few years ago.
Seriously this is wrong on so many levels. It's like old media companies have not learned anything from the MP3 fiasco. No one wants to restrict their device buying choices based on the content. I want my content on all my devices in whatever format I choose. It's disturbing and disgusting to observe the extreme shortsightedness of these media firms. Content delivery & consumption devices should sell only on the basis of their own merits(i.e. all aspects of hardware & UI) not content.
Does anyone read the NY Post?
Circulation 508,042 Daily
@Wwhat
So about 6% of the NYC population. I'm not sure that's going to be much of a selling point for the Sony reader.
@FitFan
As compared to only 927,851 for the NYT? (large circulation outside NYC Area) or The Washington Post at only 582,844
2,024,269 for WSJ
I'm not advertising, just giving the number (from wikipedia), but I imagine selling 500K e-readers would still be a pretty nice profit, minus what they paid them to get the exclusive I guess, I'd not be angry if you gave me a million or two.
@Jay Evans
Companies pay to have the WSJ delivered to them in the morning, so it's a bit "inflated".
@Jeff Kibuule
Uhhh... yea, that's why it's call "Paid Circulation"
Sept. ‘09
1 Wall Street Journal 2,024,269
2 USA Today 1,900,116
3 New York Times 927,851
4 Los Angeles Times 657,467
5 Washington Post 582,844
6 New York Daily News 544,167
7 New York Post 508,042
8 Chicago Tribune 465,892
9 Houston Chronicle 384,419
10 Philadelphia Inquirer 361,480
@FitFan
isn't it just right wing trash.... in a left wing city?
translation: nobody reads it.
Oh yes, limit the number of people that can read your content. That will save your lame industry for sure!
Only limits it for ereaders though, they got sites too, for notebook reading and such, and if you script it you can dump the whole site to a format your own non-sony ereader can read ;) (easier on the eys)
I'm not naive enough to think that either of these publications are unbiased, but isn't the process of restricting yourself to one format from one company destroying even the illusion of supposed balanced journalism?
Balanced journalism? What are you? 2yo and naive? The whole profession abandoned that concept 40 years ago already, even as a front/lie.
DO NOT WANT
Yes beg the government to once and for all demand from the corporate community an explanation of how exclusive hardware exclusive content deals are in any way conducive to free trade. I'm sure the revenue from eager New York Post readers between now and whenever the current Democratic administration notices the flaunting of such an obvious artificial barrier of entry will be worth it.
@n2whyteguyz
It does sound like monopolistic behavior to me too. The newspapers, cell phones, HD DVDs and whatever else should be able to get digital content/signals from any party legally paying the rate the content makers can charge. It's the middlemen and the people delivering the content that are getting in the way of free market competition.
@n2whyteguyz
hehe, you lost me a 'corporate community'... put the pipe down man
So I can only get sources I will not read, on devices I won't buy? Wow, can I not get 2 of each? Old joke a friend used to tell....... "Hey, that's a nice shirt. You should have gotten 2" Why 2? "One to shit on, and the other to cover it up with".
Your friend was proper and considerate.
@Wwhat
I suspect he had some cat DNA, with the whole covering his messes thing.
@joelaf
Haha, that must be it yeah.
What's wrong with these ppl? It's like saying "Let's restrict the selling of our newspaper to that one news stand at 5th, 42nd, only". Marketing pre-internet style.
@jonasl
It's the old finger to the side of the nose "here, Sir, you might enjoy this"
This is cool since I have an ereader...even though I'll probably never subscribe to any of them.
However, I HATE exclusive content. It doesn't make me want to run out and buy that piece of equipment. It just makes me angry at both companies for striking the agreement and screwing the consumer.