Sony Reader to include WiFi in 2010

"Sony is famous for clinging to technology standards that nobody else wants; remember Betamax? But the company’s having none of that with the Reader. While Amazon offers books in an exclusive proprietary format, Sony has embraced EPUB, a digital publishing standard that works with a variety of e-readers, cellphones, and computers. So while the Sony Reader delivers the latest bestsellers, you can also borrow electronic books from hundreds of public libraries, or download out-of-copyright titles from Google Books at no charge. The Pocket Edition has 512 megabytes of on-board memory; Sony estimates that’s enough for about 350 books.
But to install these books, you first download them onto a personal computer, then feed them to the Reader through a USB cable. Why not a wireless cellular modem, like the Kindle? It’s coming in the next Reader model, due for release next year."
from Curling up with an e-book
By Hiawatha Bray Globe Staff / December 10, 2009
"You’ve also got to wait for a Barnes & Noble Nook, priced at $259 but unavailable till 2010. As a reward for your patience, you’ll get a device that combines the compactness of the Sony Reader with the wireless connectivity of the Kindle, and throws in a few extras as well.
Color, for instance. Not on the main reading page, which features standard black-on-gray E-ink. But the Nook is controlled with a thin, touch-sensitive color LCD screen just below the reading area. Here you can see book covers in full color, sort through your library, and order new reading materials.
The Nook touchscreen seemed a bit slow on the uptake. I often had to press my finger against an icon for a second or two before it responded. Indeed, the Nook’s E-ink screen also refreshes quite slowly, as if the processor inside isn’t quite up to the task. Or perhaps it’s because the Nook uses Google Inc.’s Android operating system, now appearing on smartphones like the Droid from Verizon Wireless. Android has considerable merit, but I’ve found it awfully buggy. And sure enough, the Nook I tested suffered a software crash, the first I’ve ever seen on an e-reader."