Electronics majors Sony Corp and Sharp Corp on Friday launched rivalling tablet computer products for the Japanese home market in a bid to catch up to market leader Apple Inc's iPad. Sharp's Galapagos tablet allows users to read e-books and magazines, which can be delivered at designated times, Kyodo News reported. Online music and gaming services are to start next year.
It comes in two models, a 10.8-inch (27.4-centimetre) screen and a 5.5-inch screen. Reader, Sony's digital reading device, comes in a 5-inch and a 6-inch edition, can store around 1,400 e-books, and runs for about two weeks on a single battery charge. It has already been released in 13 other countries, including the United States and its comes at about half the price of Sharp's models. Sony sells its 6-inch Touch Edition Reader for 24,800 yen (296 dollars) in Japan, compared with 54,800 yen for Sharp's 10.8-inch Galapagos.