Sony recently confirmed rumors that the popular Japanese electronics company may not be able to meet e-reader demand through Christmas this year.
The Sony Daily Edition Reader, expected to be available in time for Christmas, has received more interest than Sony anticipated. The company made the device available for pre-order yesterday, and it will ship for $399 starting on Dec. 18.
Sony will likely run into problems as many retailers will be unable to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas, which will force some consumers to wait until 2010 for the device.
E-readers may be one of the most popular consumer electronics purchased this holiday shopping season, with the Daily Edition Reader ready to compete with the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and other e-readers that are expected to be available in time for Christmas.
The B&N Nook's last order before Christmas will ship on Dec. 18, as companies scramble to try and meet the general rules of supply and demand.
If Sony and Barnes & Noble suffer supply shortages as expected, Amazon -- which had its own supply issues when the first Kindle launched -- will be in an ideal position to sell e-readers to consumers unable to purchase a Nook or Daily Edition Reader.
E-reader manufacturers must now work with book publishers and shoppers to try and see if they can find the ideal price point for e-readers and e-books. The e-readers are expected to still cost $200+ for some time, but there is a higher concern over the relatively high cost of e-books, which sometimes cost more than paperback books.
