Think of electronic readers and chances are that it is the Amazon Kindle that will come to your mind the foremost. That is not without reason though, as Kindle is by far the largest selling electronic reader right now. This when the market has quite a few e-book reader from several other manufacturer with some being good enough to give Kindle a run for its money. This article aims to make an assessment of the current situation in the electronic reader market in an effort to arrive at a clearer picture.

Price - E-book readers are available at a wide price bracket. So while at one end of the spectrum we have e-book readers like the Kindle 2 that retails for 0 or the Sony e-book reader Prs-505 at close to 0, on the other end we have e-book readers like the Irex Iliad that can set one back by about 0.

Weight All e-book readers are pocket friendly, which means they are compact and light enough to hold or to snug it into your coat pocket. The Sony Prs-505 is extremely light at just 8.8 ounces while the Kindle DX tips the scale at 17.6 ounces. The Irex Iliad weighs at 13.7 ounces while for Kindle 2, it is 9.6 ounces.

Screen Size Size of screen can be an important deciding factor when it comes to selecting an e-book reader and this is one area where e-book readers are likely to differ the most. This even when there is not much variation in their external dimensions. For instance the Irex Iliad has the biggest screen size at 8.5" while the same for Sony Prs-505 is just 6.9 inches. Screen size for the Kindle DX is a significant improvement over Kindle 2 and is big enough to display any web page, more so in the landscape format.

Battery Life All the latest generation e-book readers sport the revolutionary e-ink technology, which means power is drawn from battery only when a page is flipped while no power is utilized when a page is under continuous display. However, no two e-book reader is likely to feature similar figures when it comes to their battery life. For instance, the Irex Iliad offers 15 hours of continuous reading while the Sony e-book reader can provide up to 7500 page turns on a single charge, which is quite commendable. Battery life for the Kindles average at around 2 weeks on a single full charge.

Design Design and looks are a personal issue and what is chalk to one can well be cheese to another. Different e-book readers come in various shades to appeal to different class of buyers. Take for instance the Sony Prs-505, it has a sleek metallic casing that comes in both black and silver, giving it a thoroughly professional look. In case of both Amazon and Irex Iliad e-book readers, they have some plastic or synthetic rubber feel to them, which looks good too. You can come across what others think of the design of any particular e-book reader at e-reader forum .

All in all, every e-book reader has its positives and none of them is devoid of negatives. It only depends on a user to make a wise and informed decision as to which e-book reader will be best for them. For instance, take the case of Sony Prs-505 it is competitively priced, has got sleek looks and portability, all of which makes it appealing to the average casual user. On the flip side, it has a screen size that is slightly on the smaller side. The Amazon Kindles are the most sought after e-book readers and the biggest USP for them is that they have free access to the Amazon.com bookstore. The Irex Iliad, on the other hand is perhaps best suited for those who wish to have an e-book reader purely for professional use. And if you think you need help in selecting an e-book reader or you have any doubts, you can always be at e-reader blog that contains a wealth of information on the latest happenings in the world of e-book readers.