Some companies overcharge for the price of certain devices that don't usually become bestsellers. So, savvy consumers can wait a few months and then buy them at a more competitive price. If we apply this same principle to the smartphone sector, patient consumers often get great hardware at a great price.
One of those companies that sometimes goes overboard with pricing is Sony. When they announced their writing device, the Sony DPT-S1, years ago, they priced it at $1.100. Now, some time later, the price has almost halved , and it can be purchased from Amazon and B&H Photo for around $599.
While primarily designed for reading but adaptable for other purposes, the DPT-S1 boasts a screen roughly the size of a laptop , two touch panels (capacitive and stylus), Wi-Fi connectivity, a microSD card slot, and 4GB of storage. That's quite impressive for a device whose specifications are comparable to current models.
The only drawback is that it only supports PDF files , so when those supposedly colorful Amazon e-readers hit the market, the single-file-format support might prove quite limiting. The 13,3-inch screen is very large and ideal for viewing large documents.
What's noteworthy is that Sony hasn't publicly explained the reasons for the price reduction, so one of the reasons could be that they want to clear out their stock before launching a second model. At that price, and for viewing large documents, this device could be an attractive purchase.