Sony launched its first ebook reader, Librié 1000-EP, in Japan in April
2004, in partnership with Philips and E Ink. Librié was the first ebook
reader to use the E Ink technology, with a 6-inch screen, a 10 M
memory, and a 500-ebook capacity. eBooks were downloaded from a
computer through a USB port. The Librié was the ancestor of the Sony
Reader, launched in October 2006 in the U.S., with various new models
launched worldwide then.