Cheaper E-Book Reader May Douse Amazon's Kindle

In a jab to Amazon.com and the rising popularity of its sleek but expensive e-book reader, Sony plans to offer – for $100 less – a competing reader for electronic texts.

Compared with $299 for the Kindle, the cheapest Sony e-book reader will cost $199, the first to dip below the $200 mark, according to The Wall Street Journal.  They’re expected to be available later in August at retailers including Best Buy (Stock Quote: BBY) and Wal-Mart Stores (Stock Quote: WMT).  Earlier versions of the Sony reader cost $269 or $399 depending on the model.

The Sony e-book store will also match best-selling e-book prices at the Amazon (Stock Quote: AMZN) Kindle Store, at $9.99 compared with a previous price of Sony e-book price of $11.99.

Sony also plans to introduce a $299 touch-screen e-book reader, adding a popular feature to its device that the Kindle doesn’t have.

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