From the Guardian .. harder to get the sand out of on the beach then traditional paperbacks but the new ebook technology is progressing to be more accessible ..

Will we all be switching to ebooks?

Sony certainly wants us to. This week the Japanese electronics giant announced an exclusive deal with high-street bookseller Borders to promote the new Sony Reader, its pint-sized attempt to finally break open the ebook market.



The Reader, which made its full debut at the CES show in Las Vegas earlier this year, is an impressive little gadget. Around the size of a thin paperback book, it mimics the printed page using electronic ink and has a crisp display that puts no extra strain on the eyes. With the capacity to hold hundreds of titles simultaneously - as well as being able to download new titles from the internet - some are saying it might do for publishing what the iPod has done for music.

Borders will promote the Reader in 200 of its American stores, and it looks likely that its 36 British outlets could follow suit when the gadget goes on sale here later this year (with an expected price tag of around £200). It will mark the first time that an ebook reader will have the backing of such a big book retailer.

Sony is particularly keen on the deal, seeing it as a chance to get the technology out of the hands of early adopters and into the mainstream market. "This agreement with Borders affords us the opportunity to showcase the Sony Reader directly to enthusiasts," said Sony spokesman Ron Hawkins.

Evangelists include Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown, who believes it will help more people to read. "It is not about replacing books," he said earlier this year. "Ebooks offer features that traditional books cannot ... if I want a new book, I can download it instantly online, even if it is two in the morning."

They promise particular dividends in academic environments, as the ability to reduce a pile of expensive textbooks and carry one device is attractive for schools and universities. But although we shouldn't expect to see ebooks replace dead tree material, experts say that publishers have been waiting for this technology for some time. "They see it as less of a threat and more of an opportunity," says Philip Jones, web editor of the Bookseller. "Many publishers are already digitising their backlists - they're not technology providers or creators, so they are waiting for the iPod of the book world."

I have urgent needs to buy things all the time - I'm on the night bus thinking 'Christ! where can I stop off to get a copy of Dantes Inferno'

You know what - not ONE book shop in London is open 24/7 is this the dark ages? But you roll up an alley you get offered smack girls and all sorts . for once I'd like to be offered a Dickens Collection .

I'm only laughing as you killed off my lunch blog which my fans are really mourning.

If he'd have sat in the bars where I live quoting Paradise Lost he'd have ended up wearing the novel as a neck brace.

£200.00!

That's nearly thirty full price paperbacks.

Before I've paid to download any books onto it...

I'm confused about who this is aimed at, other than the very very rich.

S. TheSparePlace

Everything is not going to be okay.

The other thing that would worry me - espeically at that price - is, if you lose or break it, do you also lose all the books you had on it, as well as the machine?

I can imagine the kind of people who have minimalist design in their houses liking it, because it would be much tidier than a pile of books though. So I'm sure there is a market out there for them.