In the face of the intensifying competition in the e-book reading devices arena, Sony has announced yet another reduction in the cost of its e-readers in the US – the second mark down in prices by the Japanese company ever since the April release of the Apple iPad.

As a result of the new price reduction, the cost of Sony’s entry-level e-reader has come down from $169 to $149; and that of its high-end “Daily Edition” e-reader has been reduced from $349 to $299.

Sony’s closest e-book market competitors, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, have already slashed the prices of their respective devices – the Kindle and the Nook – in an attempt to ward off competition from the iPad tablet computer that allows users to read digital books, as well as surf the Internet and watch videos.

Though the $499-priced entry-level iPad is comparatively more expensive than the entry-level e-readers, the multi-purpose device is threatening to give substantial competition to dedicated e-readers.

Meanwhile, noting that price adjustments are fairly common in consumer electronics’ market, Steve Haber, Sony’s digital reading business president said: “Sony's overall mission is to expand digital reading to a larger audience by offering consumers the most access, choice and value. Competitive pricing is healthy and we welcome the chance for our products to be touched and compared side-by-side to our competitors.”