With a faux leather cover, side reading lights, and a bright 6-inch screen, the 10-ounce Sony Reader is an elegant book replacement. The touchscreen lets you turn a page by swiping a finger, and the device also supports Word and PDF documents. But it has no wireless capability and holds only 350 books. COST: $350
Scheduled for release this summer, the Kindle DX has a 9.7-inch screen that's great for displaying business documents and charts. It's a relatively heavy 19 ounces, and it's large in other ways as well: With 3.5GB of storage, it holds about 3,500 books. Like the Kindle 2, the DX allows wireless downloads. COST:$489
Though it lacks the Sony Reader's style and its touchscreen, the 10-ounce Kindle 2 has charms of its own. It holds more than 1,500 books, and Amazon sells about 275,000, more than twice as many as Sony. Plus, you can download books and documents wirelessly. Like the Sony Reader, it has a 6-inch screen. COST: $359
Plastic Logic's highly anticipated e-reader, expected to ship in early 2010, is designed for business users who want to read Word, PDF, PowerPoint, and Excel documents, in addition to books and newspapers. The slim device will measure 8.5 inches by 11 inches, with a 10.7-inch touchscreen. COST: Not yet announced
If you’re not in the market for a one-trick gadget, there’s a free Kindle app available for the iPhone. It doesn’t offer periodicals, and at 4.5 by 2.4 inches, the handheld device is awkward for hours of reading. But you can zoom, tinker with text size, and change background colors for easier reading. Plus, for Kindle owners, the app automatically syncs with the last page you read. COST: Free
