Books aren't dead... they've just gone digital: Our guide to the top ebook readers
They may look newfangled, but ebook readers sold in their millions last year because they are, in effect, hundreds of books, magazines and newspapers in one portable package.
And they're no mere novelty items: on Christmas Day Amazon.com sold more ebooks than physical books. So, which device should you try?
All the models here have broadly similar greyscale screens, and each works in the same way - you go to an ebook website, download ebooks onto the reader, and that's it.
Going digital: The Amazon Kindle (far left), 2Iriver Story (top left), Cool-er eReader, Sony Reader Pocket Edition (top right), Cybook Opus (bottom right), Sony Reader Touch Edition
When choosing between them, though, you need to consider what types of ebook they support - and how much these cost.
Most ebooks are still quite expensive, and many will only work on one kind of device - Amazon's AZW ebooks can only be viewed on the Kindle, while BBeB ebooks only work on Sony readers.
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The best format to buy is ePub - an open standard that works on most devices and is used by sites such as waterstones.com - but it's also worth checking your reader can handle PDF and TXT files, if you want to use it for business.
You may also want a 3G connection to download books wirelessly on the go, and maybe a touchscreen or keypad to add notes.
1. AMAZON Kindle
$259 (£204), amazon.com
Capacity 2GB/1,500 books Formats AZW, PDF, TXT
Connections USB, 3G Battery life 2 weeks (wireless off)
Verdict Despite coming with a US power plug, the Kindle impresses with its crisp screen, low-lag responses to button presses and unique 3G connection, which allows you to download books, newspapers and magazines wherever you are - though only at a price, from Amazon's online store. *****
2. IRIVER Story
£229.00, www.waterstones.com
£189.00, www.whsmith.co.uk
Capacity 2GB/1,500 books (plus SD slot) Formats ePub, PDF, TXT
Connections USB Battery life 7,000 page turns
Verdict The Story feels a tad flimsy in the hand, but its screen is as crisp and clear as those on the Kindle and the Sonys.
The full keyboard and SD card slot are nice touches, enabling you to write notes and boost the storage capacity by 32GB (25,000 books) respectively. ****
3. COOL-ER eReader
£189, coolreaders.com
Capacity 1GB/1,000 books (plus SD slot) Formats ePub, PDF, TXT
Connections USB Battery life 8,000 page turns
Verdict The lurid iPod-on-a-budget looks may not be to everyone's taste, but the Cool-er's large, clear screen and light weight are big plus points.
The menu is simple and more responsive than some, and with more than a million titles available at cooler-ebooks.com alone, you're unlikely to be short of material. ****
4. SONY Reader Pocket Edition
£150, sony.co.uk
Capacity 512MB/350 books Formats BBeB, ePub, PDF, TXT
Connections USB Battery life 6,800 page turns
Verdict Smaller and lighter than the Reader Touch, this uses standard buttons and has a razor-sharp matt-finish screen that's easy to read in sunlight.
However, there's a distinct delay between button-push and action, and lack of storage could prove an issue for some. ***
5. CYBOOK Opus
£210, bookeen.com
Capacity 1GB/1,000 books (plus microSD slot) Formats PDF, ePub, TXT
Connections USB Battery life 8,000 page turns
Verdict As well as having a clear screen, the Opus is also motion-sensitive, rotating automatically from portrait to landscape.
It's extremely simple to use and there are few buttons to worry about, but it suffers from slightly poor responsiveness. A decent all-rounder, though.***
6. SONY Reader Touch Edition
£250, sony.co.uk
Capacity 512MB/350 books (plus SD and Memory Stick slots) Formats BBeB, ePub, PDF, TXT
Connections USB Battery life 7,500 page turns
Verdict An ebook reader with a touchscreen?
Sounds nifty enough, but in use it feels slow and unresponsive, and the glossy screen gives a less paper-like look than those of rival devices. Also, built-in memory capacity is low. ***
