There is no doubt that the eReader market is rapidly evolving. Amazon has just released the Kindle 3 and the Kindle DX at significantly lower prices than a year ago. At the same time, other suppliers are arriving into the eReader market, providing strong competition to Amazon’s flagship product. Read on to compare eReaders currently available, such as Sony’s ebook reader, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, the Spring Design Alex, the Kobo eReader, and the latest hot contender,  the Apple iPad. Also take a look and the features for the upcoming eReader challengers, such as the Samsung’s E60.

eReaders Closeup

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Read on for a description of the different eReaders.

Sony Reader Pocket

The Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350)  is the cheapest of Sony’s three eReader models at $179.99. The display screen is 5”, smaller compared to the Kindle’s 6” display and the Kindle DX’s 9.7” inch display. Like the Kindle it uses Pearl E Ink technology, however it does have the advantage of having a touch sensitive screen. With a tactile screen the keyboard is integrated into the screen which means that there are noticably reductions for the dimensions and weight. The Pocket Reader weighs 3 onces less than the Kindle at 5 1/2 ounces, and is approximately 30% smaller at 5 3/4 x 4 1/8.

It has a smaller memory than either Kindle and can hold a maximum of 1200 books at a time. Sony Reader Library software has superior organizing capabilities when compared to Amazon’s library, as Amazon offers a limited folder system for organizing books. . To get books on the Pocket, you must first download them to your computer then transfer them with a USB cable, unlike the Kindle where books are delivered either through wi-fi or 3g. The Reader Pocket supports multiple file formats, including EPUB. The EPUB format cannot currently be read on the Kindle, which makes accessing library books difficult, as many are in this format. The Pocket’s battery life lasts for 2 weeks, as opposed to Kindle’s 4 week (without g). The Pocket is available in silver and pink.

Sony hasn’t neglected the content. It has revamped it store which provides over a million titles. Visit the Sony Reader Store to browse through their titles.

For more information visit the official Sony site for the Sony Reader Pocket. With Amazon.com you can also read reviews or purchase a Sony Reader Pocket.

Sony Reader Touch

The Sony Reader Touch Edition (PRS-650) is more expensive in price than the Kindle at $229.99. The display is 6”, slightly larger than the Sony Pocket. The Sony Touch, as its name implies, uses touch screen navigation, so you can turn the pages of a book by swiping your finger across the screen. Like the Kindle, the Sony Touch uses E Ink technology. The Sony Touch can carry up to 1200 books, but you have the option to expand the memory by buying Sony’s Memory Stick PRO Duo. With the Touch, you can adjust font size, highlight and take notes, and search for words in the dictionary. Like the Pocket and the Daily, you can use Sony’s Reader Library Software to download books and manage your collection. The software also works on Macs and PCs. Unlike the Kindle’s wireless delivery, you must transfer books from your computer to you Touch with a USB cable. The Touch supports the following file types: Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, BBeB Book and other text file formats, as well as EPUB/ACS4. You can also listen to unsecured MP3 and AAC audio files on a Touch. The battery life on the Touch is 2 weeks or 7,500 continuous page turns, same as for the Pocket edition. The Touch comes in three different colors – black and red.

For more information visit the official Sony site for the Sony Reader Touch. With Amazon.com you can also read reviews or purchase a Sony Reader Touch.

Sony Reader Daily

The Sony Reader Daily Edition (PRS-950) costs $299.99 and is Sony’s most expensive eReader. It offers the largest screen at 7”, which is still considerably smaller than the Kindle DX’s 9.7” display. With the larger display, you can read in portrait or landscape mode. Landscape mode displays 2 pages on the screen at the same time, like the layout of a physical book. The display utilizes E Ink technology like the Kindle. The Daily offer 1.6 GB of memory, so it can accommodate roughly 1,500 titles. The Daily edition offers many of the same features as the Touch, including font adjustment, highlighting capabilities, and a built-in dictionary. The Daily’s main selling point is free 3G wireless access. Content is available for wireless download through the Reader Store and Google books. All other content has to be added manually from a computer, using a USB cable. The Daily accepts the same file formats as the Pocket and Touch editions. Battery life on the Daily depends on whether or not wireless is turned on. A charge lasts for one week with wireless on and for about two and half weeks with wireless off. The Daily is available only in black.

For more information visit the official Sony site for the Sony Reader Daily. With Amazon.com you can also read reviews or purchase a Sony Reader Daily.

