Electronic Digital Book Readers, a Perfect Gift.

I was asked recently to find out some information on electronic digital book readers. These were a new concept to me and I was interested in the thought that a whole library of books could be carried around on one device and without the need for large amounts of storage space. When I started to do my research I was rapidly very impressed by what I found out, and I strongly suspect that in years to come these will make the paper books we are used to obsolete and we will consider downloading books on to such devices a perfectly normal way of reading our favourite author's latest releases.

These wireless reading devices are the perfect gift for any book lover, and I can especially see the benefits to those people who travel a lot or have little storage space for books at home. Although these book readers are not cheap, they are not unaffordable either and they will certainly bring down the price of books due to the lower production costs i.e. no need for paper, ink, transportation costs etc. This must mean these will prove to be very environmentally friendly and green compared to the massive amounts of trees needed to produce paper, the damage caused to the environment by carbon monoxide emissions etc.

Depending on which model you buy the Kindle can store between 1500 and 3500 books. Prices start at around $250, but what a lot you get for your investment. A few of my favourite features are listed below.

At 10.2 ounces, Kindle is lighter than a typical paperback and as thin as most magazines.

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Kindle is completely wireless and ready to use right out of the box--no setup, no cables, no computer required.

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You can read on a single charge for up to 4 days with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to 2 weeks.

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Fast 3G Network--Get Books in Under 60 Seconds

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Amazon pays for Kindle's wireless connectivity so you won't see a wireless bill.

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Automatic Library Backup: Re-download Your Books for Free. Books you purchase from the Kindle Store are backed up online in your Kindle book library at Amazon.com. You can wirelessly re-download books available in your library for free.

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Paper-like Screen. Utilizing the latest in electronic-ink display technology, Kindle provides a crisp black-and-white 6" screen with the same appearance and readability of printed paper. Sharp and natural with no glare or backlight, reading on Kindle is nothing like reading from a computer screen. Those who see it for the first time always do a double-take. The screen works using ink, just like books and newspapers, but displays the ink particles electronically. And unlike a laptop or smart phone, Kindle never gets warm so you can comfortably read as long as you like.

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Adjustable Text Size. Because one size doesn't fit all, you can increase the text size of your favorite book or periodical with the push of a button. If your eyes tire, simply increase the font size and continue reading comfortably. Kindle has six adjustable font sizes to suit your reading preference. Now every book in your library can be large print.

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With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog and book out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable. You can switch back and forth between reading and listening, and your spot is automatically saved. Pages automatically turn while the content is being read, so you can listen hands-free. You can choose from both male and female voices which can be sped up or slowed down to suit your preference.

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You can search and shop the Kindle Store wirelessly right from your Kindle, allowing you to click, buy, and start reading your purchases within a minute. The Kindle Store offers the same great Amazon.com customer experience you're used to, including customer reviews, personalized recommendations, and low prices. We auto-deliver your selections wirelessly, so the next time you hear about a great book, just search, buy, and read.

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Amazon's vision is to have every book ever printed, in every language, available on Kindle. The Kindle Store currently has more than 350,000 books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs and we are adding more every day. Whether you prefer biographies, classics, investment guides, thrillers, or sci-fi, thousands of your favorite books are available. The Kindle Store offers 104 of 112 books currently found on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Sony have the reputation of producing high class products and can therefore offer confidence to the customer purchasing their products, including their book readers. Their product offers the ability to carry thousands of books, including many free downloads and the ability to download "borrowed" books from libraries. Prices start from about  $274. My favourite features are listed below.

With a Sony Digital Book Reader you can carry an entire library of books in your bag, so you always have a huge choice of what to read and when to read it. Take 100s of eBooks with you wherever you go (or 1000s of eBooks with optional memory card on some models) and you’re ready for any journey.

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Read for hours on the paper-like screen. New digital book readers from Sony use an innovative E Ink Vizplex screen which means it’s just like reading a paper page. It has high contrast, high resolution and a wide viewing angle. What’s more there’s no backlight and no flickering so it’s gentle on your eyes and you can read for hours even in bright sunlight.

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Low energy use for a long battery life. The Book Reader from Sony has a low energy consumption which means you can keep turning page after page, around 6,800 page turns or 7,500 for a Reader Touch Edition. That’s enough to finish the most epic book or longest trip without having to re-charge the battery.

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Support for multiple file formats. Reader supports EPUB, the most versatile type of eBook format, so you’re not restricted to buying eBooks from only one place. It also supports lots of other eBook formats and file formats such as Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, image and music files so you can read most types of documents – even listen to music as you read.

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Lightweight & colourful design. Digital book readers from Sony are slim, lightweight and easy to take anywhere. The new Pocket and Touch Editions are available in a range of stylish colours. You can also add accessories including covers in a choice of colours and materials to personalise your Reader.

Released in November 2009 the "Nook" offers an impressive range of feaures Prices start from about $259 and demand is very high as a Christmas 2009 gift. Great features include.

Nook's easy-to-read E Ink display is more like a traditional book than a computer screen. With no glare or backlight, and adjustable text size, you can read comfortably for hours.

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With 2GB of memory, nook stores up to 1,500 books, newspapers and magazines. Need even more space? Just add a memory card. An entire library light enough to take with you everywhere, so you'll never be without your favorites.

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Reading Now, your virtual bookmark, to bring you back to the last book you've read, right where you left off. Coming in early 2010, if you forget your nook at home and are stuck on a bus, keep on reading with your iPhone or BlackBerry.

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Share favorite eBooks with your friends or family. Most eBooks can be lent for up to 14 days at a time. Just choose the eBook you want to share and send it to your friend's nook – or to any PC or Mac OS or any iPhone or iPod touch with the free Barnes & Noble eReader software downloaded on it.

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Control your nook with an easy-to-use full-color touchscreen, created to work seamlessly with the crisp, clean E Ink display. Just use your finger to swipe through titles and tap open your next read. Or use nook's large, comfortable, virtual keyboard to find exactly what you're looking for.

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There are a number of electronic book readers on the market right now, but I believe at time of writing I have chosen the top three most popular brands available. I am certainly considering one of these as a future gift, not least of which because books will suddenly be so much more affordable, and of course even the authors benefit by their books becoming far more publishable due to the far lower costs of production.