is the most purchased and most widely known e-reader, the Barnes & Noble Nook and the Sony e-readers are also very competitive in this market. When the Apple iPad goes on sale, who knows what will happen. Will it take sales away from the other e-readers or will it create a whole new market?Did you know that there are many other e-book readers on the market? Do they have a chance of being found in this relatively new market? Will e-readers become like mp-3 players in which one player almost completely dominates the market, or will they be more like laptops, in which there is much more variety?
Here are 8 lesser known e-book readers that are currently on the market:
1. Bookeen Cybook OPUS
- Using Electronic Ink Display, the screen acts like a paper page and is viewable under a wide range of lighting conditions and can be viewed from nearly any angle. Long battery life, power is only used when images are changed. $215 - $450
2. Ectaco jetBook
- Supports more file formats than any other e-reader, including TXT, PDF and Doc to read items from the Internet. It can also display books in a number of the world's most popular languages. The jetbook stores mp3 files so that you can to music through a headset. $179.95.3. COOL-ER ereader - Uses the E-Ink technology for a paper like screen. Sold in eight different colors for a cool looking e-reader. Over a million books in the COOLER-EBOOKS estore. $249.
4. PocketBook 360 - PocketBook has many e-readers, the 360 is their newest one, coming out in March. Stay connected with Wi-Ri, Bluetooth, miniUSB and USB host. Connect a keyboard or a light to the device. Touchscreen E-Ink display. Read all formats - news, calendar, notes, games, mp3 and more. $239.99 - $259.99.
5. Copia - The first social eReading experience - discover, connect and share. Social functionality built in, this reader holds not only up to 3,000 books, but your conversations, notes and friends. Connect to your existing social networks. Great for students to form study groups and share notes. Touchscreen or QWERTY soft keypad. $199 - $299
6. Astak 5-inch pocket pro - Includes Adobe Digital Editions firmware to enable users to purchase and read copyrighted eBook in PKF format from major eBook stores. Supports more than 20 DRM-free formats to enable any non-copyrighted ebook form the Internet to be read. Has a text-to-speech function that reads documents outloud. Available in six different cool colors. $229 - $279.
7. IREX iLiad
- Read books, newspapers and documents. You can make notes and annotate existing documents and then transfer them to a PC or anther iLiad. Friends can add remarks or edit your notes and return them to you. Anything that you can print from a PC can be read on the iLiad. $549 - $599 EUR.
8. Bebook Neo - Available in 6" or a 5" mini and uses the e-ink technology. WiFi, with access to eBook stores worldwide. Has a touchscreen and allows notetaking which can be added, saved and erased. $299 or the 6" neo and $199 for the mini.
With the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble e-Readers selling for $259 and the Sony selling three models ranging from $199 - $399, the only one of these lesser known readers that might get sells due to lower pricing is the Ectaco jetbook. If you were in the market to puchases an e-book reader right now, would you consider any of the above, or would you go right to the top three? Or, are you waiting for the Apple iPad to come out and use it as your eBook reader?
See also: Buy and Read Kindle eBooks on PC and Mac