It is rumored that Sony will soon be releasing the Sony Dialy Reader PRS-950, but there is currently very little information available at the moment.

Apple iPad

Although the iPad is not a dedicated eReader, the iBooks app has been touted as a game-changer for the publishing industry. At $499, the iPad is more expensive than the Kindle but similar in price to the Kindle DX. The iPad has a 9.7” LED-backlit IPS display. IPS technology ensures a crisp picture display at almost any angle of viewing. Navigation on the iPad is by touch, so you can flip pages by sliding your finger across the screen. The iPad comes with a massive amount of storage compared to other eReaders, with a choice of 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB of flash storage. This can most likely hold your book collection, your friend’s book collection, and your community library’s collection. With the iPad, you will also be able to choose between Wireless and 3G capability. Either way, books can be delivered wirelessly to your device. To read and download books on the iPad, you will need an app. Apple has developed the iBook app, which is both an eReader and eBookstore. The iBook app utilizes the EPUB format. It is also likely that Apple will allow book apps from third parties such as Barnes & Noble, which will allow you to collect books from different sources. The battery on an iPad will last for 10 hours of active use at a time.

For more information visit the official Apple site for the iPad. With Amazon.com you can also read reviews or purchase an Apple iPad.

Barnes and Noble’s Nook

The Nook is priced in line with the Kindle at $149. It offers a 6” diagonal E Ink display. There is a 3.5” color touch screen display at the bottom of the device that provides navigation within your library. You can either search by book cover or use the digital keyboard to type in a search query. The Nook holds about 1,500 books, similar to the Kindle. You can add storage, as there is an expandable microSD slot in the Nook. In addition, the Nook holds about 26 hours of audio content and includes a built-in
speaker. One feature that differentiates the Nook from other eReaders is the ability to lend books to others. Using Barnes & Noble’s eReader software, you can send a book to another Nook, PC, Mac, Blackberry, iPod Touch, or iPhone. You can loan a book for up to 14 days, and for the period of the loan, you will be unable to access the book on your device. The Nook supports a number of different file formats, including EPUB, PDB, PDF, JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, and MP3. Just as a note, Word documents are not supported on the Nook. Books can be downloaded wirelessly from Barnes & Noble via AT&T. With wireless off, the battery can last for up to ten days.

For more information visit the official Barnes & Noble site for the Nook. With Amazon.com you can also read reviews or purchase a Barnes and Noble Nook.

Samsung E6 and E101

Samsung has announced that it will launch an eReader in spring 2010. They debuted their two eReader models at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas. The E6 will sport a price tag of $399, while the E101 will cost $699. The E6 will have a 6” display similar to the Kindle, and the E101 will have a 10” screen. The E6 and E101 both hold about 1,500 books, which can be increased via a microSD memory card slot (up to 16 GB). The feature that sets the Samsung eReaders apart from the competition is the ability to write on the screen with a stylus pen. The displays feature E Ink technology and built-in Electromagnetic Resonance Technology to power the writing feature. Books will be available from Google, but Samsung has yet to partner with a commercial provider of books such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Both devices are wireless-enabled and have a battery life of about two weeks.

Plastic Logic Que proReader

Plastic Logic has cancelled the release of it’s eReader in face of tough market conditions. Intially priced at $649, it would have had a hard time coming up against Amazon and Apples’s eReaders. Plastic Logic has the intention to come back into the market at a later date.  Previously, Plastoc Logic planned to release a 4GB (3,000 books) version which would have costed $649.00 and an 8GB (6,000 books) version which would have costed $799.00.  Plastic Logic emphasized Que’s capability to handle work documents such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and PDF files.

For more information visit the official Plastic Logic site.

Spring Design Alex

Spring Design’s Alex is another new entrant into the eReader field. Alex has just released the device with a price of $399. The device holds about 1,500 books and has the capacity for additional storage. Alex has a unique dual screen design, combining a 3.5” touchscreen LCD screen with a 6” EPD screen. The LCD screen allows easy searching of the web, while the EPD screen is ideal for reading long documents. The device is currently compatible with WiFi, and shortly compatible with  3G, EVDO/CDMA and GSM. It runs Android and supports the Adobe EPUB, PDF and DRM file formats. Spring Design, the creator of Alex, recently partnered with Borders to offer over 2 million titles to its users through the Borders-branded eBook store. Alex’s battery lasts up to two weeks with wireless off.

For more information visit the official Spring Design Alex site.